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History  of  Torrington,  Connecticut 


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HISTORY 


TORRINGTON, 


CONNECTICUT, 


Its  First   Settlement   in    1737, 


BIOGRAPHIES  AND  GENEALOGIES. 


BV 


REV.    SAMUEL    ORCUTT, 

Author  of  the  History  of  Wolcott,  Ct. 


ALBANY: 

J.    MUNSELL,    PRINTER 

1878. 


TO  THE 


MEMORY 


FIRST  SETTLERS  OF  TORRINGTON 

2ri)is  aj^orft  IS  Knscn'Oftr 


B  Y    TH  E    AUTHOR. 


•'  Oft  did  the  harvest  to  their  sidle  yield; 

Their  furt Oil'   oft  the  stubborn  glebe  has   broke; 
How  jocund  did  they  drive  their  team   a-Jield  ! 

How   bowed  the  woods  beneath   their  sturdy   stroke  ' 

For  them,   no  more  the  blading  hearth   shall  burn. 
Or  busy  housewife  ply   her  evening  care; 

Nor  children    run    to   lisp   their   sire's   return. 
Or  climb  his  knee,   the  envied  kiss   to  share.'' 


PREFACE. 


In  presenting  this  work  to  the  public  the  author  has  no  apology  to 
make  except  the  pleasure  he  takes  in  collecting  and  putting  the  ma- 
terial in  form  as  a  kind  of  memorial  of  those  who  have  gone  to  the 
land  from  which  none  ever  return. 

History  is  but  the  record  of  the  experiences  of  the  past,  and  ex- 
perience is  a  teacher  to  which  it  is  wise  to  listen. 

The  person  who  is  indifferent  to  the  past  would  be  indifferent  to 
the  well  being  of  those  who  are  gone,  if  they  were  living;  for  those 
who  recognize  no  obligation  to  father  nor  mother,  nor  those  gone 
before,  are  too  selfish  to  properly  respect  the  living,  while  those  who 
recognize  such  obligation  will  always  delight  in  the  memory  of  the 
past,  and  will  welcome  that  which  revives  such  memory. 

As  to  the  completeness  of  the  work  it  may  be  said,  that,  had  there 
been  a  prospect  of  a  small  remuneration,  six  months  more  of  time 
would  have  been  given  to  it,  by  which  the  author  could  have  satisfied 
himself,  at  least,  more  fully  than  is  the  case  at  present  ;  although  he 
is  well  assured  that  the  amount  of  information  here  recorded  is  greater 
than  that  of  most  books  of  the  kind  published  in  this  country. 

The  biographical  part  of  the  work  was  undertaken  with  a  defi- 
nite intention  to  set  forth  somewhat  the  work  done  by  Torrington 
people  in  other  parts  of  the  world  as  well  as  in  their  native  town, 
and  also  to  avoid  somewhat  the  complaint  frequently  urged  against 
the  dry  details  of  history. 


vi  Preface. 

The  biography  of  John  Brown,  after  some  progress  had  been  made 
on  it,  was  delivered  to  F.  B.  Sanborn  Esq.,  of  Concord,  Massa- 
chusetts, who  being  famihar  with  the  subject,  and  possessing  favor- 
able opportunities  for  the  work,  has  done  great  honor  to  the  old 
Hero,  and  to  the  town  where  he  was  boin,  and  given  to  the  world 
a  just  and  faithful  memorial  of  one  whose  fame  will  be  celebrated  as 
long  as  American  history  shall  live.  The  biographies  of  Samuel  J. 
Mills,  and  his  son  Samuel  J.  Mills  Jr.,  are  placed  in  abbreviated 
forms  to  what  was  intended,  but  as  they  are,  they  contain  as  full  a 
tribute  as  was  consistent,  in  view  of  the  many  of  whom  it  was  pur- 
posed to  make  some  mention. 

The  crowded  form  of  the  genealogies  made  it  necessary  to  drop 
out  much  of  the  descriptive  matter  which  had  been  prepared  ;  and 
they  are  not  quite  as  full  as  was  intended,  for  soon  after  the  printing 
began  it  became  evident  that  the  material  already  collected  was  more 
than  abundant,  and  though  in  some  i'ew  items  satisfaction  had  not 
been  obtained  yet  it  became  necessary  to  drop  at  once  all  further 
efforts  and  close  the  record. 

77^1?  Jiithor  hereby  tenders  his  most  sincere  gratitude  to  all  the  people^ 
who  without  exception  have  seemed  anxious  to  aid  the  work^  and  delighted 
in  the  prospect  of  its  completion. 

It  is  but  justice  to  say,  that  but  for  the  prompt  encouragement 
at  a  certain  time,  by  substantial  aid,  by  one  of  the  citizens  of  the 
town,  although  some  collections  for  the  work  had  been  previously 
made,  the  further  prosecution  would  not  have  been  attempted,  and 
the  book  would  not  have  been  written  by  the  present  author.  It  is 
also  true  that  but  for  the  very  generous  price  paid  for  one  of  the 
books  by  the  Town,  the  amount  of  matter  printed  must  have  been 
far  less  or  the  price  of  the  book  considerably  increased. 

Thus  has  been  done  as  much  as  could  be  in  the  brief  time  allotted 
and  the  work  is  sent  on  its  intended  mission  of  reviving  the  memory 


Preface.  vii 

of  those  gone  beyond  the   veil,  and  strengthening  the  heart  for  the 
future  toils  of  the  present  life. 

In  thus  closing  all  that  the  author  expects  to  do  in  making  the 
history  of  Torrington,  either  as  a  citizen  or  writer,  the  shadows 
gather,  as  at  the  close  of  day,  and  but  for  the  hope  of  the  future, 
the  memory  of  the  work  done  and  the  characters  which  have  passed 
under  review  would  leave  a  sadness,  like  the  low  plaintive  sound 
of  music  from  afar,  or  as  if  waiting  the  return  of  those  who  have 
long  been  absent,  and  whose  coming,  if  permitted,  would  be  a  joy 
unspeakable. 

The  Author. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


STEEL. 

CoE  Brass  Co.,  -         -         r         -         -         -         -         -         -loi 

Israel  Coe,            ..__.__.-  ^25 

Lyman   W.   Coe,        __-----_-  426 

Henry   Migeon,    ---------  522 

Elisha  Turner,         -  -         -         -  -         -  -  -  -613 

Reuben  Cook,        ---------  679 

LITHOGRAPH. 

Dr.  Samuel  Woodward,              -------  1 

John  Brown,         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         "3'5 

MiLO  Burr, ,-         "         "         '  ^^^ 

PHOTO  ENGRAVINGS. 

Union   Manufacturing  Co.,             .-.--_  gg 

Excelsior  Needle  Co  ,       -          -          -          -          -          -          -          -  107 

M.   E.   Church,     -                   113 

Congregational  Church,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -121 

Naugatuck  R.    R.   Depot,      -------  186 

John  Brown  House,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -318 

Dr.   R.   M.   Fowler, 439 

Capt.   Stephen  Fyler,         --------  446 

Mrs.   Stephen   Fyler,      --------  450 

Dr.   E    D.    Hudson, S°° 

Mrs.   E.   D.   Hudson, 5'° 

Dr.  James  O.    Pond,           .-.-----  570 

Fowler  Homestead,        --------  691 

Hudson   Homestead,            --------  724 

WOOD. 

Falls  at  Torrington  Hollow,           ..----  79 

Wolcottville,       ---------  92 

Harper's   Ferry, --  4°° 

Engine  House,      -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -  4°' 

Orrin  L.    Hopson,     ---------  487 

Frederick   J.   Seymour,              -          .          -           -          -          .         -  601 

Haystack   Monument, 557 

Capt.   Uri  Taylor,           -          -          -         -         "         "         "          "  °'^ 

Mrs    Uri  Taylor, 77° 

John  N.   Whiting,          --------  785 


HISTORY  OF  TORRINGTON 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  WINDSOR  COMPANY. 

LARGE  proportion  of  the  early  settlers  in  Tor- 
rington,  came  from  Windsor,  Connecticut,  and  were  de- 
scended from  one  of  the  noblest  companies  of  Puritan 
pilgrims  that  came  to  America.  It  had  been  formed 
mostly  from  the  western  counties  of  England —  Devonshire,  Dor- 
setshire, and  Somersetshire,'  early  in  the  spring  of  1629,  by  the  ex- 
ertions of  the  Rev.  John  White,  of  Dorchester,  whose  zeal  and  la- 
bors fairly  entitled  him  to  the  appellation  of  the  "  great  patron  of 
New  England  emigration." 

"  Great  pains  were  taken,"  says  the  historian,^  "to  construct  this 
company  of  such  material  as  should  compose  a  well  ordered  settle- 
ment, containing  all  the  elements  of  our  independent  community. 
Two  devoted  ministers,  Messrs.  Warham  3  and  Maverick, ■♦  were  se- 
lected, not  only  with  a  view  to  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  plantation, 
but  especially  that  their  efforts  might  bring  the  Indians  to  the  know- 
ledge of  the  gospel.  Two  members  of  the  government,  chosen  by 
the  freemen  or  the  stockholders  of  the  company  in  London,  assistants 
or  directors,  Messrs,  Rosseter  and  Ludlow,  men  of  character  and 
education,  were  joined  to  the  association,  that  their  counsel  and  judg- 
ment might  aid  in  preserving  order,  and  founding  the  social  structure 
upon  the  surest  basis.  Several  gentlemen,  past  middle  life,  with 
adult  families  and  good  estates,  were  added.  Henry  Wclcott, 
Thomas  Ford,  George  Dyer,  William  Gaylord,  William  Rockwell, 


'  Trumbull. 

^  History  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  Mass.      History  of  Windsor,  Conn. 

3  Rev.  John  Warham  had  been  an  eminent  minister  in   Exeter,    England. 

^Rev.  John  Maverick  was  a  minister  of  the  Established  Church,  and  resided  about  forty 
miles  from  Exeter,  England . 

1 


2  History  of  Torrington. 

and  William  Phelps,  were  of  this  class.  But  a  large  portion  of  act- 
ive, well- trained  young  men,  either  just  married  or  without  families, 
such  as  Israel  Stoughton,  Roger  Clap,  George  Minor,  George  Hall, 
Richard  Collicott,  Nathaniel  Dunham,  and  many  others  of  their  age, 
were  the  persons  upon  whom  the  more  severe  trials  of  anew  settlement 
were  expected  to  devolve.  Three  persons  of  some  military  ex- 
perience, viz  :  Captain  John  Mason,  Captain  Richard  Southcote, 
and  Quarter- Master  John  Smith,  were  selected  as  a  suitable  appen- 
dage, as  forcible  resistance  from  the  Indians  might  render  the  skill 
and  discipline  which  these  gentlemen  had  acquired  under  De  Vere, 
in  the  campaign  of  the  palatinate,  on  the  continent,  an  element  of 
safety  essential  to  the  enterprise." 

"  These  godly  people,"  says  Roger  Clap,  one  of  their  number,' 
"  resolved  to  live  together,  and  therefore  as  they  had  made  choice  of 
those  two  Rev.  ser^^ants  of  God,  Mr.  John  Warham  and  Mr.  John 
Maverick,  to  be  their  ministers,  so  they  kept  a  solemn  day  of  fast- 
ing in  the  New  Hospital  in  Plymouth,  in  England  ;  spending  it  in 
preaching  and  praying,  where  that  worthy  man  of  God,  Mr.  John 
White  of  Dorchester,  in  Dorsetshire,  was  present  and  preached  unto 
us  in  the  fore  part  of  the  day,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  day,  as  the 
people  did  solemnly  make  choice  of,  and  call  these  godly  ministers  to 
be  their  officers,  so  also  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warham  and  Mr.  Maverick 
did  accept  thereof  and  expressed  the   same." 

This  company  of  140  persons  sailed  from  Plymouth  in  England, 
on  the  20th  day  of  March  1630,  in  the  ship  Mary  and  John  of  400 
tons  burden.  Captain  Squeb  commanding.  "So  we  came,"  says 
Mr.  Clap,  "by  the  hand  of  God,  through  the  deeps  comfortably  ; 
having  preaching  or  expounding  of  the  Word  of  God,  every  day  for 
ten  weeks  together,  by  our  ministers.  On  the  Lord's  day,  May  the 
30,  1630,  their  good  ship  came  to  anchor,  on  the  New  England 
coast."  The  original  destination  was  the  Charles  river,  but  an  un- 
fortunate misunderstanding  which  arose  between  the  captain  and 
his  passengers,  resulted  in  the  latter  being  summarily  put  ashore  at 
Nantasket,  where  they  were  obliged  to  seek  comfort  for  themselves 
as  best  they  could.  After  being  so  discourteously  landed  by  the  cap- 
tain, they  obtained  a  boat  and  proceeded  up  Charles  river,  to  a  place 
since  called   Watertown   where  they  disembarked  but  soon  after  re- 


*  Roger  Clap's  Memoirs.     History  of  Windsor. 


The  Windsor  Company.  3 

moved  to  Mattapan  and  began  a  settlement  which  they  named  Dor- 
chester in  honor  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  White  of  Dorchester,  England. 

The  fore-thought  and  provision  for  the  sustenance  of  such  a  com- 
pany in  the  new  world  had  been  very  deficient,  and  hence  much 
suffering  followed.      Roger  Clap's  picturing  of  it  is  very  forcible. 

"  Oh,  the  hunger  that  many  suffered  and  saw  no  hope  in  the  eye 
of  reason  to  be  supplied,  only  by  clams  and  muscles  and  fish.  We 
did  quietly  build  boats  and  some  went  fishing,  but  bread  was,  with 
many,  a  scarce  thing,  and  flesh  of  all  kinds  scarce.  And  in  those 
days  in  our  straits,  though  I  cannot  say,  God  sent  us  a  raven  to  feed 
us  as  he  did  the  prophet  Elijah,  yet  this  I  can  say  to  the  praise  of 
God's  glory,  that  he  sent  not  only  poor  ravenous  Indians  which  came 
with  their  baskets  of  corn  on  their  backs  to  trade  with  us,  which  was 
a  good  supply  unto  many,  but  also  ships  from  Holland  and  from 
Ireland  with  provisions,  and  Indian  corn  from  Virginia,  to  supply  the 
wants  of  his  dear  servants  in  the  wilderness,  both  for  food  and  rai- 
ment. And  when  the  people's  wants  were  great,  not  only  in  one 
town  but  in  divers  towns,  such  was  the  godly  wisdom,  care  and  pru- 
dence (not  selfishness  but  self-denial),  of  our  Governor  Winthrop 
and  his  assistants,  that  when  a  ship  came  laden  with  provisions, 
they  did  order  that  the  whole  cargo  should  be  bought  for  a  general 
stock  ;  and  so  accordingly  it  was,  and  distribution  was  made  to  every 
town,  and  to  every  person  in  each  town  as  every  man  had  need. 
Thus  God  was  pleased  to  care  for  his  people  in  times  of  straits,  and 
to  fill  his  servants  with  food  and  gladness.  Then  did  all  the  servants 
of  God  bless  His  holy  name,  and  love  one  another  with  pure  hearts 
fervently." 

This  people  remained  at  Dorchester  five  years,  when,  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1635,  they  determined  to  remove  to  Matianuck,  afterwards 
Windsor,  on  the  Connecticut  river. 

On  the  fifteenth  day  of  October  (1635),  the  main  body  of  the  emi- 
gration, about  sixty  men,  women  and  children,  set  forth  from  Dor- 
chester driving  their  cattle  and  swine  before  them  on  their  long  and 
toilsome  journey  to  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut.  Their  house- 
hold furniture,  bedding,  and  winter  provisions  were  sent  around  by 
water,  and  it  is  probable  that  some  of  the  families  also  took  this 
means  of  conveyance.  "  Never  before  had  the  forests  of  America 
witnessed  such  a  scene  as  this."  The  compass  their  only  guide 
through  the  bewildering  mazes  of  the  unbroken  forests,  commencing 
and  ending  each  day's  march   with   songs   of  praise,   and   heartfelt 


4  History  of  Torrington. 

utterances  of  prayer,  which  sounded  strangely  amid  these  solitudes, 
they  pursued  their  hazardous  undertaking.  After  a  wearisome  jour- 
ney of  two  weeks,  through  swamps  and  thick  forests,  over  mountains 
and  hills,  across  rivers  and  many  streams  of  water  which  were  passed 
often  with  great  difficulty  and  peril,  they  reached  their  place  of  des- 
tination, the  Connecticut  river ;  but  before  all  the  company  and 
their  cattle  could  be  transported  across  the  river,  the  winter  closed 
upon  them.  Winter  setting  in  unusually  early,  the  river  was  closed 
on  the  fifteenth  of  November,  and  as  yet  the  vessel  containing  their 
household  goods  and  provisions  had  not  arrived,  nor  were  there  any 
tidings  of  it.  The  rude  shelter  and  accommodations,  which  had 
been  provided  for  themselves  and  their  cattle,  proved  to  be  quite  in- 
sufficient to  protect  them  against  the  extreme  inclemency  of  the 
season.  They  were  able  to  get  only  a  part  of  their  cattle  across  the 
river,  the  remainder  were  left  to  winter  themselves  as  best  they 
could,  on  the  browse  of  the  trees,  acorns  and  roots  of  the  forest. 
At  this  time  (Nov.  26)  a  party  of  thirteen,  driven  by  hunger 
and  distress,  attempted  to  return  to  Massachusetts,  through  the 
woods.  One  of  their  number  fell  thiough  the  ice  and  was  drowned 
and  the  remainder  would  have  perished  "  but  that  by  God's  pro- 
vidence, they  lighted  on  an  Indian  wigwam."'  As  it  was,  they 
were  ten  days  in  reaching  the  bay.  By  the  first  of  December 
the  condition  of  the  infant  colonies  on  the  river  was  perilous  in 
the  extreme.  Many  were  destitute  of  provisions,  those  who  were 
not,  were  .unable  permanently  to  relieve  their  neighbors,  and  the 
only  alternative  was  to  reach  their  vessel,  which  was  supposed 
to  be  fast  in  the  ice  below.  A  company  of  seventy,  of  all  ages 
and  both  sex,  now  set  out  in  search,  intending  doubtless  to  winter 
on  board  the  vessel.  Shelterless  and  scantily  supplied  with  food, 
they  toiled  on,  day  after  day,  through  snows  and  storms,  hoping  at 
every  turn  of  the  stream  to  discover  the  wished  for  relief.  Who  can 
picture  the  sufferings  of  that  painful  march,  or  their  inexpressible  dis- 
appointment as  they  approached  the  sea,  in  not  finding  the  vessel  for 
which  they  were  so  anxiously  looking.  But  God,  in  whom  they 
trusted,  was  not  unmindful  of  His  suffering  ones.  A  small  vessel, 
the  Rebecca,  of  sixty  tons,  which  had  attempted  to  ascend  the  river, 
to  trade,  before  the  winter  set  in,  had  become  entangled  in  the  ice, 
twenty  miles  from  the  river's  mouth.      Fortunately,  a  storm  of  rain 


*  Winthrop's  Journal. 


The  Windsor  Company.  5 

came,  which,  though  it  drenched  the  sufferers,  released  the  vessel, 
which  came  to  their  relief,  and  in  five  days  they  reached  Boston. 
The  few  who  remained  in  Connecticut  through  this  fearful  winter, 
suffered  much,  as  did  their  cattle  also,  from  insufficiency  of  both  food 
and  shelter.  They  literally  lived  on  acorns,  malt,  and  grains,  with 
what  food  they  could  gain  by  hunting,  and  such  as  was  given  them 
by  the  Indians.  Their  losses  were  very  heavy,  that  of  the  Dor- 
chester people  being  as  much  as  £2000  in  cattle  alone.' 

In  the  month  of  March,  1636,  Connecticut  was  set  apart  as  a 
colony,  under  a  commission,  granted  by  the  general  court  of  Massa- 
chusetts, "  to  several  .persons  to  govern  the  people  of  Connecticut 
for  the  space  of  a  year  next  coming."  The  commissioners  named 
were  Roger  Ludlow  and  William  Phelps  of  Windsor;  John  Steel, 
William  Westwood  and  Andrew  Ward  of  Hartford  ;  William 
Pyncheon  of  Springfield  ;  and  William  Swain  and  Henry  Smith  of 
Wethersfield. 

With  the  first  dawn  of  spring,  April  16,  1636,  those  brave  hearts 
who  had  survived  the  toils  and  exposures  of  the  previous  winter, 
again  turned  undauntedly  their  footsteps  towards  Connecticut.  They 
comprised  the  largest  part  of  the  Dorchester  church,  with,  as  some 
say,  their  surviving  pastor,  Mr.  Warham.^  Their  settlement,  at 
Matianuck,  was  named  Dorchester,  in  honor  of  the  plantation  from 
which  they  had  emigrated,  which  name  they  retained  until  1650  when 
it  was  changed  to  Windsor. 

About  the  same  time  also,  Mr.  Pyncheon  and  others  from  Rox- 
bury,  Mass.,  settled  at  Agawam,  now  the  city  of  Springfield.  And 
in  June  following,  came  the  venerable  Hooker,  with  his  companions 
from  Cambridge,  Mass.,  who  settled  at  Suckiaug,  now  the  beautiful 
city  of  Hartford,  where  a  few  settlers  had  "  made  a  goodly  beginning 
a  little  before."  Wethersfield  had  been  precariously  settled  in  1634, 
by  a  few  who  "  managed  to  live  "  through  the  trying  scenes  of 
1635-6.3 

Such  were  the  trials,  exposures,  hardships,  and  sufferings  through 
which    the  first  settlers  of   Windsor,  the  ancestors   of  many  of  the 


*  Winthrop  says  that  those  cattle  which  could  not  be  put  over  the  river,  fared  well,  all 
winter  without  hay. 

'See  note  on  page  25,  Windsor  History. 

3  H.  R.  Stiles's  History  ol'  Windsor,  Conn.  Trumbull.  History  of  Dorchester.  Win- 
throp's  Journal. 


6  History  of  Torrington. 

Torrington  people,  passed,  before  they  found  permanent  homes  in 
America.  A  like  honor  is  attached  to  the  descendants  of  nearly  all 
the  early  settlers  of  New  England. 

A  little  more  than  one  hundred  years  after  the  settlement  of 
Windsor,  like  trials,  privations,  and  hardships  began  to  be  endured  in 
Torrington,  by  its  first  settlers. 


CHAPTER  IL 


THE  WINDSOR  PATENT. 


(^^5^5^^^  HE  general  court  of  Connecticut  made,  in  1686, 
"^  a    grant   of   lands   commonly    called  Western  lands,    to 

the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor.  These  lands  were 
said  to  lie  "  on  the  north  of  Woodbury  and  Mattatok, 
and  on  the  west  of  Farmington  and  Simsbury,  to  the  Massachusetts 
line  north,  and  to  run  west  to  Housatunock  or  Stratford  river  (pro- 
vided it  be  not,  or  part  of  it,  formerly  granted  to  any  particular  per- 
sons), to  make  a  plantation  or  village  thereon."  ^ 

The  title  to  those  lands  was  in  dispute  until  May,  1726,^  when 
the  territory  was  divided,  and  that  part  confirmed  to  Hartford  and 
Windsor,  embraced  the  towns  of  Colebrook,  Hartland,  Winchester, 
Barkhamsted,  Torrington,  New  Hartford,  and  Harwinton,  making 
an  area  of  291,806  acres.  The  territory  reserved  to  the  colony 
embraced  the  towns  of  Canaan,  Norfolk,  Cornwall,  Goshen,  Warren, 
and  about  two-thirds  of  Kent,  making  not  far  from  120,000  acres. 

In  February,  1732,  the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor  made  a 
division  of  their  lands  by  which  the  towns  of  Hartland,  Winchester, 
New  Hartford,  and  the  eastern  half  of  Harwinton  were  conceded  to 
Hartford,  and  the  towns  of  Colebrook,  Barkhamsted,  Torrington, 
and  the  western  half  of  Harwinton,  to  Windsor. 

An  act  of  the  general  assembly  in  May,  1732,  authorized  the 
Windsor  Company  to  divide  their  lands  to  the  individual  owners 
according  to  their  tax  list  of  that  year,  and  this  list  was  the  basis  for 
all  divisions  of  land  made  in  the  town  of  Torrington. 

The  Name  of  the  Town. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Governor^  Council^  and  Representatives^  in  General 
Court  Assembled^  and  by  the  Authority  of  the  same  : 

"That  the  first  parcel  of  land  mentioned  in  said  instrument  of 
partition   containing   20,924  acres,  and   bounded,   south,   partly   on 


'Colonial  Records,  vol.  3,  225. 
"Colonial  Records,  vii,  44. 


8 


History  of  Torrington. 


Litchfield  and  partly  on  land  belonging  to  said  patentees  in  Windsor, 
called  the  Half  Township  ;  east  and  north,  by  land  belonging  to  the 
governor  and  company  of  the  colony  of  Connecticut,  is  hereby  named, 
and  shall  ever  hereafter  be  called  and  named  Torrington."' 

The  other  three  parcels  were  Barkhamsted,  containing  20,531 
acres,  Colebrook  18,199  acres,  and  the  west  half  of  Harwinton  9,560 
acres. 

In  1732  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  Windsor  were  divided  into  seven 
companies,  each  owning  a  township,  taking  their  company  names  after 
the  towns  they  owned.  The  Torrington  company  are  specified  as 
"Matthew  Allyn,  Roger  Wolcott  and  Samuel  Mather,  Esq's,  and 
others,  of  the  town  of  Windsor,  patentees  of  Torrington."  The 
number  of  these  persons  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-six,  and  their 
names  and  tax  list  were  as  follows  : 


£ 


Matthew  Allen,  Esq., 74 

Roger  Wolcott,      "       123 

Capt.   Thomas  Stoughton,  ...  155 

Alexander  Allyn, 47 

Benedict  Alford, 35 

Abiel  Abot, 41 

Daniel  Bissell,  Jr., 32 

David  Bissell, 115 

Nathaniel  Barber,    37 

Josiah  Barber,    124     06 

Joseph  Barber, 82 

Nicholas  Buckland, 61 

Ephraim  Bancroft,  Jr.,       ....       66 

Benjamin  Barber,     43 

Nathaniel  Barber, 21      00     o     Stephen  Fyler, 


s. 
06 

00 
00 

19 

OS 
00 

16 
10 
12 


08 
07 
00 
18 


d. 

o 
6 

o 
6 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 


£  ^- 

Isaac  Davice,    30  00 

Joseph  Elmer, 48  09 

Joseph  Elsworth, 21  00 

Joseph  Elgar, 26  00 

Thomas  Egelston,  Jr.,  .    .       .  18  00 

Abigail  Eno, 25  07 

John  Egelston, 77  00 

Mr.  John  Elliot 28  10 

Benjamin  Egelston,  Jun.,    ...  37  16 

Joseph  Elsworth, .  .  24  15 

James  Egelston, 07  00 

Mr.  John  Fyler,    77  07 

Samuel  Fitch,    18  00 

Thomas  Fyler, 67  02 


52     02 


Benoni  Bissel, 37 

Jeremiah  Birge,    47 

Jonathan  Bissel, 41 

John  C.  Cross, 53 

William  Cook,    34 

Nathaniel  Cook,    55 

John  Cook,  Jr., 59 

Mary  Clark, 32 

Edward  Chapman, 06     00 

Jacob  Drake,  Jr., 03      00 

Abraham  Dibble, 38      16 

Joseph  Drake,    81      10 


12 
1 1 

00 

05 
00 

01 

19 

00 


o 
o 
o 

9 

o 

o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 


Ebenez'r  Fitch,     41      06 

Matthew  Grant,     180      10 

Josiah  Giylord, 52      14 

Jonathan  Gillet, 38      00 

27      00 
00 

05 
10 

00 

00 


Isaac    Gillet,    

Francis  Griswold,     52 

Daniel  Griswold,    82 

John  Grayham, 47 

Samuel  Gibbs,    30 

Nathaniel  Gaylord,    53 


Henry  Gibbs, 23      00 

Joseph  Griswold, 119 


10 


d. 
o 
o 
o 
o 
o 
a 
o 
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o 
6 
o 
6 
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6 
6 
o 
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o 
o 


»  Torrington  was  a  hamlet  on  the  hill  called  Cookbury  Black,  in  the  southern  part  of 
Devonshire,  the  southernmost  county  in  England.  It  was  also  the  name  of  a  village  on  the 
Torridge  river,  a  few  miles  north  of  Cookbury  Black. 


The   Windsor   Patent. 


£ 


s. 

15 

00 

04 

°5 
00 

05 

05 
00 

15 

05 
00 

10 

05 
10 
00 

15 

05 
00 
08 
00 
00 
00 
08 


Eleazer  Gaylord, 36 

Thomas  Grant's  Heirs,    30 

Thomas  Grant,    19 

John  Griswold, 52 

Nathan  GiUet,  Jun'r., 18 

Benjamin  Gibbs,    45 

Thomas  Hoskins,    40 

Anthony  Hoskins,    40 

Ebenezer  Haydon, 63 

Mary  Hoskins, 37 

Elezer  Hill, 11 

William  Haydon, 16 

Martha  Holcomb, 30 

Daniel  Haydon, 100 

Zebulon  Hoskins,    26 

Ichabod  Loomis,    39 

Zachariah  Long,      41 

Timothy  Loomis, 51 

Stephen  Loomis, 38 

Joshua  Loomis,    46 

Isaac  Loomis, 29 

Moses  Loomis,  Jun'r.,    26 

Job  Loomis, 72 

Abraham  Loomis,   23      02 

Rebekah  Loomis, 72     04 

Jonathan  Loomis, 31      00 

Dea.  Thomas  Marshel,     ....  100     07 

Mr.  Eliakim  Marshel, 94      12 

John  Mansfield, 41      i^ 

John  Morton,    24 

Edward  Moore, 55 

Josiah  Moore 54 

David  Marshel,    43 

Mr.  Will'm  Mitchel,    74 

Nathanael  Mjore, 24 

Hannah  Newberry,      30 

Benjamin  Newberry,    25 

Rutli  Newberry, 07 

Joseph  Newberry, 71 

Jacob  Osborn,    44 

Benjamin  Osborn,    21 

"Recorded,    March  the    4th,    Anno.    Dom.,    1733-4,    by 
Timothy  LooMrs'^  clerk  for  sd.  Torrington  proprietors. 
The  sum  total  of  Torrington  list  is  X6431,  9s,  5d." 


04 
02 

17 

01 
00 
00 
00 

05 

00 

05 
10 
10 


Samuel  Osborn,  Jun'r., 71 

John  Porter,    04 

William  Phelps, 91 

Joseph  Porter,    98 

Samuel  Pinney,    50 

John  Phelps,  Sen'r.,    11 

Nathanael  Pinney 107 

Hez.  Porter, 91 

David  Phelps,       .  .  . , 26 

Joseph  Phelps, 87 

Sergt.  Isaac  Pinney, 29 

Thomas  Phelps, 45 

Hannah  Porter,    06 

James  Pasco,    24 

Jonathan  Pasco, 21 

Samuel  Rockwell, 75 

Nathanael  Stoughton, 02 

Ebenezer  Styles, 23 

Jacob  Strong, 79 

Remembrance  Sheldon, 51 

Thomas  Stoughton,  Jun'r.,   .  30 

Mary  Stedman,    03 

John  Styles, 22 

Isaac  Skinner, 40 

Samuel  Strong,    46 

Henry  Styles, 71 

Elizabeth  Thrall, 16 

Ammi  Trumble,    39 

John  Thrall,      125 

Simon  Wolcott,  Jr., 21 

Jed.  Watson,    72 

Stephen  Winchel,    04 

John  Wolcott, 81 

John  Winchel,  ...  . 53 

Robert  Westland, 51 

Samuel  Wilson,     29 

John  Wood, 36 

John  Williams,    .  .  36 

Ebenezer  Watson, 72 

John  Wilson, 56 


s. 

d. 

00 

0 

14 

6 

12 

0 

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0 

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0 

00 

0 

10 

0 

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15 

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18 

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IS 

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00 

0 

me. 


'  This  Timothy  Loomis  was  an  elegant  writer,  as  the  Records  show.      It  is  a  pleasure  to 
peruse  records  144  years  old,  that  can  be  read  as  easily  as  the  best  printing. 

2 


lo  History  of  Torrington. 


The  Divisions. 


The  vote  to  lay  out  a  proportionate  amount  of  land  to  each  pro- 
prietor, was  passed  on  the  lOth  of  September,  1732,  and  on  the  i8th 
of  the  same  month,  the  committee,  appointed  for  the  purpose,  pro- 
ceeded to  draw  the  lots  for  the  proprietors,  it  being  supposed  that 
this  method  was  the  most  equitable  of  any,  and  that  each  proprietor 
should  be  content  with  what  fell  to  his  lot,  whether  it  should  be 
rocks  or  soil. 

An  alphabetic  list  of  the  proprietor's  names  was  made  as  given 
above.  One  hundred  and  thirty-six  numbers  written  on  slips  of  paper 
were  placed  in  a  hat  ; '  then  the  first  name  on  the  list  called  and  a 
number  taken  from  the  hat  and  placed  to  the  name  called,  and  thus 
on  until  the  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  numbers  were  taken  and 
assigned  to  the  names  of  the  list.  This  done,  another  list  was  made 
in  harmony  with  the  order  of  the  number  of  each  lot,  one,  two,  three, 
four,  and  thus  to  the  last  number,  and  the  survey  was  made  accord- 
ins  to  this  second  list.  The  lots  were  laid  half  a  mile  in  length,  and 
therefore  every  rod  in  width  made  one  acre  of  land.  In  the  first  and 
second  divisions  there  was  appropriated  one  acre  to  the  pound  of  each 
owner's  list  ;  in  the  third,  there  was  not  quite  that  amount. 

In  the  first  division  there  was  laid  out  five  acres  as  a  meeting 
house  plot,  and  one  hundred  acres  as  a  ministry  lot,  and  these  were 
said  to  be  near  the  centre  of  the  town. 

The  lots  for  the  proprietors,  when  completed,  were  all  laid  in  thir- 
teen tiers,  except  those  in  the  swamp  ;  one  on  the  south  side  of  the 
town  running  east  and  west,  the  other  twelve  running  north  and  south, 
and  with  the  highways,  covering  the  whole  area  of  the  town  except 
the  pine  timber.  The  swamp  was  laid  in  three  tiers  of  lots  running 
north  and  south. 

The  first  division  was  completed  in  November,  1734,  Roger 
Newberry,  Joshua  Loomis  and  Nathaniel  Pinney  being  the  committee. 
The  second,  voted  to  be  made  in  March,  1736,  was  not  completed 
until  October,  1742,  John  Cook,  2d,  Joshua  Loomis,  Roger  New- 
berry and  Daniel  Bissell,  Jr.,  being  the  committee. 

The  third  division  was  voted  in  October,  1742,  and  was  com- 
pleted in  December,  1750.  In  this  division  two  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  were  appropriated  for  the  use  of  schools  in  the  town.     Samuel 


'  In  the  third  division  the  word  "  hat"  is  used. 


The  Windsor   Patent.  ii 

Messenger,  surveyor,  Thomas  Marshall  and  Aaron  Loomis  were  the 
committee,  and  Rev.  Nathaniel  Roberts  drew  the  numbers  for  the 
lots. 

The  Pine  Timber  Division. 

The  first  name,  given  in  the  records  to  this  part  of  Torrington  was 
spruce  swamp.  Afterwards  it  was  called  the  pine  timber  ;  then  the 
pine  timber  division,  and  in  1747  the  mast  swamp. 

The  pine  timber  was  of  much  value  and  the  proprietors  found  great 
difficulty  in  preserving  it  from  the  hands  of  those  who  had  no  owner 
ship  in  it.  They  appointed  various  committees  to  "  sue  and  prose^ 
cute  to  final  judgment"  those  who  should  trespass  in  cutting  it.  Tht 
trees  had  grown  tall  and  straight  and  were  very  desirable  for  masts  to 
sailing  vessels,  and  were  cut  and  floated  down  the  river  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

There  was  other  timber  which  the  proprietors  found  important  to 
be  looked  after.  They  directed  "  that  all  the  pine,  whitewood  and 
white  ash  timber,  above  fourteen  inches  in  diameter  at  the  stub,  stand- 
ing and  growing  or  fallen  down,  on  those  places  set  out  for  highways 
in  the  third  division,  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  proprietors,"  and 
the  committee  appointed  was  to  sell  such  timber  for  the  advantage 
of  the  proprietors. 

The  expenses  of  the  several  surveys  were  collected  by  a  tax  levied 
from  the  list  of  the  proprietors. 

In  the  proprietor's  meeting  of  March  6,  1751,  it  was  voted  to 
"lease  out  the  mill  place  with  the  convenience  thereunto,  for  nine 
hundred  and  ninety-nine  years."  Ebenezer  Lyman,  Jr.,  Jacob  Strong 
and  Elijah  Gaylord  were  the  committee  to  lay  out  the  fourth  divi- 
sion, and  Jacob  Strong  and  Aaron  Loomis  were  to  draw  the  lots. 

They  voted  to  lay  a  highway  through  the  swamp  from  north  to 
south  twenty  feet  wide,  now  main  street  and  one  from  the  mill  place 
east   until   it  should  meet  the  other  road. 

In  laying  the  lots  in  the  swamp  they  were  to  begin  at  the  south 
end  of  the  tier  on  the  west  side  of  the  road  and  run  north  to  the  end 
of  the  tier.  Then  begin  at  the  south  end,  east  of  the  road  running 
to  the  north,  but  the  lots  extending  only  to  the  east  branch.  The 
third  tier  was  laid  east  of  the  east  branch,  from  the  south  end  run- 
ning north. 


CHAPTER  III. 


FIRST    SETTLERS. 
Old  Deeds. 

HE  oldest  deed  recorded  of  Torrington  lands  was 
dated  at  Windsor,  June  14,  1728,  given  by  Daniel 
Gfiswold,  to  his  "dutiful  and  obedient  son"  Nathan 
Griswold,  for  a  right  in  undivided  western  lands. 
From  this  time  to  the  spring  of  1735,  sixty  deeds  of  rights  were 
recorded  in  the  Windsor  Company's  book.  Soon  after  the  survey 
was  made  and  the  lots  located,  the  sales  became  more  numerous,  and 
were  mostly  to  persons  residing  in  Windsor  but  in  a  few  cases  to  per- 
sons residing  in  other  parts  of  the  state.  These  sixty  deeds  include 
nearly,  if  not  all,  the  land  sales  by  the  Torrington  company  previous 
to  the  rendering  of  the  report  of  the  committee  on  the  first  division, 
in  November,  1734. 

The  first  land  cleared  and  cultivated  in  the  town  was  located  ac- 
cording to  the  following  description  : — "  At  a  meeting  of  the  pro- 
prietors of  Torrington  held  in  Windsor,  Feb.  10,  1734,  voted 
Lieut.  Roger  Newberry  be  a  committee,  and  he  is  hereby  fully  em- 
powered in  the  name  of  the  proprietors  to  rent  out  to  Josiah  Grant 
of  Litchfield,  about  four  or  five  acres  of  land  lying  in  said  Torring- 
ton which  is  already  broken  up,  as  it  lieth  bounded  south  on  Litch- 
field, and  east  on  Waterbury  river,  until  such  time  as  said  proprie- 
tors, Dy  their  vote  shall  see  cause  to  call  it  in." 

One  deed,  given  by  Joseph  Ellsworth  of  Litchfield,  dated  March 
^i,  1734,  says  lot  77  was  a  home  lot,  which  meant  that  it  had  a 
dwelling  house  on  it,  and  had  been  the  home  of  somebody.  This 
lot  joined  Goshen  on  the  west  and  was  about  one  mile  north  of 
Litchfield  line.  Whether  Mr.  Ellsworth,  who  was  the  original 
owner,  had  lived  there,  or  some  one  else,  before  the  first  division  was 
made,  is  not  known.  This,  so  far  as  is  known,  was  the  first  house 
put  up  in  the  town.  In  1738  there  was  a  dwelling  on  lot  82,  half  a 
mile  north  of  lot  77,  and  hence  there  may  have  been  two  or  three 
families  living  in  that  part  of  the  town  as  early  as  1734,  who  removed 
into  Litchfield  or  elsewhere  before   1737. 


First  Settlers.  13 

First  Families. 

Ebenezer  Lyman,  Jr.,  was  the  first  permanent  resident  of  the  town. 
In  January  1735,  his  father  Ebenezer  Lyman,  Esquire,  of  Durham, 
bought  of  Job  Loomis,  lot  108,  containing  seventy-two  acres.  This 
lot  constituted  a  part  of  the  farm  known  ever  since,  as  the  Lyman 
place,  and  upon  it  was  built  the  fort,  in  the  western  part  of  the  town. 
In  June  of  the  same  year  Ebenezer,  Jr.,  bought  the  half  of  three 
acres,  lot  109  on  the  corner,  and  joining  lot  108,  on  the  north,  and 
erected  a  dwelling,  undoubtedly  a  log  house.  In  this  house  was  born 
June  16,  1738,  so  far  as  known,  the  first  child  born  in  the  town,  it 
being  a  daughter  and  was  named  Lydia. 

On  the  fourth  day  of  June,  1737,  his  father  in  deeding  to  him  the 
seventy-two  acres,  says,  this  son  had  lately  "  moved  from  Durham 
into  Torrington,"  Hence  it  is  evident  that  he  came  in  the  month 
of  May,  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Lyman  was  queen  of  the  realm,  without  a 
rival  except  in  her  little  daughter  Ruth,  about  a  year  and  a  half  old. 
In  this  house,  assembled  with  this  family,  from  one  to  a  half  dozen 
young  men,  on  the  Sabbath,  if  not  more  frequently,  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1737,  while  they  pursued  during  the  week  their  toilsome  work 
of  clearing  the  land  to  make  for  themselves  homes  in  the  wilder- 
ness. 

On  the  24th  day  of  June,  1 740,  Ebenezer  Lyman  Esq.,  bought 
lot  95,  west  of  his  son's  lot,  containing  ninety-one  acres,  giving  for 
it  and  lot  nineteen  in  the  second  division  and  the  whole  right  of 
Hezekiah  Porter,  two  hundred  pounds,  and  settled  on  the  farm  with 
his  son  in  1740,  or  early  in  1741. 

Jonathan  Coe  of  Durham,  married  Elizabeth  Elmer  of  Wind- 
sor, September  23,  1737,  and  brought  his  bride  to  Torrington,  the 
second  woman  in  the  town.  Mr.  Coe  had  worked  in  the  town  two 
summers.  He  bought  on  the  i8th  of  March,  1737,  lot  107,  which 
he  still  owned,  upon  which  he  had  probably  erected  a  dwelling  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  1737.  This  house  must  have  been  a  log  house,' 
and  stood  about  eighty  rods  south  of  Ebenezer  Lyman,  junior's,  their 
farms  joining.  Here  were  two  dwellings  in  the  wilderness  —  wilder- 
ness in  every  direction,  and  almost  without  end  in  every  direction. 
The  nearest  place  that  looked  like  civilization  was  Litchfield,  about 


>  The  lumber,  for  making  framed  houses  in  1740,  must  have  been  brought,  through  the 
forests,  from  Litchfield  or  New  Hartford. 


14  History  of  Torrington. 

six  miles  distant  and  but  few  houses  had  been  erected  in  that  town 
before  this  time,  and  some  of  these  were  at  considerable  distance  from 
the  center  of  the  town  ;  one  or  two  being  near  the  southern  boundary 
of  Torrington.  At  this  time  there  were  no  families  residing  in 
Goshen  ;  a  few  were  in  Harwinton  ;  a  few  in  New  Hartford  ;  none 
in  Winchester. 

Abel  Beach  of  Durham  bought  land  in  company  with  Jonathan 
Coe,  lot  123,  containing  thirty-one  acres,  in  1735,  where  the  second 
church  was  built,  at  Torrington  green.  He  purchased  Mr.  Coe's 
half,  September  6,  1737,  and  owned  by  this  purchase  a  thirty-one 
pound  right  to  all  other  divisions  that  might  be  made.  In  December, 
1737,  he  bought  of  Daniel  Bissell,  the  right  of  Robert  Westland  with 
the  lot  82,  fifty-one  acres,  a  little  south  of  Dea.  F.  P.  Hill's  present 
dwelling,  it  then  being  a  home  lot  or  having  a  dwelling  house  on 
it.  He  married  Margaret  Pickett  of  Durham,  April  5,  1738,  and 
settled  in  this  town.  He  may  have  made  his  home  for  a  year  in  the 
house  on  lot  82,  as  he  sold  this  lot  in  June,  1739,  or  he  may  have 
built  him  a  house  on  lot  123,  in  the  summer  of  1737,  and  settled  on 
it.     The  place  being  known  unto  this  day  as  the  Abel  Beach  place. 

In  June,  1739,  Daniel  Stoughton  bought  of  Abel  Beach,  lot  82, 
with  a  dwelling  house  on  it,  and  made  his  home  in  the  town,  pro- 
bably in  that  house.  Joel  Thrall  became  a  settler  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1739,  probably  on  lot  91,  the  old  Thrall  place  on  Goshen 
turnpike,  most  of  which  he  had  purchased  of  the  heirs  of  John  Thrall, 
and  the  east  half  he  sold  the  same  year  to  Ebenezer  Coe,  then  of 
Middletown. 

Thus  did  the  work  begin,  and  go  forward,  so  that  in  October,  1739, 
in  their  petition  for  religious  privileges  the  petitioners  say  there  "  are 
nine  families  in  the  town."  It  is  impossible  to  say  who  all  these 
families  were.  The  petition  signed  by  twenty-five  names,  says,  these 
names  represent  "inhabitants  and  proprietors."  Some  of  these  pro- 
prietors were  in  Windsor,  some  in  Durham,  nine  families  were  here. 
These  families  lived  here  and  grew  healthy  and  strong,  if  they  did 
not  grow  in  the  refinements  of  literature  and  cultivated  society.  How 
they  arranged  the  items  of  the  important  business  of  living,  will  appear 
somewhat  in  the  following  pages,  and  although  it  cannot  be  described 
fully,  yet  it  will  be  seen  that  they  did  it  successfully.  Joseph  Allyn, 
who  came  a  little  later,  worked  during  the  week,  rode  on  horseback 
to  Windsor,  Saturday,  and  returned  on  Monday  morning,  and  all 
people  may  be  assured  that  he  did  not  start  on  such  a  journey  after 


First  Settlers. 


15 


the  sun  was  three  hours  high  in  the  morning.  It  is  very  probable 
that  most  of  the  supplies  came  from  Windsor,  and  if  not  by  a  weekly 
express  (which  word  they  did  not  know  in  the  sense  now  used),  yet 
so  frequently  that  with  what  they  obtained  in  the  wilderness,  they 
lived  as  comfortably,  and  enjoyed  their  fare  as  well  as  most  people 
of  the  present  day. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


RELIGIOUS    PRIVILEGES, 


The  Ecclesiastical  Society. 

INCE  the  pilgrims  came  to  America  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  liberty  in  religious  privileges,  and  their 
descendants  for  generations  following,  regarded  these 
privileges  as  among  the  first  things  to  be  instituted  and 
maintained  in  every  place,  we  are  not  surprised  to  find  the  people  of 
Torrington,  having  effected  a  settlement  of  a  few  families,  proceed- 
ing in  the  work  of  securing  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  knowing 
that  without  it  their  enterprise  would  not  prosper.  They  sent  a 
memorial  to  the  general  assembly,  by  Daniel  Stoughton,  in  October, 
1739,  asking  to  be  organized  into  a  society,  and  that  taxes  might  be 
imposed  for  the  "support  of  a  gospel  ministry,"  This  memorial  was 
signed  by  the  following  names  : 

Jacob  Strong,  Jr.,  John  Cook,    2d, 

Ebenezer  Lyman,  Jr.,  Hezekiah  Griswold, 


William  Grant, 
Jonathan  Coe, 
Daniel  Thrall, 
Isaac  Higley, 
Joseph  Beach, 
Joel  Thrall, 
Abel  Beach, 
Ebenezer  Coe, 
Nathaniel  Barber, 
William  Cook, 


Daniel  Stoughton, 
Joshua  Loomis, 
Thomas  Stoughton,  Jr., 
Jacob  Strong, 
William  Bartlett, 
Samuel  Bartlett, 
Abraham  Dibble,  Jr., 
Joseph  Phelps, 
Aaron  Loomis, 
Samuel  Phelps. 


Amos  Filley, 

Torrington  was  made  a  town,  with  town  privileges  in  Oct.,  [740, 
and  thereby  become  an  ecclesiastical  society,  and  a  tax  of  two  pence 
on  the  pound  for  the  support  of  preaching,  was  granted. 

In  the  next  spring  another  tax  of  two  pence  was  granted,  but 
in  the  autumn  it  was  changed  to  three  pence  on  the  pound,  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  a  fund  towards  building  a  meeting  house. 

An  extra  tax  to  raise  five  hundred  pounds  for  the  settlement   of  a 


Religious   Privileges.  17 

minister,  was  also  ordered  by  the  assembly,  which  was  a  much 
larger  amount  than  many  ministers  received,  if  the  money  was  any 
where  near  par  at  that  time.  Another  tax  was  granted  in  1744,  and 
one  in  1750,  for  the  support  of  the  gospel  in  the  town.  These 
taxes  seem  burdensome  in  repetition  and  amount,  but  the  people 
were  quite  willmg  to  pay  them.  The  first  petition  states  that  some 
of  the  signers  lived  in  Windsor,  "  but  being  desirous  of  having  their 
lands  improved  as  fast  as  possible,  they  were  willing  to  be  taxed." 
It  was  not  altogether  the  gospel  that  they  desired,  but  with  it  they 
could  increase  the  value  of  their  lands  ;  a  kind  of  thoughtfulness  con- 
cerning the  gospel  that  has  been  exhibited  very  often  since  that  day, 
and  as  well  in  cities  as  in  new  parts  of  the  country.  Men  have  often 
admired,  and  supported  the  gospel  according  to  the  amount  of  hard 
cash  it  would  return  them  in  a  business  point  of  view.  Some  of  these 
memorialists  loved  the  gospel  for  the  sake  of  the  gospel,  but  others 
were  willing  to  be  taxed  for  the  sake  of  their  lands. 

No  information  is  given  as  to  the  success  of  this  effort  to  secure 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  before  October,  1741,  but  as  Nathaniel 
Roberts  was  graduated  in  1732,  and  was  probably  through  his  theo- 
logical studies  before  1739,  he  may  have  preached  here  some  time 
before  he  was  settled  as  pastor. 

The  First  Church. 

The  only  records  of  the  organization  of  the  church  are  those 
written  by  Mr.  Roberts,  the  first  pastor.  ' 

He  introduces  the  matter  and  gives  the  record  thus  :  "  Here  I 
shall  observe  some  things  concerning  the  church  in  Torrington  in  y' 
county  of  Hartford. 

"  I  St.  It  was  first  planted  October  21,  1 741,  by  Mr.  Graham,' 
Mr.  Humphrey,^  Mr.  Leavenworth,-*  Mr.  Bellamy. 5 

"  2d.   The   first  deacon  that  was   chosen  was    Ebenezer   Lyman 


'  These  Records  are  still  preserved  and  have  been  of  much  value  in  fixing  dates  in  this 
book,  but  the  writing  was  at  first  so  fine  that  after  135  years  it  is  extremely  difficult  to 
read  it,  and  because  of  this,  several  names  may  not  be  transcribed  correctly. 

^  Rev.  John  Graham,  of  Southbury. 

3  Rev.  Daniel  Humphrey,  of  Derby. 

4  Rev.  Mark  Leavenworth,  of  Waterbury. 

5  Rev.  Joseph  Bellamy,  D.D.,  of  Bethlehem. 

3 


i8  History  of  Torrington. 

(Sen'r.),  and  was  set  apart  to  the  office  by  prayer,  and  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  pastor  of  said  church,  January  i,  1742. 

''  3d.  The  first  sacrament  that  ever  was  administered  in  the  church 
was  January  3,  1742,  and  the  communicants  who  were  then  members 
of  the  said  church  ;  the  number  was  seventeen  ;  Dea.  E.  Lyman  and 
his  wife,  E.  Lyman,  Junr.,  and  his  wife,  E.  North  and  his  wife,  J. 
Coe  and  his  wife,  Jacob  Strong  and  his  wife,  Abel  Beach  and  his 
wife,  Nathaniel  Barber  and  his  wife,  John  Cook  and  his  wife,  Asahel 
Strong." 

Thus  far  he  seems  to  have  written  at  the  first  entry,  after  this  he 
proceeds  as  follows,  drawing  a  line  across  the  page  between  each  entry. 

"The  second  sacrament  was  administered  March  14,  1742,  and 
Margaret  Thrall  y^  wife  of  Joel  Thrall  was  admitted  a  member  in 
full  communion  with  us. 

"  E.  Coe  and  his  wife  owned  their  covenant,  and  were  admitted 
members  in  full  communion  with  us,  April  4,  1742. 

"3d  sacrament  was  administered  May  27,  1742.  4th  sacra- 
ment was  administered  November  14,  1742, and  then  Samuel  Damon' 
and  his  wife,  Samuel  Damon,  Jr.,  and  his  wife,  John  Damon  and 
wife,  Noah  Wilson  and  wife  were  admitted  members  in  full  com- 
munion with  us." 

In  this  manner  he  continued  to  record  the  sacraments  and  admis- 
sions to  the  church  until  a  short  time  before  his  death  ;  the  last  entry 
being  thus  : 

"  132  sacrament  November  y*'  13,  1775." 

The  record  of  marriages  he  commences  in  the  same  straight-forward 
manner. 

"  Mr.  Nathaniel  Roberts,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Torrington,  was 
married  November  22,  at  night,  being  3d  day  of  y^  week  in  y^  year 

I7+3-" 

"July  8,  1747,  I  married  Isaac  Hosford,  of  Litchfield,  to  Mind- 
well  Loomis,  of  Torrington." 

"  Margaret  Roberts,  the  wife  of  Nathaniel  Roberts,  died  October 
I,  1747,  being  y^  5  day  of  y^  week."  ^ 

"  Mr.  Nathaniel  Roberts,  pastor  of  y'=  said  church,  was  married  to 
his  second  wife  November  y=  7,  1748." 


•This  name  has  been  spelled  Demon,  but  the  old  spelling  in  the  deeds  is  a  instead  oi e. 
"  This  death  is  recorded  among  the  marriages  as  here  given.     Mr.  Roberts  kept  no  record 
of  deaths. 


Religious   Privileges.  ig 

In  regard  to  his  own  marriages  he  does  not  tell  what  his  wives' 
names  were  before  marriage,  nor  where  they  resided,  though  he  gives 
the  number  of  the  day  of  the  week  on  which  the  marriage  occurred. 
He  calls  himself  Mr.  and  not  Rev.,  as  he  does  also  Mr.  Hun)phrey 
and  Mr.  Bellamy,  never  using  reverend  to  a  minister.  Mr.  was  then 
the  aristocratic  class  name,  applied  to  persons  only  in  certain  stations 
in  life. 

According  to  this  record,  the  first  marriage  ceremony  he  performed 
was  July  8,  1747,  over  six  years  after  he  was  ordained,  and  the  next 
one  occurred  two  years  and  a  half  afterwards,  and  therefore,  to  all 
appearance,  marriages  were  not  numerous  in  Torrington  in  those  days. 

The  record  of  baptisms  runs  in  the  same  style. 

"January  y=  3,  174 1-2,  I  baptized  a  child  for  Isaac  Hygly,  and 
her  name  was  Susannah." 

"August  29,  1742,  I  baptized  a  child  for  Nathaniel  Barber,  and 
his  name  was  Nathaniel."  ^ 

"  September  y=  12,  1 742,  I  baptized  a  child  for  William  Hosford, 
on  his  wife's  rights,  and  his  name  was  William."  His  wife  being 
a  member  of  a  church,  though  not  of  the  Torrington  church,  had  a 
right  to  have  her  child  baptized.  If  neither  father  nor  mother 
was  a  member  of  a  church,  the  child  could  not  be  baptized. 

The  First  Church  in  Torrington,  therefore,  was  organized 
October  21st,  under  the  name,  and  the  only  name  it  bore  for  over 
thirty  years  of  The  Church  of  Christ  in  Torrington.  It  did  not 
have  a  denominational  name  until  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Roberts. 
It  was  sometimes  called  Presbyterian,  as  many  like  churches  in  the 
state  were,  but  it  had  no  connection  with  a  Presbytery,  nor  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 

It  was  organized  at  the  house  of  John  Cook,  the  house  yet  stand- 
ing and  known  as  deacon  John  Cook's.  Tradition  says  that  Mr. 
Roberts  was  ordained  in  Deacon  Cook's  house.  Mr.  Roberts  says 
the  church  was  organized  October  21,  1741,  and  that  he,  as  the 
pastor  of  the  church,  ordained  the  first  deacon,  January  i,  1742,  or 
two  months  after  the  organization  of  the  church.  It  is  not  probable 
that  two  meetings  of  such  a  nature,  one  to  organize  the  church  and 
another  to  ordain  the  minister,  would  be  held  within  so  shrrt  a  time 
and  therefore  it  is  quite  clear  that  the  ordination  took  place  at  the 
time  of  the  formation  of  the  church,  and  that  the  meeting  was  held 


'  Following  the  name  is  a  star,  which  indicates  that  the  child  died  soon  after. 


20  History  of  Torrington. 

in  John  Cook's  house,  and  the  services  conducted  in  a  regular  form 
by  the  ministers  named  by  Mr.  Roberts.  It  is  also  probable  that 
Mr.  Roberts,  being  unmarried,  was  residing  with  John  Cook  at 
the  time,  and  remained  there  until  his  marriage,  two  years  after- 
wards. ■> 

As  to  the  persons  who  became  members  at  the  organization  of  the 
church  no  intimation  is  given  that  they  had  been  members  elsewhere, 
but  the  appearance  is  that  they  covenanted  together  verbally,  in  the 
presence  of  the  ministers  named,  and  were  by  them  declared  to  be 
a  church  of  Christ  in  Torrington. 

When  this  church  was  organized  there  was  one  in  Litchfield  formed 
nineteen  years  before  ;  one  in  Harwinton  three  years  old,  and  they 
had  had  preaching  three  years  before  its  formation  ;  one  in  Goshen, 
organized  the  previous  year  ;  one  in  Cornwall  one  year  old  ;  one  in 
New  Hartford  two  years  old. 

The  ministers  in  Goshen,  New  Hartford  and  Torrington  were 
brothers-in-law  ;  Mr.  Heaton  and  Mr.  Roberts  having  married  the 
sisters  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Marsh,  Jr.,  of  New  Hartford,  and  daughters 
of  Rev.    Jonathan  Marsh,  of  Windsor. 

Although  the  church  was  organized  just  before  the  great  awaken- 
ing in  New  England,  yet  no  special  religious  interest  appears  to 
have  existed  in  Torrington  at  that  time,  nor  at  any  time  during  Mr. 
Roberts's  pastorate.  The  membership  increased  gradually,  and  mostly 
by  persons  coming  into  the  town.  Sometimes  a  number  of  persons, 
in  the  same  family,  on  settling  in  the  town,  united  with  the  church, 
as  indicated  in  the  following  records. 

"  May  6,  1744,  was  our  sacrament,  and  at  the  same  time,  Aaron 
Loomis,  and  Deborah,  his  wife,  and  Aaron  his  son,  and  Mindwell 
and  Esther  his  daughters,  were  all  received  into  our  church." 

This  Esther  was  only  fifteen  years  old,  and  this  indicates  that  young 
people  were  received  into  the  church  in  those  days. 

"July  7,  1754,  then  Ichabod  Loomis,  and  Dorothy  his  wife,  "William 
Filley  and  Abiah  his  wife,  Joel  Loomis,  Isabel,  the  wife  of  Abraham 
Loomis,  and  Jerusha  and  Isabel,  daughters  of  Abraham  Loomis  were 
admitted,  members  in  full  communion." 

Of  most  of  the  persons  whom  Mr.  Roberts  recorded,  he  wrote: 
"  owned  the  covenant,  and  were  received  into  full  communion,"  but 
of  a  few  he  wrote  "  were  received  into  full  communion,"  not  saying 
that  they  owned  the  covenant.  It  is  therefore  probable  that  these 
latter  were  received  by  commendation  from  other  churches.     In  one 


Religious   Privileges.  21 

case  only  does  he  speak  of  a  letter  from  another  church  and  in  that 
case  he  says  the  person  was  commended  by  the  Association  of  which 
the  church  was  a  member. 

The  church  relation  which  recognized  the  right  of  the  baptism 
of  children  under  the -^half-way  covenant,  was  accepted  by  Mr. 
Roberts  and  this  church,  and  no  difficulty  arose  from  it  until  after 
his  death  in  1776. 

The  First  Meeting  House. 

The  first  recorded  act  preparatory  to  the  building  of  a  meeting 
house,  was  the  increase  of  the  tax  from  two  to  three  pence  on  a 
pound. in  1740,  the  surplus,  after  paying  the  minister's  salary,  was 
to  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  Capt.  Joseph  Bird,  of  Litchfield,  to 
be  "  improved  by  him  as  best  could  be  "  until  the  inhabitants  should 
engage  in  building  the  house,  when  it  was  to  be  used  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

In  May,  1746,  the  assembly  appointed  Ebenezer  Marsh  and  Joseph 
Bird  of  Litchfield,  and  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  of  Goshen,  a  committee 
to  locate  a  site  tor  a  meeting  house  and  report  to  the  next  session  of 
that  body.  Upon  that  report  rendered  October,  1746,  the  assembly 
resolved  "  that  the  place  to  build  a  meeting  house  in  said  town,  shall 
be  about  thirty  rods  northward  of  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Lyman, 
Esq.,  in  the  cross  highway,  which  runs  east  and  west,  where  said 
committee  have  set  up  a  stake  with  a  large  heap  of  stones  about  it, 
the  sills  of  said  house  to  enclose  said  heap  of  stones." 

In  the  following  winter  a  frame  was  erected  on  this  site,  thirty 
feet  square  with  eighteen  feet  posts,  under  the  directions  of  a  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  town.  At  this  stage  of  the  house  some- 
body thought  the  house  too  high,  and  this  committee  was  dismissed 
and  another  appointed  who  cut  down  the  posts  to  eight  feet  in 
height.  A  memorial  was  then  carried  to  the  assembly,  which 
stopped  the  proceedings  of  the  town,  restored  the  first  committee, 
and  ordered  the  house  to  be  built  with  eighteen  feet  posts.  An 
execution  was  granted  against  the  persons  who  cut  down  the 
posts  of  the  house  and  a  fine  of  £21  6s.  5d.  imposed  upon 
them.  These  proceedings  delayed  the  building  of  the  house  more 
than  a  year. 

A  new  memorial  was  presented  in  October,  1748,  for  a  change  of 
the  site  ;  a  committee  was  appointed  to  look  into  the  matter  and 
report,  which  they  did  in   May,   1749,  and  the  place  was  established 


22  History  of  Torrington. 

at  a  stake  within  the  south  line  of  a  lot  belonging  to  John  Whiting, 
between  sixty  and  seventy  rods  northward  of  the  place  which  was 
heretofore  affixed  for  a  meeting  house,  so  as  to  include  the  said  stake 
within  the  sills  of  the  said  house. "^ 

The  meeting  house  was  built  at  the  place  last  designated,  and  was 
standing  there  in  October,  1751,  when  the  road  was  laid  running 
northwest  from  the  meeting  house. 

It  was  a  framed  building,  eigliteen  feet  posts,  and  thirty  feet  square. 
How  it  was  covered  is  spoken  of  as  a  mystery,  as  something  about 
the  house  gave  it  the  name  of  the  Hemlock  church.  It  was  built 
and  seated,  in  the  gallery  and  below,  in  the  simplest  manner.  It  is 
said  that  the  seats  were  made  of  slabs,  flat  side  up,  with  sticks  for 
legs.  This  is  tradition.  Deacon  John  Whiting's  account  book, 
still  preserved,  tells  us  that  he  was  engaged  at  different  times  for 
many  years,  to  1 781,  in  repairing  the  seats  to  the  meeting  house. 
Therefore  it  is  probable  that  the  seats  were  not  stationary,  and  from 
that  reason  were  soon  out  of  repair. 

In  this  house  minister  Roberts  preached  to  the  end  of  his  life, 
some  twenty-five  years  from  the  time  it  was  built.  Here  the  early 
settlers  assembled  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  being  seldom  absent 
when  service  was  held,  unless  really  sick.  The  sermon  was  given 
forenoon  and  afternoon  ;  none  in  the  evening.  No  prayer  meet- 
ings during  the  week,  but  sometimes  preaching  service  at  distant 
school  houses,  yet  not  much  of  this  in  Mr.  Roberts's  day. 

It  was  not  obligatory  on  the  saints  of  those  days  to  run  to  church 
three  times  a  week  in  order  to  keep  out  of  the  hands  of  the  evil  one 
the  rest  of  the  week.  Their  Sunday  preaching,  Bible  reading  and 
catechism  lasted  at  least  six  days  before  it  was  entirely  forgotten.  ' 

It  was  supposed  to  be  the  duty  of  the  hearers  of  the  Word  to  exer- 
cise their  powers,  to  study,  investigate  and  apply,  intelligently,  the 
doctrines,  principles  and  teachings  of  the  sermons  they  heard,  and 
not  leave  it  all  to  be  done  by  the  minister.  Then  the  people  were 
thinkers  TiS  well  as  hearers;  and  the  sermons  were  strong  with  doc- 
trines, principles,  rules  and  laws,  intended  to  set  men  to  thinking.^ 
It  is  a  blundering  mistake,  as  well  as  an  injustice  to  the  fathers  and 


'  Colonial  Records. 

2  The  author  of  this  work  has  in  his  possession  a  schedule  of  questions  for  study,  for  seve- 
ral successive  weeks,  presented  by  Rev.  Daniel  Brinsmade,  of  Washington,  Ct.,  to  the 
women  of  his  congregation,  in  1760.  Many  of  these  questions  would  trouble  a  class  of 
professors  of  a  theological  institute  to  answer. 


Religious   Privileges.  23 

mothers  of  a  century  ago,  to  suppose  that,  because  their  heads  were 
not  filled  with  the  reading  of  a  hundred  books  a  year  of  thin  quality 
though  great  in  quantity,  therefore  they  were  no  thinkers,  and  pos- 
sessed but  little  refinement  of  sentiment  and  taste.  The  intellectual 
faculties  were  brought  into  vigorous  exercise  in  those  days,  in  regard 
to  all  the  great  questions  of  life,  though  in  a  different  form,  as  well 
as,  and  as  thoroughly  as,  at  the  present  day. 

Hence  to  go  to  church  was  a  glory,  an  honor,  an  intellectual  pri- 
vilege, and  not  a  drudgery  of  which  they  would  gladly  rid  themselves. 
Therefore  the  church  was  full,  and  full  morning  and  afternoon. 
Meeting  house  life  was  a  part  of  home  life.  Sympathy  of  joys  and 
sorrows  was  to  be  found  and  rendered  at  the  house  of  God  ;  and  it 
was  home ;  the  one  great  home  for  all  the  people. 

When,  therefore,  the  first  inhabitants  had  met  in  that  old  hem- 
lock church  thirty-five  years,  under  such  circumstances,  after 
many  of  the  fathers  had  passed  away,  and  their  funerals  been  attended 
in  that  house,  the  place  where  many  of  their  children  were  baptized, 
it  may  well  be  supposed  to  have  been  a  place  cherished  and  hallowed 
in  the  memories  of  most  of  the  people.  That  old  hemlock  church  ; 
that  first  church  ;  on  that  high  hill,  cold  in  winter,  breezy  and  beau- 
tiful in  summer,  looking  out  to  the  four  corners  oi  the  earth  from 
old  Torrington,  was  a  place  long  to  be  remembered. 

Where. do  the  thousands  of  the  living  descendants,  of  the  families 
who  used  to  meet  in  that  church,  now  meet  for  worship  ?  In  all 
parts  of  the  United  States  to  the  Pacific  ocean;  in  South  America, 
on  the  Sandwich  islands  ;  in  the  Canadas,  and  in  Europe. 


CHAPTER  V. 

IMPROVEMENTS. 

The  Fort. 

*^^^;^  UILDING  a  fort  was  a  work  of  necessity  for  the 
iM  '-^^/yj,  safety  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town.  In  October,  1744, 
the  town  voted  thirty-five  pounds  six  shillings  and  six 
pence,  as  one-half  of  the  cost  of  building  a  fort.  It  was 
located  near  Ebenezer  Lyman's  dwelling,  on  the  west  side  of  the  present 
road  at  that  place,  and  was  built  of  chestnut  logs  split  in  halves  and 
standing  in  the  ground,  rising  to  the  height  of  about  eight  feet.  The 
object  of  the  fort  was,  protection  to  the  inhabitants  from  the  ravages 
of  the  Indians,  especially  the  raids  of  the  Mohawks,  which  were  made 
for  the  one  only  purpose  of  pillage  and  destruction.  The  Connecti- 
cut Indians  had  learned,  many  years  before,  to  make  little  trouble  for 
the  settlers.  Various  narrations  are  still  repeated  about  the  fright  of 
the  people  ;  the  haste  with  which  they  fled  to  the  fort,  leaving  nearly 
everything  in  their  homes,  and  remaining  over  night  and  sometimes 
several  days,  in  great  anxiety  as  to  their  own  lives  and  also  the  safety 
of  their  homes.  And  for  a  time  the  settlers  sought  homes  near  this 
fort.  Several  of  them  owned  lots  on  the  east  side,  but  sold  them 
and  bought  on  the  west  side  and  then  brought  their  families  into  the 
town  near  the  fort,  and  others  lived  on  the  west  side  while  they 
worked  their  lands  on  the  east  side. 

This  fear  of  the  Indians  was  the  greatest  disturber  of  the  peace  of 
the  people  in  the  new  settlements.  The  dread  of  the  wild  beasts, 
though  no  inconsiderable  matter,  was  of  little  weight  compared  to  the 
terror  produced  at  the  report  of  the  coming  of  the  Mohawk  Indians. 
The  alarm  at  the  approach  of  the  Indians  was  given  by  lighting  signal 
fires  on  the  hills  from  Albany  eastward  as  the  party  advanced.  Hence, 
if  an  accidental  fire  occurred  in  the  direction  of  the  Hudson  river  it 
was  taken  as  an  alarm  fire,  and  the  people  hastened  to  the  fort  to 
wait  until  information  could  be  obtained  of  the  cause  of  the  fire. 
This  state  of  society  came  to  an  end  soon  after  the  close  of  the 
French  war  in  1760.     The  old  fort  served  its  purpose  as  a  refuge  in 


Improvements.  25 

time  of  need,  was  a  number  of  times  occupied  by  the  frightened  in- 
habitants, for  several  days  at  a  time  ;  then  gradually  tumbled  down, 
leaving;  nothing  but  a  mound  seventy-five  feet  by  one  hundred, 
which  still  marks  the  place  of  its  once  warlike  standing.  There  is 
said  to  be  another  mound  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  westerly 
from  the  site  of  this  old  fort,  which  marks  the  place  of  some  fortifi- 
cation, either  of  the  Indians  before,  or  by  the  first  settlers  of  the  town, 

A  school  house  was  built  within  the  fort,  in  1745  ;^  the  first  insti- 
tution of  learning  in  the  town.  In  this  house  religious  services  were 
held  several  years.  It  was  probably  a  framed  house  and  of  good  size, 
as  the  only  public  building  in  the  town  at  that  time.  Town  meetings, 
very  likely,  were  also  held  at  this  house  for  several  years. 

Deacon  Cook's  house,  built  in  1740  or  1741,  was  a  framed  build- 
ing ;  the  frame  still  standing,  it  having  been  re-covered  several  times. 
It  is  probable  that  Deacon  Lyman's  house  was  a  framed  building  and 
those  of  Asahel  Strong  and  Jacob  Strong  on  the  road  south  of  Mill 
brook,  and  Israel  Everitt's  and  others  on  the  road  west  of  Deacon 
Cook's,  also  those  of  Abel  Beach,  Aaron  Loomis  and  others  on  the 
present  Goshen  road,  which  were  built  before  1742.^  The  site  of  the 
first  Grant  house  is  in  the  lot  north  of  Dea.  F.  P.  Hills'  present 
dwelling.  Joel  Thrall's  second  home,  probably,  stood  some  little 
distance  south  of  Dea.  F.  P.  Hills'  dwelling,  was  one  of  the  first 
houses  put  up  in  the  town  and  may  have  been  a  log  house. 

So  far  as  ascertained,  the  first  settler  in  Torringford  was  Abraham 
Dibble,  or  his  son  Daniel,  in  1744  or  5,  on  the  second  lot  laid  out 
from  Harwinton  line,  the  place  still  known  as  the  Dibble  place.  The 
next  settler  was  Benjamin  Bissell,  a  little  north  of  the  Shubael  Gris- 
wold  place  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  where  Mr.  Bissell  kept  a 
tavern  a  number  of  years.  He  came  probably  in  1745.  The  third 
settler  was  John  Birge,  on  the  present  Roswell  Birge  place.  Nehe- 
miah  Gaylord  made  his  home  opposite  Benjamin  Bissell's,  a  little 
north,  in  a  log  house  first,  probably  in  1746.  Elijah  Gaylord  settled 
on  a  farm  that  included  the  site  of  the  present  Torringford  church, 
and  the  burying  ground  ;  his  log  house  standing  in  the  lot  southeast 
of  the  present  church,  in  1747.  Shubael  Griswold  built  his  house 
a  little  south  of  Nehemiah  Gaylord's  in   1754,  and  made  his  home 


'  Rev.  J.  A.  McKinstry  in  Manual  of  the  First  Church.      Dea.  L.  Wetmore  in  Wolcott- 
ville  Register,   1875. 

*  Since  writing  the  above  it  has  been  ascertained    that  nearly  all  the  first   dwellings  were 
built  with  logs. 


26  History  of  Torrington. 

there.  He  lived  on  the  west  side  of  the  town  a  year  or  two  before 
this  house  was  completed  and  before  he  was  married.  In  1752  or 
1753,  John  Burr  settled  on  the  place  long  known  by  his  name,  and 
Benjamin  Matthews  came  about  the  same  time,  with  Mr.  Burr  from 
Farmington  ;  the  others  were  from  Windsor.  Soon  after  this  came 
Dea.  Jonathan  Kelsey  and  his  son  Nathan  from  Woodbury.  Between 
1753  and  1760,  came  Joshua,  David,  Daniel  and  Aaron  Austin 
from  Suffield,  some  of  whom  settled  on  West  street  ;  and  Aaron 
Yale  from  Wallingford,  and  some  others  from  Windsor,  and  Samuel 
and  Ephraim  Durwin  from  Waterbury. 

Apple  Trees. 

Many  of  the  early  settlers  having  been  reared  in  those  parts  of  the 
state  where  apples  had  become  an  important  commodity  in  the  en- 
joyment of  life,  were  led,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  settlement,  to 
give  much  attention  to  the  planting  of  this  kind  of  tree.  This  is 
very  evident  from  the  large  quantity  of  apples  and  cider  found  here 
in  1770,  and  afterwards.  In  1773,  there  were  four  cider  mills  on 
the  west  side,  and  at  least  one  brandy  still.  An  apple  orchard  would 
not  reach  any  considerable  maturity  under  twenty  years,  and  there- 
fore the  planting  of  such  orchards  must  have  been  one  of  the  first 
great  enterprises  of  the  town. 

Everitt's  Mill. 

Israel  Everitt  had  a  grist  mill  on  Mill  brook,  on  the  site  which  was 
afterwards  occupied  by  General  Sheldon's  tannery,  afterwards  Raphael 
Marshall's.  This  mill  was  gone  in  1760,  and  the  place  is  spoken  of 
as  the  old  grist  mill,  and  Everitt's  mill,  and  therefore  it  must  have 
been  built  very  early.  In  1739,  Mr.  Everitt  sold  a  piece  of  land,  in 
the  hollow  west  of  Deacon  Cook's  house,  upon  which  was  erected  a 
tannery,  and  there  may  have  been  a  run  of  stone  at  that  place  for 
grinding  grain,  but  the  probability  is  that  Mr.  Everitt,  soon  after  1739, 
built  the  grist  mill  on  Mill  brook,  and  if  so  it  was  the  first  one  in  the 
town. 

Wilson's  Mill. 

One  of  the  great  institutions  in  Torrington  for  fifty  years  and  more 
was  Wilson's  mill. 

At  their  meeting  on  June  22d,  1743,  after  the  second  division  of 


Improvements.  27 

lands  was  made,  the  proprietors  voted  that  "  Thomas  Stoughton, 
Jacob  Strong  and  Ebenezer  Lyman,  Jr.,  be  a  committee  to  lease  a 
convenient  place  for  a  corn  mill  in  the  proprietors'  land  on  Water- 
bury  river  as  shall  be  needful  to  accommodate  the  setting  of  a  mill, 
to  some  suitable  person  that  will  engage  to  build  a  corn  mill,  between 
Lieut.  Nathaniel  Gaylord's  lot  and  Thomas  Stoughton's  lot." 

The  mill  was  not  built  at  that  time,  for  a  vote  of  the  proprietors 
passed  in  January,  1757,  says  a  mill  lot  should  be  laid  out,  and  that 
this  lot  with  all  the  privileges  thereof  should  be  sold  to  the  highest 
bidder.  Accordingly  the  committee,  Jacob  Strong,  Ebenezer  Lyman, 
Jr.,  and  Elijah  Gaylord,  sold  this  lease,  in  the  next  March,  to  Amos 
Wilson,  "  for  and  during  the  full  term  of  nine  hundred  ninety  and 
nine  years,  from  and  after  the  date  of  these  presents."  The  land 
contained  in  this  lease,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  was  estimated  to 
be  twenty  acres,  that  on  the  east  side,  one  acre  ;  and  for  this  land 
and  mill  privilege,  Amos  Wilson  paid  four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds, 
old  tenor  ;  or  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

In  the  same  month  Amos  Wilson  sold  certain  parts  of  this  pro- 
perty and  formed  a  stock  company  ;  Amos  Wilson,  Noah  Wilson, 
Jacob  Strong,  Ashael  Strong,  Ebenezer  Lyman,  Jr.,  and  William 
Grant  being  the  stock  owners.  The  mill  was  built  as  a  saw  mill 
and  continued  such  only,  so  far  as  is  known,  for  several  years.  An 
old  account  book  of  Amos  Wilson  is  preserved  and  shows  that  much 
work  was  done  in  this  mill.  In  1776,  is  first  mentioned  the  grist 
mill,  and  from  that  time  until  1794,  the  accounts  of  the  grist  mill 
are  regularly  recorded,  and  then  a  new  grist  mill  is  mentioned.  The 
owners  of  this  mill  changed  but  seldom.  After  fifteen  or  twenty 
years  Jacob  Strong  sold  to  Samuel  Everitt,  and  some  time  after  this 
Matthew  Grant  sold  to  David  Soper.  When  the  grist  mill  was  added, 
the  proprietors  became  Amos  Wilson,  Noah  Wilson,  Ashael  Strong, 
and  Noah  Wilson  Jr.  Joseph  Taylor  bought  one  share  of  this  mill 
in  1781. 

First  Taverns. 

One  of  the  first  taverns  was  erected  and  kept  by  Epaphras  Sheldon 
a  little  north  of  Ebenezer  Lyman's,  on  the  east  side  of  the  road. 
Mr,  Sheldon  having  received  quite  a  farm  from  his  father  and  having 
purchased  several  pieces  of  land,  made  his  home  here  about  1760, 
and  was  of  considerable  importance  as  a  new  settler,  and  for  thirty 
years  he  was  as  prominent  as  any  man  in  the  business  transactions  of 


28  History  of  Torrington. 

the  town,  and  in  social,  military  and  political  positions.  His  tavern 
was  the  head  quarters  for  most  doings  of  the  town.  The  road  run- 
ning north  and  south  past  his  house  was  the  race  course  for  running 
horses,  and  the  fields  near  his  house  were  the  parade  grounds  for 
military  drill,  until  after  the  center  of  the  town  became  established  at 
at  the  green,  after  the  building  of  the  second  meeting  house. 

Ephraim  Bancroft,  lived  a  little  north  of  Mr.  Sheldon's  and  also 
kept  a  tavern,  but  whether  it  was  established  as  soon  as  the  other  is 
not  ascertained.  In  these  taverns  the  people  often  assembled  during 
the  Revolution,  to  learn  the  news  and  to  discuss  the  great  questions 
then  exciting  the  minds  of  the  people.  What  anxiety  at  times  filled 
the  minds  of  those  thus  assembled  and  how  sadly  many  a  man  went 
home  from  those  places,  to  speak  of  the  sad  news  to  an  anxious 
mother,  and  to  mourn  in  a  home  which  once  broken  couH  never  be 
made  whole. 

Capt.  Abel  Beach  kept  a  tavern  beginning  some  time  before  the 
revolutionary  war,  but  at  what  time  he  opened  his  house  for  public 
entertainment  cannot  be  definitely  ascertained.  Noah  North's  ac- 
count book  indicates  that  Capt.  Beach  had  a  tavern  as  early  as  1764, 
but  he  may  have  kept  such  a  house  several  years  before. 

John  Burr,  of  Farmington,  bought  in  1751  and  in  1752,  land 
amounting  to  over  four  hundred  pounds  monev,  and  settled  in  the 
town  in  1753,  on  the  farm  known  many  years  as  the  Burr  place,  east 
of  Burrville,  on  the  hill.  Here  Mr.  Burr  was  keeping  a  tavern  in 
1762,  and  may  have  opened  such  a  house  some  years  earlier. 

Shubael  Griswold  built  his  house  on  the  corner  of  Torringford 
street  and  what  was  afterwards  the  Torrington  turnpike,  in  1754,  and 
opened  it  as  a  tavern  about  1757.  His  son  Thaddeus  Griswold,  con- 
tinued it  as  a  public  house  many  years. 

Benjamin  Bissell's  tavern,  stood  a  little  north  of  Shubael  Griswold's, 
and  was  kept  as  a  public  house  some  years  before  the  Revolution  ; 
and  still  later  David  Soper  kept  a  tavern  on  Torringford  street,  west 
side,  near  the  first  meeting  house. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TORRINGTON  CHURCH. 

'HE  Rev.  Nathaniel  Roberts  closed  his  ministerial 
and  earthly  labors  on  the  fourth  of  March  1776.  The 
church  under  his  care  had  prospered  in  an  ordinary  degree 
compared  with  other  churches  of  the  same  order  in  its 
vicinity,  and  had  been  conducted  on  the  broadest  principles  of  doc- 
trine and  usage  for  that  day.  They  had  a  creed  and  covenant  from 
the  first  organization  in  1741,  as  appears  from  papers  still  preserved. 
The  discipline  of  the  church  had  been  as  carefully  attended  to  as  was 
the  custom  among  churches  of  the  time,  with  the  exception  of  ad- 
ministering baptism  to  children  under  the  halfway  covenant.  This 
practice  had  caused  trouble  in  many  churches  but  none  here  while 
Mr.  Roberts  remained. 

Rev.  Noah  Merwin  followed  Mr.  Roberts  in  his  pastorate,  being 
ordained  October  25,  1776.  He  labored  here  seven  years,  but  no 
account  of  the  prosperity  or  doings  of  the  church  during  that  time  is 
at  hand,  he  having;  taken  all  such  records  with  him  when  he  left  the 
place.  There  is  a  paper  however,  which  reveals  somewhat  of  a  con- 
flicting element  in  the  mind  of  the  second  pastor  in  regard  to  the 
former  practices  of  the  church.  According  to  the  date  of  the  paper 
Mr.  Merwin  delivered  these  opinions  one  year  after  he  was  dismissed. 
In  his  declarations  he  says  :  "Justifying  faith  is  necessary  in  order  to 
enter  into  covenant  with  God  ;"  that  the  "  sacrament  of  baptism  is  as 
sacred  an  ordinance  as  that  of  the  Lord's  supper  ;"  that  the  "■  church 
has  no  right  to  prescribe  to  the  ministers  who  are  the  proper  subjects 
for  him  to  administer  the  seals  unto  ;"  that  the  church  "  has  no  right 
to  blame  a  minister  for  refusing  to  put  to  vote  anything  that  is  con- 
trary to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience." 

All  these  opinions  were  in  conflict  with  the  former  practice  of  the 
church,  hence  there  was  a  stirring  of  both  good  and  bad  faith.  It  is 
apparent  that  the  waters  were  troubled,  not  to  heal  but  to  divide, 
as  the  reason  why  Mr.  Merwin  was  invited  to  return,  after  his  dis- 
mission, and  deliver  his  opinions.  It  was  not  an  opinion  of  the  peo- 
ple, alone  in  regard  to  Mr.   Merwin  and  his  services,  but  in  regard 


30  History  of  Torrington. 

to  certain  rules  of  practice  in  the  church,  against  which  the  minds  of 
a  number  of  the  most  substantial  and  faithful  members  began  to  be 
strongly  exercised  and  in  consequence  of  these  divisions  of  opinion 
as  to  church  rules,  a  disaffection  had  grown  up  which  caused  a  de- 
ficiency in  the  treasury  of  the  society  as  early  as  1781,  or  earlier. 
Individua'  notes  had  been  given  by  various  persons  to  meet  Mr. 
Merwin's  claims,  and  the  matter  was  brought  to  issue  in  1782, 
whether  the  society  would  pay  those  notes.  Some  arrangement  was 
effected  and  Mr.  Merwin  was  paid.  This  rrruch  the  papers  show. 
^Tradition  tells  us  that  Mr.  Merwin  being  paid  in  continental  money 
was  unfortunate,  in  that  the  revolutionary  war  closed,  peace  was  de- 
clared, and  his  money  was  worthless.  He  asked  that  the  society 
should  make  up  his  loss,  they  declined,  and  he  requested  to  be  dis- 
missed, which  was  granted  by  a  regular  council  November  26,  1783. 
The  account  book  of  Deacon  Whiting  shows  that  Mr.  Merwin 
preached  here  much  of  the  time  during  the  summer  of  1784,  residing 
in  Cornwall;   his  preaching  services  being  held  in  the  old  church. 

Another  paper  is  preserved,  which  shows  that  the  defection  in 
the  church  and  society  was  not  originated  in  regard  to  Mr.  Mer- 
win, but  through  a  movement  which  had  troubled  many  churches 
in  Connecticut  more  than  twenty  years,  in  regard  to  church 
government  and  practices.  In  the  present  case  the  objection 
raised  was  that  the  church  in  its  usages  was  not  strictly  Congrega- 
tianal,  and  therefore  was  indulging  practices  which  were  injurious 
to  the  cause  of  religion.  The  items  were,  the  halfway  covenant, 
the  authority  of  a  council,  and  the  authority  of  the  minister. 
Mr.  Merwin  held  that  when  advice  had  been  given  by  the  Consocia- 
tion, by  itself  or  through  a  council,  if  the  advice  was  not  received 
and  obeyed,  the  Consociation  should  withdraw  fellowship  and  com- 
munion from  such  church.  The  two  men  who  were  the  leaders 
toward  the  so-called  strict  congregational  rules,  were  Benoni  Hills 
and  Ebenezer  Coe  ;  both,  men  of  sound  and  discriminating  judg- 
ment. These  brethren  gave  to  the  church  in  a  letter  dated  May 
15,  1781,  their  objections  to  the  practices  of  the  church  in  regard  to 
government,  and  requested  letters  of  dismission.  Instead  of  granting 
the  request  the  church  proposed  several  questions  in  writing  to  these 
brethren,  the  last  of  which  reads  thus:  "Wherein  does  this  church 
differ  from  the  strict  Congregational  churches  in  New  England." 
The  church  desired  a  mutual  council  ;  these  brethren  declined  doing 
any  thing  further.     Two  years  passed  with  this  controversy  going 


TORRINGTON     ChURCH.  3I 

on,  during  which  difficulties  arose  about  paying  Mr.  Merwin,  and 
the  church  voted,  September  2,  1683,  that  Benoni  Hills  and  Ebe- 
nezer  Coe,  by  leaving  us  in  the  manner  they  have  and  going  to  join  the 
Separates,  have  dismissed  themselves  from  us,  and  therefore  are  no 
longer  of  us.  This  was  done  two  months  before  Mr.  Merwin  was 
dismissed. 

Nine  days  before  the  meeting  of  the  council  to  dissolve  the  pas- 
toral relations  of  Mr.  Merwin  the  church  voted  that,  "  this  church  has 
nothing  to  object  against  the  Rev.  Mr.  Merwin  as  to  his  moral  cha- 
racter or  his  ministerial  performances  since  he  took  a  pastoral  care 
and  charge  over  us.  Nevertheless  taking  into  consideration  the 
broken,  and  divided  state  of  the  church  and  congregation,  this  church 
on  the  whole  think  it  best  that  Mr.  Merwin's  ministerial  relation  to 
us  and  the  society  be  dissolved,  and  we  desire  the  same  solely  on 
this  account,  that  we  hope  it  will  be  for  the  peace  of  the  society  and 
the  advancement  of  religion  among  us,  and  for  Mr.  Merwin's  com- 
fort and  more  extensive  usefulness." 

The  Rev.  Lemuel  Haynes  was  the  next  minister,  commencing 
his  labors  early  in  the  summer  of  1785.  He  was  a  talented,  devoted 
man,  well  and  favorably  received  by  his  ministerial  brethern  ;  but 
African  blood  flowed  in  his  veins,  and  there  were  prejudices  existing 
in  those  days  sufficient  to  make  trouble  as  to  this  matter,  if  in  all  other 
respects  there  had  been  peace  in  the  community.  After  Mr.  Haynes 
had  preached  here  a  few  months  there  was  such  rising  of  courage 
and  union  of  disposition  as  to  secure  a  combination  to  support  the 
gospel.  Forty-six  persons  covenanted  together,  not  as  a  society  nor 
as  a  church,  but  as  individuals,  that  "we  will  join  together  in  our  en- 
deavor to  procure  steady  preaching,  and  to  keep  up  and  maintain  the 
public  worship  of  God  among  ourselves,  with  a  view  to  the  calling 
and  settling  a  gospel  minister  as  soon  as  God,  in  his  providence  shall 
open  a  door  therefor."  They  agreed  to  pay  according  to  their  list, 
or  by  subscription,  as  should  be  deemed  best.  From  this  last  item 
it  may  be  seen  that  a  part  of  the  trouble  arose  from  the  system  of 
taxing  every  tax-payer  for  the  support  of  the  preaching. 

The  subscribers  to  this  agreement   dated  October  3,  1785,  were 

Increase  Grant/  William  Wilson,  Epaphras  Loomis, 

Nathaniel  Barber,  Joseph  Blake,  Samuel  Beach, 

Elihu  Cook,  Elijah  Barber,  Hannah  Loomis, 


*    Lived  in  the  edge  of  Litchfield. 


32 


History  of  Torrington. 


Noah  Fowler, 
Urijah  Cook, 
Joshua  Leach, 
Richard  Leach, 
Richard  Leach,  Jr. 
Caleb  Leach, 
George  Baldwin, 
Jonathan  Coe, 
Ebenezer  Coe, 
Amos  Wilsoa, 
Abijah  Wilson, 
Joseph  Taylor, 
Lemuel  Loomis, 


Asahel  Wilcox, 
Noah  Wilson,  Jr., 
Eli  Barber, 
Guy  Wolcott, 
Noah  Wilson, 
Roger  Wilson, 
Oliver  Filley, 
Nathaniel  Leach, 
Caleb  Lyman, 
John  Whiting, 
Bushniel  Benedict, 
Benoni  Hills, 
Wait  Beach, 


Elisha  Smith, 
Abner  Loomis, 
Richard  Loomis, 
Moses  Loomis, 
Moses  Loomis,  Jr., 
Adna  Beach, 
Isaac  Filley, 
Timothy  Barber, 
Caleb  Munson, 
John  Beach, 
Margaret  Thrall. 


In  November  of  the  same  year  a  meeting  of  these  subscribers  was 
held  and  they  appointed  a  moderator,  clerk  and  treasurer  and  col- 
lector, in  regular  order,  and  voted  a  tax  of  "  one  penny  on  the  pound, 
to  be  paid  in  money  or  the  following  articles  :  wheat  and  peas  at  five 
shillings  a  bushel,  rye  3s,  6d,  per  bushel  and  Indian  corn  at  2s,  6d 
per  bushel." 

In  the  next  March  they  voted  that  the  committee  "  invite  Mr. 
Lemuel  Haynes  to  preach  with  us  some  time  longer."  That  meant 
six  months,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  September  1786,  they  voted  to 
"  invite  Mr.  Haynes  to  preach  to  us  the  winter  coming,"  and  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  "  see  that  Mr.  Haynes  be  provided  for." 

At  the  same  time  of  the  above  action,  it  was  voted  that  "  Ensign 
Beach  set  the  Psalm,"  and  that  Noah  Fowler,  Seth  Munson  and 
Remembrance  North  be  appointed  to  assist  Ensign  Beach  in  setting 
the  Psalm."  It  was  abouf  this  time  that  singing  began  to  be  con- 
ducted by  a  choir  sitting  in  the  gallery,  about  which  there  were  some 
conflicting  feelings  that  caused  some  little  commotion  in  the  church 
and  community,  but  which  soon  quieted  down,  all  being  convinced 
that  the  change  was  an  improvement. 

All  the  records  of  the  doings  of  the  first  society,  to  this  time,  1785, 
are  missing,  and  no  conjecture  as  to  what  became  of  them  is  made, 
except  they  were  among  the  records  Mr.  Merwin  took  with  him  and 
which  he  refused  to  return,  after  being  requested  to  do  so.  Such 
records  would  doubtless  show  much  effort  on  the  part  of  the  people 
to  improve  the  singing,  as  was  the  custom  in  most  churches  in 
those  days.  There  were  a  large  number  of  excellent  singers  in  the 
society  at  the  time  ;  families  by  the  dozen  in  which  there  were  from 
three  to  a  half  dozen.  Some  families  could  have  formed  a  choir, 
singing  four  parts,  and  have  had  several  singers  "  to  spare  for  their 


ToRRINGTON    ChuRCH.  ^3  , 

neighbors,"  if  any  could  be  found  that  were  in  need.      One  hundred  , 

singers  could  have  been  placed  in  the  gallery  at  one  time,  that  would  ^ 

have  done  honor  lo  ordinary  singing  in  church,  while  a  full  audience  ■  •  ' 

would  have  been  left  in  the  body  of  the  church  to  do  congregational  ' 

singing.     This  new  departure  in  singing,  from  the  deacon  or  deacons  i 

in  front  of  the  pulpit,  to  the  gallery,  took  place  in  the  old  church  in         \  \  ^  J 
the  spring  of  1786.  / 

During  the  summer  of  1 786  a  meeting  house  was  built  as  individual  ^'.^ 
property  and  was  thus  owned  about  sixteen  years,  when  it  was  made 
over  to  the  Congregational  society,  then  the  established  legal  bridy. 
It  was  located  a  little  north  of  Captain  Abel  Beach's  tavern,  at  the 
place  known  for  many  years  afterwards  as  Torrington  green.  It  was 
two  story,  having  two  rows  of  windows  on  each  side  ;  one  side  of  the 
house  faced  the  south.  The  belfry,  built  a  few  years  after,  with  a 
high  steeple,  was  on  the  west  end  of  the  building,  jutting  out  from  the 
body  of  the  house  so  far  that  the  west  door  was  on  the  south  side  of 
the  belfry.  There  was  a  door  on  the  south  side  of  the  building,  and 
one  on  the  east  end.  One  of  the  conditions  on  the  part  of  the  society 
when  iMr.  Gillett  settled  here,  in  1792,  was  that  this  meeting-house 
should  be  finished  inside.  In  the  Church  Manual  by  Rev.  J.  A. 
McKinstry,  we  are  told  that  this  steeple  was  built  in  1797,  and  the 
bell  put  in  and  the  house  thoroughly  repaired.  As  to  this  bell, 
tradition  says  that  the  inhabitants  contributed  one  hundred  silver  dollars 
which  were  sent  to  the  maker  and  the  silver  put  into  the  bell. 

Meetings  were  held  in  the  autumn  of  1786,  and  the  appearance 
from  several  papers  is  that  the  company  who  had  hired  Mr.  Haynes, 
removed  bodily  to  the  new  house  as  soon  as  it  was  ready  to  be  occu- 
pied. Under  these  circumstances  a  council  of  churches  was  called, 
both  parties  uniting  in  the  call,  and  it  met  November  28,  1786.  In 
this  meeting  an  effort  was  made  to  prevail  with  the  parties  then  to 
enter  into  a  union  of  fellowship  and  effort,  but  this  failed,  and  the 
council,  after  giving  advice,  dissolved.  The  rendering  of  the  council 
was  that  since  there  was  no  radical  difference  between  the  two 
societies  in  doctrine  or  law,  the  way  was  open  for  a  union,  and  that 
both  sides  should  seek  such  union  in  the  spirit  of  the  religion  they 
professed  to  love;  and  try  to  obtain  a  minister  who  was  in  no  way 
connected  with  either  party  as  such,  and  Rev.  Daniel  Marsh  was 
named  as  such  a  man,  and  suitable  for  the  peculiar  place.  Soon 
after  this,  the  society  at  the  new  church  proposed  by  a  committee, 
to  the  society  at  the  old  church,  to  unite  in  hiring  Mr.  Marsh  to 

5 


34 


History  of  Torrington. 


preach,  all  the  time  in  the  new  church,  or  half  the  time  in  the  new 
and  half  in  the  old,  changing  every  two  weeks,  which  offer  the  old 
society  voted  to  accept,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  not  carried  into  effect, 
and  Mr.  Haynes  was  invited  to  preach  in  the  new  house  during  the 
winter,  and  he  continued  to  preach  there  until  August,  1787. 
Although  the  business  transactions  in  religious  matters,  during  two 
years,  had  been  conducted  in  an  orderly  and  civil  manner,  yet  they 
were  without  authority  of  the  society  or  church.  A  number  of  per- 
sons made  an  agreement  to  support  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  and 
the  ordinances,  and  to  submit  to  the  decision  of  a  majority  of  their 
number,  and  although  various  names  had  been  applied  to  these  persons, 
they  had  assumed  no  titles  or  formal  organization,  until  the  seventh  day 
of  March,  1787,  they  put  forth  certain  declarations  and  principles 
and  formed  themselves  into  a  regular  body  or  society,  under  the 
name  of  the  Strict  Congregational  society,  as  opposed  to  what  had 
been  known  and  denominated  in  this  town  as  well  as  throughout 
Connecticut,  the  standing  order.  The  peculiar  feature  of  this  society 
was  that  it  proceeded  upon  the  voluntary  principle  in  every  respect, 
and  those  who  joined  it  did  so  by  signing  the  agreement  in  their  own 
1  hand,  and  such,  and  none  others,  were  to  be  taxed  for  the  support  of 
\the  society.  Every  statement  of  these  declarations  is  according  to 
the  usages  and  principles  of  Congregational  societies  of  the  present 
day.     The  following  persons  signed  this  paper  : 


John  Whiting, 
Amos  Wilson, 
Samuel  Norton, 
Samuel  Beach, 
Abner  Loomis, 
Caleb  Lyman, 
Abel  Beach, 
Elisha  Smith, 
Abijah  Wilson, 
John  Morehouse, 
Charles  Grant, 
John  Beach, 
Timothy  Barber, 


Ichabod  Loomis, 
Richard  Leach, 
Noah  Fowler, 
Robert  Grannis, 
Adna  Beach, 
Caleb  Munson, 
Elijah  Barber, 
Epaphras  Loomis, 
Benoni   Loomis, 
Abraham  Loomis, 
Wait  Beach, 
Seth  Holmes, 
Bushniell  Benedict, 


Ebenezer  Coe, 
Epaphras  Loomis,  Jr., 
Abel  Beach,  Jr., 
Benoni  Hills, 
Hannah  Loomis, 
Jonathan  Coe, 
Eli  Barber, 
Noah  Wilson, 
Noah  Wilson,  Jr., 
Joseph  Taylor, 
Samuel  Morehouse, 
Increase  Grant, 
Nathaniel  Leach. 


On  the  twenty-second  of  June,  1787,  fifteen  persons  who  had 
been  accustomed  to  meet  at  the  new  church,  having  obtained  a  state- 
ment of  articles  of  faith  and  declarations,  covenanted  together  and 
formed  themselves  into  a  Congregational  church.  The  articles  were 
in  the  form  of  that  day,  the  declarations  could  scarcely  be  objected 


ToRRINGTON    ChURCH.  2S 

to  by  any  Congregational  church  of  the  present  day.      The  persons 
so  uniting  were  : 

Benoni  Hills,  Jo^'"  Whiting,  Hannah  Loomis, 

Abel  Beach,  Amos  Wilson,  Keziah   Beach, 

Ebenezer  Coe,  Wait  Beach,  Mary  Hills, 

Increase  Grant,  Timothy  Barber,  Martha  Beach, 

Samuel  Norton,  Mary  Loomis,  Mindwell   Grant. 

From  a  paper  drawn,  to  be  presented  at  the  meeting  of  the  council 
in  November,  1786,  and  the  several  proceedings  stated  above,  it  is 
evident  that  those  who  formed  the  new  society  and  church  were 
the  reliable  and  faithful  members  and  supporters  of  the  old  society 
and  church.  These  persons,  headed  by  Dea.  John  Whiting,  Amos 
Wilson,  Ebenezer  Coe,  and  Benoni  Hills,  had  entertained  the  idea, 
during  Mr.  Merwin's  preaching,  and  perhaps  for  many  years  previous, 
that  the  halfway  covenant  was  not  a  gospel  method  of  building  up 
the  church.  While  Mr.  Merwin  was  here  they  sustained  him  ;  when 
he  went  away  they  continued  to  keep  up  the  meetings  regularly  at 
the  old  meeting  house.  The  disaffected  drew  away  and  went  to 
Goshen  to  worship.  Several  society  meetings  were  called  in  regular 
order;  and  the  disaffected  came  in  and  voted  against  nearly  alll  pro- 
positions of  those  who  remained  at  the  old  church.'  When  it  became 
evident  that  through  the  regular  society  meetings  nothing  could  be 
carried  forward  to  sustain  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  these  men, 
true  to  their  covenant  agreement,  prepared  the  paper,  afterwards 
signed  by  forty-six  names,  and  hired  Mr.  Haynes,  around  whom 
some  of  the  disaffected  gathered,  with  the  others,  and  gave  him  a  com- 
fortable support.  Mr.  Haynes  had  not  preached  long,  before,  instead 
of  persons  going  to  Goshen  to  hear  preaching,  the  Goshen  people 
began  to  come  to  hear  Mr.  Haynes,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  some  feel- 
ing on  the  part  of  the  faithful  in  Goshen  that  their  people  would  go 
away  from  home,  and  especially  to  hear  that  colored  man  preach. 
Although  such  were  the  facts,  yet  the  party  which  claimed  to  be  the 
old  church,  because  they  held  to  Mr.  Roberts's  view  of  the  halfway 
covenant,  resisted  the  efforts  to  sustain  Mr.  Haynes,  and  would  not 
acquiesce  with  any  proposition  of  union  at  the  new  church.  The 
Separates,  therefore  were  those  who  continued  to  sustain  the  meetings 


'At  one  society  meeting,  regularly  called,  the  disaffected  came  a  little  before  the  usual 
time  for  commencing  the  meeting;  organized,  and  voted  down  the  objects  for  which  the 
meeting  was  called,  adjourned  the  meeting  and  started  home,  when  they  met  the  other  party 
on  their  way  to  ihe  meeting. 


36  History  of  Torrington. 

at  the  old  church  ;  hired  Mr.  Haynes,  and  afterward  built  the  new 
meeting  house,  but  believed  that  none  should  be  admitted  to  the 
sacraments  except  those  who  professed  to  have  become  true  Christians. 

The  change  of  the  site  of  the  church  was  important,  since  the 
northern  portion  of  the  town  had  become  quite  thickly  settled,  and 
the  business  transactions  were  centering  more  and  more  at  Dr.  Hodges' 
store  and  Capt.  Abel  Beach's  tavern  ;  and  the  Noppet  people  were 
having  Baptist  preaching  in  their  part  of  the  town. 

It  is  probable  that  services  were  held  at  the  old  church  frequently, 
if  not  regularly,  from  the  time  the  new  church  was  opened  until  the 
spring  of  1 79 1,  although  no  records  to  this  effect  have  been  seen. 
Dea.  John  Whiting's  account  book  shows  that  various  ministers 
preached  in  the  new  church  between  1787,  and  1791  ;  among  them 
Mr.  Knapp,  Mr.  Parmlee  and  Mr.  Brinsmade;  the  last  received 
his  pay  at  one  time  in  fifty  pounds  of  iron,  valued  at  nine  shillings. 

In  the  spring  of  1791  three  ministers,  Daniel  Brinsmade,  Ammi 
R.  Robbins,  and  Samuel  J.  Mills  were  called  to  advise  with  both 
parties,  and  if  possible  effect  asettlementof  the  whole  matter,  and  after 
hearing  both  sides,  they  delivered  a  very  dignified  reprimand  to  both 
parties,  but  it  is  very  evident  that  the  larger  portion  of  the  censure 
fell  on  those  who  remained  at  the  old  church.  The  effort  was 
successful,  and  the  articles  of  faith  and  the  covenant  presented,  appear 
to  have  been  accepted,  and  from  this  time  it  is  probable  that  meet- 
ings ceased  to  be  held  at  the  old  meeting  house. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  of  i  792,  the  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett 
was  invited  to  preach  a  few  Sabbaths,  and  on  the  eighth  of  March  the 
church  voted  to  invite  him  to  become  their  pastor,  and  on  the  twenty- 
second  of  the  same  month  the  society  passed  a  vote  to  the  same 
effect.  This  invitation  Mr.  Gillett  accepted  and  was  installed  May 
23,  1792;  Benjamin  Trumbull,  D.D.,  and  Jonathan  Edwards, 
Jr.,  D.D.^  and  other  ministers  taking  part  in  the  services. 

The  success  of  Mr.  Gillett,  in  drawing  all  the  people  around  him 
in  one  cooperative  brotherhood,  was  complete.  The  announcement 
of  his  acceptance  of  the  pastorship  was  heralded  through  the  parish 
with  great  expressions  of  joy  and  congratulation;  so  much  so  that 
some  persons,  after  the  Sabbath  services  when  the  acceptance  was 
announced,  rode  in  various  directions,  without  stopping  for  meals, 
to  carry  the  tidings  to  those  who  were  not  at  church  that  day. 

From  that  time,  all  strife  appears  to  have  been  fully  forgotten,  and 
buried  without  hope  of  resurrection.  The  church  prospered.  Gradu- 
ally they  gathered  the  scattered  influences  and  powers,  and  tried  to 


TORRINGTON    ChURCH.  37 

build  the  walls  which  had  been  to  a  great  extent  broken  down.  But 
t[i£jL£ould  not  gather  all  as  they  once  were,  for  the  Methodist  people 
had  made  inroads  on  the  south  near  Wolcottville,  and  the  Baptists 
had  started  quite  a  church  at  Newfield,  and  the  lost  ground  could 
not  be  recovered.  Mr.  Gillett  seeing  what  was  taking  place  at  the 
northeast,  poured  hot  shot  from  the  pulpit,  as  was  the  custom  then, 
which  only  made  more  Baptists  ;  wherefore,  he  deserted  that  line  of 
defence,  leaving  the  gunboats  to  the  Baptists  safely  moored  in  the 
east  branch  of  the  Naugatuck  at  Newfield,  and  preached  the  gospel 
of  salvation  the  more  earnestly  at  Torrington  green.  The  work 
went  forward  cheeringly.  The  meeting  house  was  finished  inside  at 
considerable  expense,  and  the  steeple  erected  according  to  the  best 
Presbyterian  style,  and  a  bell  placed  in  it, 

In  1799,  came  "  the  great  awakening  ;  "  the  first  that  Torrington  ' 
had  ever  known  in  its  first  church.      The  seventeenth  of  November, 
1799,  was  a  great  day,  when  thirty-three  persons,  mostly  heads  of 
families,  united  with  the  church  ;   nine  others  having  done  the  same 
in  September,  previous,  and  seven  more  followed  in  the  next  January. 

In  the  winter  of  1816  there  was  another  large  addition  to  the 
church.  In  the  summer  of  1816,  that  remarkable  minister,  Asahel 
Nettleton,  D.D.,  assisted  Mr.  Gillett  in  preaching  and  holding 
meetings  for  three  months  or  more,  and  the  result  was  the  greatest 
religious  awakening  ever  known  in  that  church.  His  first  text 
remembered  still,  by  a  boy  then  sixteen  years  of  age,  was  :  "  Where- 
fore the  law  is  holy,  and  the  commandment  holy,  and  just,  and  good.'" 


'  The  Rev.  John  A.  McKinstry,  in  a  letter  dated  June  12,  1844,  says  of  that  revival  : 
"  It  extended  through  the  parish,  and  was  quite  powerful.  Even  at  this  period,  when  first 
impressions  have  gone,  that  revival  is  called,  '  the  revival  in  Torrington,'  there  having  been 
none  since  of  equal  extent  and  power.  The  subjects  of  that  work,  with  few  exceptions, 
have  adorned  their  profession,  and  some  of  them  have  been,  and  still  are,  pillars  in  the 
church.  The  influence  of  this  revival  upon  the  church,  and  upon  the  community,  was  in 
a  high  degree  salutary.  The  work  was  solemn,  and  the  truths  presented,  plain  and  search- 
ing. The  true  character  and  condition  of  the  sinner  was  clearly  set  before  him,  and  he  was 
shown  that  his  only  hope  was  in  the  sovereign- mercy  of  God  through  a  crucified  Savior. 
The  measures  adopted  were  such  as  were  common  in  this  region  at  that  time  ;  such  as  the 
ministry  of  the  word  on  the  Sabbath,  frequent  visitation,  personal  conversation  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  and  prayer  meetings  during  the  week.  In  personal  conversation,  Mr.  Nettle- 
ton  abounded,  and  many  attributed  their  religious  impressions  to  the  truth  presented  at  such 
times.  At  the  communion  in  November,  1816,  the  first  fruits  were  gathered  into  the 
church,  and  in  the  January  following,  several  more  were  added.  The  number  that  joined 
at  these  seasons  was  about  fifty.  Others  were  added  at  subsequent  seasons,  but  the  precise 
number  cannot  be  stated.  It  is  reported,  however,  that  the  number  of  conversions  was 
about  seventy."      (See  memoir  of  Nettleton,  page  80.) 


38  History  of  Torrington. 

Again  in  1821,  did  the  Rev.  Father  Gillett  see  the  prosperity  of 
Zion  in  the  addition  of  twenty  at  one  time  to  his  church.  The 
thirty-three  years  of  his  labors  with  this  people  were  years  of  much 
work  and  a  proportionate  amount  of  success,  and  must  have  given 
him  great  satisfaction  during  the  closing  years  of  life.  He  closed  his 
labors  and  entered  his  rest  January  19,  1 826,  aged  seventy-seven  years. 

Rev.  William  R.  Gould  was  pastor  of  this  church  five  years,  his 
labors  being  divided  one  or  more  years  with  the  church  in  Wolcott- 
ville.  He  was  a  good  and  true  minister,  but  the  years  had  come  when 
the  people  were  going  from  the  old  homes  in  Torrington  to  all  parts 
of  the  country,  and  the  church  and  congregation  were  destined  to 
grow  less  instead  of  increasing. 

The  Rev.  Milton  Huxley  was  stated  supply,  or  preached  without 
being  installed,  for  the  term  of  nine  years,  after  Mr.  Gould.  He  is 
well  spoken  of,  and  the  church  and  society  kept  on  its  even  way 
of  growing  less  in  numbers  by  removals  from  the  parish. 

The  next  minister  was  the  Rev.  John  Alexander  McKinstry,  who 
was  ordained  pastor  October  5,  1842,  and  continued  his  labors  until 
1857.  He  was  a  faithful  minister;  a  man  of  considerable  energy 
and  activity  ;  a  steady  worker  in  the  Sunday  school  ;  diligent  and 
careful  in  looking  after  the  interests  of  the  church,  and  in  visiting 
public  schools.  While  here  he  commenced  collecting  material  for 
the  history  of  the  town,  but  the  author  of  this  book  has  not  been  able 
to  obtain  any  aid  from  the  collections  then  made  except  from  the 
manual  of  the  Torrington  church,  which  has  been  a  convenience  of 
much  value.  It  was  during  JVIr.  McKinstry's  pastorate  that  the  old 
meeting  house  was  taken  down  and  another  built  in  its  place.  Mr. 
McKinstry  closed  his  labors  here  in  the  autumn  of  1857,  ^"^  ^^^ 
settled  the  next  Sabbath  after  in  Harwinton,  After  this  the  Rev. 
Charles  B.  Dye  preached  as  a  supply,  one  year  ;  and  following  him 
the  Rev.  Sylvanus  C.  Marvin  was  obtained,  and  continued  four 
years.  He  is  spoken  of  in  high  terms  of  appreciation  and  remem- 
brance. He  left  in  the  spring  of  i865,  and  settled  in  Woodbridge 
near  New  Haven,  where  he  still  remains. 

Rev.  Jacob  H.  Strong  was  the  next  minister  employed.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  here  Nov.  12,  1865  ;  was  not  installed, 
but  continued  to  preach  four  years.  He  was  an  acceptable  minister, 
and  his  labors  were  successful  in  all  respects.  It  was  while  he  was 
laboring  here  in  the  week  of  the  Fourth  of  July,  1869,  that  the  Rev. 
John  D.  Potter  held  a  series  of  meetings  with  this  church.     Of  this 


ToRRINGTON    ChURCH. 


39 


meeting  Mr.  Strong  says  :  "  Considerable  religious  interest  succeeded 
and  there  were  twenty  or  more  hopeful  conversions  ;  twelve  united 
with  the  church." 

Some  considerable  money  had  been  established  as  a  fund  for  the 
society,  as  early  as  1815,  when  the  ministry  lot  was  sold  for  two 
thousand,  two  hundred  dollars,  A  large  proportion  of  this  money 
had  been  used  by  the  society  in  various  extremities,  and  Mr.  Strong 
engaged  in  the  arduous  task  of  soliciting  money  to  replace  what  had 
been  used  and  thus  keep  the  fund  at  its  original  amount.  By  great 
perseverance,  and  the  earnest  efforts  of  others,  he  succeeded,  and 
thereby  did  a  good  work  for  the  church  and  society.  It  was  during 
his  labors  also  that  the  incipient  steps  were  taken  which  resulted  in 
the  removal  of  the  meeting  house  from  the  green  to  Torrington  hol- 
low. In  the  beginning  of  winter  in  1869,  Mr.  Strong  removed  to 
California,  for  the  health  of  his  family,  and  the  church  was  supplied 
by  the  Sabbath,  for  a  year  or  more.  In  the  autumn  of  1872,  Rev. 
Michael  J.  Callan  was  engaged  to  preach  and  continued  about  a  year 
and  a  half,  and  considerable  religious  interest  was  manifested  under  his 
labors  in  the  spring  of  1874,  and  several  united  with  the  church. 

The  author  of  this  book  preached  for  this  church  over  a  year, 
commencing  in  the  summer  of  1874,  and  during  that  time  he  began 
collecting  material  for  this  work. 

Under  the  labors  of  the  Rev.  Charles  P.  Croft,  this  church  expe- 
rienced in  the  winter  of  1876  and  7,  a  very  general  awakening  to 
religious  interests.  Not  only  were  there  sixty  or  more  conversions 
but  the  spirit  of  remoulding  after  the  gospel,  pervaded  the  whole 
community,  and  the  result  was  greatly  in  favor  of  the  perpetuity  of 
the  life  of  the  old  church. 

Officers  of  the  Church. 

Ministers. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Roberts,  ordained  Oct.,  1741;  died  March  4,  1776. 
Rev.  Noah  Merwin,  ordained  Oct.  25,  17765   dis.  Nov.  26,  1783. 
Rev.  Alexander  Gillett,  ins.  May  23,  1792;   died  Jan.  19,  1826,  aged  77. 
Rev.  William  Ripley  Gould,  ins.  Feb.  28,  1827;   dis.  Feb.  12,  1832. 
Rev.  Milton  Huxley,  supply  1833  to  1842. 
\   Rev.  John  A.  McKinstry,  ord.  Oct.  5,  18425   dis.  1857. 
Rev.  Charles  B.  Dye,  supply  one  year. 
Rev.  Sylvanus  Marvin,  supply  four  years. 
Rev.  Jacob  H.  Strong,       "       Nov.  12,  1865  to  1869. 
Rev.  Michael  J.  Callan,   "       one  year  and  a  half. 
Rev.  Samuel  Orcutt,        "       one  year  and  a  half. 
Rev.  Charles  P.  Croft,     "       autumn  of  1876  to 


40 


History  of  Torrington. 


Ministers  Raised. 
Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett,  Rev.  Luther  Hart, 

Rev.  James  Beach,  Rev.  Abel  K.  Hinsdale, 

Rev.  Miles  Grant. 


Ebenezer  Lyman, 
John  Cook, 
John  Whiting, 
Wait  Beach, 
Abel  Hinsdale, 
DocT.  Elijah  Lyman, 
Guy  Wolcott, 
Marvin  Barber, 
Giles  Ward, 
Rodney  Pierce, 
Lorrain  Hinsdale, 
Frederick  P.  Hills, 
Lyman  R.  Pond, 


Deacons. 

chosen  1742,  died  1762; 

aged  80. 

1755.     "    1779. 

"     61. 

1764,     "    1820, 

"     92. 

1794,      «    1810, 

"     64. 

1802,     "    1851, 

«     86. 

1813,      "    1819. 

1 8  21,  dismissed. 

1822,  died  1840, 

aged  44. 

1838,     "    1845, 

«'      76. 

1846. 

1850,  removed. 

1869. 

•1877. 

Members  of  the  Church. 
Organized  Oct.  21,  1 741. 


Ebenezer  Lyman,  and  his  wife  Experience, 
Ebenezer  Lyman  Jr.,  and  his  wife  Sarah, 
Ebenezer  North,  and  his  wife  Sybil, 
Jonathan  Coe,  and  his  wife  Elizabeth, 
Jacob  Strong,  and  his  wife  iVIindwell, 

Margaret  Thrall  (Joel), 
Ebenezer  Coe,  and  his  wife  Jane, 
Samuel  Damon,  and  his  wife. 


Abel  Beach,  and  his  wife  Margaret, 
Nathaniel  Barber,  and  his  wife  Hepziba, 
John  Cook,  and  his  wife  Rachel, 
Asahel  Strong.      [Seventeen  in  number]. 


1742. 


Thomas  Stoughton  Jr., 

Margaret  Roberts  (Rev.  N.), 
Joseph  Beach,  and  his  wife, 
Sarah  Grant  (Wm.), 
Nathan  Beach, 
Elizabeth  Thrall  (Daniel), 

Hannah  Loomis  (Aaron). 

Beriah  Hills*'  and  his  wife  Mary.* 


Samuel  Damon  Jr.,  and  his  wife, 
John    Damon,   and   his   wife, 
Anne  Wilson  (Noah). 

1743- 

Hannah  Lyman. 

1744- 

Aaron  Loomis,  and  his  wife  Deborah, 
Aaron  Loomis  Jr., 
Mindwell  Loomis, 
Esther  Loomis. 

1746. 

1747- 


1  All  names  marked  with  a  star,  "  owned  their  covenant  and  were  taken  under  the  watch  and  care  of  the 
church,"  under  the  halfway  covenant,  and  could  have  their  children  baptized,  though  they  were  not 
"  members  in  full  cemmunion." 


omon  Loomis, 
iah  Apley, 
ekicl  Apley  jr. 
s.  Keziah  Thr 
s.  Whitney, 
.  Heacox, 
:hard  Spcrry, 
nice  Apley, 
ne  Loomis. 

ith. 

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TORRINGTON     ChURCH. 


41 


Israel  Avered,  and  his  wife  Abigail, 
Joseph  Fowler, 
Amos  Wilson, 

Joshua  Phelps,* 
Abigail  Coe  (Thomas), 


1749. 

John  Whiting. 
1751. 

John  Birge.* 
1752. 

Joseph  Drake.* 

1753- 

Hannah  Mott  (Jonathan). 

1754- 


Samuel  Cole  [Cowles]  and  his  wife  Martha,  William  Filley  and  his  wife  Abiah, 

Timothy  Judd  and  his  wife,  Joel  Loomis, 

David  Birge,  Isabel  Loomis  (Abraham), 

Mary  Curtiss,  Jerusha  Loomis, 

Zebulon  Curtiss    and  his   mother   Mary,  and  Isabel  Loomis  (daughters  of  Abraham), 


his  wife  Lydia, 
Ichabod  Loomis  and  his  wife  Dorothy, 

Elizabeth  Marshall  (Thomas). 

Moses  Loomis  and  his  wife  Sarah,* 
Epaphras  Loomis*  and  his  wife,* 
Samuel  Cowles, 


Benjamin  Ives,*  and  his  wife  R.* 


1755- 


1756. 


Sarah  Whiting  (John), 
Phebe  a  slave  of  Joel  Thrall. 


1757- 


Benjamin  Whiting*  and  his  wife  Esther,*  Abner  Loomis*  and  his  wife  Sarah,* 

Elizabeth  Loomis  (Joel),  Abner  Loomis  Jun.*  and  his  wife,* 

Noah  North  and  his  wife,  William  Coe*  and  his  wife.* 

1758. 
Charles  Mather*  and  his  wife  Ruth,*  Ephraim  Loomis,* 

John  Wetmore*  and  his  wife   Elizabeth,*  Henry  Akins*  and  his  wife.* 

1759- 
Asahel  North*  and  his  wife  Ruth,*  Mary  Coe   (Thomas). 


Aaron  Alverd  and  his  wife, 
Noah  Brown*  and  his  wife,* 

Mary  Cowles, 

Amasa  Marshall*  and  his  wife,* 

Martin  North*  and  his  wife*, 

Abraham  Filley,*  and  his  wife,* 
Joseph  Haskins,*  and  his  wife,* 
Ephraim  Durwin,  and  his  wife, 
Edward  Eggleston,*  and  his  wife,* 
Jabez  Gillett,*  and  his  wife,* 

6 


July  6,  1760. 

Adam  Mott*  and  his  wife.* 

1761. 

Ebenezer  Miller*  and  his  wife,* 
Wife  of  David  Brown. 

1762. 

David  Austin,*  and  his  wife,* 
Asahel  Wilcox,*  and  his  wife,* 
Samuel  Everet,*  and  his  wife,* 
Thomas  Curtiss,*  and  his  wife.* 


42 


History  of  Torrington 


Henry  Akins,  renewed  cov.  and  reed,  in 
Joseph  Thrall,*  and  his  wife,* 
The  wife  of  Oliver  Coe,* 

Wife  of  Matthew  Grant, 
Eunice  Sheldon, 
Epaphras  Sheldon, 
Wife  of  James  Bacon, 

Ensign  Ephraim  Bancroft, 
Joel  Wetmore,*  and  his  wife,* 
Experience  Beach  (dau.  of  Joseph), 
Robert  Coe,*  and  his  wife,* 

Aaron  Thrall,*  and  his  wife.* 

Elijah  Barber,*  and  his  wife,* 
J.  Brown, 

Jonathan  Coe  Jr.,*  and  his  wife,* 
Wife*  of  Joseph  Blake, 
Abijah  Wilson,*  and  his  wife,* 
Timothy  Judd  Jr.,  and  his  wife, 

Elizabeth  Allen  (Joseph), 
Sarah  Whiting,*  the  younger, 
Lene  Mott, 

John  Cook  Jr.,* 

Caleb  Lyman,*  and  his  wife,* 

Job  Curtiss*  and  his  wife,* 

Ebenezer  North  Junr.*  and  his  wife,* 

Elizabeth  Agard, 

Margaret    Roberts     dau.    of    Rev., 

Abigail  Allyn, 

Ann  Wilson  (dau.  of  Noah), 


Joseph  Taynter*  and  his  wife,* 

Bushniel  Benedict, 

Chloe  Barber, 

"  Ariel,"  Brace,*  and  his  wife,* 

Wife*  of  Oliver  Cotten, 
John  Beach*  and  his  wife,* 


1763. 
full,       Ebenezer  Smith,*  and  his  wife, 
Elizabeth  Allen. 

1764. 

Noah  Wilson,  Jr.,*  and  his  wife,* 
Eli  Loomis,*  and  his  wife,* 
Benjamin  Beach,*  and  his  wife.* 

1765. 

Wife*  of  Thomas  Marshall  Jr., 
Wife*  of  William  Grant  Jr., 
Reuben  Thrall,*  and  his  wife. 

1766. 

1767. 
Samuel  Deming.* 

1768. 

Aaron  Cook,*  and  his  wife  Lydia. 
Wife  *  of  Timothy  Osband, 
Samuel  Beach,*  and  his  wife,* 
Abram  Filley. 

1769. 

Samuel  Preston,* 
George  Miller. 

1770. 

Jerusha  Sheldon  (Remembrance) , 

Ebenezer  Preston, 

Wife*  of  John  Curtiss, 

Vest  Not, 

Benjamin  Eggleston  and  his  wife,* 

1771. 

John  Young*  and  his  wife,* 

1772. 

Levi  Thrall*  and  his  wife.* 

^773- 

Friend  Thrall.* 

1774. 

Wife*  of  Shubal  Cook. 
1775- 

Noah  Fowler*  and  his  wife.* 


TORRINGTON     ChURCH. 


43 


The  Rev.  Noah  Merwin,  who  was  pastor  from  1776  to  1783,  left 
no  regular  records  of  the  church,  but  is  said  to  have  carried  the 
records  with  him  and  did  not  return  them  though  requested  so  to  do 
by  the  church. 

A  slip  of  paper  among  the  church  records  contains  the  following 
names  as  having  been  admitted  to  membership,  the  date  standing 
opposite  the  last  name. 


Feb.  27,  1777. 

Deacon  Wait  Beach  and  Huldah  his  wife,  Ashbel  North  and  his  wife  Ruth, 

Two  misses  Hurlbut, 

Abner  Loomis, 

Benjamin  Whiting  and  Esther  his  wife, 

Ebenezer  Lyman  and  Anna  his  wife. 


Sarah  Whiting, 

Axa  North, 

Lois  Wetmore  (Samuel), 

Hepzibah  Loomis. 


Lucy  Smith  (Elisha), 
Hannah  Thrall  (Noah), 

Philomela  Marshall  (Raphael). 

May  5. 

Nathan  Gillett, 
Mrs.  Nathan  Gillett, 
Sybil  Lyman, 
James  Beach  [Rev.]. 

Sept.  I. 
Timothy  P.  Gillett  [Rev.], 
Nathan   Gillett  Jr., 
Luther  Hart  [Rev.], 
Ruth  Gillett, 
Eleanor  Lyman, 
Roxalana  Hodges, 
Abigail  Wolcott, 
Salome  Gillett. 

No-v.  17. 
Eli  Richards, 
Sarah  Richards, 
Zacheus  Gillett,   ' 
Guy  Wolcott  [Deacon], 
Abel  Hinsdale  [Deacon], 
Mary  Hinsdale  (Abel), 

Jan.  19. 

Joseph  Allyn,  Jr., 

David  Leach,' 

Esther  Johnson  (Jacob), 

Hannah  Wilson  (Noah), 

Abigail  Stoddard  (Ebenezer), 


No-v.  4,  1792. 

Adah  Gillett  (Rev.  Alexander). 

March  4,  1793. 


1799. 

Rosel   Wilson, 

Ruth  Wilson  (Rosel), 

Benjamin  Phelps, 

Lydia  Phelps  (Benjamin), 

Mary  Holbrook  (Abijah), 

Mary  Thrall  (Levi), 

Rebecca  Hodges,  (widow  of  Doct.), 

Lucy  Loomis,  (Moses  jr.), 

Asenath  Hinsdale  (Elisha), 

Mercy  Beach  (John), 

Jemima  Loomis  (Benoni), 

Henry  Rcw, 

Ebenezer  Lyman  Jr., 

George  Fowler, 

Henry  Hart, 

Sabra  Loomis, 

Clarissa  Loomis, 

Hannah  Allyn, 

Rhoda  Lyman, 

Sally  Wetmore. 

1800. 

Miriam  Wetmore  (Pomeroy), 
Mehitable  Palmer  (Harvey). 
No-v.  2. 
Owen  Brown, 
Ruth  Brown  (Owen). 


44 


History  of  Torrington. 


May  9, 
Lydia  Richards  (Eli), 

Jan.  19. 
Rebecca  Smith  (Joseph), 

>{y  3- 

Levi  Beach. 


Doct.  Elijah  Lyman  (Dea.), 
Lorinda  Lyman  (Doct.  E.), 

May  I. 
Benoni  Gillet, 
Phebe  Gillet  (Benoni), 

May  8. 
Lyman  Wetmore, 
Betsey  Wetmore  (Lyman), 
Giles  Ward, 
Eunice  Ward  (Giles), 
Huldah  Cook  (Elihu), 
Sabra  Wilson  (Amos  Jr.), 
Amarilla  Eggleston  (Curtis), 
Anna  Foot  (Jairus), 
Elizabeth  Allyn  jr., 
Chloe  Loomis, 

No-v.  4. 
James  Otis  Pond. 


Erastus  Hurlbut. 

Nancy  Kimberly,  widow, 

Joseph  Allyn, 

Abel  Roberts, 

Giles  Whiting, 

Norman  Fowler, 

Statira  Fowler  (Norman), 

Amos  Wilson, 

Elzah  Cowles, 

Chester  Bancroft, 

Rachel  Bancroft  (Chester), 

Patience  Baldwin,  widow, 

Hannah  Loomis,  widow, 

Jerusha  Bancroft  (Noah), 

Jedidah  White  (Thomas), 

Sibyl  Coe  (Abijah), 

Sarah  Leach  (Ormel), 

Laura  Leach  (Myron), 

Chloe  Mott  (Ira), 


1802. 

Eunice  Hurlbut  (Thomas). 

1803. 
Betsey  Beach  (Levi). 


1807. 

Sally  Roberts  (Abel), 
Philomela  Bostwick  (Wm.), 
Chloe  Cowles  (Elijah), 
Mrs.  Sylvanus  Holbrook. 

1808. 

Elizabeth  Richards, 
Laura  Loomis, 
Sarah  Dutton, 
Dotha  Johnson, 
Maria  Marshall. 

Sept. 
Sarah  Wetmore  (Joel), 
William  Marsh, 
Rocksey  Bissell. 

1811. 

July  2. 
Linus  Sage  Cook, 
Hannah  Cook  (L.  S.). 

1815. 

No-v.  3,  18 1 6. 

Alpha  Hodges, 
Sibyl  Catlin  Fowler, 
Harriet  Childs, 
Harriet  Whiting, 
Anna  Wolcott, 
Rozalena  North, 
Phila  Marshall, 
Ursula  Fowler, 
Eunice  Marsh, 
Lucinda  Phelps, 
Huldah  Loomis, 
Almira  Wolcott, 
Flora  Coe, 
Pamelia  North, 
Aurelia   Palmer, 
Hannah  Lyman, 
Alzada  Barber. 


Russel  C.  Abernethy, 
Orrel  Abernethy  (R.  C), 
George  Lyman, 
Orphelia  Lyman  (^Geo.), 
Anna  Potter  (^Nathan), 
Israel  Coe, 
Henry  Elkanah  Hodges, 


Jan.  4. 


Rebecca  Whiting. 


May  3. 


Mahitable  Jewit, 


TORRINGTON    ChuRCH. 

Jan.  5,  1 8 17. 

William  H.  Whiting, 
Samuel  Thrall, 
Marvin  Barber, 
Nancy  Wetmore, 
Almeda  Beach, 
Mindwell  Kellogg, 
Henry  Wattles. 

1818. 

Erastus  Hurlbut, 
Clarissa  Hurlbut  (Erastus), 
Betsey  Hurlbut, 
Anna  Hurlbut. 


45 


July  I. 
Seth  Smith, 
Ebenezer  Hills, 
Laurin  Thrall, 
Dennis  Hart, 
Norman  Coe, 
Gilmor  Hinsdale, 
Chauncey  P.  Allyn, 
Abraham  Foot, 
Addison  Philow, 
Eliza  Wilson  (Amos), 


Mary   Willey, 


Rhoda  Fowler  (Noah). 


IS2I. 

Harriet  Gates, 
Eliza  Lyman, 
Anna  E.  White, 
Nancy  E.  Coe, 
Hannah  Goodwin, 
Hannah  Beach, 
Desire  Fowler, 
Lois  Wilson, 
Mariah  Wetmore, 
Lucretia  Palmer, 
Electa  Loomis. 

1822. 

Eleanor  Wolcott. 


Sept.  I,  1826. 


1827.  , 


Aug.  5. 
Lorrain  Wetmore, 

Dea.  Lorrain  Hinsdale, 
Fanny  Loomis, 
Daniel  Richards, 
Experience  Richards  (Daniel), 
Mary  A.  Whiting  (Fred  P.), 

Eliza  Cowles  (Albro), 
Lucy  Eggleston, 

Fanny  C.  Wetmore  (Lorrain). 


Amanda  Wetmore, 
Amanda  Loomis. 

1828. 

Abel  K.    Hinsdale  (Rev.),  missionary  of  A  . 

B.  C.  F.  M.  at  Mosul, 
Mrs.  Esther  Weeks, 
Eunice  Gould. 

1829. 

Susan  Rowley  (Artemas). 


1830. 


46 


History  of  Torringto 


N. 


Rachel  Whiting, 
Huldah  Cook, 
Uri  Whiting, 
Emma  R.   Palmer, 

Sally  Wheeler, 
Henry  Judd, 
Alexander  Gillett, 
Julia  Spencer, 
Mehetable  Palmer, 
Fanny  Hector, 

Lucy  Loomis. 

Jerusha  Loomis   (Horace), 
Harriet  H.  Huxley  (Rev.  M.), 

Roxy  Hodges. 
Sibyl  Coe, 

Caroline  Smith  (Isaiah). 
Mary  Prince  (Jairus). 
Louisa  North  (Phineas). 

Charles  Hotchkiss, 
Electa  Hotchkiss, 
Phebe  S.  Allen, 
Rosanna  Parmelee, 
Elisha  S.  Booth, 
Elvira  Booth, 

Mary  E.  McKinstry  (Rev.) 

Willard  Hodges, 
Frederick  P.  Hills  (Dea.), 

Rebecca  A.  Whiting, 

Burton  T.   Cowles, 
Norman  B.  Buel, 
Russel  L.  Pond, 
Milo  Barber, 


1831. 

Louisa  Wetmore, 
Mary  Abernethy, 
Orphelia  Leach. 

1832. 

Myron  Spaulding, 
Almira  Palmer, 
Harriet  Sage, 
Caroline  Sage, 
Nancy  Coe. 

1833- 

1835- 

Melinda  Whiting. 

1836. 

1837. 

Harriet  Whiting. 
1838. 

1840. 
1842. 

1843. 

Harriet  Sage  (Linus), 
Clarissa  Whiting  (Geo.  L.), 
Rodney  Pierce  (Dea.), 
Jane  Pierce, 
Eliza  Barber. 

1844. 

1845- 

Lucy  E.  Hills. 

1847- 

Aurora  J.  Hinsdale. 

1849. 

Angeline  E.  Cowles, 
Helen  P.  North, 
Emma  J.  Whiting. 


ToRRINGTON    ChURCH. 


47 


Alonzo  Whiting, 
Frank  L.  G.  Whiting, 
Loomis  B.  Beach, 
Warren  Goodwin, 
Elvira  Goodwin, 
Miles  Hart, 

Asa  Button, 
Beula  Dutton, 
Levi  W.  Thrall, 
Amelia  Thrall, 

Delia  C.  Hodges, 


1850.     . 

Laura  Hart  (Miles), 
Betsey  Hart  (Alpha), 
Wealthy  E.  Hart  (Victory), 
Lucy  Pond, 
Susan  Beach. 


1851. 


Victory  C.  Hart, 
Arthur  M.  Kimberly, 
Laura  M.  Hodges. 


1852. 


Elizabeth  Cowles  (B.  T.). 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TORRINGFORD  CHURCH. 

The  Society. 

^:3^^s=^>j)  REACHING  services  were  held  by  Rev.  Nathaniel 
nh  Roberts,  on  the  east  side  of  the  town,  six  Sabbaths,  in 
1754,  and  also  in  1755,  and  the  next  year  the  preaching 
was  measured  by  the  amount  they  paid  to  the  society. 
The  town  vote,  however,  gave  them  the  privilege  of  having  preach- 
ing four  months  that  year,  and  released  them  from  paying  for  the 
support  of  Mr.  Roberts.  The  meetings  at  this  time  were  held  in  the 
house  of  Nehemiah  Gaylord  and  Shubael  Griswold. 

In  1757,  a  petition  was  sent  to  the  assembly,  signed  by  nineteen 
persons,  asking  the  Uberty  to  have  preaching  such  part  of  the  year  as 
they  were  able,  and  to  be  released  from  supporting  Mr.  Roberts. 
The  number  of  families  in  that  part  of  the  town  at  that  time  is  stated 
to  have  been  about  twenty.      The  following  were  the  petitioners  : 

Abraham  Dibble,  Nehemiah  Gaylord,  Benjamin   Bissell, 

Jonathan  Kelsey,  David  Birge,  John  Birge, 

Jonathan  Gillett,  Ebenezer  Winchell,  Samuel  Durwin, 

Joshua  Austin,  Charles  Mather,  Thomas  Dibble, 

Shubael  Griswold,  Aaron  Yale,  Ephraim  Dibble. 

Benjamin  Matthews,  John  Burr, 

Nathan  Kelsey,  Jane   Loomis, 

At  a  meeting  held  in  October  27,  1757,  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  hire  a  minister,  and  a  vote  was  passed  to  raise  ten  pounds  for  de- 
fraying the  expense  in  so  doing. 

In  April,  1759,  the  town  expressed  its  willingness  by  vote  that  four 
tiers  and  a  half  of  lots  in  the  eastern  part  should  be  made  into  a  so- 
ciety, and  in  May  next,  the  people  asked  the  general  assembly  to 
incorporate  a  society  to  include  these  tiers  and  the  western  tier  in 
New  Hartford  ;  and  if  this  could  not  be  granted,  they  asked  that  the 
people  might  be  exempt  from  paying  in  New  Hartford,  and  be  allowed 
to  support  preaching  in  the  eastern  part  of  Torrington.  They  en- 
treated for  the  privileges  of  a  society,  though  they  were  scarcely  able 
to  support  preaching  in  an  honorable  manner,  if  the  privilege  was 
granted  them.  This  request,  however  strange  it  may  seem,  after  a 
hundred  years  and  more  are  passed,  was  denied. 


ToRRINGFORD     ChuRCH.  49 

In  October,  1759,  they  presented  another  petition  with  twenty 
names,  stating  that  there  were  then  in  East  Torrington  twenty-two 
families,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  persons,  many  of  whom  were 
small  children  ;  and  they  asked  that  they  might  be  exempt  from  public 
charges,  that  they  may  maintain  worship  among  themselves  ;  this 
request  was  denied. 

The  next  spring  they  renewed  this  petition,  to  be  exempt  from 
public  taxes  that  they  might  support  the  gospel  among  themselves, 
since  they  could  not  do  both.  This  petition  was  long,  urgent,  and 
eloquent,  in  presenting  the  circumstances  and  facts  in  the  case.  They 
represented  "their  distance  from  places  of  worship;  the  number  of 
children  and  older  people  who  could  not  go  such  distances  regularly  ; 
the  expense  attending  the  education  of  their  children,  clearing  new 
farms,  constructing  highways,  and  the  many  inconveniences  of  a  new 
country,  and  therefore  desired  release  from  public  taxes,"  but  they 
did  not  obtain  their  request. 

In  1 76 1  New  Hartford  gave  its  consent  that  four  miles  of  the 
west  tier  of  lots  might  be  annexed  to  East  Torrington  for  the  support 
of  the  gospel.  After  this  full  consent  of  both  towns,  and  their  earnest 
entreaties  heretofore,  they  were  under  the  necessity  of  petitioning  the 
assembly  at  four  successive  sessions  before  they  obtained  their  request. 
But  it  was  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  them,  and  therefore  they 
were  not  to  be  easily  denied,  and  the  truthfulness  of  the  closing 
paragraph  of  each  petition,  they  most  faithfully  fulfilled  :  "as  in  duty 
'bound  your  petitioners  will  ever  pray." 

The  society  was  incorporated  in  October  1763,  under  the  name 
of  ToRRiNGFORD^ ;  the  territory  included  four  and  a  half  tiers  of  lots 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  town  and  the  western  tier  in  New  Hartford, 
four  miles  in  length.  The  half  of  another  tier  was  afterwards  added, 
and  thus  the  society  continued  for  many  years. 

At  the  first  meeting  after  the  incorporation  they  say  :  "  the  in- 
habitants of  '■  Torringford  '  (using  the  society  name  for  the  first 
time);  being  convened  together;  holden  Dec.  21,  1763."  They 
seem  to  use  that  name  with  satisfaction,  and  well  they  might  for  they 
had  petitioned  long  enough,  to  obtain  it ;  and  then  they  proceed  to 
make  arrangements  for  regular  meetings  and  to  elect  officers  for  the 
year,  who  were  as  follows  : 


'  Made  from  the  names  of  the  two  towns. 


fo  History  of  Torrington. 

Dea.  Jonathan  Kelsev,^  moderator  ;  Nehemiah  Gaylord,  clerk  of 
the  society  ;  Dea.  Jonathan  Kelsey,  Samuel  Austin  and  John  Birge, 
society  committee  ;  Jabez  Gillett,  society  collector. 

This  meeting  was  adjourned  one  week  when  they  passed  several 
votes  which  indicated  substantial  work  as  a  society. 

"  Voted  to  raise  money  for  schooling  by  rate. 

"  Voted  to  raise  a  penny  and  half  penny  upon  the  pound  for  school- 
ing. 

"  Voted  that  those  people  that  live  in  New  Hartford  and  belong  to 
this  society,  shall  have  their  own  money  to  lay  out  for  schooling 
among  themselves. 

"  Voted  that  the  society  committee  shall  take  the  care  of,  and  order 
the  schooling. 

"  Voted  that  we  will  make  some  preparations  this  year  for  building 
a  meeting  house. 

"  Voted  that  we  will  build  the  meeting  house  forty-eight  feet  long 
and  thirty-eight  feet  wide. 

''  The  vote  was  then  reconsidered  and  voted  to  be  forty-six  feet 
long  and  thirty-six  wide. 

"Voted  that  the  height  of  the  house  be  left  to  the  judgment  of  the 
committee. 

"  Voted  to  raise  thirty  pounds  to  be  paid  in  boards  and  shingles 
within  a  year  from  this  time  for  the  meeting  house. 

"  Voted  that  Ebenezer  Winchell,  Elijah  Gaylord,  and  Lieut.  Ben- 
jamin Bissell,  shall  be  a  committee  to  order  out  the  getting  oi  the 
boards,  and  shingles,  and  to  receive  them  for  the  meeting  house. 

"•  Voted  to  raise  four  pence  on  the  pound  in  order  to  support  the 
gospel  amongst  us." 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  Torringford  society  which  has  con- 
tinued its  steady  and  benevolent  work,  nearly  one  hundred  and  four- 
teen years,  during  which  time  it  has  expended,  for  the  support  ot 
the  gospel  (or  the  preaching)  alone,  on  an  average,  four  hundred  dollars 
a  year,  or  $46,000. 

The  Meeting  House. 

When  the  first  meeting  house  was  proposed  for  the  west  side  of 
the  town,  an  agreement  was  made  between  the  inhabitants,  that  those 
on  the  east  side  need  not  pay  towards  the  building  of  the  house,  pro- 


'  Mr.  Kelsey  had  been  deacon  in  Woodbury  and  hence  is  called  deacon  before  any  church 
was  organized  in  Torringford. 


ToRRINGFORD    ChURCH.  5I 

vided  they  would  relinquish  all  right  as  to  the  location,  or  site,  and  a 
record  of  this  agreement  was  entered  among  the  deeds  of  land,  dated  in 
1748.  The  names  of  persons  thus  agreeing  stand  as  follows:  East 
side  :  Abraham  Dibble,  Benjamin  Bissell,  Nehemiah  Gaylord,  Elijah 
Gaylord,  Gideon  Loomis,  John  Birge,  Thomas  Dibble.  These  names 
probably  represent  nearly  all  the  families  east  of  the  swamp  at  that 
time. 

West  side  :  Noah  Wilson,  Israel  Avered,  Moses  Loomis,  Aaron 
Loomis,  Jacob  Strong,  Ebenezer  North,  Wm.  Grant,  Joel  Thrall, 
Asahel  Strong,  Ebenezer  Coe,  Isaac  Higley,  Zebulon  Curtiss,  Thomas 
Stoughton,  Joel  Loomis,  Ebenezer  Lyman,  Thomas  Curtiss,  Aaron 
Loomis,  Jr.,  Beriah  Hills,  Jonathan  Coe,  Nathaniel  Barber,  Abel 
Beach,  Joseph  Fowler,  Joseph  Beach,  Thomas  Marshall,  Ebenezer 
Lyman,  Jr.,  John  Whiting.  Why  the  names  of  John  Cook,  Noah 
Wilson,  and  Abel  Beach  were  not  on  this  paper  is  not  clear,  for  the 
agreement  was  such,  as  to  which  none,  seemingly  could  object ;  and 
therefore,  when  the  east  side  began  to  build  they  had  no  claim  on  the 
old  church  for  assistance,  because  of  aid  previously  rendered. 

The  Torringford  society,  having  made  some  provision  towards 
building  a  meeting  house  in  1763,  voted  in  Dec,  1764,  to  "add  two 
feet  to  the  length  and  breadth,"  and  arranged  to  obtain  a  committee 
to  "pitch  the  stake,  for  a  site  which  would  accommodate  the  whole 
society."  In  June,  1766,  they  voted  to  "proceed  to  build  a  place 
of  worship."  In  April,  1768,  they  agreed  to  "raise  the  house  as 
they  could  conveniently,"  and  in  September  of  the  same  year  they 
"voted  that  the  annual  meeting  of  the  society  should  be  held  in  the 
church,"  therefore  the  house  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1768.  In 
October  of  the  same  year,  they  presented  a  petition  to  the  general 
assembly,  showing  that  the  territory  of  the  society  embraced  about 
ten  thousand  acres  of  land,  of  which  about  seven  thousand  belonged 
to  non-residents  ;  that  they  had  erected  a  church,  which  was  covered  ; 
had  doors,  a  floor,  convenient  benches,  and  glass  windows  for  the 
lower  story  ;  that  they  desired  to  settle  a  minister  as  soon  as  they 
could  ;  and  that  the  list  of  the  present  inhabitants  is  only  two  thou- 
sand and  eight  hundred  pounds,  and  they  pray  that  the  assembly 
would  grant  a  tax  of  three  pence  per  acre  for  three  years  on  all  the 
land  in  the  society,  to  provide  a  settlement  for  the  first  settling  min- 
ister, and  if  any  surplus  remains,  it  should  be  used  toward  completing 
the  church.     The  petition  was  granted.     This  house  stood  on  the 


£2  History  of  Torrington. 

highway,  on  the  west  side,  some  fifty  rods  south  of  the  present  church 

edifice. 

In  December,  1783,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  and 
decide  whether  the  church  stands  in  the  right  place,  and  if  it  did  not 
to  pitch  a  stake  where  it  ought  to  stand,  and  at  the  same  time,  tbey 
voted  to  raise  means  to  procure  material  to  finish  the  inside  of  the 
meeting  house.  These  acts  were  rescinded  afterwards,  but  in  Janu- 
ary, 1785,  a  tax  was  laid,  payable  by  the  first  of  June,  to  finish  the 
house.  In  obedience  to  this  movement  considerable  work  was  done 
that  summer  on  the  inside  of  the  house  but  it  was  not  plastered.  In 
March,  1788,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  settle  with  David  Soper 
for  plastering  the  church.  In  December,  1788,  a  seating  committee 
was  appointed,  and  the  appointment  thereafter  was  made  annually 
while  they  worshiped  in  that  house. 

The  house  was  painted  in  1792,  having  neither  bell  nor  steeple. 
Repairs  went  on  thus  until  181 8,  when  a  stove  was  placed  in  the 
house.  In  1828,  liberty  was  given  to  alter  the  front  gallery  for  the 
singers.  In  1835,  the  thanks  of  the  society  were  voted  unanimously 
to  Uriel  Tuttle  for  the  use  of  his  organ  for  the  time  past,  showing 
that  in  instrumental  music  they  were  in  advance  of  many  churches 
of  that  day,  and  Charles  B.  Smith  and  Frederick  Phelps  were  compli- 
mented for  their  services  at  the  organ,  by  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the 
society,  and  thereby,  probably,  received  a  larger  salary  than  they  ex- 
pected. 

In  1835,  the  society  voted  to  build  a  new  house  of  worship.  Long 
had  that  old  house  served  the  purpose  of  the  consecrated  place  of 
worship  to  the  one  only  true  God.  Father  Mills  the  great  and  grand 
old  pastor  and  preacher  was  gone  to  his  eternal  home.  There,  in 
that  pulpit  had  he  stood  more  than  fifty  years,  regularly  on  the  Sab- 
bath, to  announce  the  message  of  good  news,  the  invitations  of  the 
Son  of  man,  and  the  ofl^er  of  endless  blessedness,  to  the  congregated 
people.  His  voice,  so  familiar  to  thousands  of  ears,  even  outside  of 
his  own  parish,  had  ceased,  and  was  gone,  forever  gone.  How  they 
could  thrust  that  old  house  aside,  with  all  its  sacred  memories  is  a 
wonder,  but  they  did  it.  Every  instinctive  rising  of  the  soul  in  re- 
membrance of  the  past,  utters  its  protest,  and  pleads  with  "  Young 
America"  to  spare  that  place  ;  if  not  for  the  sake  of  the  grand  old 
minister,  then  for  the  sake  of  his  son,  the  missionary  prince  who 
had  worshiped  there;  and  if  not  because  of  him,  then  for  the  sake 
of  the  good  it  had  done  in  the  service  of  that  long  line  of  worshipers 


ToRRINGFORD    ChuRCH.  ^^ 

who,  while  living,  knew  no  other  place  of  union  of  prayer,  but  now 
were  gone  beyond  the  confines  of  earthly  temples. 

But  no  voice  could  prevail  ;  a  new  house  must  be  built,  and  built 
it  was  in  1838  and  in  the  early  part  of  1839,  and  the  society  voted 
that  it  be  used  for  public  worship  after  the  third  Sunday  in  May.  It 
required  an  effort  of  twenty-five  years,  with  the  aid  of  the  general 
assembly,  to  erect  and  complete  the  first  house  of  worship,  and  it 
was  in  use  seventy-one  years.  It  required  an  effort  of  three  and  a 
half  years  to  locate  and  finish  the  second  house  which  has  been  in 
use  over  thirty- five  years.  The  old  church  was  sold  by  the  piece  to 
the  highest  bidder,  and  therefore  some  of  the  fragments  may  be  seen 
still  in  Torringford. 

In  1874,  the  second  meeting  house  was  remodeled  inside;  the  old 
pews  taken  out  and  slips  put  in  their  stead  ;  the  gallery  closed  up, 
and  a  place  for  the  choir  arranged  at  the  side  of  the  pulpit.  The 
pulpit  and  platform  were  changed  to  the  most  modern  style,  and  thus 
it  stands  surrounded  by  such  interesting  and  sacred  memories. 

The  Burying  Ground. 
In  December,  1788,  the  society  instructed  their  committee  to  take 
a  lease  of  the  burying  ground  from  Captain  Gaylord,  and  to  have  it 
well  fenced  the  next  spring  "  if  that  was  not  done  by  the  people  by 
spells."  This  ground  was  enlarged  in  1812,  on  the  east  and  west 
sides.  The  deaths  noted,  during  a  period  of  seventy-five  years,  ending 
with  1 85 1,  were  six  hundred  and  fifty-two,  or  an  average  of  nine  a 
year  ;  and  the  ages  of  four  hundred  and  three  of  these  were  recorded. 
Only  one  person  reached  the  age  of  one  hundred  years  ;  twelve  lived 
ninety  years  or  more  ;  and  one  hundred  and  twenty -six  lived  seventy 
years. 

The  Church. 

The  church  in  Torringford  was  deprived  of  all  its  records  in  the 
burning  of  the  house  of  its  pastor.  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  in  1823, 
in  which  all  of  his  library  and  papers  were  consumed,  and  therefore 
the  items  secured  as  to  its  early  existence  and  success  are  gleaned 
from  various  other  sources. 

In  the  summer  of  1763,  Rev.  Mr.  Gould  appears  to  have  preached 
a  short  time,  or  rather  there  was  a  vote  to  employ  him  as  though  he 
were  already  preaching  there.  During  the  year  1764,  the  society 
was   very  m^ich   exercised   in  securing  the   site  for  the   church   and 


54  History  of  Torrington. 

nothing  is  said  by  them  about  preaching  only  the  laying  of  a  tax  in 
the  autumn  of  that  year. 

The  journal  of  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Marsh  Porter,  pastor  of  New 
Hartford  at  the  time,  has  lately  (1877)  been  deposited  in  the  Con- 
gregational Memorial  Hall  at  Hartford,  and  in  this  journal,  under  the 
head  of  admission  and  dismission  of  members  of  the  church,  occurs 
the  following  : 

"  Aug.  5,  1764,  Samuel  Kelsey  and  his  wife  were  recommended 
by  acts  of  this  church  to  Christian  communion  and  fellowship  at 
Torringford. 

"  Aug,  13,  1764.  Mary  Birge  of  Torringford  was  recommended  by 
a  vote  of  y^  church  to  Christian  communion  at  Torringford. 

"  Aug.  26,  1 764.  Samuel  Austin  and  his  wife  and  y*^  widow  of  Robert 
Austin  were  recommended  to  Christian  communion  at  Torringford." 

The  inference  from  these  items  is  that  these  persons  were  dis- 
missed in  order  to  form  a  church  in  Torringford  ;  because  they  were 
not  recommended  to  a  church  as  was  the  custom  of  Mr.  Porter  in 
other  cases,  to  write.  And  further,  Samuel  Kelsey  came  from  Wood- 
bury a  few  years  previous  and  united  with  the  New  Hartford  church, 
and  would  not  be  likely  to  come  back  unless  a  church  was  to  be 
organized  at  home.  These  six  persons  were  all  recommended  in 
August,  1764,  and  the  probability  is,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing 
the  church  in  the  September  following. 

In  the  spring  of  1765,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Devenport  began  to  preach 
for  this  church  and  society  and  in  July  the  society  appointed  a  special 
committee  to  act  for  the  society^  in  regard  to  the  settling  of  Wx. 
Devenport  as  pastor  ;  as  though  there  had.  already  been  appointed  a 
committee  by  the  church,  and  if  so  the  church  must  have  been  in 
existence  some  time  previous.  It  is  most  probable  therefore  that  the 
church  was  organized  in  Sept.,  1764. 

On  Feb.  6,  1769,  Mr.  Samuel  John  Mills  having  preached  here, 
the  society  voted  to  "  give  Mr.  Mills  a  probationary  call  to  settle  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry  amongst  us  ;"  and  he  was  accordingly  settled 
and  ordained  pastor  June  28,  1769.  At  this  time  there  was  a  church 
here,  recognized  by  the  Litchfield  Association,  and  to  which  they 
commended  Mr.  Mills. 

To  Mr.  Mills  the  society  voted  a  "  settlement  "  of  two  hundred 
pounds,  to  be  paid  in  three  years  if  he  settled  among  them.  His 
salary  was  made  =£55,  the  first  year,  to  be  increased  five  pound  a  year 
until  it  should  become  seventy  pounds,  and   his  fire  wood  given  him 


ToRRINGFORD    ChURCH.  ^^ 

in  addition  ;  the  one-half  was  to  be  paid  in  money,  and  the  other,  in 
wheat,  rye,  and  Indian  corn  at  the  market  price. 

Under  his  labors  the  church'  prospered,  and  with  its  pastor,  and 
through  him  and  his  son,  rose  in  fame  and  celebrity,  nearly  if  not 
quite  equal  to  any  church  in  the  state,  especially  as  being  intimately 
connected  with  the  beginning  of  missionary  enterprises  for  foreign 
lands. 

Special  religious  interest  was  manifested  in  this  church  in  1773, 
and  1782  and  1793.  The  revival  of  1799  was  of  greatest  extent, 
and  secured  greater  results  of  obedience  to  the  gospel  than  any  that 
ever  occurred  in  the  community.'  There  were  also  revivals  in  1806  ; 
in  1816,  when  sixty  joined  the  church  ;  in  1821,  when  as  many  more 
united  ;  in  1H27,  and  1831,  during  the  labors  of  Mr.  Mills.  Before 
Mr.  Mills's  decease,  Mr.  Epaphras  Goodman  was  ordained  as  colleague 
pastor,  and  there  were  added  to  the  church,  by  profession,  in  1834, 
twenty-nine;  in  1842,  twenty-seven;  in  1849,  sixteen;  in  1858, 
twenty-nine;  and  in  1 867,  nineteen. 

In  1835,  the  church  reported  two  hundred  members  and  this  was 
probably  the  highest  number  it  had  attained  at  any  time.  In  1849, 
Torringford  contained  one  hundred  and  twenty  families  and  five  hun- 
dred and  thirty  persons,  and  since  that  time  has  diminished  somewhat, 
and  therefore  the  membership  of  the  church  has  not  at  any  time  been 
larger  than  in  1835.  The  church  has  been  among  the  foremost  in 
sentiment  and  effort  in  the  temperance  and  anti-slavery  reforms,  and 
has  been  commendably  liberal  in  its  contributions  for  charitable  pur- 
poses. There  have  been  over  six  hundred  members  of  this  church, 
and  among  them  many  good  men  and  women,  great  in  heart  and 
effort  for  the  ends  for  which  churches  are  instituted,  but  it  has  had 
one  member  raised  within  its  fold,  brought  to  the  light  and  truth  of 
the  gospel  by  its  own  instrumentality,  of  whom  the  remark  is  emi- 
nently appropriate  that  for  the  honor  of  promoting  the  cause  of 
Christ,  this  church  cannot  afford  to  exchange  the  name  of  Samuel  J. 
Mills,  Jr.,  on  its  roll  for  that  of  any  other  Christian  benefactor 
America  has  ever  produced.^  But  this  brightest  star  in  the  coronal 
wreath  of  this  church  represents  only  one  of  many  others,  who  once 
toiled  hard  and  suffered  much  in  the  various  relations  of  domestic, 
social,  civil,  and  Christian  life,  in  the  community  where  it  was  planted. 


'  See  biography  of  Father  Mills. 

"Rev.  Wm.  H.  Moore,  in  Torringford  centennial. 


56  History  of  Torrington. 

A  Sunday  school  was  organized  at  the  house  of  Father  Mills  in 
the  summer  of  18 16,  showing  that  the  pastor  and  the  people  were 
ready  to  accept  new  as  well  as  old  methods  of  doing  good,  and  this 
spirit  and  enterprise  still  continue. 

This  vine  of  the  master's  planting  has  been  a  blessing  from  gene- 
ration to  generation,  and  has  enriched  every  interest  of  the  people  for 
time  and  eternity,  and  its  faith  and  fruit  have  blessed  the  world. 

The  labors  of  the  Rev.  Epaphras  Goodman  from  1822  to  1836, 
were  abundant  in  all  good  things.  "  During  his  pastorate  here,  he 
did  much  to  raise  the  standard  of  education,  was  forward  in  the  re- 
formatory movements  of  the  day,  cooperated  effectively  with  his 
ministerial  brethren  for  the  prosperity  of  religion  in  the  county,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  large  numbers  added  to  the  church."' 

Officers  of  the  Church. 

Ministers. 

Rev.  Mr.  Heaton,  supply  in  the  autumn  of  1760,  some  months. 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Devenport,  supply  from  summer  of  1764  one  year  or  more. 

Rev.  Samuel  John  Mills,  pastor,   ordained,     .   June    28,    1769,       .   died    May  11,  1833. 

Rev.  Epaphras  Goodman,  associate  pastor,   .        Mar.  6,  1822,  .      .      dis.  Jan.  12,   1836. 

Rev.    Herman  L.  Vaill,    pastor,      .       .  .     July  5,  1837,       .      .   "  Sept.    29,  1839. 

Rev.  Brown  Emerson,     "  .        .  .  .        July  21,  1841,   .     .      ''  Sept.    24,   1844. 

Rev.  John  D.  Baldwin,  supply  short  time  and  received  a  call. 

Rev.  William  H.  Moore  pastor,     .  .  .   Sept.  30,  1846,    .      .   "  Sept.   26,    1854. 

Rev.  Stephen  Fenn,  "...       Nov.  16,  1854,        .      "  Sept.    4,  1857. 

Rev.  Charles  Newman,      "  ...   May  18,  1858,     .      .   "   Oct.    28,    1862. 

Rev.  Spencer  O.  Dyer,  supply  one  year. 

Rev.  Franklin  Noble,  pastor,   .  .  .  June  7,  1865,     .      .      "  Nov.   30,1866. 

Rev.  Joseph  F.  Gaylord,  supply  two  years. 

Rev.  Dana  M.   Walcott,      "  one  year  to  1871. 

Rev.  Herrick  Knight,  "  from  1872  to  1874. 

Rev.  George  R.  Ferguson,    "  1875  to  1877  5   went  to  Africa  as  a  missionary  teacher. 

Ministers  Raised  in  Torringford. 

Rev.  Luther  Rossiter,  son  of  Newton  Rossiter  a  tanner  at  Burrville,  became  an  Episcopal 

minister,  and  his  life  has  been  spent  at  the  West. 
Rev.  Orange  Lyman,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  Jr.,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Jonathan  Miller,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Harvey  Loomis,  see  biography. 
Rev.  David  Miller,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Stanly  Griswold,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Erasmus  D.  Moore,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Lucius  Curtiss,  see  biography. 
Rev.  Warren  H.  Roberts,  Episcopal  in  1857  see  biography. 


'Torringford  centennial. 


TORRINGFORD    ChURCH. 


57 


Deacons. 
Jonathan  Kelsey,  at  Woodbury  and  here,  died  in  1792  aged  89'years. 
Nehemiah  Gaylord, 
Abraham  Filley. 
Ebenezer  Miller, 
Job  Curtiss, 

Ebenezer  Miller  2d,  appointed  in  1807, 
Elizur   Curtiss,  " 

Ebenezer  Rood,  " 

Thomas  Watson,  " 

Thomas  A.  Miller,  " 

Harvey  L.  Rood,  " 

William  Watson,  " 

Giles  L.  Gaylord. 
Chester  H.  Barber. 


• 

"    in  1801      " 

80    « 

, 

, 

"    in  1814     " 

79    " 

• 

"    in  1807     " 

62    " 

in 

1807, 

"    in  1842      " 

78    " 

1808, 

resigned  in  1843 

died  1868,  aged  85  years. 

1826, 

"        "    1843, 

"     1851,     «     75     " 

1843, 

"        "   1855, 

removed  to  Winsted. 

1843, 

> 

died  1 8  61,  aged  55  years 

1855. 

1861. 

List  of 

When 

united. 

Adams,  Mary, 

. 

1848. 

Addis,  Orphenia  S.,  Geo.  T., 

<( 

Andrews,  Emory  A.,     . 

. 

1843. 

Austin,  Nathaniel,     . 

, 

1818. 

Austin,  Anna  (Nath.),    . 

, 

(( 

Austin,  Margaret  Mills, 

. 

1779. 

Austin,  Lewis, 

,                    , 

1818. 

Austin,  Rebecca, 

, 

(( 

Bailey,  Tamison  Blood,           .  .     1858. 

Bancroft,  J.  K.  Hudson,       .  .             " 

Barber,  John,          .          .          .  .        " 

Barber,  Ursula  Catlin,           .  .            " 
Barber,  John  C,              ...      1832. 

Barber,  Sarah  Miller,           .  .          1821. 

Barber,  Chester,              .          .  .      1851. 

Barber,  Marilla  Birge,            .  ,             " 

Barber,  Chester  H.,                  .  .      1843. 

Barber,  Maria  E.  Blake,       .  .          1845. 

Barber,  Willard  O.          .          .  .      1849. 

Barber,  Sarah  Birge,  .          .  .          185 1, 

Barber,  Mary  E.  Wood-ward,  .      1 849. 

Barber,  Sarah  B.,        .          .  .          1867. 

Barber,  Janette  S.  Birge,          .  .      1 849. 

Bates,  Mary  L.   Taylor,        .  .           1843. 
Battell,  William. 
Battell,  Sarah  Buckingham. 
Beach,  Lucy  Walling. 

Benedict,  Lucina    L.,     .          .  .      1843. 
Birge,  Sally  Barber. 

Birge,  Simon,    .          .          .  .           183 1. 
Birge,  Experience  Hamlin. 

8 


Members. 

Birge,  Sally, 
Birge,  Luther, 
Birge,  Roswell, 
Birge,    AUstyne, 
Birge,  Eliza  M.  Heivit, 
Birge,  Nathaniel, 
Birge,  Martha  A., 
Birge,  Sally  Barber, 
Birge,  Celia  M.,      . 
Birge,  Julia  Waterman. 
Bissell,  Ezekiel. 
Bissell,  Ruth  De-votion. 
Bissell,  Ezekiel  Jr. 
Bissell,  Lucretia  Spencer. 
Bissell,  Rhoda  Bissell. 
Bissell,  Charlotte  Birge, 
Bissell,  Peter  Mills. 
Bissell,  Sarah  Comstock. 
Bissell,  Harriet  Curtiss, 
Bissell,  Melicent  Watson. 
Bissell,  Mary  S., 
Bissell,  Lucius, 
Bissell,  Sarah   Patton, 
Bissell,  Roderick, 
Bissell,  Fanny  Gaylord, 
Bissell,  Esther  Ann, 
Blakeslee,  Martha  E., 
Brace,  Mary  Ann  Loomis, 
Brace,  Ellen  Ann, 
Bronson,  Char.  A.  Pond, 
Bronson,  Mary  J.    Bissell, 
Burr,  Tabitha  Loomis. 


When  united. 

.   1818. 
« 

.   1843- 
1858. 

.   1861. 

1827. 
.   1858. 

1844. 
.   1867. 


1832. 


1851. 

1837. 
1851. 

1844. 

1859. 

1849. 

1866. 

1848. 

1858. 
« 

1843. 


58 


History  of  Torrington. 


Burr,  Mehitable  Loomis. 

Burr,  Martha  Beach. 

Burr,  Fanny  Taylor, 

Burr,  Uri  C,     . 

Burr,  Sarah  Mix, 

Burr,  Lucius, 

Burr,  Sarah  J.  Woodruff, 

Burr,  George  A., 

Burr,  Mary  A., 

Burr,  Milo, 

Burr,  Mary  Skinner, 

Burr,  Lavinia  E.  Hurlbut, 

Burr,  Hiram, 

Burr,  Almira   Cook. 

Burr,  F.  Ella, 

Burr,   Rufus, 

Burr,  Ann  S.  Hudson, 

Burr,    Alonzo, 

Burr,    Franklin, 

Burwell,  Ellis, 

Calkins,  Jane  A.  Birgc, 
Carr,  Clement. 
Carr,  Jedediah  Pelton. 
Clark,  Converse. 
Clark,  Almira  Burr. 
Cleaveland,  S.  J.  Taylor, 
Cleaveland,   Mary, 
Cleaveland,  James  C,  . 
Cleaveland,  L.  C.  Watson, 
Cleaveland,  J.  R.  McD., 
Coe,  Caroline  Brcivn. 
Coe,  Julia  E., 
Collier,  Henry. 
Colt,  Anson. 
Colt,  Chloe  Gi//ett, 
Colt,  Anson  Jr., 
Colt,  Henry, 
Colt,  Chloe  Catlin, 
Colt,  Geo.  R., 
Colt,  Margaret  E.  Grisivold, 
Colt,  Luman, 
Cook,  Louisa  Fuller, 
Cook,  Jane  M.  Hand, 
Cross,  Ann, 
Curtiss,  Job,  Dea. 
Curtiss,  Eunice  Cowles. 
Curtiss,  Elizur,  Dea.,  . 
Curtiss,  Naomi  Kellog. 
Curtiss,  Amanda  Steele, 


When  united. 

Curtiss,  Naomi  R. 
Curtiss,  Julius. 

When  united. 

.      1822. 

Curtiss,  Lucius,  Rev. 

1858. 

Curtiss,  Hermon, 

.      1851. 

•      1843- 

Curtiss,  Sophia  Stillman, 

1834. 

1849. 

Curtiss,  C.  Cecelia  Stillman, 

.      1852. 

.      1851. 

Curtiss,  Eugenia  S., 

1850. 

1867. 

Curtiss,  Uri, 

.      1801. 

<( 

Curtiss,   Mary  Adams, 

1817. 

1835. 

Curtiss,   Rufus, 

.      1818. 

.      1826. 

Curtiss,  Ursula  Foiuler. 

- 

1858. 

Curtiss,  Jabez  G. 

•     i835- 

Curtiss,  Louisa  Wetmore. 

Curtiss,  Hannah  Drake, 

1803. 

1867. 

Curtiss,  Wealthy  Parsons. 

.     1831. 

Curtiss,  Emily  Garnish,   . 

.     1847. 

i8ai. 

Curtiss,   Hezekiah  P., 

•     -isss. 

.     1847. 

Curtiss,  Amelia  Parsons, 

u 

1849. 

Curtiss,  Ella  A., 

1866. 

.     1841. 

Daily,  Harmon, 

.  1843 

1849. 

Daily,  Mercy  L.  Ball, 

i860 

Daily,  Ellen  E.  Bailey, 

.   1843, 

Daniels,  Sarah  R.  Talmadge, 

1834, 

Daniels,  Louisa, 

.   1867. 

Deming,  Abigail  Loomis. 


1858. 

Downs,  Edwin, 

1858 

1838. 

Durand,  Julia  G. 

1837- 

Durand,    William, 

•      1843 

« 

Durand,  Loanna   P.  Barber, 

1827 

1867. 

Eggleston,  Mary  E.  Hayden, 

.      1858 

1843- 

Eggleston,  Cynthia  A., 

1858 

Eggleston,  Sophia  D., 

« 

Ellsworth,  John. 

I8I6. 

Ellsworth,  Anna  Birge. 

I8I7. 

Ellsworth,  Philander. 

1831. 

Elmer,  Abiathar. 

« 

Elmer,  Kezia  Bissell. 

1858. 

Elmer,  Peleg,     .           .           .           . 

183s 

1858. 

Emerson,  Catharine  Broivn,    . 

.      1842 

1868. 

Engert,  Louisa, 

1869 

I8I6. 

I85I. 

Fenn,  Sarah  Roberts, 

•      1855 

1849. 

Filley,  Abraham,  Dea. 

Fogg,  Sophia  C.  Hayden, 
Foote,  Jane  E.  Humphrey, 
1799      Freeman,  Mary. 

Freeman,   Edward  H., 
1805.      Frisbie,  John. 


1831. 
1843- 

1858. 


ToRRINGFORD    ChURCH. 


S9 


When  united. 

w 

hen  united 

Fyler,  Sybil. 

Hewitt,  Alice  M., 

.      1868 

Holcomb,  James  H.,  . 

1827 

Gaylord,  Nehemiah,  Dea. 

Hotchkiss,  Laura  N. 

Gaylord,  Lucy  Loomis. 

Hopkins,  Anna  Palmer, 

.     1865 

Gaylord,  Joseph. 

Hopkins,  Harvey  P., 

1857 

Gaylord,  Ruth  Bissell. 

Hopkins,  Lydia  Tanner,  . 

« 

Gaylord,  Elizah. 

Hopkins,  Gertrude  W., 

1870 

Gaylord,  Margaret    Taylor. 

Hudson,  Daniel. 

Gaylord,  Margaret  Bissell. 

Hudson,  Mary  Coe. 

Gaylord,  Giles  L., 

.      1833. 

Hudson,  Abigail  W. 

Gaylord,  Pamelia  Preston,   . 

1838. 

Hungerford,  Charlotte  Austin. 

Gaylord,  Sarah  Blake,     . 

.      1848. 

Hurlbut,  Leonard. 

Gaylord,  Hubert  L., 

1867. 

Hudson,  Daniel  Coe. 

Gaylord,  Mary  L.,  . 

« 

Hudson,  Rhoda  Foivler. 

Gaylord,  Nancy. 

Hudson,  E.  D.,  Dr. 

Gibbs,  Abigail  W.  Hudson. 

Hudson,  Martha  Turner. 

Gillet.t,  Anna  Loomis. 

Hudson,  Charlotte. 

Gillett,  Loraine  Filley. 

Hudson,   Barzillai, 

.      1816. 

Gillett,  Horace. 

Hudson,  Content  Picket, 

(( 

Gillett,  Rachel  Austin. 

Humaston,  Esther, 

Gillett,  Betsey. 

Humphrey,  Daniel  G. 

Goodwin,  Harvey. 

Humphrey,  L.  Eno. 

Goodwin,  Sarah  M., 

1867. 

Humphrey,  Daniel  P.,  2d, 

.      1816 

Gould,  Rhoda  McCoe. 

Humphrey,  P.  P.,  Dr., 

1836 

Griswold,  Laura  Barber. 

Humphrey,  Charles  G., 

•      1843 

Griswold,  Jane  Woodford. 

Humphrey,  James  D., 

1858 

Griswold,  Thaddeus, 

.      1826. 

Humphrey,  Chloe  Watson, 

(C 

Griswold,  Margaret  Gaylord, 

(( 

Humphrey,  Henry  B.  S.,    . 

1858 

Griswold,  Julia  A.  Qirtiss, 

.      1834. 

Humphrey,  Dorothy  Miller,   . 

.    1866 

Griswold,  Sarah  Clari, 

1857. 

Griswold,  Isabella  Kellogg, 

.      1843. 

Ingraham,  Louisa. 

Griswold,  Isabella  W., 

1866. 

Griswold,  Anna  M., 

(C 

Johnson,  Levi  F., 

I83I 

Griswold,  Nellie  P., 

1867. 

Johnson,  Maria  Morris,  . 

(< 

Gross,  Sally  Ellsworth. 

Johnson,  Daniel. 

Gross,  Harvey  H. 

Johnson,  Jarvis  B,,     . 

1849 

Gulliver,  Fannie  W.  Curtiss, 

.      1841. 

Johnson,  Elizabeth  Hill, 

i( 

Johnson,  Sarah  E., 

1862 

Hall,  Gideon,    . 

1827. 

Johnson,   Levi  B., 

.    1867 

Harrison,  Richard, 

.       1868. 

Johnson,  Emily  A.,    . 

<( 

Hart,  Jane  Tuttle. 

« 

Johnson,  Julia  A., 

« 

Hathaway,  Msry  E.  Curtiss, 

.       1834. 

Jones,  Nancy  Johnson. 

Hathaway,  Anna  F.,  . 

1866. 

Hayden,  Augustine. 

Kelsey,  Jonathan,  Dea. 

Hayden,  Cicero,      . 

.       183I. 

Hayden,  Sophia  Squires..     . 

« 

Lepian,  Jane,     . 

i860 

Hayden,  Tullius  C, 

<< 

Loomis,  Hepziba. 

Hayden,  Wm.  H.,     . 

1843. 

Loomis,  Sally  Burr. 

Hayden,  Charles  H.,      . 

.      1868. 

Loomis,  Fitch. 

Henderson,  Ruth  Mather. 

Loomis,  Mary  Bissell. 

Handerson,  C.  M.  Gillett. 

Loomis,  MichaeL 

6o 


History  of  Torrington. 


When  united. 

When 

united, 

Loomis,  Huldah  Loomis. 

Miller,  Abigail  Bristol,    . 

1816 

Loomis,  Allen. 

Miller,  Harry,    .... 

1842 

Loomis,  Mary  Reed, 

.      1810. 

Miller,  Jane  F.  G.,          .          .          . 

« 

Loomis,  Aurelia, 

1818. 

Miller,  Luther. 

Loomis,  Timothy. 

Miller,  Harriette  L.,   . 

1867, 

Loomis,  Ann  Roberts. 

Miller,  Luther  B.,  . 

(C 

Loomis,  Hannah  Curtiss. 

Mills,  Esther  Robbins,  Rev. 

Loomis,  Harvey,  Rev. 

Mills,  Florilla. 

Loomis,  Ann  Battell, 

.      1826. 

Mills,  Samuel  J.  2d,  Rev., 

1806, 

Loomis,  Laura  Lyman. 

Mills,  Jeremiah. 

Loomis,  Timothy  2d. 

Mills,  Eleanor  Witter. 

Loomis,  Chloe  Riley, 

1843. 

Mills,  Laura. 

Loomis,  Philo  A. 

Mills,  Electa  J.  Lyman, 

1843, 

Loomis,  Mary  A.  Wation, 

.      1822. 

Miner,  Drius  D., 

1847, 

Loomis,  Cornelius  D., 

1836. 

Miner,  Mary  E.  Wadsvvorth,   . 

(( 

Loomis,  Justice. 

Miner,  Mary  E.,        . 

1867, 

Lowrey,  Martha  A.  Miller. 

Miner,  Charles,     .... 

1858, 

Lyman,  David. 

Miner,  Martha  E.    Frost,   . 

« 

Lyman,  Mary  Broivn. 

Miner,  John  S.,    . 

1867 

Lyman,  Elijah,  Dr. 

Miner,  Josephine, 

1868, 

Lyman,  Norman,  Dr. 

Minturn,  Hiram. 

Lyman,  Orange,  Rev. 

Minturn,  Huldah  Coivles. 

Lyman,  John, 

.      1802. 

Mitchell,  Maria  Thorbum, 

1838, 

Lyman,  Salome  Maltby,     . 

« 

Moore,  Erasmus  D.,  Rev. 

Lyman,  John  B., 

.      1821. 

Moone,  Mary  E.  Redfield,  Rev., 

1847, 

Lyman,  David  N.,     . 

1831. 

Moone,  Jane    A.  North, 

1849 

Lyman,  Sarah  E.  Stone, 

.      1843. 

Morse,  Catharine  Mix, 

1848. 

Lyman,  John  N., 

1858. 

Murray,  Warren  Brooker, 

1858 

Lyman,  Rufus. 

Newell,  Almira  F.  Palmer. 

McCoe,  Chloe  Phelps. 

Newman,  Elizabeth  G.,  Re.v., 

1858, 

McEwen,  Sarah  Battell. 

Nichols,  George,    .... 

1793, 

Marsh,  Lydia  S.,    . 

.      1843. 

Nichols,  Elizabeth  Monro, 

(( 

Mather,  Oliver  Soper. 

Noble,  E.  Pleasants,  Rev., 

1865 

Miller,  Ebenezer,  Dea. 

North,  John  H.,         .          .          . 

1735 

Miller,  Thankful  Allen. 

North,  Esther  Gaylord,   . 

<( 

Miller,  Loraine  Bissell. 

North,  Esther  Maria, 

1843 

Miller,  Ebenezer  2d,  Dea. 

North,  Sarah  G.,  .... 

1849 

Miller,  Dorathy  Gaylord. 

Norton,  James. 

Miller,  Sarah  Catlin,  . 

1800. 

Norton,  Harriet. 

Miller,  Maria, 

Miller,  Thomas  A.,  Dea.,  . 

Miller,  Mary  C.  Hudson, 

Miller,  Gaylord  B.,  Dr.,      . 

Miller,  Caroline  A.  Watson, 

Miller,  John  T., 

Miller,  Hobart  B., 

Miller,  Fanny  E.  Mather,    . 

Miller,  Henry, 


1800. 

Norton,  Harriet. 

I82I. 

1827.. 

Obookiah,  Henry, 

1815, 

I82I. 

Osborn,  Esther  Strong. 

1849. 

1847. 

Pardee,  Isaac  S.,    . 

.      i860, 

1849. 

Pardee,  Mary  L.  Crocker, 

1858 

1858. 

Peet,  Minta. 

1862. 

Perkins,   Watrous. 

I8I6. 

Perkins,  Debora  Brace. 

TORRINGFORD    ChURCH. 


6l 


Phelps,  Esther, 
Phelps,  C.  Augusta  H., 
Philips,  Caroline  A. 
Pierce,  Henry  D., 
Pierce,  Mary,     . 
Pond,  Philip, 
Pond,  Nancy,  . 
Pond,  Burton, 
Pond,  Charlotte  Colt, 
Pond,  Julius  R.,    . 
Pond,  Martha  A.  Watson,  . 
Pratt,  Ann  A.  Root, 
Pratt,  Catharine  L.  Jones, 
Preston,  Betsey  Gaylord. 

Rand,  George  D., 
Rand,  Martha  J., 
Randall,  Hannibal, 
Reed,  Justus. 
Reed,  Elizabeth  Loomis. 
Reed,  Theodore  H.,  . 
Reed,  Sarah  S.  Wilcox, 
Reed,  Laura  E.  Birge, 
Reed,  Hattie  A.,   . 
Richards,  Enos  S. 
Rider,  Irene  A.,  Mrs., 
Roberts,  Pelatiah. 
Roberts,  Betsey,     . 
Robinson,  Mary. 
Rockwell,  Dency  C, 
Rood,  Ebenezer. 
Rood,  Rhoda  Loomis. 
Rood,  Ann. 
Rood,  Pamelee. 
Rood,  Eunice. 
Rood,  Rhoda. 
Rood,  Calvin. 
Rood,  Moses. 
Rood,  Ebenezer  2d,  Dea., 
Rood,  Aurelia  A.  Loomis. 
Rood,  Rufus,    . 
Rood,  Harvey  L.,  Dea., 
Rood,  Susan  Humphrey, 
Rood,  Abigail  Heivit,     . 
Rustin,  Hiram. 

St.  John,  Merilla  Lyman. 
Seymour,  Polly  A.  Gross. 
Smith,  Rhuamah  Loomis. 
Smith,  Melvin, 


When  united. 

When  united 

.      1829. 

Smith,  Mrs., 

.          .      1839 

1843. 

Smith,  Henrietta  JVinchell, 
Soper,  Rachel  Cook. 

1849 

.      1858. 

Spaulding,  Silas  D. 

1868. 

Spaulding  Julia  A.   Button. 

■      1843- 

Spencer,  Jeremiah, 

.      1858 

(( 

Spencer,  Elisheba  Goodman. 

.      1838. 

Spencer,  Eliza  Dutton, 

1839 

1821. 

Steele,  Eliza  Humphrey ^  . 

.      1831 

.      1858. 

Stoddard,  Eli,     . 

1851 

1836. 

Stoddard,  Olive, 

C( 

.     1843. 

Stone  Emily  Lyman. 

<< 

Strong,  Emerett  L.  Colt. 

Tallmadge,  David, 

1866.  Tallmadge,  Sarah,  . 

"  Tallmadge,  Hilah,     . 

1858.      Tallmadge,  John  Adrian, 

Tallmadge,  James  B., 

Taylor,  Polly. 
i860.      Taylor,  Ann  Wilson. 

1847.  Taylor,  Emory, 
1858.      Taylor,  Ann  Mather, 

1867.  Taylor,  Maria, 
Tolles,  Joseph. 

1858.      Tompkins,  Thomas. 

Treadway,  Aurelia  Gillett,  . 
1834.      Treadway,  Aurelia  2d. 

Turtle,  Ruth  Wilson. 
1843.      Tuttle,  Ira. 

Tuttle, Mills. 

Tuttle,  Clement. 

Tuttle, his  wife. 

Tuttle,  Lucy, 

Tuttle,  Uriel. 

Tuttle,  Cordelia  Woodford, 

Tuttle,  Adah  Hudson,     . 

Tuttle,  Chloe  Colt,      . 
1800.     Van  Allen,  Caroline  E., 

1836.  Wainright,  Harriet  C.  Hayden, 

1850.  Wakefield,  Ann  Fyler. 

1848.  Walcott,  Dana  Mills,     . 
1834.  Walcott,  Elizabeth  Billings, 

Watson,  Levi. 
Watson,  Abigail  Ensign. 
Watson,  Lucy  Olmsted. 
Watson,  Huldah. 
Watson,  Julia. 
1839.      Watson,  Wm.  Henry, 


1832. 


<( 
<( 


1843. 
1836. 


1833- 
« 

1858. 
1816. 


1841. 

1849. 
1816. 
1821. 
1868. 

1843. 

1870. 
c< 


1849. 


61 


History  of  Torrington. 


When  united. 

When 

united. 

Watson,  Ann  Moone,     . 

.      1822. 

Wetmore,  Fanny  Austin. 

Watson,  Harvey, 

1816. 

Wetmore,  Sarepta, 

1841. 

Watson,  Sally  PFells,      . 

.      1808. 

Wilcox,  Elias, 

1845. 

Watson,  Reuel  A., 

1831. 

Wilcox,  Florilla  A.  lVatso?i, 

1816. 

Watson,  Milo. 

Wilcox,  Charles, 

1866. 

Watson,  George. 

Wilcox,  Charlotte  Hart, 

(1 

Watson,  Jane  Belden. 

Wilcox,  Maria  E.,        . 

<( 

Watson,  Thomas,  Dea., 

.      1823. 

Wilson,  Mary  Roberts, 

182a. 

Watson,  Emellne  Curtiss,     . 

1821. 

Wilson,  Austa  Tallmadge. 

Watson,  Charlotte  E.,     . 

.      1851. 

Wilson,  Darius. 

Watson,  Sarah  Gaylord, 

1813. 

Wilson,  Clarissa  Treadivay. 

Watson,  William,  Dea., 

.      1824. 

Woodruff",   Julia  A.  Marsh, 

1843. 

Watson, Melissa  Cadivell, 

1857. 

Woodward,  James  G.,     . 

(( 

Watson,  Sarah  Jane. 

(( 

Woodward,  Catharine  M.  Steele,   . 

1848. 

Wedge,  Parintha. 

Woodward,   Orpha  A.  Kellogg, 

1851. 

Wells,  Martha. 

Young,  Clarinda  Lyman, 

1850. 

Wells,  Nancy. 

Dissenters. 

In  early  times  all  persons  owning  taxable  property  were  taxed  for 
the  "  support  of  the  gospel."  Soon  after  the  revolutionary  war  this 
law  was  changed  and  every  man  was  allowed  to  choose  what  society 
or  denomination  he  would  support.  This  law  to  compel  men  to 
support  the  gospel  was  brought  from  the  Episcopal  church  of  England, 
and  was  continued  so  long  as  England  governed  this  country,  but  as 
soon  as  the  United  States  became  free  the  state  of  Connecticut,  and 
probably  others  also,  changed  the  law  and  left  every  man  to  choose 
for  himself,  by  presenting  a  certificate  to  that  effect.  The  law  was 
in  universal  force  in  England  in  behalf  of  the  Episcopal  church,  but 
in  this  country  none  were  more  forward  in  opposing  the  law  than 
the  Episcopalians.  In  18  r  8  the  law  was  again  changed  so  that  a  man 
could  withdraw,  without  supporting  any  denomination.  The  record 
made  in  Torringford  concerning  the  matter  is  as  follows  : 

"  The  certificates  of  those  who  have  dissented  from  the  established 
society  of  Torringford  were  received  by  the  society  as  follows  : 


1788,  Daniel  Winchel,  Churchman. 
1791,  Charles  Mather,  Baptist. 
"      Thomas  Goodman,  " 
"       David  Miller,  " 

"      Isaac  Goodwin,        " 
1793,  Stephen  Brown,  Churchman. 
1795,  Samuel  Woodward,    " 
Josiah  Moore,  " 

Francis  Lyman,  Baptist. 


« 


1795,  Elihu  Olmstead,  Methodist. 

1818,  Pelatiah  Cadwell,      no  denomination. 

1819,  Doct.  Samuel  Fyler, 
"      Ambrose  Fyler, 
"      Michael  Loomis,  Jr., 
"      Anson  Loomis, 
"       Ashur  Loomis, 
"       William  Wilson, 
«      Curtiss  Tuttle, 


David  Soper  [strict]  Congregationalist.    1821,   Hiram  Winchell, 


(( 
(( 

« 
« 


TORRINGFORD     ChURCH. 


63 


1796, 

1797. 
(( 

(( 

1798, 

1799, 
(( 

1800, 

1802, 
« 

« 

1803, 

1804, 
« 

1805, 
1811, 
1815, 
1816, 
(< 


Eleazer  Morris,   Baptist. 

Brigadier  Loomis,     " 

Abraliam  Tuttle,      " 

Roswell  Loomis,      " 

Isaac  Goodwin,  Jr.,  Churchman. 

Roswell  Olmstead,  Baptist. 

Timothy  Humiston,  Churchman. 

Hannah  Olmstead,  " 

John  Brooker,  Baptist. 

James  Cowles,  Churchman. 

Elihu  Barber,      Baptist. 

Augustin  Hayden,    " 

Solomon  Morse,        " 

John  Evans,  " 

Timothy  Eggleston,  " 

Elias  Gilbert,  Methodist. 

Stephen  Fyler,  Baptist. 

Oliver  Loomis,  Methodist. 

Christopher  Wolcott,  Churchman. 


« 
<( 


18 1 6,  Catlin  Bissell,     Churchman. 
Durand, 

Isaiah  Tuttle, 

Elijah  Gaylord, 

Elihu  Moore, 

Anson  Little, 

Harvey  Coe, 

Abiather  EUmore, 

Levi  Beach, 
1822,  Jonathan  Ives, 
"      Leverette  Tuttle, 

1822,  Theodore  Lee, 
"       Russell  Burr, 
"      Charles  Andrus, 

1823,  John  Ellsworth, 
"      Henry  Roberts, 

1827,  John  Hungerford,    " 
"      Uri  Taylor,  ' 


<( 

<( 

« 
<< 


< 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


BUSINESS    CENTERS. 

Cook  Street. 

ROM  1740,  for  twenty  years,  much  of  the  business  of  the 
town  centered  at  Dea.  Cook's.  He  was  the  first  town 
clerk,  and  continued  in  that  office  thirty-eight  years, 
and  was  justice  of  the  peace  much  of  that  time,  be- 
sides serving  in  several  other  offices  of  the  town,  church  and 
society.  Haifa  mile  west  of  his  house  at  Joseph  Fowler's  is  said  to 
have  been  some  sort  of  mill  or  tannery,  or  both.  In  February,  1 739, 
a  stock  company  was  formed  of  thirteen  persons,  supposed  to  have 
been  for  the  purpose  of  setting  up  a  tannery.  The  proprietors  were  ; 
Thomas  Thomas  and  Thomas  Hammond  of  Wethersfield  ;  David 
Sanford  of  Milford  ;  Samuel  Phelps  of  Harwinton  ;  Dea.  Nathaniel 
Hosford,  Josiah  Walker,  Daniel  Harris,  Joel  Parmelee,  Timothy 
Hosford,  William  Hosford,  Abram  Kilborn,  Isaac  Bissell  Jr.,  and 
Samuel  Kilborn  of  Litchfield.  They  purchased  the  same  day,  thirty- 
six  acres  at  the  south  end  of  the  second  tier  of  lots  including  the 
water  privileges  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  at  this  place.  Four  of 
these  partners  sold  their  shares  to  Thomas  Thomas,  soon  after  the 
company  was  formed.  It  is  probable  that  the  first  corn  mill  was 
here,  and  afterwards  was  removed  to  Mill  brook,  near  Ebenezer 
Lyman  junior's  house.  Some  of  the  proprietor's  meetings  were  held 
at  Esquire  Lyman's  and  his  sons.  The  town  meetings  were  held, 
most  of  the  time  if  not  all,  at  the  first  meeting  house  until  about  1 790. 

The  Lyman  Street. 
In  1770  a  highway  was  laid  by  town  authority,  from  the  first 
meeting  house  south  to  Mill  brook.  This  road  had  been  traveled  as 
a  highway  more  than  fifteen  years,  but  was  not  authorized  as  such 
by  the  town,  it  being  about  half  way  between  two  highways.  On 
this  road,  in  1759,  Ephraim  Bancroft  Jr.,  erected  a  house,  having  re- 
ceived sixty-six  acres  as  a  present  from  his  father.  His  house  stood 
near  the  site  of  the  present  dwelling  of  Mr.  U.  C.  Andrus.  In  the 
same  year,  Epaphras  Sheldon  settled  on  land  given  him  by  his  father, 


Business    Centers.  65 

about  forty  rods  east  of  the  Meeting  house.  He  bought  a  strip  of 
land  running  from  his  own  through  to  this  highway,  lying  south  of 
and  adjoining  the  Meeting  house  lot.  On  this  land  Mr.  Sheldon 
built  his  tavern,  which  was  for  twenty  years  the  place  for  military 
display  and  public  resort.^  Dea.  John  Whiting  lived  at  the  north  end 
of  this  street,  on  the  west  side  opposite  the  Church.  Mr.  Sheldon's 
house  was  on  the  east  side,  a  i'ew  rods  south,  and  Lieutenant  Ban- 
croft's house  further  south  on  the  brow  of  the  hill ;  and  the  site  of 
Averit's  grist  mill,  in  the  hollow,  a  few  rods  east  of  the  present  School 
house.  On  the  west  side  of  this  street  was  the  Lyman  estate,  the 
Fort  and  the  School  house,  and  about  sixty  rods  west  (perhaps  more) 
was  the  Brandy  still  for  making  cider  brandy.  Deacon  Whiting 
kept  what  would  answer  to  a  small  country  store  of  the  present  day, 
the  only  one  west  of  Amos  Wilson's  at  that  time  so  far  as  is  known. 
It  may  not  have  been  dignified  with  the  name  of  store,  but  was  in 
fact  quite  a  place  for  the  sale  of  wheat,  corn,  peas  and  other  grains, 
and  salt,  tea,  sugar,  indigo,  and  a  few  of  such  common  articles  of 
import.  About  1773,  ^^  ^"•''^  ^  cider  mill  which  was  a  place  of 
great  resort  to  talk  the  news  and  drink  cider,  which  perhaps  was  some- 
thing better  than  to  congregate,  and  drink  stronger  water  at  the 
tavern. 

"Leftenant"  Bancroft,  as  called  in  that  day,  and  General  Epaphras 
Sheldon  were  very  influential  men  for  many  years,  and  would  naturally 
draw  the  public  about  them,  and  for  this  reason  in  part  that  street 
became  the  center  of  business  for  the  town.  They  were  both  inde- 
pendent as  to  money,  but  were  as  unlike  in  character  as  two  sub- 
stantial men  could  be.  The  lieutenant  was  one  of  the  most  reliable 
men ;  of  good  judgment,  good  executive  ability  without  a  fuss ; 
every  body's  true  friend,  and  highly  esteemed. 

The  general  was  a  man  of  many  flourishes  as  his  hand  writing 
faithfully  shows.  Yet  he  was  not  all  flourish,  but  was  a  man  of  de- 
cided value  in  the  community.  He  had  high  blood  in  him  and  was 
just  the  man  to  be  a  general  in  time  of  peace  or  war.  He  was  clerk 
of  the  town  for  sixteen  years,  and  had  an  important  part  in  almost 
every  public  interest  of  the  town.  He  built  a  tannery,  on  Mill 
brook,  which  was  continued  after  his  death  some  years  by  Raphael 
Marshall,  and    afterwards  by   Martin  Webster.       In    revolutionary 


'  Since  writing  the  above  it  is  ascertained  that  Mr.  Sheldon  bought  land  of  Ephraim  Ban- 
croft, just  south  of  Bancroft's  house  and  built  his  tavern  there,  where  Mr.  U.  C.  Andrus 
now  resides. 

9 


66  History  of  Torrington. 

times,  he  and  Lieut.  Bancroft,  being  military  men,  supported  by  the 
Wilsons,  Whitings,  Cooks,  Fowlers,  Loomises,  Griswolds,  Tuttles, 
Austins  and  a  host  of  others  like  them  from  the  east  side  as  well  as 
the  west,  were  just'the  men  to  carry  the  town  through  with  high 
honor  to  itself  and  triumph  to  the  state  and  nation. 

Torrington  Green. 
When  Doctor  Elkana  Hodges  planted  his  home  and  store  on  the 
hill  north  of  Torrington  green,   1776,  he  set  in  motion  the  laws  of 
trade  that  were  to  control   the  business  transactions  of  the  western 
part  of  the  town  for  fifty  years.      Captain  Abel  Beach's  tavern  could 
not  compete  with  that  of  Gen.  Epaphras  Sheldon,  but  Dr.  Hodges's 
store  stripped  the  south  hill  as  clear  as  the  northwest  wind  sweeps 
the  snow  from  its  brow  in  a  furious  gale  in  the  winter.      First,  the 
three  stores  (and  perhaps  more)  of  Dea.    Whiting,  Capt.  Amos  Wil- 
son and  Noah  North,  made  a  balloon  disappearance  by  taking  wings 
and  lighting  on  the  hill  in  full  subjection  to  the  doctor,   for  his  store 
became,  very  soon,  the  only  store  of  the  west  side.      Next  the  Meet- 
ing house,  after  a  mighty  struggle  of  moral  elements,  not  quite  as 
thoroughly  modified  by  grace  as  could  have   been  desired,  yielded  to 
■   the  power  of  attraction  and  seated  itself  at  the  doctor's  feet  on  the 
green.       The    military    parades  and  public    gatherings    centered    at 
Abel  Beach's  tavern  and  the  New  Meeting  house  and  Hodges's  store. 
Esquire  Elisha  Smith  became  town  clerk  and  the  business  man  of  the 
town  in  the  room  of  General  Sheldon.      The  post  office  was  esta- 
blished half  a   mile   east  of  the  green  at   Harvey  Palmer's  house, 
on  Goshen  road  before  it  became  a  turnpike.      The  Center  school 
house  stood  on  the  corner  near  Mr.    Willard  Birge's  present  house, 
/  and  the  horse  racing  was  performed  on  the  highway,  originally  six- 
/  teen  rods  wide,  between  the  School  house  and  the  post  office.      To 
j     these  must  be  added  Dr.    Hodges's  potash  manufactory  at  his  house 
\    and  a  brandy  distillery  further  north.      In  1792,  the  hill  at  the  New 
\  Meeting  house,  was  called   Brandy   hill,  whether  in  consequence  of 
the  distillery  north  of  Dr.  Hodges's  or  another  nearer  the  site  is  not 
ascertained.'     The   Rev.   Alexander  Gillett    purchased  his  farm   of 
Samuel  Beach,  half  a  mile  north  of  Dr.  Hodges,  in  1792,  on  which 
he  resided,  until  his  decease.      One  man  who  had  been  of  much  im- 
portance in  the  town  for  fifteen  years,  specially   during  the  Revolu- 


^  It  is  said  that  Epaphras  Loomis   brought  a  barrel  of  brandy  from  Windsor  to  his   house 
north  of  Dr.  Hodges,  and  this  first  gave  the  name  of  Brandy  hill. 


Business    Centers.  67 

tion,  was  Daniel  Grant,  living  on  the  old  Grant  farm  near  Goshen 
line.  The  influence  of  his  energetic  life  was  not  felt  as  much  in 
business  centers  as  all  over  the  town,  especially  the  western  side. 

Such  were  the  relations  of  business  enterprises  and  moneyed  trans- 
actions,  when  in  the  spring  of  1797,   Dr.  Hodges  was   suddenly  re- 
moved   from  his   active  and   successful  life   at  the   early    age  of  fifty 
years.      His  two  sons,  Willard  and  Erastus,  one  eighteen  years  of  age, 
the  other  sixteen,  took  his  business,  except  his  profession,  and  carried 
it    forward  with   decided  success,   and  to  the  great   advantage  of  the 
community,  for   many  years.     The  store  was  continued   on  the  hill 
eight  or  nine  years.      Then  a  store  building  was  erected  at  the  green 
on  the  west  side  by  Erastus  Hodges  and  the  store  on  the  hill  vacated. 
Soon  after  he  erected  the  dwelling  house  adjoining  the  store,  which 
is  still  standing,   and  which  was   at  that  time  the   pride  of  the  town. 
Another  upward  step  in  the  life  of  this  diligent  young  man  was  the 
marrying,  on  the  fifth  day  of  January,  i8og,  Laura  Loomis,  daughter 
of  Richard  Loomis,  aaid  to  have  been  the  most  queenly  woman  then 
living  in  the  town  ;  and  placed  her  in  this  new  home,  queen  of  the 
situation,    but    not    of   his    mercantile   business.      This    store    drew 
around  it  other  enterprises  of  advantage  and  honor  to  the  community. 
Elijah    Cowles  of  New  Hartford  set   up  a  hat  shop  in  the  corner  of 
the  roads  northeast  of  the  store,  which  in  a  few  years  was  removed 
to  the  old  house  a  little  west  of  Mr.  Burton  T.  Cowles's  present  re- 
sidence.     In  about  1822,  the  Academy  was  built  a  little  south  of  Mr. 
Hodges's  dwelling  and   was  in  use  a  number  of  years.      Afterwards 
another  store  was  erected  by  Russell  C.  Abernethy,^  who  some  years 
after  removed  to  Wolcottville  and  was  a  man  of  much  enterprise  and 
efficiency  in  the  town.      In  1848,  the  Meeting  house,  then  strong  and 
substantial,  was  taken  down  and  a  new  one  erected  of  smaller  dimen- 
sions, which  remained  until  1872,  when  it  was  removed  to  Torring- 
ton  hollow,  where  it  has  been  in  use  since  that  time.      Mr.  Alpheus 
Hodges,  brother  of  Erastus,  remained  on  the  old  homestead  on  the 
hill  and  was  a  farmer  of  much  influence  in  the  town,  and  highly  re- 
spected until  his  death  in  1870.      Torrington  green  is  now  deserted  ; 
a  fence  is  placed  along  the  road  on  the  east  side  ;   the  sites  of  the  old 
church  and  of  Capt.  Abel  Beach's  tavern,  and  the  house,  once  Mr. 
Abernethy's  store,  are  all  in  the  lot  east  of  the  highway.      One  family 
alone,   that  of  the  late  Col.  Levi  Hodges,  of  all  who   dwelt  on  that 


'  General  Abernethy  commenced  keeping  a  store  at  this  place  about  1803. 


J) 


68  History  of  Torrington. 

street  is  left ;  and  the  only  nnan  representing  the  name  in  the  town 
is  Mr.  Levi  Hodges,  representative  to  the  state  legislature  in  1877. 
At  the  north  end  of  this  street,  still  residing  in  the  old  homestead,  is 
Miss  Adah,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett,  now  in  the 
ninetieth  year  of  her  age. 

Newfield. 

Some  part  of  Newfield  was  settled  lafer  than  any  portion  of  the 
town  except  the  pine  swamp.  Noah  North  settled  in  the  western 
part  quite  early,  with  a  few  others,  and  the  Fylers  came  into  the 
eastern  part  about  1780.  The  territory  embraced  in  the  fourth 
school  district,  before  1800,  was  called  Noppet,  taking  its  name  from 
Noppet  hill,  west  of  Noah  North's  dwelling.  Abel  Beach,  son  of 
Capt.  Abel,  went  to  this  hill  hunting,  and  lost  his  way,  and  remained 
in  the  woods  over  night.  He  was,  afterwards,  asked  what  he  did 
when  he  found  he  was  lost.  He  said,  "  I  laid  down  by  a  log  and 
nopped  it,"  Hence  the  hill  on  which  he  took  his  nap,  was  called 
Noppet  hill,  and  finally  that  part  of  the  town  was  known  by  the  same 
name.  About  1803,  Junia  North  resolved  that  the  name  should  be 
changed,  and  gave  it  Newfield  instead,  which  was  accepted  without 
resistance. 

This  Junius  North,  who  was  always  called  Juna  and  later  Uncle 
Juna,  kept  a  tavern  where  his  son  Dea.  Frederick  now  resides,  and 
was  a  man  of  considerable  influence.  Rev.  Mr.  Haynes  preached 
in  this  tavern,  a  number  of  times  in  1786  and  7,  and  thus  supplied 
the  demand  for  meetings  in  this  part  of  the  town. 

There  was  a  small  green  at  Capt.  Eli  Richards's,  opposite  the  bury- 
ing ground,  east  side  of  the  road,  giving  the  locality  some  appearance 
of  a  public  place.  The  military  drill  of  the  Newfield  company  was 
held  at  this  place  before  1800,  as  this  part  of  the  town  furnished  men 
enough,  at  that  time,  for  a  whole  company.  Charles  Dix  had  a 
tannery  and  shoe  shop  a  little  north  of  Capt,  Richards's,  before_L793, 
/  and  sold  it  to  Giles  Ward,  who  continued  it  some  years,  Afier- 
/  ward  Phineas  Reed  established  one  north  of  the  Meeting  houses,  on 
!  the  road  to  Winchester.  Henry  Davton  built  a  tannery  and  shoe 
\  shop  at  Arrow  pond,  about  1827,  which  was  continued  some  years. 

Orange  Soper  had  a  blacksmith  shop  a  little  north  of  the  burying 
ground,  where  he  continued  to  work  until  about  1800,  when  he  sold  his 
place  to  Jesse  Finch  and  removed  to  Vernon,  N,  Y,  There 
<vere  several  other  blacksmith  shops  in  Newfield,  and  they  were  kept 


Business    Centers.  69 

busy,  because  in  the  earlier  days  nearly  all  iron  used  went,  first, 
through  the  blacksmith  shops.  Nails  of  ail  descriptions  were  made 
^these  shops,  and  all  the  chains  and  irons  used  by  the  tarmers^Jbput 
the  barns  and  houses,  and  farming  implements  ;  also  cranes  and 
hooks  in  the  fire  places  to  aid  in  cooking,  and  the  hinges  on  the  doors 
of  the  dwellings  as  well  as  the  andirons  in  the  fire  place. 

A  grist  mill  was  built  by  David  Hart,  half  a  mile  north  of  where_ 
the  Churches  were  afterwards  built,  which  continued  some  length  of 
time.  Mr.  James  Culver  was  the  miller  some  years.  Capt.  Salmon 
Bronson  of  Winchester  wanted  some  dried  pumpkin  ground,  and 
brought  it  to  the  mill.  Mr.  Culver  put  in  the  pumpkin  to  grind  ; 
and  put  in  and  put  in,  and  none  came  out.  The  end  of  it  was,  he 
was  under  the  necessity  of  taking  up  the  stone  and  digging  off  the 
pumpkin  with  the  pick.  The  late  Moses  Waugh's  wagon  shop  now 
occupies  the  site,  or  nearly  so,  of  the  old  grist  mill. 

Saw  mills,  cider  mills,  and  brandy  stills  flourished  in  this  part,  as 
well  as  elsewhere  in  the  town.  There  was  also  a  mill  for  turning 
wooden  bowls,  made  from  whitewood,  on  the  brook  half  a  mile  east 
of  the  corners.  For  a  time,  these  dishes  were  used  by  many  people 
for  the  purpose  of  eating.  Chauncey  Humphrey  was  saddle  and 
harness  maker  here  in  1803,  when  the  making  of  saddles  was  a  much 
larger  business  than  the  making  of  harness  ;  and  Theodore  Goodwin 
was  the  hat  maker  at  the  same  time. 

The  first  School  house  for  Newfield  district  stood  on  the  north 
side  of  the  east  and  west  road,  so  that  when  the  Waterbury  turnpike 
was  made,  it  went  between  the  two  chimneys  of  this  house.  It  was 
built  about  1  790,  and  was  large  for  the  accommodation  of  the  School, 
and  also  to  answer  the  purpose  of  a  meeting  house,  which  it  did  for 
some  twelve  or  more  years.  This  same  Newfield  is  said  to  have 
been,  for  many  years,  the  most  populous  part  of  the  town. 

About  1830,  a  store  was  opened  at  the  corners  a  little  south  of  the 
churches,  but  never  attained  any  considerable  business  or  importance. 

Mr.  Harlow  Fyler  lived  about  one  mile  east  of  the  Churches  and 
about  1830,  his  large  farm  presented  a  scene  of  busy  life.  His  dairy 
of  sixty  to  eighty  cows  rolled  out  a  thousand  dollars  a  year.  His 
brick  yard  produced  about  one  hundred  thousand  of  brick  a  year,  and 
one  year  reached  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  He  burned  char- 
coal to  a  great  amount,  year  after  year,  and  kept  one  and  two  coopers 
busy  making  casks  for  the  brass  foundery  in  Wolcottville,  and  barrels 
and  tubs   of  all  descriptions.      His   apple   orchards  poured  out  one 


yo  History  of  Torrington. 

hundred  barrels  of  cider  a  year  frequently  and  one  year  it  reached 
three  hundred  barrels.  Newfield  once  ran  over  with  apples  and 
cider  ;  the  cider  mills  were  so  numerous  that  the  older  people  do  not 
try  to  tell  the  number,  and  several  brandy  stills  were  in  successful 
operation  for  more  than  fifty  years.  x 

The  Baptist  Church./ 

Newfield  derived,  also,  considerable-celeiwity  from  its  meeting  houses 
and  religious  movements.  It  comprised  a  large  farming  community 
and  a  numerous  population,  and  was  from  two  to  five  miles  from  any 
meeting  house.  Two  causes  led  to  a  necessity  for  a  church  in  this  place. 
The  Meeting  house  of  the  first  society  of  the  town,  remained  on  the 
south  hill  from  four  to  five  miles  distant,  and  although  much  effort  had 
been  made  to  remove  it  further  north,  the  people  of  the  southwestern 
part  resisted  severely.  Another  cause  was  the  fact  that  Baptist  min- 
isters had  preached  in  this  region  and  some  of  the  people  had  become 
Baptists.  While,  therefore,  the  troubles  were  going  on  in  the  first 
church  and  society,  special  eff^ort  was  made  in  Newfield,  in  connection 
with  the  Baptist  people  of  Colebrook,  in  the  summer  of  1788,  to 
ascertain  the  propriety  of  organizing  a  Baptist  church.  A  meeting 
was  held  on  the  first  Saturday  in  September  and  the  matter  considered 
in  the  presence  of  elders  James  Bacon  and  Ashbel  Gillett,  and  dele- 
gates Caleb  Case  and  Abel  Gillet,  as  a  council.  On  the  following 
day,  meetings  were  held  and  two  persons  baptized. 

The  advice  of  the  council,  that  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  organ- 
ize a  church,  was  accepted  and  meetings  appointed  for  the  17th  of 
the  same  month.  The  account  of  that  meeting  is  proper  to  be  given 
as  recorded  in  order  to  show  the  freedom  and  openness  of  the  pro- 
ceedings. "  [Meeting  opened  by  solemn  prayer  to  God  for  his  bless- 
ing. Brother  Stephen  Shepard  told  his  experience,  and  we  all  spake 
one  by  one  and  gave  him  fellowship,  and  gave  liberty  for  any  body- 
to  speak  for  or  against  his  experience  or  life  Then  eight  others  told 
their  experience  and  came  forward  in  the  same  manner."  These 
were,  Stephen  Shepard,  Aaron  Marshall,  Silas  Fyler,  Gideon  Smith, 
Esther  Beach,  Chloe  Marshall,  Bethesda  Brunson,  and  Rhoda  Agard. 
Joseph  Drake,  desiring  the  watch  of  the  church  submitted  himself  to 
its  disciphne  though  he  did  not  become  a  member.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  the  following  November,  Elder  Gillet  baptized  Ashbel  Bron- 
son,  Remembrance  North,  Judia  West  and  Sabra  North  and  they 
were  received  into  fellowship.  On  the  8th  day  of  January,  1789,  the 
church  was  recognized  by  sister  churches  and  taken  to  their  fellow- 


Business    Centers.  71 

ship,  and  the  same  day  Elder  Gray  baptized  Esther  Fyler,  Jane 
Loomis  2d,  Hannah  Bronson,  Olive  Agard.  Two  days  afterward, 
Noah  North,  Levi  Marshall,  Norman  Shepard,  were  baptized,  and 
on  the  next  day  John  Fyler,  Lemuel  Loomis,  Elizabeth  North,  and 
Elizabeth  Macomb  were  received  into  the  church.  From  this  time 
until  June,  this  religious  interest  continued,  preaching  being  obtained 
by  various  elders,  and  baptisms  occurring  almost  weekly.  On  the 
9th  of  June  a  council  convened  and  agreed  to  the  request  of  the 
church,  to  ordain  Stephen  Shepard  as  an  evangelist,  and  the  services 
of  this  ordination  were  held  the  next  day  in  Captain  Richards's  lot  at 
eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon.  The  elders  present  were  Isaac  Root 
of  Warren,  James  Bacon  of  Suffrage,  Adam  Hamelton  of  Westfield, 
John  Hastings  of  Suffield,  and  AshbelGillet  of  Wintonbury.  Another 
council  was  convened  with  this  church  on  the  fifth  day  of  October, 
1790,  and  on  the  next  day  ordained  Epaphras  Thompson  to  the  work 
of  the  gospel  ministry.  Elders  present  were  John  Hastings,  Suffield  ; 
Eliakim  Marshall,  Windsor  ;  Isaac  Root,  Warren  ;  Ashbel  Gillet, 
Wintonbury  ;  Calvin  Hurlbut,  Torrington  ;  Elisha  Ransom,  Water- 
town  ;   Jacob  Winchell,   Springfield. 

Elder  Shepard  continued  to  preach  much  of  the  time  in  Newfield 
until  1793,  when  he  removed  his  family  to  Sharon,  but  preached  one- 
half  of  the  time  in  Newfield.  The  meetings  were  held  frequently  at 
the  School  house,  and  some  times  at  Noah  North's. 

The  Baptist  Meeting  House, 

A  paper  containing  declarations  of  principles  and  stipulations  of 
association  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  Meeting  house  in  Newfield, 
is  dated  November  lOth,  1803,  and  states  that,  "  We  the  inhabitants 
of  the  above  named  places,  subscribers  each  one  for  ourselves,  being 
persuaded  that  it  is  our  duty  which  we  owe  to  ourselves,  our  families, 
to  civil  society,  whereof  we  are  members,  and  above  all  to  our  God, 
to  maintain  in  some  suitable  way  the  public  worship  of  that  being  in 
whom  we  profess  to  believe  •,  and  being  of  various  denominations  we 
congratulate  the  day  which  we  behold  in  which  the  powers  above 
hath  abolished  those  walls  of  imposition  and  prejudice,  so  that  we 
mutually  agree  to  provide  a  convenient  building  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  a  worshiping  assembly,  do  hereby  form  ourselves  into  a  volun- 
tary association  by  the  name  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Free  Meeting 
house,  mutually  agreeing  to  raise  a  fund  for  the  purpose  of  building  a 
Meeting  house  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  all  denominations  of  Christ- 


72 


History  of  Torrington. 


ians  upon  the  following  terms."  These  terms  were  in  harmony  with 
the  statements  just  made  ;  and  the  expenses  were  to  be  raised  by 
stock  shares,  one  hundred  and  twenty  in  number  at  five  dollars  each  ; 
the  building  to  be  forty-five  feet  in  length,  thirty-five  in  width,  and 
eighteen  feet  posts.  The  following  names  are  on  the  paper  as  sub- 
scribers, but  a  portion  of  the  original  paper  is  torn  ofl",  so  that  the 
amount  given  by  two  or  three  persons  cannot  be  ascertained. 


Noah  North,  Baptist,     . 

Junia  North,  "       . 

Solomon  Loomis,        " 

Elihu  Barber,  " 

Isaac  Bellows,  " 

Abel  Beach,  "       . 

Randall  Shattuck,      " 

Levi  Munsell, 

Mathew  Adams,  Episcopalian, 

Oliver  Coe,      .... 

William  Reynolds, 

Charles  Richards, 

Moses  Richards,  Episcopalian, 

Noah  Drake,  3d, 

Chauncey  Humphrey,  a  free  thinker. 


$50.00  David  Eggleston,  . 

50.00  Joseph  Eggleston, 

15.Q0  Billy  Eggleston, 

75.00  David  Miller, 

20.00  Bildad  Loomis, 

15.00  Samuel  Rowley, 

10.00  Roger  Coe. 

20.00  John  C.  Riley. 

5.00  Pomeroy  Leach. 

20.00  Benoni  Hills. 

15.00  Roger  Marshall. 

5.00  Thomas  Marshall, 

10.00  Joseph   Hoskins,  . 

5.00  Fred  Case,    . 

Ichabod  Loomis, 


20.00 
5.00 
5.00 
3.00 

10.00 
5.00 


15.00 
5.00 
5.00 
5.00 
5.00 

10.00 
5.00 
5.00 
5.00 
5.00 
5.00 


i.  «."  if  I  don't  think  right  I  have  a  Luke  Case,     .... 

right  to  think  again,"  one  saddle,  13.00  Noah  Drake,  Jr.,  a  free  thinker,     . 

Theodore  Goodwin,  two  felt  hats,  2.50.  Simeon  Richards,  . 

Jedidiah  Eggleston,  .           .          .  10.00  Simeon  Richards,  Jr.,  . 

Linda  Eggleston,             .          .          .  5.00  Ira  Grant,      .... 

Molly  Eggleston,       .          .          .  5.00  Moses  Drake,        .... 

Robert  Hurlbut,              .          .          .  10.00  David  Eggleston,    . 

In  1 8 19,  a  subscription  was  raised  to  repair  the  house,  and  again  in 
1834  ;  and,  in  1840,  further  efforts  were  made  to  revive  the  church 
and  improve  the  Meeting  house.  Soon  after  this  house  was  built  the 
people  began  to  remove  west  and  the  depopulating  movement  con- 
tinued for  many  years  and  it  was  difficult  to  keep  services  regularly, 
even  from  the  beginning.  On  Monday  evening  July  5th,  1875,  this 
Meeting  house,  not  having  been  used  for  a  number  of  years,  and  being 
in  a  dilapidated  condition  was  set  a  fire  by  irresponsible  persons  and 
burned  to  the  ground.  Deacon  Frederick  North  with  a  few  other 
members  of  this  church  still  remain  as  good  examples  of  Christian 
faith  and  practice. 

The  Methodist  Church. ^ 

Between  1780  and  1790,  Ensign  Jonathan  Coe,  Joseph  Haskins 
and  others,  then  living  just  over  the  Winchester  line,  near  Newfield, 
became  disaffected  with  the  standing  or  Congregational  order  and  gave 


Business    Centers.  73 

adhesion  to  the  Methodists,  and  after  this  the  circuit  preachers  held 
service  occasionally  at  Mr.  Coe's  house.  In  the  autumn  of  1808,  a 
Methodist  camp  meeting  was  held  in  Canada  village,  in  Goshen,  and 
Newfield  was  largely  represented  there.  Methodism,  however,  took 
no  definite  prominence  in  Newfield  uiitil  about  1816,  when  Rev. 
Daniel  Coe,  a  local  preacher  from  Winsted,  began  to  hold  regular 
services  in  the  Baptist  meeting  house.  Soon  much  interest  was  mani- 
fested ;  meetings  were  multiplied,  and  quite  a  number  of  persons  were 
baptized  in  the  brook  north  of  Harlow  Fyler's  residence.  A  church 
was  organized  and  Capt.  Levi  Munsill  was  appointed  class  leader. 
The  church  increased  until  it  numbered  about  fifty  members,  and  the 
interest  became  so  general  that  the  school  children  held  prayer  meet- 
ings in  the  grove  during  the  intermission  of  school  exercises.  Capt. 
Stephen  Fyler  and  his  sons  Harlow  and  Juba,  the  Munsills,  Loomises, 
Grants,  Thralls,  Daytons,  and  Capt.  Asahel  Smith  and  Amasa 
Wade  of  Winchester,  and  a  number  of  other  families  warmly  es- 
poused this  cause  ;  and  for  some  years  a  thriving  society  existed. 
Besides  Daniel  Coe,  who  always  manifested  a  fatherly  interest  in  this 
church,  David  Miller  of  Torringford  was  a  frequent  early  preacher. 
Afterwards,  several  other  ministers  are  remembered  as  having  preached 
here,   viz  :   Mr.  Canfield  Cochrane,  Billy  Hibbard,  John  Nickerson, 

Morris  and  Aaron  Hill,  Washburn,  Samuel  D.  Ferguson,  John 

Beach,  Gad  N.  Smith,  Col.  James  Perry,  Joseph  Toy,  Miles  N. 
Olmstead  and  Henry  J.  Fox.  Some  of  the  presiding  elders  were, 
Nathan  and  Heman  Bangs,  Laban  Clark,  John  Lucky, Wash- 
burn,   Martindale, Ferguson  and  Griswold. 

Among   the   class    leaders   after    Capt.    Munsill,   were    Augustus 
Grant,  Archibald  Dayton  and  Chauncey  Riggs. 

Several  of  these  ministers  resided  in  Newfield,  the  circuit  beino-  at 
first  and  for  many  years,  a  four  weeks'  circuit,  with  two  ministers 
each   preaching  in  the  same  place  once  in  four  weeks.      The  other 
minister  living  in  Burlington  ;  the  four  preaching  places  being  Bur- 
lington, Newfield,  Canada  village  in  Goshen  and  Cornwall. 

The  Methodists  and  Baptists  occupied  the  Old  meeting  house  on 

alternate  Sabbaths,  until  a  Methodist  quarterly  meeting  occurred  on 

the  Baptist's  Sabbath,  and  was  conducted  with  closed  doors,  according 

to  the  custom  of  those  days.      Some  young  men  insisted  on  going  into 

this  meeting,  and  finally  broke  down  the  door  to  effect  an  entrance. 

Much  excitement  followed.     The  next  quarterly  meeting  was  held 

In   Harlow  Fyler's  wagon  house,  and  a  great  company  gathered  for 

the  occasion.     This  occurred  in  the  autumn  of  i8?2.     A  meetin? 

10  ^  S 


74 


History  of  Torrington, 


of  the  members  of  this  church  was  held  Nov.  26,  1832,  when  the 
Rev,  Heman  Bangs,  presiding  elder,  was  chosen  moderator  and  Rev. 
Charles  Sherman,  the  pastor,  was  chosen  scribe,  and  they  voted  that 
"  we  deem  it  expedient  to  make  an  effort  to  build  a  Meeting  house," 
They  appointed  a  committee  consisting  of  Levi  Munsill,  Harlow 
Fyler,  Archibald  Dayton,  Elihu  Barber  and  Amasa  Wade,  to  fix  on 
a  site  and  forward  the  movement  as  trustees  of  the  society.  Two 
thousand  dollars  were  fixed  as  the  amount  to  be  raised  in  order  to 
make  the  subscriptions  binding.      The  names  and  amounts  were  : 


Stephen  Fyler,   ^ 
Juba  Fyler,  V 

Harlow  Fyler,    J 
Augustus  Grant, 
Archibald  Dayton, 
Ejihu  Barber, 
Orson  Barber, 
Joslah  Appley, 
Levi  Munsill, 
Uriah  Burr, 


Moses  Drake,    . 
Amasa  Wade,  Jr. 
Joseph  Eggleston, 


John  Humphrey, 

$750.00  Levi  Hurlbut,    . 

Bassett  Dunbar,     . 

200.00  Elkanab  Barber, 

100.00  Jonah  Dayton, 

250.00  Henry  Ward,    . 

200.00  Sumner  Cooper,     . 

50.00  Marcus  Munsill, 

150.00  Luman  Munsill, 

30.00  Isaac  Bronson, 

10.00  Homer  H.  Wade, 

60.00  Lyman  Bronson, 

25.00  Harmon  E.  Wade, 

10.00  Ebenezer  Sexton, 


10.00 

25.00 

25.00 

50.00 

10.00 

5.00 

8.00 

5.00 

5.00 

50.00 

5.00 

10.00 

10.00 

10.00 


The  house  was  built  in  1833,  ^^'^  seated  with  slips  instead  of  the 
box  pew. 

In  November,  1833,  a  subscription  of  $195  was  raised  and  a  bell 
purchased  at  Medway,  Mass.,  and  ordered  sent  by  water  to  Hartford, 
but  navigation  closing,  Mr,  Harlow  Fyler  sent  his  team  to  Med- 
way, for  the  bell,  which  had  been  shipped  to  Boston  to  come  by 
water,  and  the  team  went  to  Boston  and  brought  the  bell  in  time  for 
the  dedication.  After  a  few  years  of  full  meetings  and  general  in- 
terest, the  cause  began  to  decline  ;  families  were  removing  from  the 
community,  almost  yearly,  some  of  them  going  to  the  far  west.  A 
debt  of  four  hundred  dollars  remained  on  the  Meeting  house  property 
which  continued  to  increase  although  several  efforts  were  made  to 
pay  it,  until  about  1 850,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Advent  society,  and 
a  series  of  meetings  was  held  by  Elders  Miles  Grant  and  Matthew- 
son.  For  a  time  there  was  much  interest  manifested  ;  the  Meeting 
house  was  filled  on  the  Sabbath,  and  some  meetings  were  held  in  the 
Baptist  house  also,  and  a  Second  Advent  church  organized  with 
thirty  members,  but  after  ten  or  twelve  years  the  meetings  ceased, 
most  of  the  members  went  to  Wrightville  and  the  Meeting  house 
stood  unused  until  1876,  when  it  was  sold  and  taken  down. 


Business    Centers.  ] ^ 

Now  Newfield  is  lonely,  not  desolate,  but  lonely.  Ashes  are  on 
the  site  of  the  Baptist  house,  brick  and  plastering  on  that  of  the 
Methodist  house.  A  little  brick  school  house  stands  near,  where  a 
dozen  or  twenty  children  meet  for  education,  a  small  portion  of  the 
year. 

"  Time,  whither  dost  thou  flee? 
"  I,  travel  to  eternity." 

TORRINGFORD. 

Shubael  Griswold's  tavern  was  probably  the  first  institution  of  a 
public  character  in  Torringford.  It  is  possib.e  that  it  was  something 
more  than  a  tavern,  for  he  may  have  kept  articles  of  merchandise 
answering  to  a  store,  such  as  teas,  indigo,  sugar,  and  farm  productions, 
as  did  Amos  Wilson,  John  Whiting,  and  Noah  North,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  town.  Not  long  after  Mr.  Griswold's  tavern  became 
established,  Benjamin  Bissell  opened  a  house  of  entertainment  a  little 
further  north  on  Torringford  street  east  side  of  the  road,  which  was 
in  full  operation  in  1776,  for  it  is  stated  that  during  the  Revolution, 
the  women  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  town,  whose  husbands  and  sons 
were  in  the  army,  asseml)led  at  this  tavern,  at  certain  times,  to  obtain 
information  from,  or  concerning  the  soldiers  and  the  army.  After- 
wards David  Soper  kept  a  tavern  near  the  first  Meeting  house,  which 
he  continued  a  number  of  years.  Another  tavern  was  kept  near  the 
Greenwoods. 

William  Battell  of  Woodbury,  bought  ten  acres  of  land  adjoining 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills's  house,  on  the  south,  on  the  ninth  of  October, 
1783  ;  giving  for  it  three  hundred  and  five  pounds.  On  this  land 
he  erected  a  store  building,  and  in  it  kept  a  store  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Battell  was  about  thirty-five  years  of  age  when  he  settled  in 
Torringford,  and  entered  upon  his  mercantile  business  with  energy 
and  good  judgment,  as  is  indicated  by  the  location  he  chose  for  him- 
self. There  was  but  one  store  in  the  town  at  the  time,  that  being 
Dr.  Hodges,  on  the  west  side,  and  Torringford  was  fast  becoming  a 
populous  region  by  immigration  and  the  growing  up  of  the  young  people 
of  the  families  of  the  first  settlers.  Dr.  Samuel  Woodward  had  re- 
cently established  his  home  here  as  a  practicing  physician,  and  the 
place  needed  just  such  a  store  as  Mr.  Battell  opened  to  the  public, 
and  although  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  transporting  his  mer- 
chandise to  Hartford  and  New  Haven,  at  first,  with  ox  carts,  yet  he 
succeeded  well,  and  his  store  became  the  place  of  a  large  amount  of 
business  transactions.      He  bought  and  shipped  all  kinds  of  farm  pro- 


76  History  of  Torrington. 

/   duce  ;  grains,  butter,  cheese,  pork,  beef,  eggs,  and  flax,  and  brought  in 
I     return  all  the  articles  usually  sold  at  country  stores  in  those  days  ;   dry 

V goods,  including  silks  and  satins,  imported  broadcloths  of  costly  style, 
groceries,  hardware,  drugs,  shoes  and  leather.  All  the  various  kinds  ot 
mercantile  goods,  that  at  the  present  day  are  found  by  visiting  a  dozen 
stores,  were  then  crowded  into  one,  and  called  a  country  store. 
Such  a  store  was  not  complete  without  a  choice  variety  of  wines, 
brandies,  and  liquors  of  all  kinds  ;  imported,  and  of  home  manufac- 
ture, and  this  was  not  all  ;  the  people  drank  liquors  by  the  gallon  and 
barrel,  and  some  of  them  made  themselves  drunk,  and  wallowed  in  the 
mire  like  beasts,  as  well  as  at  the  present  day.  The  familiar  pretense 
that  persons  did  not  become  intoxicated  and  stagger  in  the  streets,  swear 
and  fight  and  run  horses  and  carouse,  just  like  drunken  men,  is  too 
shallow  to  be  repeated  by  intelligent  people.  It  may  go  for  par  a  thou- 
sand years  hence,  but  not  quite  yet.  It  was  not  a  peculiarity  of  one 
store  nor  of  one  community  to  sell  and  use  intoxicating  drinks,  but 
was  the  practice  of  a  great  portion  of  both  stores  and  communities 
throughout  the  United  States,  before  and  many  years  after  the  year 
eighteen  hundred.  Mr.  Battell  had  also  a  manufactory  of  potash, 
which  was  an  article  of  extensive  sale  in  those  days. 

He  sold  his  store  and  the  ten  acres  of  land  and  the  potash  works, 
to  his  sons  William  and  Joseph,  the  latter  being  in  Norfolk,  in  1808, 
and  probably  retired  from  business  life.  His  son  William  continued 
the  store  until  about  1830. 

Nathaniel  Smith  of  Milford  and  later  of  Bethlehem,  came  to  Tor- 
ringford  a  young  man,  and  was  clerk  in  the  store  of  William  Battell 
three  years,  when  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for  himself 
in  a  store  at  Griswold's  corners,  where  he  continued  until  his  death, 
in  1854,  a  period  of  forty-six  years.  He  married  Harriet,  the 
daughter  of  Daniel  Winchell,  and  built  and  resided  in  the  brick 
house  on  the  west  side  of  the  street  at  that  place.  He  was  appointed 
post  master  in  1812,  and  held  the  office  without  interruption  forty- 
two  years,  a  case  probably  without  a  parallel  in  this  country,  and  he 
was  a  very  upright  and  careful  business  man,  and  highly  esteemed 
among  business  men  generally,  credit  in  New  York  and  else- 
where being  of  the  highest  kind,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  did  a 
large  business,  but  Wolcottville  began  to  be  the  market  for  farmer's 
produce  and  hence  also  of  mercantile  trade,  and  especially  after  the 
rail  road  was  established.  Therefore  Torringford,  as  to  commer- 
Sf^l  \  cial  life  must  decline,  while  the  valleys  surrounding  it  should  increase. 
Mr.  Smith's  son,  Charles  B.  Smith,  came  to  Wolcottville  as  a  mer- 


Business   Centers.  77 

chant,  and  the  business  at  the  old  store  was  not  great  during  the  few 
last  years  that  it  was  continued. 

Quite  an  extensive  tannery  and  shoe  shop  had  been  conducted  in 
the  early  time  of  Torringford,  on  the  corner  where  Nathaniel  Smith 
built  his  brick  house,  and  here  also,  he  set  up,  in  the  rear  of  his 
dwelling,  a  leach,  for  the  making  of  potash. 

The  brick  buildino-  a  short  distance  south  of  the  Church  was  used 
some  years,  beginning  about  i860,  by  Darius  Wilson,  as  a  wagon 
and  blacksmith  shop.  He  removed  to  Wolcottville  and  then  west. 
Another  wagon  shop  stood  half  a  mile  east,  and  was  a  busy  place  a 
number  of  years  ;  several  men  being  regularly  employed  in  making 
wagons,  some  of  which  were  for  the  southern  market.  This  shop 
was  started  about  184.0. 

The  Torringford  Farmers'  Company. 

A  people's  store  was  started  at  or  near  Greenwoods,  at  the  north 
end  of  Torringford  street,  in  1838,  and  was  conducted  by  Ellis  Bur- 
well. 

The  capital  stock  was  four  thousand  dollars,  and  was  held  by  the 
following  persons  : 

Uriel  Tuttle,  Thomas  A.  Miller,  John  C.    Barber, 

Ellis   Burwell,  Henry  Colt,  Anson  Colt  Jr., 

Barzillai  Hudson,  Tuttle,  Allen  Roberts, 

Nelson  Roberts,  Benjamin   Tucker,  Leonard    Tucker, 

Barton  Pond,  Daniel  G.   Humphrey,  Uriel  Spencer, 

Hiram  Burr,  Milo  Burr,  Peleg  Elmer. 

Uriel  Tuttle,  president,  and  Anson  Colt  Jr.,  T.  A.  Miller,  Bar- 
ton Pond,  directors. 

All  mercantile  business  has  departed  from  Torringford,  and  noth- 
ing of  the  olden  times  is  seen  but  the  farmers  and  the  farming, 
and  the  post  office  at  Mr.  Stanley  Griswold's.  The  Greenwoods 
part  of  Torringford  street  was  settled  later  than  the  southern  part, 
but  became  as  enterprising  and  prosperous  after  the  year  1 800, 
as  anypart  of  the  town.  The  Haydens  kept  a  tavern  many  years, 
arunfhe  Tuttles,  Colts,  and  a  number  of  other  families,  were  as  spir- 
ited, energetic  and  successful,  and  influential  as  any  in  the  town. 
David  Lyman  settled  on  East  street,  during  the  Revolution,  or  soon 
after,  and  others  became  his  neighbors  on  that  street. 

Holbrook's  Mills. 
Abijah  Holbrook  came  from  Bellingham,  Mass.,  to  Goshen,  and 
in  July  1787,  bought,  in  company  with   Fisk  Beach,  land  of  Daniel 


yS  History  of  Torrington. 

Mills  of  Goshen,  at  the  place  on  Naugatuck  river  afterwards  known 
as  Holbrook's  mills,  and  later  as  Appley's  mills.  When  Mr.  Hol- 
brook  and  Beach  made  the  purchase,  there  was  a  forge,  or  iron  works 
on  the  land  i  an  attempt  having  been  made  to  obtain  iron  from  the  ore 
found  in  this  region  but  the  quantity  obtained  was  not  sufficient  to 
encourage  this  kind  of  enterprise.  Mr.  Holbrook  and  Beach  built  a 
grist  mill  and  saw  mill,  and  Mr.  Holbrook  erected  the  dwelling  that 
is  now  tailing  to  the  ground,  a  little  south  of  the  mill.  Its  ruins 
show  that  it  was  once,  more  than  an  ordinary  house.  Mr.  Holbrook 
was  a  man  of  wealth,  and  a  "  polished  gentleman,  far  in  advance  of  his 
generation  in  that  particular."'  Elijah  Pond  being  brother-in-law  to 
Mr.  Holbrook,  removed  from  Grafton,  Massachusetts,  about  1790, 
and  engaged  in  the  mill,  and  other  enterprises  with  this  brother-in-law, 
and  it  is  thought,  they  had  a  purpose  or  intent  to  work  the  foundery  in 
connection  with  the  iron  mine  on  Walnut  mountain.  Sylvanus  Hol- 
brook, a  nephew  of  Abijah,  came  from  Massachusetts,  very  early  in  the 
present  century,  and  resided  some  years  in  the  vicinity  of  his  uncle, 
and  removed  to  Goshen  where  he  died.  He  did  a  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Baltimore  which  required  his  absence  from  home  some  months 
of  each  year. 

About  the  year  1800,  Capt.  Elisha  Hinsdale  came  from  Canaan 
to  this  place  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  scythes  and  axes, 
and  general  blacksmithing.  Here  were  made  in  large  quantities,  for 
those  days,  the  celebrated  clover-leaf  scythe,  and  axes,  and  were 
carried  on  wagons  to  water  transportations.  Soon  after,  or  about  the 
time  the  Hindsdales  came  to  this  place,  Josiah  Appley  became  a 
resident,  and  finally  the  owner  of  much  of  the  property  of  the  place. 
He  built  a  grist  mill  a  little  north  of  Holbrook's  on  the  Hall  Meadow 
brook. 

Abijah  Holbrook  died  in  1812,  and  in  1814  his  widow  Mary  sold 
the  homestead,  grist  millandsaw  mill  toErastus  Lyman  and  Thearon 
Beach  of  Goshen,  for  $2, 150,  and  removed  from  the  place,  to  western 
New  York.  In  18 16  Elisha  Hindsdale  sold  his  lands  to  his  brother, 
Dea.  Abel,  and  removed  west,  and  from  that  day  all  business  inter- 
ests in  that  localitv  have  taken  the  down  hill  course,  until  onlv  one 
old  mill  building  is  left,  and  that  looks  as  if  ready  to  tumble  down 
any  day.  There  are  two  dwellings  that  are  occupied,  which  are  the 
only  things  that  show  signs  of  life  except  the  trees,  which  grow  with 


'  So  writes  Dr.  James  O.  Pond  of  New  York. 


FALLS  AT  TORRINGTON  HOLLOW. 


Business    Centers.  79 

a  thrift  almost  surprising  to  Connecticut  people.  The  little  grave- 
yard, lilled  with  graves,  stands  on  the  bank,  of  the  river,  and  is  very 
beautiful  because  of  its  quietness,  in  its  almost  unbroken  solitude, 
where  the  tumult  of  the  great  city  will  never  disturb  the  ashes  that 
rest  there,  while  the  wild  birds  of  the  woods  will  sing  their  marvel- 
ous songs  above  the  dust  of  some  of  the  noble  sons  and  daughters 
of  the  honored  pilgrims. 

Hart's  Hollow. 
About  a  mile  above  Holbrook's  mills,  at  a  place  called  Hart's  hol- 
low, in  the  edge  of  the  town  of  Goshen,  quite  a  business  was  con- 
ducted in  making  clocks,  about  1820  ;  a  number  of  buildings  were 
erected  and  for  a  time  the  place  assumed  considerable  importance  ; 
and  as  the  natural  outlet  of  the  place  was  through  Torrington,  the 
place  seemed  a  part  of  Torrington,  and  the  inhabitants  usually  at- 
tended Torrington  church. 

Torrington  Hollow, 

The  first  name  that  is  now  remembered  as  designating  this  part  of 
the  town,  was  Poverty  hollow,  a  name  that  never  attracted  many 
persons  to  any  place,  although  many  have  known  where  such  a  hol- 
low was  situated.  Thus  things  passed  for  a  time  until  after  the  build- 
ing of  the  cotton  mill,  when  it  came  to  be  called  Cotton  hollow  ;  but 
by  some  mysterious  magic,  has  so  far  asserted  its  majesty  as  to  throw 
off  the  Cotton,  and  now  stands  in  the  dignity  of  Torrington  hollow  j 
the  post  office,  however,  has  taken  to  itself  the  whole  honor  of  the 
town,  and  is  known  by  the  one  word,  Torrington. 

In  February,  18 13,  Elijah  B.  Loomis,  of  New  York,  and  Elisha 
Loomis  and  Abner  M.  Warriner,  of  Torrington,  entered  into  part- 
nership, and  built  a  mill  or  factory  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing 
cotton,  woolen  and  other  goods,  at  this  place.  The  factory  was 
located  near  the  bridge  on  Goshen  turnpike,  and  was  built  in  1813. 
The  next  January,  other  persons  entered  the  partnership  under 
the  name  of  the  Torrington  Manufacturing  Company,  and  the  firm 
consisted  of  Elisha  Loomis,  Elijah  B.  Loomis,  Abner  M.  Warriner, 
John  W.  Walker,  Christopher  Pierce,  James  Green  and  William 
Dexter  ;  the  stock  being  eight  thousand  dollars. 

In  the  next  September  it  was  mortgaged  to  David  Wadhams  and 
David  Thomas  of  Goshen,  to  procure  capital  to  insure  success  in  the 
making  of  goods.     This  business  enterprise,  like  the  first  woolen  mill 


8o  History  of  Torrington. 

at  Wolcottville,  does  not  appear  to  have  had  any  great  success  in 
making  money,  for  it  struggled  along  some  years,  under  disadvantages, 
yet  with  much  apparent  effort,  but  did  not  prosper.  The  cot- 
ton was  spun  in  the  mill,  then  sent  abroad  among  the  farmers  to  be 
woven,  and  although  it  brought  new  work  to  many  homes, 
it  is  doubtful  if  every  one  who  undertook  to  weave,  made  a  success 
of  it,  and  with  all  the  difficulties  attending  the  work,  there  would  have 
been  no  success  but  for  the  high  price  of  the  cloth,  which  sold  from 
thirty  to  forty  cents  per  yard. 

A  store  was  also  put  up  in  connection  with  the  factory  or  about 
the  same  time,  and  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Green. 

In  1827,  the  cotton  factory  was  sold  for  debt,  and  changed  hands 
several  times  until  it  came  into  the  hands  of  Erastus  Hodges,  and  as 
he  had  found  success  in  nearly  every  enterprise  he  had  undertaken, 
he  pushed  forward  this  with  money  and  much  energy,  and  he  also 
interested  himself  largely  in  the  making  of  clocks  aboutthe  same  time. 
Norris'  North  engaged  in  the  clock  business,  about  1820,  and 
Mr.  Hodges  became  interested  with  him,  if  he  was  not  a  part- 
ner. The  clocks  were  made  at  first  in  Harvey  Palmer's  old  carding 
machine,  then  in  a  part  of  Ormel  Leach's  grist  mill,  and  after  that 
in  a  building  called  the  clock  factory.  Mr.  Hodges  also  took  the 
store  of  James  Green,  placing  his  sons  in  it  and  in  the  mill,  to  give 
them  a  start  in  business  life.  The  store  was  removed  to  Wolcott- 
ville,  previous  to  1834,  and  continued  some  time  by  these  sons,  with 
the  aid  of  their  father. 

In  1835,  the  brass  foundery  was  started  by  Mr.  Hodges  and  others, 
and  the  buildings  were  located  below  the  bridge  on  the  east  bank, 
where  they  are  now  in  a  falling  condition.  This  business  was  started 
with  the  purpose  of  making  brass  kettles  by  the  battery,  or  hammer- 
ing process  ;  the  preparations  for  the  work  were  quite  ample,  and 
an  agent  was  sent  to  Europe  to  procure  men  and  machinery,  and 
considerable  quantity  of  machinery  was  shipped  from  Europe,  but 
the  vessel  was  wrecked  and  all  was  lost.  Calamity  and  disaster  at- 
tended nearly  every  effort  in  this  undertaking,  and  after  a  little  time 
the  brass  business  at  this  place  was  purchased  by  Israel  Coe,  then  of 
Wolcottville,  engaged  in  the  same  enterprise. 

After  some  years,  these  buildings  were  fitted  for  smelting  ore,  in 
hope  of  obtaining  nickel,  but  the  metal  was  not  found  to  exist  in  suf- 
ficient quantities,  or  the  process  of  separation  was  too  costly  to  make 
it  profitable  to  continue  the  work. 


Business   Centers.  8i 

After  the  business  of  making  clocks  was  discontinued,  a  lock  fac- 
tory was  established,  in  which  George  D,  Wadhams,  Mr.  Goodwin 
and  Edmund  Wooding  were  interested,  and  engaged.  When  the  lock 
business  was  closed,  the  building  was  used  for  making  skates  until  the 
skate   company  removed. 

In  1869,  Chester  L.  Smith  from  Litchfield  purchased  this  pro- 
perty, which  the  skate  company  had  vacated,  and  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  toys.  After  one  year  he  began  the  making  of  sleds 
for  children,  which  business  he  continued  with  success  until  his  de- 
cease in  August,  1876.  Since  then  his  sons  Ralph  R.  Smith  and 
Chester  L.  Smith  have  continued  the  same  business. 

It  is  stated  that  there  was  a  grist  mill  some  time  before  the  year 
1800,  at  this  place,  just  below  the  site  of  the  present  bridge,  but  who 
built  this  mill  and  how  long  it  continued  its  good  work  of  making 
flour  is  not  known. 

Ormel  Leach  put  a  run  of  stone  in  the  saw  mill  which  stood  a  little 
up  the  stream,  northeast  of  Wrightville,  and  continued  it  two  or  three 
years,  and  then  built  the  mill  which  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Willard 
H.  Barber  at  the  hollow.  This  mill  has  been  an  important  enter- 
prise for  many  years.  Mr.  Lucius  Leach,  son  of  Ormel,  owned  and 
conducted  it  a  number  of  years,  making  additions  and  improvements, 
then  sold  it,  with  grist  mill,  saw  mill  and  plaster  mill,  to  Mr.  Willard 
H.  Barber  in  1868,  who  continues  the  same  with  the  addition  of  a 
new  building,  for  a  plaster  and  cider  mill.  The  old  saw  mill,  a  little 
below  the  site  of  Harvey  Palmer's  carding  mill,  has  out-lived  its 
usefulness,  and  having  nearly  tumbled  down  might  be  taken  for  fire 
wood  without  any  great  sacrifice. 

Wrightville. 

Wrightville,  a  cluster  of  a  dozen  houses,  was  the  outgrowth  of  the 
scythe  factory,  organized  in  1852  as  a  stock  company,  mostly  of 
farmers  ;  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  scythes  and  hoes  ;  with 
a  certified  stock  of  six  thousand  dollars  ;  the  stockholders  being  Uri 
L.  Whiting,  Robert  Wright,  Albro  W.  Cowles,  Rodney  Brace,  Geo. 
W.  Loomis,  Daniel  A.  Grant,  Wm.  A.  Grant,  Augustus  Grant, 
Daniel  Brown,  Charles  Hotchkiss,  Frederick  A.  Griswold,  Phineas 
N:rth,  Rodney  Pierce.  The  officers  were  Phineas  North,  president, 
with  Rodney  Brace,  Albro  W.  Cowles,  Charles  Hotchkiss  direct- 
ors.     A  commodious  building  was  erected  of  stone,  and  machinery 

11 


82  History  of  Torrington. 

for  conducting  the  work  in  an  advantageous  manner  was  placed  in 
the  building.  The  work  began  under  favorable  circumstances,  and 
to  all  appearances  was  in  successful  prosecution  for  several  years. 
Some  money  was  needed  above  the  stock  paid  in,  and  in  order  to 
raise  this  money,  the  stockholders  signed  a  paper  obligating  their 
personal  property  over  or  above  the  stock  they  severally  owned.  This 
done  the  business  went  on  briskly.  Much  work  was  done  ;  scythes 
in  large  quantities  were  sold.  Some  few  changes  in  the  ownership 
of  stock  took  place  but  not  such  as  to-  affect  the  business  in  any 
respect.  Thus  things  were  progressing,  when,  after  a  season  of  good 
success  in  the  sale  of  the  goods  produced,  the  company  were  reported 
to  be  heavily  in  debt,  and  work  was  stopped.  Further  examination 
proved  each  stockholder  liable  for  several  hundred  dollars  in  addition 
to  the  loss  of  the  stock  he  held.  No  business  transaction  ever  had 
the  damaging  effect  on  the  western  part  of  the  town  that  this  break 
down  had.  Calamities  in  regard  to  money  have  fallen  on  persons  in 
all  parts  of  the  town,  but  there  are  none  heard  of,  concerning  which 
there  is  any  comparison  of  bitterness  expressed,  as  about  the  Wright- 
ville  scythe  manufactory. 

The  Carriage  Shop. 

About  1854,  Mr.  Hiram  Pulver,  having  returned  from  a  success- 
ful two  or  three  years'  trip  to  California,  established  himself  in  the 
carriage  making  business,  at  this  place,  where  he  has  been  found  dili- 
gently and  constantly  engaged  since  that  time,  in  making  and  repairing 
carriages  and  wagons  in  the  most  approved  style.  Such  has  been  his 
reputation  for  thorough  work  that  his  business  gradually  increased 
until  he  found  it  necessary  to  remove  to  more  commodious  quarters, 
and  hence  erected  in  1877,  such  buildings  as  were  needed  in  Wol- 
cottville,  Wrightville,  therefore,  will  be  more  than  ever  deserted, 
and  Wolcottville  more  busy  and  prosperous. 

Wrightville  Church, 
Some  time  in  1865  or  6,  the  Second  Advent  people  of  Newfield, 
commenced  holding  meetings  quite  regularly  at  Wrightville,  and  in 
1867  the  Meeting  house  was  built.  It  was  a  conimodious  building, 
equal  to  the  needs  ot  the  congregation,  and  meetings  were  con- 
tinued in  it  and  preaching  maintained  with  considerable  regularity 
several   years.     The    society  was  never  wealthy,    but    did   what    it 


Business   Centers.  83 

could,  and  since  the  suspension  of  the  scythe  shop  Wrightville   has 
been  growing  less,  and  also  this  church. 


BURRVILLE. 

Elias  Gilbert  of  New  Haven  bought  land  at  this  place,  of  David 
Soper,  in  1812,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  This  he  sold  the 
next  year  to  Isaac  Gilbert  with  "  bark  house  and  tan-vats  "  on  it. 
In  1816,  Newton  Rossiter  bought  land  of  David  Soper  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river,  and  in  1817  he  bought  of  Chester  Loomis,  a  ham- 
mer shop,  which  had  been  owned  by  Isaac  Gilbert,  and  was  probably 
built  by  him.  In  1818,  Mr,  Rossiter  bought  Isaac  Gilbert's  tan- 
nery, and  engaged  in  the  tanning  and  shoe  business  extensively, 
and  hence  the  name  Rossiterville,  by  which  the  place  was  known  a 
number  of  years. 

In  about  1828  or  9,  Mr.  Rossiter,  having  exchanged  with  the 
state  of  Connecticut,  his  property  at  this  place  for  western  lands,  re- 
moved west.  The  old  tannery  is  now  owned  and  used  by  Mr.  J. 
M.  Burr,  as  a  grist  mill  and  shingle  mill. 

Bricks  were  made  at  first  on  Torringford  street,  near  the  old 
Burr  tavern,  and  afterwards  two  or  three  kilns  were  established  be- 
tween thatplace  and  the  hollow,  one  of  which,  near  Burrville,  is  still 
continued  by  Mr.  John  M.  Burr.  The  Haydens  also  on  Torring- 
ford street  made  large  quantities  of  brick. 

While  the  tannery  was  in  successful  progress,  Mr.  Milo  Burr  en- 
tered upon  the  work  of  reducing  the  pine  timber,  then  covering 
the  valley  at  this  place,  to  lumber.  For  this  end  he  had  three  saw 
mills  in  full  operation  a  number  of  years,  and  the  larger  part  of 
his  success  in  life  resulted  from  this  lumber  trade.  Other  enterprises 
he  pursued  with  much  energy,  and  for  the  hope  of  public  good,  the 
enlarging  of  the  place  ;  but  most  of  these  efforts  were  to  his  own 
disadvantage,  while  the  pine  timber  brought  some  compensation  of 
comfort. 

In  1851,  he  built  a  dam  on  the  mountain  west  of  the  village  and 
constructed  what  is  well  known  as  Burr's  reservoir  ;  a  most  beauti- 
tiful  sheet  of  water,  in  the  woods  among  the  rocky  hills.  The  place 
and  scenery  are  as  wild  and  lonely  as  any  civilized  creature  could 
wish,  except  as  to  extent.  Once  the  dam  gave  way  and  the  rushing 
waters  came  down  the  mountain  gorge  with  such  a  noise  as  to  give 
warning,  and  no  lives  were  lost  except  one  little  child.      The  water 


84  History  of  Torrington. 

in  the  reservoir  is  as  clean  and  clear  as  is  ever  secured  for  family 
use,  and  the  people  of  Burrville  can  have  water  with  a  hundred  feet 
pressure  in  their  houses  at  very  little  cost.  On  the  brook  leading 
from  the  reservoir  to  the  village,  near  the  latter,  Mr.  Milo  Burr 
built,  in  1854,  a  large  building  to  be  used  as  a  manufactory.  This 
was  occupied  some  time  by  Mr.  Gale,  under  the  first  patent  for  put- 
ting up  condensed  milk,  by  preserving  with  sugar.  He  began  this 
work  at  Wolcottville  but  removed  to  this  place  as  one  reason,  be- 
cause of  the  purity  of  the  water  here  obtained.  He  removed  to 
Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  where  his  enterprise  is  in  most  successful 
operation,  it  having  become  of  great  importance  to  the  people  of  large 
cities. 

On  Saturday,  May  12,  1877,  this  building  was  consumed  by  fire. 

Newton  Rossiter,  while  conducting  the  tannery  kept  a  small  store, 
probably  in  his  own  dwelling.  Afterwards  Captain  Milo  Burr  and 
Beach  Baker  removed  the  store  building  once  used  at  Greenwoods 
street  for  a  people's  store  to  Burrville  and  Mr.  Baker  kept  a  store  for 
a  short  time.  Nelson  Roberts  took  this  store  in  1848,  and  con- 
ducted it  fourteen  years,  and  then  sold  if  to  Lewis  Johnson,  who  re- 
mained in  it  two  years,  and  sold  to  Mr.  E.  S.  Minor,  who  is  still 
the  merchant  and  rail  road  agent  at  the  place.  There  is  a  post- 
office  at  the  place  ;  Mr.  John  M.  Burr,  post-master.  Mr.  James 
Tallmadge  had  a  wagon  shop  here  about  i860,  for  a  time,  when  he 
removed  to  Winsted. 

Daytonville, 

The  Organ  Factory. 

Jonah  Dayton,  from  Watertown,  Ct.,  came  to  Torrington  when 
a  young  man,  and  bought  land  of  David  Soper  one  mile  north  of 
Wolcottville,  in  1809  and  1810,  on  which  he  built  a  house  and  other 
buildings.  Upon  the  farm  he  then  bought,  stand  most  of  the  dozen 
dwellings  which  now  compose  the  place  called  Daytonville.  The 
number  of  houses  does  not  entitle  the  place  to  the  name  of  a  village, 
but  the  business  transactions  which  have  taken  place  there  warrant 
the  perpetuation  of  such  honor  for  many  years  to  come.  Mr.  Dayton 
was  a  farmer,  and  in  this  work  made  improvements  about  his  home 
until  about  1831,  when  he  built  a  saw  mill  by  which  his  work  was 
considerably  increased.  In  1834,  his  son  Arvid  Dayton,  put  up  a 
building  in  which  he  did  various  kinds  of  mechanical  work  a  number 
of  years,  and  in    this  shop  he  built  his  first  pipe  organ  in  1840.      In 


Business    Centers.  85 

1844,  a  large  addition  was  made  to  this  shop,  which  has  been  occu- 
pied since  that  time  as  an  organ  factory.  In  1846,  he  built  his  first 
reed  organ,  and  thereby  was  the  first  to  build  organs  of  this  kind, 
in  America,  so  far  as  is  known.  For  twenty  years  or  more  he  was 
busy,  employing  a  number  of  hands,  in  making  these  instruments  ; 
more  than  five  thousand  having  been  sent  out  to  make  melody  in  the 
churches  and  in  the  homes  of  Connecticut  and  many  other  states. 

Between  1850  and  i860,  he  made  many  valuable  improvements 
in  organs  of  this  kind  but  being  more  attentive  to  the  making  of  per- 
fect instruments  than  to  the  retaining  the  control  of  his  improvements, 
he  did  not  obtain  patents  on  his  inventions,  and  freely  exhibited  these 
instruments  to  the  one  purpose  of  selling  them.  The  result  was  that 
other  persons,  forming  companies  with  large  capital,  used  these  im- 
provements, greatly  to  their  own  advantage  without  any  profit  to 
him.  Many  of  the  most  finished  workmen,  employed  in  the  largest 
manufactories  in  the  country  learned  their  trade  under  Mr.  Dayton. 
The  "Tuner's  Gamut"  an  invention  of  Mr.  Dayton,  for  tuning 
these  organs  is  an  instrument  in  general  use,  and  is  acknowledged  to 
be  of  very  great  value  in  securing  perfect  harmony  in  the  tones  of 
such  instruments. 

One  patent  he  has  lately  obtained,  which  has  brought  him  some 
appropriate  remuneration. 

The  Rake  Factory. 

Soon  after  Jonah  Dayton  settled  on  his  farm,  Bassett  Dunbar  es- 
tablished a  shop,  a  little  way  up  the  river,  at  the  old  Munn  place, 
for  making  hay-rakes,  and  fork  and  hoe  handles.  This  business  he 
continued  many  years.  The  name  B.  Dunbar  became  familiar 
to  the  people  throughout  Connecticut,  and  many  other  states,  by 
being  branded  on  the  rake  heads  and  hoe-handles,  although  few 
persons  had  any  knowledge  of  the  retired  place  where  so  far  famed 
a  man  resided.  If  all  the  old  familiar  friends  of  B.  Dunbar 
should  come  and  settle  in  the  region  of  Wolcottville,  a  large  city 
would  at  once  occupy  the  Naugatuck  valley.  Far  away  to  Ohio 
has  the  name,  B.  Dunbar,  gone,  although  the  man  who  bore  it  may 
never  have  crossed  the  Hudson  river.  In  our  day  this  would  be 
nothing,  for  the  monthly  report  of  the  standing  of  our  school  children 
goes  much  further  than  that,  but  in  that  day  it  was  very  diff^erent. 

After  the  making  of  rakes  had  ended,  Samuel  De  Forest  bought 
this  shop  and  used  it  in  making  German  silver  spoons,  and  afterwards 
sold  it  to  Lyman  Clark,  a  carpenter  and  builder,  who  among  other 


86  History  of  Torrington. 

edifices,  built  the  second  Church  at  Torrington  green,  in  1848.  Mr. 
Clark  sold  to  James  Ashborn,  who  made  guitars  until  the  commence- 
ment of  the  late  rebellion  when  the  sale  of  these  instruments  ended. 
It  was  rented  for  a  time  for  the  making  of  piano  covers,  and  in  1866, 
the  Excelsior  Needle  Company  bought  it  and  made  needles  there 
until  their  business  became  too  extensive  for  the  size  of  the  building, 
when  they  removed  to  Wolcottville. 

This  shop  is  now  a  saw  mill,  owned  by  Frederick  Wadhams,  with 
a  circular  saw  that  will  turn  out  six  hundred  feet  of  boards  an  hour, 
or  will  run  through  a  log  fifteen  feet  in  length,  one  foot  m  diameter 
in  fifteen  seconds,  a  great  change  from  the  old  mill  which  stood 
further  up  the  river,  which  would  allow  a  man  to  eat  his  dinner  while 
the  saw  made  the  length  of  the  log. 

JuDE  Freeman's  Mill. 

This  saw  mill  stood  a  little  distance  above  Bassett  Dunbar's  shop, 
and  was  owned  by  Jude  Freeman,  a  colored  man,  many  years.  He 
also  owned  a  large  farm  on  Red  mountain  on  which  he  resided. 
Jonah  Dayton  was  known  to  say  many  times  that  Mr.  Freeman  could 
borrow  a  hundred  dollars  as  readily  as  any  man  in  town  because  he 
was  as  good  pay  as  any  body.  This  mill  and  mill  privilege  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Elkanah  Barber,  son  of  Elihu  Barber,  who  continued  the 
old  mill,  and  added  a  cider  mill  and  a  blacksmith  shop,  but  these  are 
all  gone  now  except  a  few  old  timbers. 

Huntington's  Carding   Mill. 

William  Huntington  from  Harwinton  established  a  carding  mill, 
about  half  a  mile  above  Daytonville,  and  a  few  rods  above  Elkanah 
Barber's  saw  mill,  about  1829,  and  here  he  continued  to  card  wool 
and  dress  cloth  for  many  years.  This  property  has  changed  hands 
several  times  and  is  now  owned  by  Squire  Scoville,  and  is  occupied 
as  a  saw   mill. 

Cook's  Saw  Mill. 

This  mill  is  below  Daytonville,  a  short  distance,  and  was  built 
originally  by  David  Soper,  Joseph  Gaylord,  and  John  Cook,  Jr., 
about  or  before  1800.      It  is  now  owned  by  the  Cook  families. 


CHAPTER     IX. 

WOLCOTTVILLE. 

How  IT  Became  a  Village. 

)HE  first  business  transaction  that  led  the  way  of 
all  others  in  building  Wolcottville  as  a  village,  was 
the  purchasing  by  Amos  Wilson  of  the  proprietors 
of  the  town,  the  mill  privileges,  on  Waterbury  river, 
west  branch,  in  March  175 1;  the  site  known  since  as  that  of 
Wilson's  mill.  He  was  then  twenty-five  years  of  age  ;  had  been  in 
the  town  less  than  a  year  ;  was  the  owner  of  fifty  acres  of  land  given 
him  by  his  father  ;  and  by  this  transaction  started  himself  in  business 
for  life.  His  brother  Noah  had  been  in  the  town  seven  or  eisht 
years,  and  was  the  owner,  at  this  time,  of  two  or  three  hundred  acres 
of  land.  The  next  step  of  progress  was  the  formation  of  the  stock 
company  and  the  building  of  the  mill  soon  after,  probably  the  same 
year.  The  company  bought  at  different  times  various  portions  of  the 
pine  timber  land,  and  Noah  and  Amos  Wilson  bought  for  their  in- 
dividual possession,  strip  after  strip,  as  the  owners  were  willing  to 
sell,  until  a  considerable  part  of  the  pine  timber  was  under  their  con- 
trol. In  October  1752,  Amos  Wilson  married  Zerviah  Grant, 
daughter  of  William  Grant,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  mill,  a 
transaction  with  a  foresight  to  business  as  well  as  domestic  felicity  ; 
and  made  his  home  west  of  the  mill  near  the  present  residence  of  Mr. 
Burton  Patterson. 

The  next  enterprise  of  Amos  Wilson  was,  a  store  and  a  shoe 
shop.  His  account  book  still  preserved  '  reveals  the  extent  of  this 
department  of  usefulness  as  well  as  the  work  done  at  the  mill.  The 
earliest  date  in  this  book  is  1759,  and  the  book  shows  that  there  had 
been  another,  previous  to  this,  kept  by  Amos  Wilson. 

It  was  this  saw  mill  that  was  to  clear  the  pine  timber  from  the 
swamp  and  open  the  way  for  a  beautiful  village.  This  timber  was 
valuable.  Mast  swamp  has  been  represented  as  a  worthless  piece  of 
territory,  so  much  so  that  the  committee  in  laying  out  the  town  could 

'  Mr.  John  W.  Brooks,  of  Wolcottville,  told  a  peddler  if  he  obtained  any  old    books  to 
let  him  see   them.      Therefore  this  book  is  preserved. 


88  History  of  Torrington. 

scarcely  devise  a  plan  to  dispose  of  it,  whereas  it  was  reserved  dur- 
ing all  the  other  divisions  for  the  reason  that  it  was  of  such  value 
that  every  proprietor  demanded  his  share  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  his  list.  For  twenty  years  the  proprietors,  by  various  committees 
protected  the  pine  timber,  and  ordered  prosecutions  in  court,  even  at 
large  expense,  upon  any  person  who  should  cut  it,  and  for  what 
reason  ?  Because  it  was  so  worthless  ?  Any  of  the  old  proprietors 
would  have  laughed  at  the  idea.  They  had  houses  and  barns  to 
build  ;  and  they  knew  that  pine  lumber  was  far  preferable  and  more 
durable  than  hemlock  for  such  purposes,  and  to  suppose  t©  the  con- 
trary is  a  disparagement  of  the  keen  sighted  calculations  of  the  fath- 
ers of  Torrington.  Many  of  the  farmers  cut  this  timber  as  they 
needed  it  ;  hired  the  use  of  Wilson's  mill  to  saw  it  ;  and  worked  at 
the  mill  night  and  day  to  that  end,  and  then  used  it  at  their  homes  ; 
and  after  this  process  had  been  going  on  fifty  years  and  more, 
they  sold  their  lots  with  what  remained  on  them,  some  of  them  as 
the  deeds  show,  for  sixty  dollars  and  over,  per  acre.  Between 
1790  and  1800,  Roger  Wilson  and  Roswell  Wilson,  bought  in  com- 
pany and  separately,  between  twenty  and  thirty  of  these  lots,  paying 
the  above  prices  for  a  number  of  them. 

A  highway  through  the  swamp  was  laid  at  the  time  of  the  first 
division,  in  1734,  half  a  mile  north  of,  and  parallel  with  the  Litch- 
field line,  and  crossed  the  west  branch  some  distance  above  Wilson's 
mill,  passing  eastward  a  little  north  of  the  present  Congregational 
parsonage,  and  was  a  traveled  road  very  early.  It  was,  indeed,  the 
only  road  through  the  swamp,  for  twenty  or  more  years.  In  1752, 
a  highway  was  laid  through  the  swamp,  near  the  middle,  from 
north  to  south,  twenty  feet  wide,  which  is  now  Main  street.  In  the 
same  year  another  one  was  laid  from  the  mill  place  "  east,  twenty 
feet  wide  until  it  comes  into  the  other  road."  That  is  now  Water 
street.  The  other  highway,  known  now  as  South  Main  street,  was 
made  at  a  later  date.  The  first  road  leading  to  Waterbury  began  at  the 
west  end  of  the  bridge  above  Wilson's  mill,  and  passed  down  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  crossing  the  brook  below  the  park,  and  was 
called  the  New  Haven  road.  The  old  Litchfield  road  came  down 
the  ravine  into  the  New  Haven  road  near  this  brook.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  river  a  highway  was  laid  in  1752,  from  the  Litchfield  line 
running  north  as  far  as  the  pine  timber  division  of  land.  This  road 
was  extended  south  into  Litchfield  and  became  a  traveled  road  quite 
early,  and  several  dwellings  were  standing  on  it  before   1800. 


WoLCOTTVILLE.  89 

On  the  New  Haven  road  there  were  settlers  long  before  any 
houses  were  built  in  Wolcottville.  Paul  Peck  had  his  hermit's  house 
near  this  road  some  time  before  1776.  Samuel  Brooker  owned  his 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  this  vicinity,  and  built  his  house  near  the 
site  of  Mr.  Charles  F.  Church's  present  dwelling,  about  1785. 
Below  this  dwelling  resided  a  Mr.  Elwell  and  Solomon  Morse.  Capt. 
Perkins  lived  in  a  house  on  the  site  of  Mr.  Frederick  Taylor's  present 
homestead.  On  the  Litchfield  road,  some  distance  west  from  the 
New  Haven  road,  were  the  homes  of  Thomas  Coe,  Asahel 
Wilcox,  Chester  Brooker  and  others.  Some  of  the  land  along  this 
New  Haven  road  and  near  the  river  has  been  under  cultivation 
longer  than  any  in  the  original  town  of  Torrington.  It  was  in  this 
vicinity  or  up  the  Litchfield  road  that  Josiah  Grant  resided  in  1734, 
when  he  hired  four  or  five  acres  of  land  then  "  broken  up  on  Water- 
bury  river,"  within  the  territory  of  Torrington.  A  carding  and  cloth 
dressing  mill  was  built  opposite  Wilson's  saw  mill,  on  the  river  at  an 
early  period.  Joseph  Blake  dressed  cloth  at  this  mill  many  years, 
and  is  said  to  have  come  to  the  town  for  this  purpose.  Amos  Wilson's 
account  with  Mr.  Blake  begins  in  1769,  and  therefore  it  is  probable 
that  the  mill  was  built  before  that  time.  This  mill  was  gone  in 
1794.  It  is  likely  that  when  it  began  to  decay,  Joseph  Taylor 
built  the  one  that  stood  near  the  rock  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  some  fifty  rods  below  Wilson's  mill,  and  that  Joseph  Blake 
continued  to  work  for  Mr.  Taylor  at  this  second  carding  mill,  which 
became  a  flax  mill,  then  a  turning  mill,  and  was  finally  consumed 
by  fire. 

Wilson's  new  grist  mill  was  built  in  1794,  below  and  adjoining 
the  saw  mill,  where  now  the  Messrs.  Hotchkiss  planing  mill  stands  ; 
and  the  old  saw  mill  continued  some  years  until  rebuilt. 

Several  dwellings  were  built  very  early  on  the  road  east  of  Water- 
bury  river,  opposite  the  present  Valley  Park,  and  in  one  of  these 
John  Brooker  and  his  wife  Jerusha,  began  house  keeping  after  their 
marriage  in  1783.  They  afterwards  lived  a  number  of  years  in  the 
house  said  to  have  been  built  by  Ambrose  Potter,  a  little  east  of  the 
foundry,  now  owned  by  Turner,  Seymour  and  Company.  Mr.  John 
Brooker  built  a  house  where  Mr.  L.  W.  Coe's  dwelling  now  stands 
in  1803,  which  was  the  first  frame  raised  in  Wolcottville.  Benoni 
Leach  built  a  house  the  same  summer  opposite  Mr.  Brooker's,  east 
side  of  the  Waterbury  road,  there  being  a  strife  as  to  which  house 
should  be  raised  first.      Mr.  Brooker  won  the  day  by  about  a  week. 

12 


90  History  of  Torrington. 

The  night  after  Mr.  Brooker's  house  was  raised,  a  large  company 
of  men  engaged  in  raising  a  high  pole  ornamented  with  rams  horns 
and  the  like,  and  named  the  place  "  Orleans  village."  This  is  the 
name  used  in  most  of  the  deeds  for  ten  or  fifteen  years  afterwards. 
After  Mr.  Brooker  finished  his  house,  he  made  it  his  home  for  a  few 
years  only  ;   keeping  it  as  a  tavern. 

Daniel  Potter  of  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  bought  in  1804  of  Mr. 
Brooker  and  his  wife,  land  where  the  Coe  furniture  store  now  stands, 
and  built  a  store  building  on  it  and  a  dwelling  ;  which  buildings  were 
occupied  by  his  brother  Ambrose  Potter.  When  this  dwelling  was 
raised,  one  of  the  sides  fell,  killing  one  man  and  hurting  a  number  of 
others,  which  fact  was  indelibly  fixed  upon  the  mind  of  a  young  girl, 
and  hence  remembered  to  the  present  day.  Mr.  Potter  sold  this  pro- 
perty to  Ephraim  Sanford  of  Newtown,  Ct.,  who  took  possession  and 
went  on  with  the  store,  and  also  bought  the  tavern,  and  about  a 
year  after  Mr.  Sanford  was  on  his  way  to  New  Haven  with  a  load  of 
cheese  ;  the  horses  ran  away  and  he  was  killed.  His  executors  sold 
the  store  to  Russell  Bull  and  Frederick  Robbins  of  Wethersfield,  in 
1808.  Mr.  Bull,  soon  after,  bought  Mr.  Robbins's  half  and  con- 
tinued the  store  a  number  of  years.  Ambrose  Potter  built  the  tavern 
on  the  site  of  the  American  House,  for  his  brother  Daniel  and  after- 
wards owned  and  occupied  it  several  years  as  a  a  tavern.  Between 
1804  and  1 81 2,  a  number  of  dwellings  were  erected  in  the  village, 
and  in  1 8 14  the  School  house  which  stood  on  the  east  side  of  Main 
street  where  the  present  Register  printing  office  stands. 

When  John  Brooker  was  making  plans  to  build  his  house  which 
became  a  public  house,  Joseph  Taylor  was  arranging  to  build  a  tav- 
ern, where  the  Allen  house  now  stands.  His  sudden  decease  in  1802, 
delayed  the  enterprise  for  a  time,  but  about  18 19,  Mrs.  Taylor  and 
,  her  son  Uri  Taylor  completed  the  house,  and  thereafter  kept  it  as  a 
public  house  for  a  number  of  years.  In  the  winter  of  1813,  Joseph 
Allyn,  Jr.,  bought  the  water  power  and  privileges,  from  Wilson's 
mill  to  the  flax  mill,  of  the  following  persons,  for  two  hundred  and 
eighty  dollars.  Roswell  Wilson,  Benjamin  Phelps,  Norman  Wilson, 
Lemuel  North,  Samuel  Beach  and  his  wife  Keziah  Beach,  Joseph 
Allyn,  Jonah  Allyn,  Roger  Wilson  and  Guy  Wolcott.  He  sold  it 
in  the  spring  for  the  same  price  to  Frederick  Wolcott  of  Litchfield, 
and  Guy  Wolcott  of  Torrington  ;  deed  dated  May  3,  18 13.  The 
Wolcotts  purchased  another  plot,  below  the  first,  at  the  same  time  ; 
and  upon  this  they  erected,  that  year,  the  woolen  mill.     They  pur- 


Woi.COTTVILLE.  9 1 

chased  several  other  pieces  of  land  giving  the  ovi'ners  until  the  next 
September  to  remove  the  timber.  On  the  day  of  the  raising  of  the 
woolen  mill,  the  Rev.  Alexander  Gillet  being  present  as  well  as  a 
large  number  of  the  people  of  the  town,  proposed  that  the  name  of 
the  place  be  changed.  In  response  to  which  a  call  was  made. 
"  What  shall  we  call  it  ?  Name  it."  He  answered,  "  Wolcott- 
ville  ;  "  and  to  this  all  agreed,  and  Wolcottville  it  is. 

Its  Growth  to  the  Present  Time. 

In  1813,  Nathan  Gillett,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Dea,  Guy 
Wolcott,  was  residing  in  the  house  north  of  the  bridge  on  the  west 
side  of  Main  street.  This  house  he  built  about  1808  or  9,  and  oc- 
cupied it  until  181  7  when  he  removed  west. 

There  were  two  or  three  houses  built  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  between  1806  and  1810.  At  the  northwest  part  of  the  vil- 
lage, there  were  probably,  but  two  or  three  dwellings  before  1800, 
within  the  territory  now. regarded  as  Wolcott^'ille. 

In  the  Ga%etteer  of  the  states  of  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Is- 
land, printed  in  1819,  we  have  the  following  description  of  this  vil- 
lage. 

"  Wolcottville,  a  village  of  eighteen  houses,  has  been  built 
principally  since  i8o2,  and  is  an  active,  flourishing  place.  Its  growth 
has  been  chiefly  owing  to  the  establishment  of  an  extensive  woolen 
factory,  which  now  is  owned  principally  by  his  Excellency,  Oliver 
Wolcott.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  establishments  of  the  kind  in  the 
state  ;  employing  about  forty  workmen,  and  manufacturing  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty-five  yards  of  broad  cloth  daily,  of  an  averao-e 
value  of  six  dollars  per  yard.  The  cloths  made  have  a  substantial 
texture  and  are  manufactured  in  a  style  scarcely  inferior  to  the  high- 
est finished   English   cloths." 

Barber's  History  of  Connecticut^  published  in  1836,  says  :  "  Wol- 
cottville, the  principal  village  in  the  town  of  Torrington,  is  situated 
in  a  valley  near  the  southern  boundary  of  the  town,  at  the  junction 
of  the  two  branches  of  the  Waterbury  or  Naugatuck  river,  twenty- 
six  miles  from  Hartford,  forty  from  New  Haven,  and  seventeen 
from  the  New  Haven  and  Northampton  canal  at  Avon.  The  vil- 
lage consists  of  about  forty  dwelling  houses,  a  handsome  Congrega- 
tional church,  a  three  story  brick  building  used  as  a  house  of  worship 
by  various  denominations,  and  also  as  an  academy  ;  four  mercantile 
stores,  two  taverns,  a  post  office,  and  an  extensive   woolen  factory. 


92 


History  of  Torrington. 


(( 


The  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  the  village  from  the 
Hartford  turnpike,  looking  westward.  The  Congregational  church 
stands  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  village,  but  owing  to  the 
limited  extent  of  the  engraving,  it  could  not  be  introduced.  The 
brick  building  used  for  a  house  of  worship  is  on  the  left,  over  which 
is  seen  the  Litchfield  turnpike,  passing  over  the  heights  westward. 
The  woolen  factory  is  the  large  building  with  a  spire.  This  factory 
went  into  operation  in  1813.  One  of  the  principal  owners  was  the 
late  Oliver  Wolcott  Esq.,  formerly  governor  of  the  state  ;  the  village 
owes  its  rise  principally  to  this  establishment.  A  short  distance 
westward  of  the  factory,  an  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of  brass 
is  now  erecting  :  it  is  believed  to  be  the  only  one  of  the  kind  at  pre- 
sent in  the  United  States."^ 


View  of  Wolcottville,  Torrington,  from  the  northeast. 

Wolcottville  now  contains  thirty  stores  of  all  varieties,  two  hotels, 
four  churches,  a  town  hall,  a  town  clerk's  office,  a  graded  school 
building,  the  granite  block,  containing  Wadam's  Hall,  a  large  hall  for 
public  assemblies  ;  one  bank,  two  daguerreian  galleries,  a  post  office, 
one  printing  office,  issuing   a  weekly  paper,  and  eight   copartnership 


*  Barber's  Historical  Collections.  Mr.  Dawson,  editor  of  the  Historical  Magazine,  one  of 
the  most  critical  works  in  the  United  States,  writes  to  Mr.  Barber  Sept.,  1877  :  "Your 
Historical  Collections  are  not  unknown  to  me  ;  and  you  may  rest  assured  that  they  are 
worthy  of  you.  Their  accuracy  are  very  well  known,  and  they  will  never  cease  to  be  re- 
ferred to.  ^ 


WOLCOTTVILLE. 


93 


manufacturing  companies  employing  a  capital  of  seven  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Its  professional  men  are,  four  settled  pastors,  five  practicing  phy- 
sicians, and  two  lawyers.  The  graded  school  has  a  gentleman  as 
principal,  and  six  lady  teachers. 

It  has  twenty-two  hundred  inhabitants  ;  four  hundred  children  in 
its  graded  school,  and  the  dwellings  extend  further  on  the  streets  in 
every  direction  than  the  old  pine  swamp  did  when  the  town  was  laid 
into  lots  for  the  proprietors.  There  have  been  about  fifty  houses 
built,  yearly  for  two  or  three  years  past,  and  the  enterprise  of  the 
community  seems  to  increase  rather  than  diminish  in  this  direction. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WOLCOTTVILLE  MANUFACTURING  COMPANIES. 

The  Woolen  Mill. 

T  is  said  that  James  Wolcott,  son  of  Guy  Wolcott,  having 
worked  in  a  woolen  mill  in  Middletown,  and  learned 
much    of    the    business,   persuaded   his   uncle   Frederick 

iSamS^  Wolcott  to  build  the  woolen  mill  in  Wolcottville,  and 
he  was  the  overseer  in  the  construction  of  the  building.  At  the 
time  this  mill  was  built,  just  before  the  close  of  the  war  of  1813, 
American  cloths  were  high  and  the  prospect  of  this  mill  as  a  money 
making  enterprise  was  good,  but  the  war  closing  so  soon,  opened 
the  markets  to  importations,  and  all  manufactories  suffered,  because 
they  could  not  produce  as  cheap  articles  as  foreign  establishments 
could  do.  This  mill  began  its  work  in  the  autumn  of  1813,  the  work 
comprising  spinning,  weaving,  and  cloth  dressing,  and  produced  from 
the  first,  as  fine  quality  of  goods  as  were  made  in  the  United  States. 

Dr.  Christopher  Wolcott,  brother  of  Frederick,  was  superintend- 
ent, or  general  manager  of  the  mill.  He  was  a  very  honorable, 
upright,  faithful  man  ;  an  earnest  Methodist  ;  and  he  brought  a 
number  of  men  of  the  same  faith  with  him,  such  as  Mr.  North,  the 
dyer  in  the  mill,  afterwards  justice  of  the  peace;  Thomas  Sparks, 
who  became  a  Methodist  minister  after  leaving  the  place  ;  Alfred 
French,  also  a  man  of  influence  ;  and  a  Mr.  Stillman,  who  afterwards 
became  a  Methodist  minister.  These  all,  with  others,  were  valuable 
men  in  the  community,  and  the  place  began,  not  only  to  have  the 
appearance  of  a  village,  but  to  give  promise  of  good  character  in 
morality  and  religion.  The  success  of  the  mill  in  producing  goods 
of  desirable  quality  and  quantity  appears  to  have  been  satisfactory, 
but  the  sale  of  the  cloths  was  slow  and  at  moderate  prices  because 
of  the  influx  of  foreign  productions.  The  prices  at  which  these 
broad  cloths  were  sold  ranged  from  four  to  eight  dollars,  as  charged 
to  the  proprietors  and  their  special  friends. 

In  1816  the  mill  property  was  mortgaged  to  Gov.  Oliver  Wolcott 
of  Litchfield,  for  twenty  thousand  dollars,  presuming,  and  believing, 
doubtless,  that  better  times  would  be  realized  after  a  few  years. 


WOLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.  95 

In  1 82 1  the  property  was  mortgaged  to  secure  a  note  of  forty 
thousand  dollars  made  to  the  Phoenix  Bank  of  Hartford,  or  its  branch 
at  Litchfield. 

In  1825  William  E.  Russell  was  in  charge  of  the  mill  as  general 
manager,  aided  by  Joshua  Clapp,  a  capitalist  of  Boston,  which  limited 
partnership  was  continued  three  years. 

In  1829,  the  bank  took  the  property,  and  sold  it  on  June  30th, 
1830,  to  James  Wolcott  and  Samuel  Groves  for  six  thousand  dollars, 
and  took  a  mortgage  for  five  thousand  in  security.  Soon  after  this 
Aaron  J.  W.  Goodwin  became  interested  and  engaged  in  the  mill. 

In  1833,  John  Hungerford  and  George  D.  Wadhams  became 
stock  owners  in  this  mill  property,  and  the  enterprise  was  known 
after  that  as  the  Wolcottville  manufacturing  company.  In  1836  a 
two  story  brick  building  was  erected  as  a  finishing  house,  on  the  site 
of  the  old  dye  house,  or  where  the  Union  Manufacturing  Company 
are  now  located.  About  1839,  Benjamin  H.  Morse  of  Litchfield, 
became  a  stock  owner,  and  superintendent  of  the  mill.  Thus  the 
woolen  mill  continued  through  various  changes  and  disadvantages, 
to  produce  goods  of  value,  and  marketable  quality  until  the  autumn 
of  1844,  when  the  old  mill,  which  had  been  in  use  thirty-one  years, 
was  consumed  by  .fire.  The  dignity  and  honor  which  this  first  mill 
in  Wolcottville  conferred  on  the  place  in  1836,  is  most  faithfully 
portrayed  in  an  illustration  in  the  Historical  Collections  of  Connecticut ^ 
by  John  W.  Barber  of  New  Haven. 

After  the  burning  of  the  mill  a  division  of  the  property  was  ef- 
fected and  a  new  company  formed  which  took  the  finishing  house 
above  the  site  of  the  mill,  and  the  others  remained  and  put  up  a  new 
building  on  the  site  of  the  old  mill,  Mr.  Morse  remaining  in  charge 
and  being  an  owner  of  stock. 

This  new  mill  was  fitted  as  a  cotton  mill,  and  to  superintend  the 
weaving,  Allen  G.  Brady  of  East  Haddam  was  employed,  and  under 
his  directions  the  looms  were  made  and  the  machinery  placed  in  the 
mill  ready  for  work.  He  went  to  Litchfield  station  the  next  year, 
1846,  and  fitted  and  superintended  a  mill  for  the  Matatuck  Manufac- 
turing company,  at  that  place.  Benjamin  H.  Morse  was  agent  for 
both  of  these  mills,  havmg  been  employed  by  the  special  desire  of 
William  Young,  who  was  a  large  owner  of  stock  in  these  mills. 
From  1847  ^°  '^53?  the  mill  was  rented  to  Mr.  Brady  much  of  the 
time.  In  1851,  the  company  name  was  changed  from  the  Wolcott- 
ville   Manufacturing   Company,  to   the  Torrington   Manufacturing 


96  History  of  Torrington. 

Company,  and  the  owners  were  Herman  Powers  of  Boston,  Wm. 
H.  Richardson,  George  Odiorne,  Allen  G.  Brady,  and  others.  After 
a  short  time  the  company  sold  to  Mr.  Brady  and  he  in  1853,  ^'^^^ 
to  Elizur  and  David  Prichard  of  Waterbury,  who  established  the 
Wolcottville  Knitting  Company  for  making  drawers,  and  a  variety  of 
woolen  and  worsted  goods.  In  1854,  Ostrom  and  Welton  became 
owners  of  much  of  this  mill  property.  After  the  knitting  company 
had  run  the  mill  a  few  years,  it  stood  idle  until  it  was  sold  to  the 
Waterbury  Hook  and  Eye  Company. 

The  Turner  and  Seymour  Manufacturing  Company. 

This  company  occupy  the  mill  privileges  of  the  first  woolen  mill 
in  the  place.  Before  1863,  this  property  stood  idle  for  a  time,  which 
fact  being  known  to  the  Waterbury  Hook  and  Eye  Company,  they 
began  to  consider  the  feasibility  of  removing  their  business  to  Wol- 
cottville. At  the  same  time  the  Wadhams  Manufacturing  Company 
had  stopped  work,  and  the  buildings  were  standing  idle.  This  latter 
was  a  company  of  more  than  twenty  years'  standing.  In  1838,  it  was 
first  organized  under  the  title  of  Wadhams,  Webster  and  Company, 
"  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  gilt  and  other  buttons,  or  any 
articles  composed  of  brass,  copper  or  other  metals,"  and  the  officers 
were,  Russell  C.  Abernethy,  president,  and  George  D.  Wadhams, 
Martin  Webster  and  Laurin  Wetmore,  directors  ;  the  capital  stock 
being  fourteen  thousand  dollars.  In  1851,  after  apparently  a  success- 
ful term  of  twelve  years,  a  new  organization  was  effected  under  the 
name  of  the  Wadhams  Manufacturing  Company,  takings  the  property 
of  the  old  company  and  adding  stock  so  as  to  make  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  The  stock  owners  were,  George  D.  Wadhams,  Phineas 
North,  Demas  Coe,  Samuel  T.  Seelye,  H.  P.  Ostrum,  J.  F.  Cal- 
houn, Albert  A.  Mason,  Samuel  J.  Stocking,  William  S.  Steele, 
Ebenezer  Wilson  and  William  DeForest.  The  building  of  the  old 
company  was  called  the  button  shop,  and  it  stood  east  of  Main  street 
on  the  old  road  to  Torringford,  on  the  east  branch,  at  what  is  now 
called  the  iron  foundery.  After  185 1,  it  took  the  name  of  the  papier 
machie  shop,  which  indicated  the  character  of  an  additional  part  of 
the  business  of  the  firm  ;  the  making  of  daguerreotype  cases,  work 
boxes,  writing  desks,  and  other  articles  made  in  part  or  wholly  of 
paper.     In  the  beginning  of  the  war  this  company  closed  its  business. 

Some  of  the  members  of  the  Hook  and  Eye  company  at  Water- 


WoLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.  97 

bury,  formed  a  company  in  1863,  called  the  Seymour  Manufacturing 
Company,  to  be  located  at  Wolcottville  ;  and  these  persons  were,  F. 
J.  Seymour,  E.  Turner,  L.  W.  Coe,  S.  L.  Clark,  and  J.  S.  Elton. 
They,  with  a  capital  stock  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  purchased  the 
Wadhams  property,  or  papier  machie  shop,  and  continued  some  of 
the  kinds  of  work  which  had  been  done  there  and  added  others. 
They  made  a  specialty  of  brass  window  trimmings,  including  a  variety 
of  articles  for  hanging  window  curtains  and  ornamenting  windows. 

In  1864,  the  Turner  and  Seymour  Manufacturing  Company  pur- 
chased the  knitting  mill,  or  the  old  cotton  mill  property  ;  the  build- 
ing standing  on  the  site  of  the  old,  or  first  woolen  mill,  and  trans- 
ferred their  hook  and  eye  business  from  Waterbury  to  this  mill. 

In  1866,  these  two  firms  consolidated  under  the  name  of  Turner 
and  Seymour  manufacturing  company,  retaining  possession  and  con- 
tinuing work,  in  both  mills.  After  a  short  time  an  iron  foundery  was 
erected  adjoining  the  papier  machie  building  where  they  have  con- 
tinued to  cast  a  variety  of  articles,  mostly  for  household  use,  includ- 
ing American  scissors,  of  several  classes  or  sizes,  ends  or  fixtures  for 
window  curtains,  and  many  other  items,  varying  their  work  accord- 
ing to  public  demand  or  invention  and  use.  Their  illustrated  catalogue 
covers  one  hundred  and  twenty  pages  ;  many  of  which  pages  are  a 
condensed  schedule  of  articles  of  the  same  name  but  varying  in  size 
or  style  or  adaptability. 

The  capital  stock  is  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  and  their  sales 
run  from  two  to  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year.  They  are 
now  selling  goods  at  half  the  price  they  sold  the  same  article  seven 
years  ago. 

The  wholesale  store  of  this  company  is  at  81  Reade  street.  New 
York  city. 

The  present  officers  are  Elisha  Turner,  president,  L.  W.  Coe, 
treasurer,  L.  G.  Turner,  secretary. 

Some  description  of  this  firm  and  the  articles  they  manufactured 
was  given  in  The  American  Commercial  Times^  in  1873,  ^"0"^  which 
the  following  extracts  are  taken  : 

••'  The  company  has  two  manufactories,  one  in  the  very  center  of 
the  village,  the  other  some  half  a  mile  distant,  but  both  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  rail  road.  The  first  named  is  devoted  to  the 
manufacture  of  cast  and  sheet  brass  goods  ;  the  other  to  the  produc- 
tion of  a  variety  of  articles  in  iron  and  bronze.  About  one  hundred 
and    fifty   hands  are   employed   in  the  two   establishments,   and  both 

13 


98  History  of  Torrington. 

steam  and  water  are  used  ;  the  combined  force  aggregating  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  horse  power.  The  iron  foundery  requires  the 
daily  melting  of  about  three  tons  of  the  best  American  iron,  which 
is  cast  into  a  multiplicity  of  forms,  some  being  of  such  delicate  shapes 
as  to  require  the  services  of  the  most  experienced  moulders  who  can 
be  obtained. 

"  In  the  main  factory,  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Naugatuck  river, 
is  a  great  deal  of  curious  and  costly  machinery  for  special  purposes, 
besides  a  large  number  of  power  presses  and  drops,  with  an  immense 
and  valuable  stock  of  steel  dies.  At  the  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  from  the  principal  factory  buildings  stands  a  generator 
for  gas,  which  is  forced  through  the  entire  establishment  by  an  in- 
genious arrangement  of  pipes  in  which  water  by  its  natural  gravitation 
regulates  the  pressure  and  flow  of  the  gas. 

"  Among  the  goods  struck  from  sheet  brass  we  noticed  numerous 
patterns  of  window  cornices,  curtain  bands  and  loops,  and  furniture 
ornaments.  These  goods  are  very  tasteful  in  design  and  perfect  in 
finish,  some  being  burnished  and  lacquered,  others  gilt,  silvered  or 
bronzed.     The  cost  of  dies  for  this  class  of  goods  is  very  heavy. 

"  In  the  brass  foundery  are  a  number  of  furnaces  and  a  great  variety 
of  moulds  for  the  manufacture  of  such  goods  as  curtain  fixtures,  draw 
pulls,  coat  and  hat  hooks,  brackets,  sash  lifts,  and  fasteners,  cornice 
hooks  and  eyes,  etc.  Much  artistic  taste  is  displayed  in  the  ornament- 
ation of  these  articles,  which  are  finished  in  many  different  shades 
of  color,  by  processes  which  prevent  tarnishing  by  handling  or  from 
atmospheric  exposure. 

"  Many  of  the  above  named  articles,  and  a  host  of  others,  are  cast  in 
iron,  which  seems  to  be  quite  extensively  used  in  lieu  of  brass,  such 
have  been  the  improvements  in  moulding  and  finishing,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  their  liability  to  break,  delicate  castings  in  iron  would  even 
more  largely  take  the  place  of  the  more  costly  metal. 

"  Another  specialty  with  this  concern  is  what  might  be  termed 
upholstery  hardware,  embracing  furniture  nails  and  ornaments,  tassel 
hooks,  curtain-rings,  picture  hooks,  and  some  two  hundred  different 
styles  of  nails  with  ornamental  heads,  for  suspending  mirrors,  picture 
frames  and  the  like  ;  porcelain  and  glass,  in  all  colors,  are  the 
materials  chiefly  used  in  the  manufacture  of  these  nail  heads,  and 
many  of  them  are  extremely  beautiful. 

"  The  list  of  goods  made  from  brass  wire  is  very  extensive.  There 
are  some  twenty-three  machines  for  making  hooks  and  eyes,  of  which 


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WOLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.  99 

highly  useful  articles  this  concern  produces  the  quarter  of  all  that  are 
manufactured  in  the  country.  Millions  of  curtain  rings  aremadeatthe 
factory,  not,  as  might  be  supposed,  of  wire  bent  and  soldered,  but 
from  sheet  meial ;  circular  disks  or  rings  being  stamped  out  and  rhen 
by  ingenious  dies  rolled  into  hollow  circular  tubes,  perfectly  re- 
sembling a  solid  ring. 

"  There  are  many  other  special  machines  ;  among  them  one  which 
makes  zinc  sockets  for  sash  bolts  at  the  rate  of  150  gross  per  day,  by 
a  single  operative.  Escutcheon  pins,  or  wire  rivets,  vest  button 
rings,  screw  rings  for  picture  frames,  and  a  host  of  other  useful  articles 
made  from  wire  are  among  the  manufactures  of  this  establishment. 

"  In  addition  to  goods  of  their  own  production  this  company  are  large 
importers  of  articles  of  a  similar  description,  and  are  agents  for  the 
sale  of  many  prominent  hardware  items." 


The  Union  Manufacturing  Company. 

This  company  was  organized  February  18,  1845,  with  a  capital 
often  thousand  dollars,  and  the  same  day  purchased  the  brick  build- 
ing and  water  privileges,  which  had  been  used  as  a  finishing  house, 
by  the  old  woolen  mill  company,  and  entered  upon  preparations  for 
the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods  ;  the  stock  holders  being  John 
Hungerford,  president,  William  R.  Slade,  superintendent,  and  secre- 
tary ;  and  from  this  time  forward,  this  mill  appears  to  have  been 
moderately  successful.  In  1849  ^^'^  "^'^^  w^s  burned  and  a  building 
much  larger  than  the  former  was  erected,  and  the  business  conducted 
by^F.  N.  Holly  and  William  R.  Slade  as  the  stock  owners,  and  suc- 
cess rewarded  the  efforts  and  skill  with  which  they  conducted  it. 
In  1856,  this  building  was  burned  and  all  that  was  in  it,  leaving  a 
mass  of  ruins  unseemly  and  discouraging.  Another  one  was  soon 
erected  and  fitted  for  the  same  business,  and  the  work  started  anew. 
The  business  was  prosperous  and  in  1859,  Jesse  B.  Rose,  Samuel 
Workman  and  Ransom  Holly  became  stock  owners,  and  the  owners 
thus  continued  until  1873,  when  the  Messrs.  Holly  retired  and  others 
became  members  of  the  company,  in  1867. 

The  present  owners  are  Jesse  B.  Rose,  Samuel  Workman, 
George  D.  Workman,  Albert  Tuttle  and  James  Iredale.  Mr.  Rose 
came  from  Plymouth  in  1850,  and  engaged  with  this  company  as 
foreman  of  the  carding  room,  and  continued  in  that  relation    nearly 


loo  History  of  Torrington. 

fifteen  years,  when  he  became  a  stock  owner,  and  superintendent  of 
the  manufacturing  work. 

Mr.  Samuel  Workman  came  to  New  York,  and  thence  in  1836, 
to  this  place,  having  been  employed  to  work  in  the  wool-sorting 
apartment  in  Wolcottville  Manufacturing  Company,  and  has  contin- 
ued in  the  same  work  to  the  present  time.  When  the  Union  com- 
pany started,  he  engaged  with  them,  and  has  become  largely  inte- 
rested in  the  business. 

Mr.  George  D.  Workman,  son  of  Samuel,  is  the  secretary,  treasurer 
and  agent  of  the  company,  and  became  stock  owner  in  1867. 

Mr.  Tuttle  came  from  Woodbury  in  1858,  and  was  employed  as 
finisher  of  cloth,  in  which  relation  he  still  continues.  He  became 
stock  owner  in  1865.  Mr.  Iredale,  formerly  from  England  came 
from  Massachusetts,  in  1865,  and  became  overseer  in  the  "gig- 
room,"  or  one  department  of  cloth  dressing.  He  became  stock 
owner  in  1867. 

This  company  commenced  with  a  stock  capital  of  ten  thousand 
dollars,  which  was  increased  to  fifty  thousand,  where  it  has  remained. 
The  sales  of  the  company  amount  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
annually,  which  indicates  prosperity  even  in  moderate  times.  The 
capacity  of  the  mill  is  much  greater  than  that  usually  attained.  The 
main  building  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet  by  thirty-five,  six 
stories  high,  and  has  an  ell  part  thirty-five  by  forty  feet,  three  stories 
high.  There  is  also  a  wing  attached  to  the  main  building  that  is 
eighty-five  by  thirty  feet,  one  story.  The  second  building  is  one 
hundred  by  thirty-eight,  two  stories  and  a  basement  and  is  used  for  a 
drying  house.  The  third  building  is  eighty  by  thirty-five  feet,  three 
stories  high,  and  is  used  for  office  and  storage  rooms.  And  besides 
the  large  water  power  they  have  three  steam  boilers  with  an  engine 
of  one  hundred  horse  power. 

At  first  this  company  manufactured  only  plain  black  doeskin 
cloths,  and  from  this  they  have  varied  but  little  until  later  years. 
They  now  make  black  doeskins,  ribbed,  and  diagonal  goods  ;  all 
single  breadth.  Seventy-five  persons  are  regularly  employed  in  the 
mill,  producing  on  an  average  about  five  hundred  yards  of  cloth  per 
day. 

The  skill  and  ingenuity  now  brought  into  service  in  this  manu- 
factory, a^  well  as  others  of  the  same  kind,  are  varied  and  extensive, 
and  can  be  only  intimated  by  the  fact  that  the  wool  goes  through 
thirty-four  distinct  processes  before  it  becomes  finished  cloth. 


WOLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.  lOI 

The  contrast  between  the  method  of  making  woolen  cloth  one 
hundred  years  ago  and  what  is  seen  in  this  mill,  is  quite  impressive. 
Instead  of  a  woman  passing  backward  and  forward  eight  feet,  twice, 
for  one  thread  of  that  length  a  man  performing  the  same  journey, 
attends  two  sets  of  spindles,  and  produces  six  hundred  and  forty 
threads,  all  done  within  the  time  the  woman  would  occupy,  and  the 
man  having  some  leisure  time  to  spare. 

The  present  officers  of  the  company  are  :  Jesse  B.  Rose,  president, 
George  D.  Workman,  secretary,  treasurer  and  agent.  The  directors 
are;  Jesse  B.  Rose,  Samuel  Workman,  George  D. Workman,  Albert 
Tuttle  and  James  Iredale. 

The  Coe  Brass  Manufacturing  Company. 

The  first  effort  to  make  brass  kettles  in  America,  by  the  battery 
process,  was  commenced  in  Wolcottville  in  1834.  The  old  Wilson 
mill  privilege  and  property  was  purchased,  and  other  lands  on  the 
south  and  west  side  of  the  river  for  a  dam  and  a  raceway,  and  for  the 
location  of  buildings.  The  business  was  conducted  in  the  name  of 
Israel  Coe,  then  of  Waterbury,  but  who  removed  to  Wolcottville.  An- 
son G.  Phelps  of  New  York  city  and  John  Hungerford  were  associated 
with  Mr.  Coe,  each  owning  one-third  of  the  stock.  The  late  Israel 
Holmes  of  Waterbury,  had  an  interest  in  the  business  and  removed 
to  this  village,  and  was  the  principal  manager  of  the  manufacturing 
part  of  the  business.  The  enterprise  included  the  rolling  of  brass  in 
connection  with  the  making  of  brass  kettles.  Christopher  Pope,  an 
Englishman,  was  the  prime  mover  in  regard  to  the  making  of  brass 
kettles  although  he  was  of  no  benefit  in  the  end  to  the  business  as 
introduced  here. 

Mr.  Holmes  went  to  England  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  ma- 
chinery and  workmen.  His  efforts  in  this  respect  were  hindered  by 
every  possible  ingenuity  and  power  of  those  interested  in  the  same 
kind  of  manufacturing  in  that  country,  but  after  a  time  he  sent  two 
battery-men  to  Philadelphia,  one  of  whom  died  the  next  day  after  his 
arrival.  Subsequently  he  procured  others,  and  thirty-eight  men, 
women  and  children,  in  one  vessel,  arrived  in  New  York.  Con- 
siderable trouble  was  experienced  in  transporting  them,  without  a  rail 
road  to  Wolcottville.  When  they  were  landed  here,  the  mill  was 
not  ready  for  operatives,  and  thereby  the  troubles  were  multiplied. 
The  men  received^  their  pay,  and  having  nothing  to  do,  most  of  them 
gave  themselves  to  dissipation  and  disquietude  of  disposition.     In  the 


I02  History  of  Torrington. 

mean  time  Mr.  Pope  bargained  with  other  parties  for  a  rival  concern 
and  took  three  of  the  men  with  him.  This  was,  at  first,  thought  to 
be  an  injury  hut  eventuated  in  advantage  as  these  men  proved  to  be 
worthless  in  this  business.  However,  some  of  the  workmen  remained 
and  the  quick  eye  and  ready  hand  of  Wolcottville  Yankees  soon 
secured  experts  in  the  making  of  brass  kettles. 

The  next  difficulty  which  arose  was  the  proportioning  or  mixing 
of  the  metal  so  as  to  form  a  compound  that  could  be  subjected  to  the 
hammering  and  annealing  without  cracking,  and  for  some  years  the 
company  were  under  the  necessity  of  importing  the  metal,  ready  cast, 
for  this  purpose.  In  184.2,  Mr.  Coe  went  to  England  and  obtained 
the  right  materials  and  mixture,  and  thereafter  this  difficulty  was  over- 
come. From  this  time  the  business  in  this  form  would  have  been 
a  great  success  but  for  the  invention  by  Hiram  Hayden  of  Water- 
bury,  of  a  new  process,  called  the  rolling  or  spinning  process, 
by  which  a  smoother  surface,  and  uniform  thickness  of  the  kettle  was 
secured.  This  new  method  soon  superseded  the  battery  business, 
and  hence  this  part  of  the  Wolcottville  enterprise  was  not  very  pro- 
fitable thereafter. 

The  rolling  mill  part  of  the  business  was  a  success  until  1837, 
when  by  the  general  suspension  of  business  throughout  the  country 
many  who  were  indebted  to  the  concern  being  unable  to  pay,  the 
company  were  in  a  strait  place,  and  for  a  time  nearly  suspended  work 
in  the  mill.  But  finally  all  claims  were  paid  in  full  and  business  re- 
sumed and  continued  with  success. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  May,  1841,  the  special  copartnership  of  Israel 
Coe  was  dissolved  and  a  joint  stock  company  formed  under  the  name 
of  the  Wolcottville  Brass  Company,  with  a  capital  of  fifty-six  thou- 
sand dollars,  of  which  Israel  Coe,  Anson  G.  Phelps  and  John  Hun- 
gerford  were  the  stockholders,  each  owning  one-third.  Israel  Coe 
was  appointed  president,  and  Lyman  W.  Coe,  secretary  and  trea- 
surer, and  Israel  Holmes  the  general  manufacturing  manager.  In 
1842,  Mr.  Coe  went  to  Europe  and  Mr.  Hungerford  was  appointed 
president.  In  1843,  ^'-  Holni^s  retired  from  the  company.  In 
February,  1844,  Israel  Coe  and  L.  W.  Coe  sold  their  interest  in  the 
company  to  Anson  G.  Phelps,  and  Mr.  I.  Coe  then  retired  from  the 
brass  business.  L.  W.  Coe  remained  as  secretary  and  treasurer  until 
1845,  when  he  resigned,  and  subsequently  was  elected  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  Waterbury  Brass  Company,  of  which  Israel  Holmes 
was  president.      Mr.  L.  W.  Coe  then  removed  to  Waterbury  where 


WOLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.        lOJ 

he  resided  until  1863,  when  he  purchased  the  property  of  the  Wol- 
cottville  Brass  Company,  and  formed  a  new  company  under  the  name 
of  the  Coe  Brass  Company. 

While  Mr.  Coe  was  at  Waterbury,  in  March  1848,  Mr.  Phelps 
sold  his  interest  in  this  mill  to  Mr.  Hungerford,  and  Mr.  Hunger- 
ford,  at  different  times,  transferred  portions  of  the  stock  to  C.  P. 
Marks,  John  Davol,  J.  H.  Bartholomew  and  Albert  A.  Mason,  and 
others.  About  1853,  Marks  and  Davol,  being  large  owners,  sold  their 
entire  interest  in  this  property  to  J.  Hungerford,  and  he  and  his  fam- 
ily became  the  owners  of  nearly  all  the  stock. 

Until  1852,  the  company-had  been  moderately  successful,  but 
from  that  period  to  1863,  the  property  steadily  declined  in  value. 
This  decline  was  owing  in  part  to  the  decline  of  the  battery  pro- 
cess in  making  kettles,  and  the  great  commercial  panic,  of  1857,  in 
which  the  company  were  large  losers  by  the  failure  of  their  cus- 
tomers, from  which  they  never  fully  recovered. 

In  April  1863,  L.  W.  Coe  purchased  the  entire  capital  stock, 
paying  forty  thousand  dollars,  and  thereby  became  possessed  of  all 
its  franchise  and  liable  for  all  its  debts.  The  Coe  Brass  Company 
was  formed  with  a  capital  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
mill  property  and  real  estate  of  the  old  company  transferred  to  the 
new. 

The  new  company  immediately  took  its  position  in  the  front 
ranks  of  the  brass  wire  and  German  silver  business,  and  has  steadily 
increased  its  business,  until  at  the  present  time  it  is  producing  more 
pounds  of  metal  than  any  mill  of  the  kind.  It  has  attained  its 
former  reputation  as  a  water  mill  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
horse  power,  but  has  now  in  addition,  four  steam  engines  with  a 
capacity  of  four  hundred  horse  power.  Their  buildings  cover  an 
area  of  about  three  acres  ;  the  whole  mill  property  includes  nineteen 
acres. 

For  the  past  five  years  it  has  made  a  specialty  of  brass  for  small 
arms,  cartridges,  and  has  had  extensive  dealings  with  foreign  govern- 
ments tor  such  metal.  The  aggregate  of  this  foreign  trade  has  con- 
stituted two-thirds  of  the  productions  of  the  mills. 

The  annual  aggregate  of  the  business  of  the  company  now  ex- 
ceeds one  and  a  quarter  million  dollars.  Its  present  capital  is 
three  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand  dollars.  It  employs  directly 
from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  indirectly  sus- 
tains a  large  proportion  of  the  population  of   the  town.      During  the 


I04  History  of  Torrington. 

last  three  years  of  financial  depression  in  the  country,  this  mill  has 
been  under  full  operation,  and  some  of  the  time  working  over  time  ; 
which  fact  has  not  only  kept  Wolcottville  alive,  but  growing  at  the 
rate  of  nearly  fifty  dwelling  houses  per  year. 

The  annual  consumption  of  wood  at  this  mill  is  two  thousand 
cords,  and  of  charcoal  fifteen  thousand  bushels,  and  of  anthracite  coal 
two  thousand  tons.  The  present  officers  are  L.  W.  Coe,  presi- 
dent ;  Edward  Turner,  vice  president  ;  Charles  F.  Brooker,  secre- 
tary ;   Edward  F.  Coe,  treasurer. 

The  Coe  Furniture  Company. 

Furniture  was  first  manufactured  in  Wolcottville  by  Luther 
Bissell,  begining  previous  to  1840.  All  work  was  then  made  to 
order,  and  without  machinery  of  any  kind  except  a  circular  saw  and 
a  turning  lathe. 

About  1840,  a  company,  consisting  of  Henry  P.  Coe,  Henry  P. 
Ostrum  and  Benjamin  Smith,  engaged  in  this  line  of  business 
in  a  shop  about  forty  rods  east  of  Main  street  bridge  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river.  After  a  short  time  Mr.  Smith  sold  his  share 
to  the  two  others.  About  1850  Mr.  Ostrum  sold  to  his  partner 
Henry  P.  Coe  who  continued  the  business  with  success  several  years. 
When  his  sons  A.  W.  Coe  and  Brothers  took  the  enterprise,  before 
i860,  they  took  possession  of  larger  buildings  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river,  and  began  to  add  the  improvements  in  machinery  by  which 
their  products  and  sales  were  greatly  increased.  This  prosperity  con- 
tinued until  1870,  when  the  Coe  Furniture  Company  was  formed, 
with  a  capital  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
household  furniture  to  be  sold  mostly  at  wholesale.  The  leading 
articles  are  chamber  sets,  tables,  bureaus,  chairs,  bedsteads  and  sofas. 
They  make  a  specialty  of  walnut,  chestnut  and  ash  extension  tables. 
They  occupy  five  buildings  and  a  part  of  the  old  spoon  shop,  for 
work  shop,  storage  rooms  and  sales  room.  Their  sales  amount  to 
between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  dollars  a  year,  having  exceeded 
this  amount  in  prosperous  years.  Their  goods  are  shipped  to  many 
of  the  principal  cities  of  the  eastern  and  middle  states. 

The  Carriage  Shop. 
The  Alvord  Carriage  Manufactory,  built  on  the  east  branch  of  the 
Naugatuck,  in   1831,  was   an  enterprise  of  much    importance  in  the 
place,  for   ten  years  or   more.     It   employed  one   hundred  men  and 


WOLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.        IO5 

did  probably  the  largest  business  of  any  company  in  the  town  at  the 
time.  The  officers  were  :  Nelson  Alvord,  president,  and  Henry 
Hopkins,  A.  G.  Bradford,  Charles  B.  Smith,  B.  R.  Agard,  a  majority 
of  the  directors.  Thousands  of  carriages  and  carrying  wagons  were 
made,  and  sold  in  the  southern  states.  When  the  war  of  the  rebellion 
came,  the  end  of  making  of  carriages  came  to  this  company  as  well 
as  many  others  in  the  land.  Their  spacious  shop  was  afterwards  oc- 
cupied by  the  Redfield  and  Price  spoon  company  and  the  manufacture 
of  spoons,  and  German  silver  and  plated  ware  was  continued  a  number 
of  years. 

The  building  is  now  unoccupied  e.  ^z  as  a  storage  room  for  the 
Coe  Furniture  Company. 

WOLCOTTVILLE   HARDWARE   MANUFACTURING  CoMPANY. 

This  company  was  organized  in  1851,  for  the  purpose  of  "manu- 
facturing, selling  and  dealing  in  any  and  all  kinds  of  wares,  goods  and 
articles  composed  of  iron,  steel,  wood,  brass,  or  any  articles  of  which 
these  are  component  parts,"  and  the  company,  in  their  work,  occupied 
a  part  of  the  Alvord  Carriage  shop. 

The  stock  owners  were  ;  Wolcottville  Brass  Company,  Norman 
Cady,  Gordon  W.  Quinby,  Elezur  D.  Harrington,  Nelson  Alvord, 
Geo.  D.  Wadhams,  Henry  Hopkins,  Charles  G.  Pond,  George  N. 
Pond,  Virgil  C.  Goodwin,  N.  B.  Lathrop,  Darius  Wilson,  Edwin 
W.  Mosely,  and  George  P.  Bissell. 

C.   HOTCHKISS  AND  SoNS. 

The  owners  of  the  Wilson's  mill  property'  entered  into  an  agree- 
ment in  May  1794,  to  build  a  new  grist  mill  below  the  saw  mill,  on 
the  west  side  on  the  site  of  the  old  carding  mill,  but  for  some 
reason  it  was  not  placed  there,  but  was  located  adjoining  the  old  saw 
mill.  The  carding  mill  referred  to  was  built  about  1760,  probably, 
and  in  it  Joseph  Blake  did  carding  of  wool  and  cloth  dressing  many 
years,  and  then  removed  his  mill  to  the  rock  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  opposite  the  present  union  woolen  mill.  The  owners  of  the 
new  grist  mill,  which  was  property  now  separate  from  the  saw  mill, 
were  Noah  Wilson,  Amos  Wilson,  Joseph  Taylor,  Martha  Wilson, 
widow  of  William,  Roswell  Wilson,  Joseph  Phelps  and  Joseph 
Allyn.      The  next  year  Joseph  AUyn  bought  more  of  this  property, 


'  For  the  earlier  history  of  the  property,  see  chapter  on  Wolcottville. 

14 


io6  History  of  Torringto 


N. 


and  in  1802  Noah  Allyn  bought  Noah  Wilson's  part.  The  Wilsons 
continued  to  own  the  larger  part  of  the  saw  mill  some  time  after  the 
new  grist  mill  was  built.  The  owners  of  the  grist  mill  received  their 
income  from  the  mill  by  using,  or  running  the  mill  a  proportionate 
length  of  time.  The  man  that  owned  one-fourth  run  the  mill  eight 
days,  the  one  who  owned  one-eighth  run  it  four  days,  and  thus  each 
had  his  turn,  and  doubtless  made  the  most  of  his  opportunity.  When 
the  woolen  mill  was  started  and  other  buildings  in  the  village  as  a 
consequence,  then  the  old  saw  mill  became  of  more  demand  than 
ever,  and  was  kept  pretty  thoroughly  at  work,  although  changing 
owners  quite  frequently  until  the  brass  company  purchased  the  whole 
property,  so  as  to  obtain  command  of  the  water  power  and  privileges. 
After  this  Albert  Leach  bought  the  property  and  continued  the  saw 
mill  some  few  years.  About  1850  Clark  B.  Downs  bought  the 
property,  took  down  the  old  grist  mill,  built  another  mill  for  a  plaster 
mill,  and  run  it  for  this  purpose  a  few  years,  then  used  it  to  grind 
soap  stone  from  the  quarry  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town. 

In  1857  Dea.  Charles  Hotchkiss  and  his  son  Edward  C,  purchased 
this  property  and  fitted  it  for  their  work  as  builders,  under  the  name 
of  C.  Hotchkiss  and  Son.  This  name  was  changed  afterwards  to 
C.  Hotchkiss  and  Sons  in  which  form  it  still  stands.  Mr.  Hotchkiss 
had  been  engaged  in  building,  previous  to  this,  in  Wolcottville  and 
the  country  around,  more  than  ten  years,  but  his  mill  was  two  miles 
north  of  Torrington  hollow  and  inconvenient,  now  he  secured  this 
mill  property  and  arranged  it  for  all  the  various  parts  of  a  complete 
business  of  building  dwellings,  meeting-houses,  mills,  and  the  like 
throughout  the  region.  During  the  twenty  years  this  firm  have  been 
engaged  in  this  business,  with  what  Mr.  Hotchkiss  had  done  pre- 
viously, they  have  put  up  a  large  proportion  of  the  buildings  in  the 
village,  besides  doing  much  work  at  distances  from  five  to  twenty 
miles.  They  have  been  middling  successful,  by  unremitting,  persever- 
ing toil,  and  in  the  late  hard  times  have  been  nearly  as  busy  as  ever 
in  their  line  of  work.  And  although  Dea.  Hotchkiss,  in  religious 
doctrines,  is  a  little  old  fashioned  yet  he  can  build  a  dwelling  after  the 
most  approved  new  style  oi freewill. 

But  what  changes  have  taken  place  since  the  first  saw  mill  was 
erected  on  this  site.  The  changes  in  the  appearance  of  the  pine 
swamp,  and  in  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  and  the  in- 
troduction of  the  rail  road  and  telegraph,  are  not  more  than  the  difference 
between  the  machinery  of  that  first  saw  mill  and  the  one  that  now 


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WoLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.        I07 

occupies  its  site.  In  the  late  centennial  exhibition,  nothing  was  so 
wonderful  to  all  nations  as  machinery  hall  ;  so  it  is  every  where  in  our 
land,  nothing  is  more  wonderful  than  the  machinery,  and  of  that 
which  is  peculiar,  very  ingenious  and  surprising,  Wolcottville  has  a 
large  portion. 

The  Excelsior  Needle  Company. 

An  invention  for  reducing  steel  wire  into  sewing  machine  needles 
was  exhibited  in  Wolcottville  by  Orrin  L.  Hopson  and  Heman  P. 
Brooks,  in  the  presence  of  several  agents  of  sewing  machine  com- 
panies, and  upon  this  exhibition,  and  further  investigation,  certain 
men  became  convinced  of  the  practicability  of  the  patent,  and  there- 
fore while  the  agents,  for  whose  special  benefit  the  exhibition  was 
made,  did  not  see  fit  to  recommend  their  companies  to  purchase  the 
patent,  on  account  of  the  great  changes  which  would  be  required  in 
machinery,  the  investigation  led  to  the  determination  of  certain  par- 
ties in  Wolcottville,  in  connection  with  the  owners  of  the  patent,  to 
organize  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  making  needles  by  this  new 
process,  called  the  cold  swaging  process,  in  distinction  from  the  old, 
so  called  milling  process.  In  reaching  this  determination,  the  com- 
pany were  aware  of  the  risks  they  took  in  the  matter,  but  having 
confidence  in  the  principle  contained  in  the  patent,  and  being  willing 
to  exercise  great  perseverance  and  patience  to  secure  the  object  de- 
sired, made  the  venture. 

Accordingly,  the  company  was  organized  March  2,  1866,  with 
twenty  thousand  dollars  capital,  and  the  following  persons  as  direct- 
ors :  Achille  F.  Migeon,  president  ;  Charles  Alvord,  secretary  ;  and 
Elisha  Turner,  James  Wooding,  George  M.  Isbell.  The  superin- 
tendency  of  the  work  devolved  upon  Mr.  Isbell  until  1869,  since 
which  time  that  position  has  been  filled  by  James  Alldis. 

It  required  great  patience  and  much  inventive  genius  and  mechani- 
cal skill  to  develop  and  make  practical  the  principle  in  this  patent  ; 
and  this  has  not  been  attained  to  perfection,  but  only  so  far  as  to 
produce  a  needle  superior  to  any  other  process  or  company  in  the 
world.  This  company  have  already  secured  several  patents  on  differ- 
ent parts  of  machinery,  invented  for  the  purpose  of  making  needles 
under  this  patent,  and  there  is  a  constant  study  by  the  mechanics  of 
the  company,  for  new  applications  and  constructions  to  facilitate  and 
render  perfect  the  use  of  the  patent. 

To  this  patent  the  company  owe  their  success    and    prosperity  as 


io8  History  of  Torrington. 

manufacturers  of  needles,  for  it  has  been  the  principal  element  in 
enabling  them  to  gain  their  reputation  for  producing  the  best  needles 
manufactured  in  this  or  any  country. 

In  i86g,  finding  the  building  they  occupied  in  Daytonville,  much 
too  small  for  their  increasing  business,  they  put  up  the  present 
building,  and  removed  their  machinery  into  it  in  January  1871,  hav- 
ing increased  their  capital  stock  to  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 
It  stands  a  little  north  of  the  rail  road  depot,  in  the  western  part  of 
the  village,  and  is  one  hundred  feet  long,  twenty-eight  feet  wide, 
two  stories  high,  having  two  ells,  one  for  the  engine  and  boiler, 
the  other  for  office  and  inspecting  room.  They  have  a  machine 
shop  and  make  and  repair  all  their  machinery,  which  is  an  item  of 
great  importance  to  the  company  as  they  are  constantly  improving 
the  construction  of  their  machinery. 

This  company  has  for  its  customers,  all  sewing  machine  compan- 
ies except  those  who  make  their  own  needles.  The  Wheeler  and 
Wilson  company  of  Bridgeport  purchase  their  needles  here;  the  con- 
tract with  them  for  several  years  having  been  150,000  needles  per 
month. 

The  company  have  at  the  inventory  of  every  year  between  four 
and  five  millions  of  needles,  or  in  other  words,  they  carry  about 
forty  thousand  dollars  worth  of  stock  the  year  through.  The  capa- 
city of  the  shop  is  twenty-five  thousand  per  day.  The  amount  of 
sales  per  year  is,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  Cold  Swaging  Process. 

The  first  sewing  machine  needle  was  made  by  Elias  Howe  '  by 
filing  a  piece  of  steel  wire  to  the  required  size  and  point,  and  then 
with  a  small  round  file,  worked  in  the  groove,  and  by  this  slow  pro- 
cess produced  a  needle  that  answered  his  purpose,  as  he  thought, 
quite  well  ;  but  consumers  of  needles  soon  became  critical  and  de- 
manded a  needle  approaching  perfection,  and  that  could  be  produced 
at  a  low  price. 

The  next  process  was  to  drill  a  hole  in  a  piece  of  iron  wire  of  the 
size  and  length  required  for  the  shank,  and  then  drive  a  steel  wire 
into  this  shank  piece,  for  the  blade  of  the  needle.  This  was  a  slow 
process  and  produced  a  very  imperfect  needle. 

A  third  method  of  making  such  needles  was  to  grind  the  wire  to 
the  proper  size  of  the  blade,  on  grindstones  or  emery  wheels,  which 

•  The  maker  of  the  first  practical  sewing  machine 


WOLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.        IO9 

was  no  improvement  on  the  other  methods.  A  fourth  method  was 
the  turning  or  milling  process.  This  consisted  in  passing  the  wire, 
after  being  cut  to  its  proper  length,  through  a  die,  and  as  it  came 
through,  revolving  rapidly,  it  came  in  contact  with  a  tool  or  knife, 
which  removed  a  necessary  amount  of  material  to  reduce  the  wire  to 
the  size  of  the  blade  of  the  needle.  This  is  the  method  commonly 
in  use,  except  the  new  method  by  the  Excelsior  company. 

The  objection  to  this  last  method  is  that  it  wastes  fifty  per  cent  of 
the  material,  and  by  far  the  most  superior  part  of  the  material. 
Another  objection  is,  that  the  knife  used,  is  a  delicate  instrument, 
and  is  constantly  wearing  on  the  edge,  and  as  it  wears,  the  needles 
increase,  or  are  left  larger  in  size  ;  and  beside  this  want  of  uniformity 
the  needles  are  left  very  rough,  and  to  remedy  this,  resort  is  had  to 
grinding  which  also  destroys  the  uniformity. 

The  want  of  uniformity,  from  whatever  cause,  results  in  the  im- 
possibility of  making  the  grooves  at  the  eye  of  the  needle  exactly  op- 
posite, the  want  of  which  causes  the  machine  to  skip  stitches  when 
in  operation,  which  is  fatal  to  good  work. 

The  cold  swaging  process,  reduces  the  wire  without  heating,  an- 
nealing or  grinding  or  any  preparation  whatever.  The  wire  being 
cut  the  proper  length,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  waste,  is  introduced 
between  two  revolving  dies,  which  are  brought  together,  by  steam 
power,  four  thousand  times  in  a  minute.  The  wire  may  be  intro- 
duced fast  or  slow,  at  pleasure,  but  it  will  be  reduced  every  time  to 
the  same  size,  and  cannot  by  any  possibility  be  made  less  than  the 
desired  size  ;  and  the  needle  is  left  perfectly  round  and  with  a  smooth 
surface.  The  needle  is  made  in  a  very  short  space  of  time,  and  the 
wire  is  more  thoroughly  condensed  and  its  strength  greatly  increased. 

It  may  be  seen  at  a  glance  what  a  saving  and  perfection  are  at- 
tained by  this  simple  invention,  so  simple  that  it  seems  a  wonder  it 
was  not  adopted  a  thousand  years  ago,  for  other  things  even,  if  they 
had  no  sewing  machines. 

There  are  other  machines  in  this  shop,  which  are  of  great  im- 
portance, and  which  have  been  greatly  improved  by  this  company. 

The  pointing  machine  is  one,  and  has  been  greatly  improved  and 
thus  now  supersedes  hand  work  entirely  ;  one  man  with  a  machine 
producing  five  times  the  work  he  could  have  done  before. 

The  eye  finishing  machine  is  another  labor  saving  improvement, 
worked  out  by  this  company,  doing  the  same  work  at  one-fourth  of 
the  old  cost. 


no  History  of  Torrington. 

The  grooving  machine  has  also  been  wonderfully  improved,  and 
patents  of  these  improvements,  as  well  as  on  all  new  principles  in- 
volved in  the   machines  in  use  by   this  company,  have  been  secured. 

In  the  use  of  this  machine  and  its  accompaniments  the  company 
have  devoted  every  energy  to  the  one  single  business  of  making 
sewing  machine  needles. 

Much  credit  is  due  Mr.  Burr  Lyon,  the  inspector  of  the  needles 
of  this  company,  who  has  occupied  this  position  nearly  from  the  first 
of  their  work,  for  the  very  thorough  and  successful  manner  he  has 
performed  the  work  of  his  department. 

Contractor  and  Builder. 

Henry  F.  Patterson,  a  contractor  and  builder,  commenced 
building  in  Wolcottville  in  1872.  He  erected  in  1875  an  appropriate 
three  story  building  and  established  a  lumber  yard,  to  which  he  has 
added  two  other  buildings  since.  The  yard  is  located  in  the  south- 
west part  of  the  village,  near  the  rail  road,  and  the  appearances  are 
that  he  is  ready  to  build  the  village  in  that  direction  until  it  should 
reach  Litchfield.  He  is  brother  to  Burton  C.  Patterson,  farmer,  and 
a  native  of  Cornwall,  Ct. 

The  Hendey  Machine  Company. 

Henry  J.  Hendey  and  Arthur  Hendey,  brothers,  commenced  busi- 
ness in  July,  1870,  in  a  small  shop,  built  by  themselves  on  Litch- 
field street  ;  their  motive  power  being  a  small  rotary  steam  engine  of 
three  horse  power.  The  engine  was  built  by  one  of  the  brothers, 
about  two  years  previous,  at  odd  times,  for  amusement  during  winter 
evenings.  This  engine  is  now  carefully  preserved  as  a  relic  of  an- 
cient days,  a  comparison  being  frequently  made  between  the  old  and 
the  new^  or  between  ancient  days  and  modern. 

In  this  shop  eighteen  by  twenty-four  feet  they  commenced  the  work 
of  making  and  repairing  of  iron  machinery,  and  in  a  few  months  the 
work  so  increased  that  they  employed  one  man  and  a  boy.  On  the 
first  of  April,  1871,  they  removed  to  a  a  part  of  the  factory  known 
as  the  East  Branch  Spoon  shop,  where  they  continued  their  work  in 
an  unostentatious,  but  very  successful  manner.  Very  soon  the  atten- 
tion of  business  men  was  drawn  toward  the  enterprise,  who  readily 
discovered  the  promise  of  success  in  this  line  of  business,  and  after 
consultation,  a  proposition  was  accepted  by  the  proprietors,  to  organize 
a  joint  stock  company,  and  the   Hendey  Machine  Company  was  es- 


WoLCOTTVILLE     MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES.         Ill 

tablished  August  22d,  1874.  A  new  steam  power  factory  was  built 
on  a  site  a  little  south  of  the  mills  of  the  Coe  Brass  Company, 
and  a  new  steam  engine  of  twenty  horse  power  was  placed  in  it,  and 
machinery,  such  as  to  greatly  increase  the  business  of  the  company. 
Here  this  enterprise  has  continued  to  the  present  time,  and  is  now 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  successfully  managed  concerns  of 
the  kind  in  the  country.  New  additions  to  the  present  building, 
which  is  thirty  by  seventy,  two  story,  and  crowded  with  machinery, 
will  soon  be  needed,  and  erected.  Twenty-five  men  are  now  employed, 
some  of  them  first  class,  educated,  and  skilled  in  the  art  of  iron  work- 
manship ;  and  the  annual  product  of  goods  amounts  to  $40,000. 
The  company  has  agencies,  or  depots,  established  in  New  York, 
Chicago,  Boston,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  and  has  filled  an  order 
of  goods  for  Europe. 

The  specialty  is  a  patent  metal  planter  and  shaper,  on  which  they 
have  received  a  medal  from  the  American  Institute  at  New  York. 
They  also  attend  to  the  building  of  all  kinds  of  machinery,  from 
drawings,  models  and  patterns  ;  and  their  machinery  has  already  ac- 
quired a  world-wide  reputation. 

The  Hardware  Company. 

This  company  was  organized  January  I,  1864,  with  a  capital  of 
twelvethousand  dollars,  and  the  stock  owners  were  George  B.  Turrell, 
Franklin  Farrell,  and  Achille  F.  Migeon.  They  commenced  work 
in  the  old  lock  shop  in  Torrington  hollow,  formerly  occupied  by 
Edmund  Wooding,  where  they  continued  one  year  and  a  half,  during 
which  time  they  purchased  land  and  water  privileges  half  a  mile  down 
the  Naugatuck  and  erected  commodious  buildings  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  long,  and  removed  into  them  in  the  autumn  of  1865. 
The  leading  work  at  this  time  was  the  making  of  skates  of  all  sizes 
and  various  styles.  In  February,  1870,  the  capital  stock  was  in- 
creased to  fifty-two  thousand  dollars,  and  in  October  of  the  same 
year,  they  bought  of  George  B.  Turrell  of  New  York,  a  patented 
beer  cooler,  and  increased  their  capital  to  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  work  of  making  this  beer  cooler,  has  constituted  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  business  of  the  company  since  that  time,  being 
one  important  branch  of  business. 

On  Feb.  13,  1872,  they  bought  the  skate  manufacturing  business 
of  Frederick  Stevens  of  New  York,  and   increased   the   capital   to 


112  History  of  Torrington. 

one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  erected  a  new  three  story 
building  one  hundred  feet  long  by  forty  wide  ;  thus  greatly  increasing 
the  manufacture  of  skates,  and  many  other  articles  have  been  added 
to  the  goods  produced  of  iron,  wood  and  leather. 

The  company  employ,  in  good  times,  about  one  hundred  men,  using 
both  water  and  steam  power,  and  their  sales  amount  to  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

Their  buildings  are  located  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Wolcott- 
ville,  and  have  been  the  occasion  for  the  erection  of  a  number  of  fine 
appearing  dwellings  in  that  part  of  the  village. 

The  present  officers  are  ;  George  B,  Turrell  of  New  York,  pre- 
sident ;   Achille  F.  Migeon,  secretary,  and  J.  F.  Calhoun,  treasurer. 

WOLCOTTVILLE     SAVINGS    BaNK. 

This  bank  was  organized  in  1868  ;  with  Francis  N.  Holly,  pre- 
sident ;  Joseph  F.  Calhoun,  vice  president ;  Frank  L.  Hungerford, 
secretary  and  treasurer. 

No  change  has  taken  place  in  the  officers  except  that  Charles  F. 
Church,  was  secretary  and  treasurer  four  years,  and  Isaac  W.  Brooks 
has  filled  that  office  since  1873. 

The  amount  of  deposits,  July  i,  1877,  was  $174,218.89.  The 
increase  in  the  last  four  years  has  been  $1 15,965.74.  The  number 
of  depositors  July  i,  1877,  was  eight  hundred  and  thirty-four.  These 
items  speak  in  behalf  of  the  prosperity  of  Wolcottvilleand  the  town, 
with  very  decided  results. 

The  business  office  of  this  bank  is  in  the  granite  block,  in  connec- 
tion with  Brooks  Brothers,  bankers.  The  present  trustees  are  : 
Francis  N.  Holly,  Eli'sha  A.  Baldwin,  Nelson  AUyn,  Isaac  W. 
Brooks,  Joseph  F.  Calhoun,  Lyman  W.  Coe,  and  Bradley  R.  Agard. 

Brooks  Brothers,  Bankers. 

In  June,  1872,  John  W.  Brooks,  and  his  brother  Isaac  W. 
Brooks,  of  Goshen,  established  a  bank  of  discount  and  deposit,  in 
Wolcottville,  under  the  above  title.  This  is  the  first  institution  of 
the  kind  ever  started  in  this  town.  They  occupy  the  southeast 
'  corner  of  the  granite  block,  on  Main  street ;  are  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness y  and  have,  as  private  bankers,  the  full  confidence  of  the  busi- 
ness community,  and  by  such  an  institution  are  supplying  a  want 
which  had  been  seriously  felt  for  many  years. 


M.     E.     CHURCH,     WOLCOTTVILLE,    ERECTED    IN     1863. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  CHURCHES  IN  WOLCOTTVILLE. 

The  Methodist  Church. 

>RS.  Ann  Taylor,  widow  of  Joseph  Taylor,  made  frequent 
statements  in  the  hearing  of  her  daughter,  now  Hving,  to 
this  effect,  that  a  Mr.  Bloodgood  was  the  first  Metho- 
dist minister  that  preached  in  Litchfield  county,  and  that 
he  was  the  first  that  preached  in  the  vicinity  of  Wolcottville  or  the 
town  of  Torrington.  This  Mr.  Bloodgood,  called,  invariably  in 
those  days,  "  Brother  Bloodgood,"  preached  in  the  house  of  Abijah 
Wilson  about  1787-9;'  and  Abijah  Wilson  and  his  wife  became 
Methodists  to  the  great  displeasure  of  his  father,  Noah  Wilson.  In 
after  years,  when  Abijah  Wilson  departed  this  life,  the  Rev.  Daniel 
Coe  of  Winsted  preached  the  funeral  sermon.  In  that  sermon  Mr. 
Coe,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  history  of  Methodism  in  this 
region,  confirmed  the  above  statements  concerning  Mr.  Bloodgood, 
and  his  preaching  at  Mr.  Wilson's  house,  and  the  adhesion  of  several 
families  in  this  community  to  Methodism,  at  that  time.  This  is  in 
harmony  with  certain  other  circumstances  which  favored  the  intro- 
duction of  religious  services  by  this  denomination.^  It  was  when  the 
troubles  existed  in  the  first  church  in  Torrington,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence, preaching  was  held  only  a  part  of  the  time  in  the  old  meeting 
house  on  the  south  hill.  The  Baptists  were  organizing  a  church  in 
Newfield,  and  the  Methodists  had  held  some  services  at  Jonathan 
Coe's  house  near  Newfield  in  Winchester.  It  would  not  have  been 
like  the  Methodists,  nor  any  body  else,  to  have  kept  away  under  such 


'  The  Methodist  preachers  first  visited  this  county  about  the  year  1787.  —  Litchfield 
Centennial. 

^  The  first  minister  sent  into  the  New  England  states  by  a  Methodist  conference  was 
Jesse  Lee  in  1789,  but  some  of  the  Methodist  ministers  had  preached  in  Connecticut  pre- 
vious to  this  date. 

In  1790,  the  appointments  for  New  England  were  :  Jesse  Lee,  presiding  elder  j  John 
Bloodgood  at  Fairfield;  John  Lee,  at  New  Haven;  Nathaniel  B.  Mills  at  Hartford;  Jesse 
Lee  and  Daniel  Smith  at  Boston.  John  Bloodgood  joined  the  conference  in  1788,  and 
may  have  preached  in  Litchfield  before  this  date,  as  a  local  preacher. 

15 


114  History  of  Torrington. 

favoring  circumstances.  Then  were  the  days  when  the  Methodists 
were  represented  as  "  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,"  and  they  in  turn 
spoke  of  the  pastors  of  the  standing  order,  as  hireling  ministers, 
and  educated  ministers,  but  "  never  converted."  Both  parties  have 
learned  better  manners,  and  a  larger  Christian  faith  since  that  day, 
and  though  occasionally  there  may  occur  at  the  present  day  little 
spats,  they  like  better  trained  children  keep  the  matter  in  their  own 
families,  and  do  not  proclaim  them  on  the  house  top. 

Elder  Richard  Leach,  a  Baptist  minister  living  on  Litchfield  road, 
preached  in  the  pine  grove,  on  the  eminence  now  enclosed  in  Valley 
park,  before  1800  ;  and  it  is  very  probable  that  the  Methodist  minis- 
ters held  meetings  there  before  that  time,  and  they  certainly  did  soon 
after,  and  then  removed  to  the  School  house  in  the  village  and  the 
grove  on  the  eminence  along  Prospect  street. 

It  is  therefore  very  probable  that  there  was  a  Methodist  class 
m  existence  here  not  only  as  early  as  1S07,'  but  possibly  twenty 
years  before,  in  this  immediate  neighborhood  ;  for  it  is  difficult  to 
conceive  of  two  or  three  such  families  as  Abijah  Wilson's  and  Capt. 
Frisbie's,  living  in  a  community,  such  as  was  in  this  vicinity,  twenty- 
one  or  more  years  without  a  class  meeting.  Methodists  were  not  of 
that  kind  in  those  days.  It  would  have  been  as  easy  for  old  Paul 
Peck,  if  he  had  lived,  to  have  entrapped  an  alligator  in  the  Pine  swamp 
as  to  have  caught  a  Methodist  living  twenty  years  without  a  class 
meeting  in  those  early  days.  It  is  therefore  more  than  probable  that 
class  meetings  were  held  at  Abijah  Wilson's,  and  Capt.  Frisbie's  and 
other  places  some  years  before  1800.  Regular  preaching  by  this 
denomination  may  have  been  established  at  the  School  house  in  the 
village  in  1809  or  10,  and  from  that  time  greater  improvements  in 
congregations  and  church  enterprises  may  have  been  experienced. 
In  1808,  a  Methodist  camp  meeting  was  held  in  Canada  in  Goshen, 
which  secured  a  more  prominent  influence  to  that  denomination 
throughout  this  region. 

The  ministers  who  preached  at  Mr.  Coe's,  and  afterwards  at  New- 
field,  doubtless  preached  here  also.  A  Mr.  Sweet  is  mentioned  as 
one  of  the  early  ones.  Mr.  Laban  Clark,  celebrated  for  more  than 
fifty  years  in  his  denomination,  preached  here  in  1810.  Samuel  D. 
Ferguson  and  Elbert  Osborn  were  among  the  early  ones,  and   two 


'  See  a  Memorial  Sermon   by  Rev.  T.    D.   Littlewood,   in  the  Bridgeport  Statidard,  May 
17,  1872. 


The   Churches   in  Wolcottville.  115 

by  the  name  of  Hill,  and  Gad  N.  Smith,  Mr.  Canfield,  Mr.  Beach. 
Col.  John  H.  Perry,  a  man  of  military  education,  became  a  minister, 
and  preached  here  ;  became  a  very  influential  minister  in  New  York 
and  Brooklyn  ;  went  as  a  colonel  of  a  regiment  into  the  army  against 
the  late  rebellion  ;  was  promoted  to  a  general's  commission  ;  returned 
in  safety  to  his  home  in  Brooklyn.  Rev.  Ebenezer  Washburn  is  also 
mentioned  prominently  in  regard  to  the  prosperity  of  this  denomina- 
tion in  this  community. 

The  real  pastors,  however,  of  Methodist  churches  in  early  days, 
were  the  local  preachers.  The  circuit  ministers  were  preachers, 
traveling  on  tours  that  required  their  absence  from  each  preaching 
place,  two,  three  and  four  weeks  ;  and  hence  the  real  pastoral  work, 
or  care  for  the  local  churches,  fell,  in  a  great  measure,  on  the  local 
ministers  and  class  leaders.  Such  men  as  Daniel  Coe  of  Winsted, 
and  David  Miller  of  Torringford,  were  the  men  who  preached  many 
funeral  sermons,  visited  the  sick,  supplied  vacant  places  with  preach- 
ing at  no  cost  to  any  one  but  themselves  ;  attended  many  meetings^ 
far  and  near  ;  helped  in  devising  the  plans  and  ways  and  moneys  for 
building  churches  ;  as  unknown,  and  yet  well  known  ;  and  without 
whom  many  of  their  churches  would  never  have  been  or  when  they 
were,  would  have  been  scattered  to  the  four  winds  never  again  to  be 
gathered. 

Daniel  Coe  stood  on  the  preacher's  stand  to  exhort  at  the  camp- 
meeting  in  Goshen  in  1808,  and  his  first  words  were  :  "Wake  up, 
brethren,  wake  up,"  And  this  watchword  has  built  many  a  church, 
and  led  scores  and  thousands  of  fainting  soldiers  to  final  triumph  and 
victory. 

A  number  of  families  came  into  Wolcottville  soon  after  the  woolen 
mill  was  started,  and  united  with  the  Methodist  congregation  and 
church,  who  proved  themselves  true  and  faithful  witnesses,  and  were 
of  much  value  to  the  denomination  and  to  the  community  in  reli- 
gious things.  But  the  progress  of  the  enterprise  of  making  woolen 
cloths  was  not  an  even  course  of  prosperity,  and  therefore  the  for- 
ward movement  in  the  church  was  impeded,  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  first  Methodist  meeting  house  in  Wolcottville  was  built  in 
1843,  R^v.  George  Taylor  being  the  pastor  at  the  time.  It  was  a 
commendable  structure  considering  the  money  strength  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  was  completed  and  finally  paid  for  though  it  took 
years  of  anxiety  and  earnest  effort. 


ii6 


History  of  Torringto 


N. 


The  ministers  who  had  preached  here  to  that  time  are  mentioned 


in  the  followinp;  order  :' 

Laban  Clark, 
James  Coleman  in  i8io, 
Arnold  Scoville, 
Benjamin  Griffin, 
William  Swayne, 
Gad  Smith, 
Samuel  Cochrane, 
Cyrus  Culver, 
E.  P.  Jacobs, 
J.  J.  Matthias, 
Datus  Ensign, 
Ezekiel  Canfield, 
Nathan  Emery, 
Smith  Dayton, 
Ebenezer  Washburn, 
John  Nixon, 


David  Miller, 
Julius  Field, 
Daniel  Brayton, 
Elbert  Osborn, 
Eli  Barnett, 
John  Lovejoy, 
Bradley  Silleck, 
Milo  Chamberlain, 
David  Stocking, 
John  Lucky, 
Richard  Hayter, 
Morris  Hill, 
David  Osborn, 
S.  W.  Law, 
George  Taylor, 
John  M.  Reid, 
Geo.  A.  Hubbell, 


Robt.  Codling, 
Wm.  B.  Hoyt, 
S.  C.  Keeler, 
C.  T.  Mallory, 
Otis  Saxton, 

A.  V.  R.  Abbott, 
Benj.  Redford, 

C.  W.  Powell, 

B.  T.  Abbott, 
J.  Vinton, 

L.  W.  Abbott, 
S.  H.  Bray, 
T.  D.  Littlewood, 
H.  L.  Judd, 
S.  K.  Smith. 


James  M.  Smith, 

From  1843,  ^°''  twenty-two  years  the  prosperity  of  this  church 
was  steady  and  prophetic  of  good.  The  ministers  during  this  time 
were  :  G.  A.  Hubbell,  Robert  Codling,  William  B.  Hoyt,  S.  C. 
Keeler,  C.  T.  Mallory,  A.  V.  R.  Abbott,  C.  W.  Powell,  B.  T. 
Abbott  and  Joseph  Vinton.  At  that  time,  1855,  the  population  of 
the  village  had  so  increased,  through  the  coming  into  it  of  manufac- 
turing enterprises,  it  was  deemed  important  to  enlarge  the  old  Church 
or  build  a  new  edifice.  After  a  thorough  discussion  of  this  subject 
and  looking  about  for  money  to  meet  the  expenses,  it  was  decided  to 
build  a  new  house.  Plans  and  specifications  were  prepared  by  an 
architect  and  accepted,  and  a  building  committee  of  the  following 
persons  appointed  :  Luther  Bronson,  Letsom  T.  Wooster,  James 
Wooding,  Derick  N.  GofF  and  Michael  Bronson,  The  house  was 
to  be  eighty  feet  in  length,  and  fifty  feet  in  width  and  built  of  brick. 
The  corner  stone  was  laid  on  the  25th  day  of  May,  1865.  The 
house  was  built  and  dedicated,  and  after  summing  up  all  expenses  it 
was  found  to  have  cost  twenty-four  thousand  dollars,  and  to  meet 
this,  from  all  sources,  was  obtained  one-half  the  sum,  leaving  a  debt 
of  twelve  thousand  dollars.  When  this  enterprise  began  some  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  were  in  prosperity  in  business  enterprises, 
and  had  this  continued  there  would  have  been  little  trouble,  though 
the  edifice  cost  twice  the  amount  estimated,  but  a  change  came,  and 


'  Mr.  Littlewood's  sermon. 


The  Churches  in  Wolcottville.  117 

that  change  brought  such  a  weight  of  debt  as  nearly  crushed  all 
hope.  But  there  was  a  way  out,  and  that  way  this  struggling  church 
found.  Led  on  at  last  by  the  Rev.  T.  D.  Littlewood,  the  debt  was 
proclaimed  as  provided  for,  and  a  day  of  rejoicing  and  thanksgiving 
held,  on  the  7th  day  of  April,  1872.  The  house  makes  a  fine  ap- 
pearance and  is  an  honor  to  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of  all  who  have 
aided  in  making  it  what  it  is,  and  in  not  suffering  it  to  be  sold,  even 
when  there  seemed  no  other  way  to  be  pursued. 

In  the  effx)rt  to  pay  the  debt  as  stated,  there  was  an  unfortunate 
misunderstanding  in  regard  to  three  thousand  dollars  obtained  of  the 
M.  E.  Church  Building  Fund,  which  nearly  ended  in  disaster.  It 
was  supposed  by  the  congregation  that  this  money  was  a  donation, 
and  when  it  was  learned  that  it  was  to  be  refunded,  the  surprise  was 
almost  a  gulf  of  despair. 

It  is  true  to  history  to  mention  also,  that  when  it  was  proposed  to 
build  a  new  church  the  older  members  were  satisfied  with  repairing 
the  Old  Meeting  house,  while  those  who  had  lately  come  into  the 
community  and  who  proposed  to  contribute  considerable  money,  were 
in  favor  of  a  new  house  and  succeeded  in  having  their  way.  When 
these  last  three  thousand  dollars  were  to  be  paid,  there  was  scarcely 
one  left  in  the  place,  of  those  who  were  forward  in  voting  for  the 
new  building.  Hence  is  seen  the  fidelity  and  nobleness  of  heart  of 
those  who  continued  to  struggle  to  pay  a  debt,  they  all  had  voted 
against  making  ;  and  that,  too,  after  they  had  once  supposed  the  entire 
debt  cancelled.  The  Rev.  H.  Q.  Judd  was  pastor  during  this  last 
struggle,  and  like  an  old  sea  captain  he  steadily  sailed  to  victory  and 
an  open  sea,  in  the  year  1875. 

The  following  sketches  of  a  few  of  the  ministers  of  this  denomi- 
nation who  have  been  stationed  at  Wolcottville  are  secured  through 
the  favor  of  Rev.  Sidney  K.  Smith,  the  present  pastor  of  this  church. 

Rev.  Laban  Clark,  D.D. 
Rev.  Laban  Clark,  who  preached  the  first  sermon  as  a  Methodist 
minister  in  Wolcottville,  in  1810,  being  then  stationed  at  Litchfield, 
was  born  in  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  July  19,  1778.  His  early  education 
was  limited.  His  parents  were  rigid  Congregationalists  and  extremely 
Calvinistic,  and  voung-  Clark  coming  in  contact  with  some  earnest 
Wesleyans,  while  quite  young,  imbibed  their  views,  and  joyfully  ac- 
cepted the  personal  hope  of  salvation  among  this  people,  and  ever 
afterward  was,  in  theology  and  church  polity,  a  Methodist.     He  joined 


ii8  History  of  Torrington. 

the  New  York  conference  in  1801,  having  rode  on  horseback,  three 
hundred  and  forty  miles,  in  order  to  be  present  at  the  session  of  the 
conference. 

He  labored  as  pastor,  or  presiding  elder,  fifty  years  with  marked 
success.  His  preaching  was  clear  and  forcible,  presenting  more  con- 
stantly, the  gospel  side,  rather  than  the  law  side  of  the  great  question 
of  personal  salvation.  He  was  constant  and  untiring  in  pastoral  work 
and  ever  exhibiting  a  consecration  and  devotion  to  his  calling,  worthy 
of  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  In  1848,  he  made  his  residence  at 
Middletown,  Connecticut,  where  he  lived  respected  and  venerated,  by 
all  who  knew  him,  until  his  decease. 

He  was  the  principal  mover  in  starting  and  establishing  the  Wes- 
leyan  university  at  Middletown,  Ct.,  an  institution  which  became 
one  of  the  dearest  objects  of  his  life  work,  and  over  which  he  watched 
with  the  solicitude  of  a  parent  for  his  most  endearing  child.  He 
clung  to  it  with  all  his  characteristic  tenacity  to  the  end  of  his  life. 
There  was,  however,  no  important  interest  of  his  denomination  which 
did  not  share  his  sympathy  and  cooperation.  He  was  active  in  its 
early  academic  and  educational  schemes  and  benevolent  plans.  He 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  missionary  society  of  his  denomina- 
tion, which  was  organized  at  his  suggestion,  while  he  was  pastor  in 
New  York,  in  1819.  His  influence  in  the  general  conference  of  his 
church  was  very  important  for  many  years.  He  was  an  influential 
member,  and  died  a  patriarch  of  the  New  York  east  conference. 
After  a  long,  laborious  and  successful  life  career,  he  died  at  his  home 
in  Middletown,  November  28,  1868,  in  the  ninety-first  year  of  his 
age  ;  a  venerable  and  beloved  hero  of  American  Methodism. 

Such  was  the  man  who,  so  far  as  is  known,  preached  the  first  Me- 
thodist sermon  in  the  immediate  village  of  Wolcottville. 

Rev.  J.  Morrison  Reid,  D.D. 
He  was  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born  May  30,  1820  ;  and  was 
the  son  of  John  and  Jane  Morrison  Reid.  He  is  now,  and  has  been 
a  number  of  years,  the  secretary  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
of  the  M.  E.  church,  located  at  New  York,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  responsible  positions  in  that  denomination.  His  personal  re- 
ligious experience  began  while  he  was  in  his  fifteenth  year.  He 
graduated  with  much  honor  at  the  New  York  university,  when  in 
his  nineteenth  year,  and  five  years  after,  or  in  1844,  when  he  was 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  united  with  the  New  York  conference  ; 


The   Churches   in  Wolcottville.  119 

was  stationed  at  Wolcottville,  as  his  first  charge,  and  entered  upon 
his  life  work  as  a  minister. 

Dr.  Ried  has  occupied,  as  pastor,  some  of  the  most  important 
churches  within  the  bounds  of  his  conference,  with  great  satisfaction 
to  the  people  and  success  to  the  cause.  In  1858,  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  Genesee  college,  in  the  western  part  of  New  York 
state,  and  while  holding  that  position  was  elected  editor  of  the 
fVestern  Christian  Advocate^  in  1864.  Four  years  afterwards  he  was 
elected  editor  of  the  Northwestern  Christian  Advocate^  at  Chicago. 
In  1872,  he  was  elected  to  the  high  position,  which  he  still  holds,  as 
missionary  secretary.  Dr.  Reid  in  all  departments  of  labor,  pastoral, 
educational,  editorial  and  missionary,  has  had  distinguished  success, 
but  especially  in  the  office  he  now  holds,  has  he  shown  his  eminent 
qualifications  for  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the  vast  constituency 
he  serves. 

He  is  a  constant,  earnest,  toiling  minister  and  worker.  He  is  pos- 
sessed of  a  manly  presence,  a  fine  voice  ;  and  has  an  earnest,  im- 
pressive manner,  and  therefore  has  been  a  very  successful  advocate 
of  the  great  missionary  cause,  which  he  now  represents. 

Dr.  Reid  in  writing  to  Rev.  S.  H.  Smith  in  1877,  ^^X^  o^  ^'^  labors 
in  Wolcottville  :  "  It  was  my  first  charge.  I  went  to  it  from  the 
principalship  of  Mechanics  Institute  school  of  New  York  city.  The 
first  Church  had  just  then  been  built,  and  the  grading  around  it,  and 
the  blinds  and  lamps  were  attended  to  and  obtained  by  me.  The  church 
was  new  and  not  strong  in  its  membership  and  efficiency,  but  after 
all  it  was  a  memorable  time  for  dissipating  prejudices  which  abounded 
towards  Methodism.  I  have  always  thanked  God  for  sending  me 
there,  and  I  would  like  to  see  it  now  after  all  these  years  that  are 
past.      I  must  some  time." 

Rev.  Horace  Q.  Judd. 

Rev.  Horace  Q.  Judd  was  born  Feb.  21,  1841,  in  Bethel,  Conn., 
and  fitted  for  college  at  the  Hudson  River  "institute,  and  enlisted  in 
the  17th  Conn,  volunteers  April,  1862  ;  and  served  three  years, 
being  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorsville  and  Gettysburg,  and  received 
an  honorable  discharge.  He  united  with  the  New  York  east  con- 
ference of  the  M.  E.  church  in  the  spring  of  1870,  and  was  stationed 
at  Cornwall  Bridge,  Ct.,  and  in  1872  was  appointed  to  the  M.  E. 
church  in  Wolcottville,  where  he  labored  with  success  and  honor 
three  years.     He  was  very  much  liked  in  the  community  generally, 


I20  History  of  Torrington. 

and  did  a  special  work  in  behalf  of  the  church,  in  his  persevering 
efforts  by  which  the  last  end  of  a  long  and  wearisome  debt  was  re- 
moved from  the  church  property. 

He  is  now  preaching  at  Watertown,  Ct.,  with  the  same  steady 
onward  success  which  has  marked  his  life  heretofore. 

Rev.  Sidney  Ketcham  Smith,  A.M. 

Rev.  Mr.  Smith  is  now  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  church,  in  his  third 
year,  in  Wolcottville.  He  was  born  Mar.  14,  1838,  at  Huntington, 
Long  Island,  and  was  the  son  of  Solomon  and  Abigail  Ketcham 
Smith,  who  were  farmers  and  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  was  employed,  as  clerk,  in  a  silk 
Importing  house  in  New  York  city.  He  was  converted  and  joined 
the  old  York  street  M.  E.  church  of  Brooklyn,  under  the  labors  of 
Rev.  George  W.  Woodruff,  D.D.  He  soon  felt  a  deep  conviction 
to  preach  the  gospel,  and  whatever  his  work  or  engagements  this  was 
the  thought  of  greatest  import  to  him. 

In  preparing  for  the  ministry  he  studied  at  the  Wesleyan  academy, 
Wilbraham,  Mass.,  Wesleyan  university,  Middletown,  Ct.,  and  the 
Biblical  institute,  Concord,  N.  H.,  taking  the  course,  however,  in  an 
inverted  order.  Through  the  advice  of  enthusiastic  friends  he  en- 
tered at  once  with  slight  academic  preparation  the  Biblical  institute, 
intending  to  take  only  a  theological  course,  but  during  the  first  term, 
in  view  of  youth  and  want  of  mental  training,  he  determined  to  take 
also  a  thorough  collegiate  course.  In  seeking  advice  from  the  pro- 
fessors, one  said  ;  "  Leave  at  once  and  go  to  college,  we  don't  want 
you  here."  The  other  quietly  replied,  "better  remain,  now  you 
are  here,  brother  ;  get  established  in  your  religious  life  and  theological 
views,  then  go  to  college  and  make  it  your  parish.  This  latter  ad- 
vice became  the  controlling  rule  of  his  life  for  the  next  eight  years. 
He  was  graduated  at  the  Biblical  institute  in  1859;  preached  one 
year  as  supply  at  Southampton,  L.  I.,  and  entered  the  Wesleyan 
university  in  1861,  and  was  graduated  in  1865. 

In  the  same  year  he  joined  the  New  York  east  conference  and 
was  stationed  at  Middlefield,  Conn.  In  September  of  that  year  he 
married  Mary  F.  Barnard  of  Marlboro,  Mass.  His  successive  appoint- 
ments since  have  been  ;  Clinton,  Simsbury  and  Wolcottville,  all  in 
this  state.  Twice  he  has  been  compelled  through  ill  health  to  tem- 
porarily relinquish  the  work  of  the  ministry.     During  the  first  period 


CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH,     WOLCOT'IVILLE,     ERECTED    IN     1867. 


The   Churches   in   Wolcottville.  121 

of  rest  the  parsonage  at  Middlefield  was  burned  with  all  his  library 
and  household  goods. 

He  is  a  very  acceptable  minister,  much  esteemed  in  his  own  church 
and  through  the  whole  community,  and  notwithstanding  poor  health, 
attends  to  the  labors  and  interests  of  his  parish  with  as  much  success 
as  those  do  ordinarily,  who  are  perfect  in  health.  He  is  now  closing 
his  pastorate  in  the  Wolcottville  church,  having  been  stationed  here 
three  successive  years. 

The  Congregational  Church. 

Soon  after  the  Woolen  Mill  began  its  manufacturing  work,  the 
Revs.  Alexander  Gillett  and  Samuel  J.  Mills  began  to  deliver 
lectures,  or  short  sermons  in  Wolcottville  on 

which  work  they  continued  a  number  of  years,  considering  it  a  part 
of  their  pastoral  and  ministerial  duty  thus  to  do.  As  the  Methodist 
brethren  had  not  restrained  themselves  from  coming  into  their  parishes 
and  preaching,  so  they  judged  it  not  out  of  order  for  them  to  come 
into  the  Methodist  parish  and  give  lectures,  and  especially  when  a 
number  of  their  old  church  members  lived  here  and  near  the  place. 
But  these  aged  ministers  were  not  always  to  preach.  For  our  sakes 
we  are  sorry,  but  for  their  sakes  we  are  glad.  What  would  thai 
dignified,  learned,  serious  Father  Gillett  say  if  he  were  to  come  to 
Wolcottville  in  these  later  davs  ?  What  would  Father  Mills  say  ? 
Perhaps  to  save  them,  that  their  hearts  might  not  be  sore  vexed  with- 
out comfort,  they  were  taken  away  that  they  might  not  see  the  doings 
of  these  later  days.  When,  therefore,  they  were  not  able  to  con- 
tinue this  extra  work,  regularly.  Parson  Jeremiah  Hallock  from  Sims- 
bury  came  and  preached.  Mr.  Goodman  settled  in  1822,  in 
Torringford,  and  being  younger  he  helped  on  the  cause  in  this  new 
field  of  religious  enterprise. 

About  1820,  the  brick  building  now  standing  a  little  way  south  of 
the  American  House,  was  built,  and  a  part  of  it  was  to  be  a  union 
meetinghouse.  Whether  any  denominations  except  the  Universalist 
occupied  it  is  not  definitely  stated.  It  was  used  for  a  time  as  an 
academy.  Thus  was  the  gospel  preached  in  Wolcottville,  in  one 
place  and  another,  by  various  ministers  of  different  denominations  for 
nearly  twenty  years,  without  having  an  accepted  consecrated  house 
of  worship. 

Under  such  circumstances  Capt.  Uri  Taylor,  son  of  Joseph,  led 

16 


122  History  of  Torrington. 

the  way,  others  aiding  him  as  best  they  could,  and  built  the  first  Con- 
gregational meeting  house,;  and  although  Capt.  Taylor  was  building 
committee  on  his  own  responsibility,  yet  with  such  men  around  him 
as  those  who  united  in  organizing  the  first  society  he  was  not  alone 
in  this  work.  There  was  one  good  thing  about  this  method  of  build- 
ing a  meeting  house,  they  had  no  contending  parties,  and  clashing  of 
judgments,  and  unending  hatred  after  the  house  was  built.  So  far  as 
history  tells  us,  all  were  well  satisfied,  the  house  was  paid  for,  and 
was  a  very  proper  and  comfortable  house  of  worship.  Mr.  Taylor 
gave  the  site  for  the  house  and  furnished  a  large  part  of  the  money 
needed  in  the  building,  and  thus  did  a  noble  work.  He  also  built  the 
parsonage  in  the  same  way,  and  passed  the  whole  property,  of  meet- 
ing house  and  minister's  dwelling,  into  the  hands  of  the  society,  with- 
out any  claims  except  the  reservation  of  one  pew  in  the  Church  for 
his  descendants  as  long  as  they  shall  choose,  or  shall  be  here  to  oc- 
cupy it. 

This  being  done,  the  "  Village  Society  in  Torrington  was  organ- 
ized on  the  third  day  of  December,  1829,  at  the  house  of  Captain 
Taylor,  and  the  following  persons  became  members  of  the  society  : 

Lyman  Wetmore,  Elijah  Phelps,  "  Israel  Coe, 

'.  Uri  Taylor,  Samuel  Beach,  Anson  Stocking, 

•  John  Hungerford  Jr.,  Amasa  Scoville,  Asa  G.  Adams, 

William  Leach,  Leverette. Scott,  Charles  S.  Church, 

Joel  Hall,  Elizur  Barber,  Arvid  Dayton, 

i  Daniel  S.  Rogers,  John  W.  Scoville,  Joseph   Barritt, 

f'  George  P.  Bissell,  David  Baldwin,  Linus  Dunbar, 

Harmon  Cook,  Samuel  Brooker,  George  P.  Roberts, 

George  D.  Wadhams,  William  Olcott,  ■  Russell  C.   Abernethy, 

Luther  Bissell,  Amos  Wilson,  William  S.  Hungerford. 

Lorrain  Wetmore,  John  Cook, 

Soon  after  this  society  was  formed,  the  Rev.  William  R.  Gould, 
then  pastor  of  the  Torrington  church,  was  em.ployed  to  preach  a 
certain  portion  of  the  time  for  one  year,  the  First  society  consenting 
to  the  arrangement.  This  arrangement  continued  until  February, 
1832,  when  Mr.  Gould  was  dismissed  by  council  from  the  Torring- 
ton church,  and  Wolcottville  looked  in  other  directions  for  preach- 
ing. During  the  year  1831,  the  Rev.  David  Miller  and  other 
Methodist  ministers  were  employed  the  portion  of  time  that  Mr. 
Gould  did  not  preach  here. 

On  the  thirteenth  day  of  August,  1832,  the  society  voted  to  give 
the  Rev.  Hiram  P.  Arms  a  call  to  settle  in  the  work  of  the  gospel 
ministry.      But  before  a  pastor  could  be  settled  over  a  church,  there 


The  Churches  in  Wolcottville.  123 

must  be  a  church,  and  the  next  orderly  thing  to  be  done  was  to 
effect  such  an  organization.  This  was  done,  June  11,  1832,  ac- 
cording to  the  order  of  the  denomination,  by  a  committee  of  the 
Litchfield  north  consociation,  delegated  for  the  purpose.  Twenty- 
one  persons  were  recceived  by  letter  and  eight  by  profession  of  their 

faith,  as  constituting  the  church  as  follows  : 

f 

David  Baldwin,  Lyman  Wetmore. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Baldwin,  Mrs.  Betsey  Wetmore, 

Sarah  Ann  Baldwin,  Lorrain  Wetmore, 

Elizur  Barber,  Mrs.  Frances  Wetmore, 

Mrs.  Polly  Barber,  Louisa  Wetmore, 

Mrs.  Lucy  Bissell,  Amanda  Wetmore, 

Ruth  Brooks,  Leverett  Scott, 

Rebecca  Goodman,  Mrs.  Leverett  Scott, 

Sarah  Hungerford,  Sarah  Wilcox, 

Mrs.  Charlotte  Hungerford,  Lydia  Kimberly, 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Eno,  Maria  S.   North, 

Mrs.  Ursula  Frost,  Ruhama  Smith, 

Nancy  S.  Goodman,  George  D.  Wadhams, 

John  Hungerford,  Mrs.  Lucy  Wadhams. 
Abigail  Taylor, 

The  church  being  thus  organized  Rev.  Hiram  P.  Arms  was  in- 
stalled first  pastor  of  this  church  and  society  in  February  1833, 

The  importance  and  success  of  this  church  is  set  forth  in  very 
appropriate  language  by  another  as  follows  : 

"  During  all  the  years  of  effort  by  the  people  of  Wolcottville  to 
ensure  its  rapid  growth  as  a  business  place,  a  little  band  of  thoroughly 
earnest  Christians  were  watching,  working  and  praying,  with  a  long- 
tried  patience,  and  a  wrestling  faith  for  the  establishment  of  a  church 
of  Christ,  and  for  such  help  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  would  lift  up  a 
standard  effectually  against  the  abounding  wickedness  of  the  place. 
While  Christopher  Wolcott,  the  devout  and  efficient  agent  of 
Frederick  Wolcott,  in  managing  the  mill,  and  other  kindred  spirits 
which  his  position  enabled  him  to  bring  to  his  aid,  were  trying  to  sow 
some  good  seed,  the  Methodists  were  contending  nobly  for  truth  and 
righteousness  as  well  ;  and  the  older  members  of  this  church  speak 
with  becoming  respect  and  affection  of  their  fellow  disciples  of  the 
common  Master. 

••'  From  the  organization  of  the  church,  the  mutual  action  of  the 
church  and  society  has  been  harmonious,  and  a  commendable  zeal, 
prudence  and  liberality  has  marked  their  efforts  to  sustain  the  ordi- 
nances of  religion.      Without  zealous  stickling  for  mere  points  of 


124  History  of  Torrington. 

order  in  their  mutual  work,  they  have  accomplished  much  toward 
the  civil,  social,  educational  and  religious  culture  of  this  community, 
and  their  out  look  upon  the  opening  future  is  full  of  hope  and  pro- 
mise. But  since  the  church  is  an  institution  of  divine  appointment, 
and  since  it  is  by  inspiration  called  the  body  of  Christ  ;  it  is  meet 
and  proper  that  in  its  relation  to  other  agencies,  it  should  always  have 
the  precedence  without  regard  to  numbers,  wealth,  or  earthly  dis- 
tinctions. Any  society  that  does  not  choose  to  have  this  rule  ob- 
served is  radically  defective  in  its  character  as  an  ecclesiastical  society  ; 
and  any  church  that  does  not  make  the  fitness  of  this  rule  apparent 
fails  to  execute  its  high  commission."  ' 

The  settled  pastors  have  been  :  Hiram  P.  Arms,  Stephen  Hubbell, 
Samuel  Day,  Samuel  T.  Seelye,  Ralph  Smith,  Edward  W.  Bacon, 
and  Lavalette  Perrin,  and  the  following  have  been  stated  supplies  : 
E.  S.  Clark,  R.  M.  Chipman,  W.  L.  Adamson,  George  B.  New- 
comb,  and  others.  It  will  be  seen  that  during  the  forty-four  years 
of  its  history,  this  church  has  had  a  settled  pastor  about  twenty  eight 
and  one-half  years  ;  and  acting  pastor  about  six  and  a  half  years. 

"  The  benefit  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  in  this  state,  is 
realized,  to  some  extent,  in  the  aid  this  church  received,  for  several 
years  from  its  commencement,  making  it  possible  to  have  a  settled 
pastor  when  otherwise  it  could  not  j  and  giving  it  strength  until  it 
acquired  strength  of  its  own. 

"The  membership  of  the  church  has  steadily,  though  slowly  in- 
creased in  numbers,  although  its  forty-four  years  of  effort  and  labor 
have  been  amidst  great  national  struggles  and  calamities. 

"The  Sabbath  school,  under  different  forms,  with  such  intervals  as 
circumstances  have  made  inevitable,  has  been  sustained  from  the  first. 
Indeed  before  there  was  pastor,  church  or  society,  Mrs.  Charles 
Hungerford  maintained  such  a  school,  on  Sabbath  morning  and  she 
attending  service  after  it  at  Torringford.  From  that  time  forward 
the  school  has  steadily  increased  until  the  numbers  in  it  are  nearly 
equal  to  the  numbers  in  the  regular  service  of  the  congregation. 

"  The  membership  of  this  church  has  steadily  though  slowly  in- 
creased in  numbers  from  the  first.  There  have  been  seasons  of 
special  religious  interest  in  the  community,  but  no  very  remarkable 
times  of  refreshing,  such  as  are  on  the  records  of  other  churches, 
have  been  experienced  by  this  church.     The  following  are  the  years 


'Rev.  L.  Perrin  in  Centennial  sermon,  1876;   published. 


The  Churches  in  Wolcottville.  125 

in  which  ten  or  more  persons  were  added  to  the  membership  of  the 
church  : 

1834,  13.  1858,  21,  1874,  10, 

1843.  ^5.  1867,  39,  1876,  10. 

1852,  34,  1873,  10, 

"  Other  years  of  its  history  have  indicated  more  or  less  of  spiritual 
vigor,  but  it  has  not  been  equipped  and  furnished  as  some  churches 
are  for  aggressive  work.  From  its  membership  of  twenty-nine  at  the 
start  it  has  increased  to  one  hundred  and  seventy-five,  at  the  present 
time. 

"  All  the  ordinary  means  of  grace  have  been  sustained,  and  for  a 
number  of  years  the  plan  of  Sabbath  offerings  has  been  successfully 
maintained,  and  thereby  the  benevolent  institutions  of  the  times 
receive  monthly  attention  to  the  noted  credit  and  honor  of  the  congre- 
gation ;   the  average  amount  is  about  eight    hundred  dollars  annually. 

"  The  service  of  song,  has  quite  uniformly  been  rendered  to  the  edi- 
fication and  quickening  of  all  true  worshipers,  and  from  the  be- 
ginning of  its  history  this  society  has  been  favored  with  a  specially 
competent  choir,  who  have  cheerfully  and  faithfully  sustained  this 
important  service. 

"This  church  and  society  have  occupied  two,  and  in  a  qualified 
sense  three  houses  of  worship.  This  is  a  matter  usually  controlled 
by  the  society,  and  from  the  first  there  have  been  a  few  men  of 
sound  wisdom  and  high  toned  morality,  worshiping  with  the  church, 
though  not  members  of  it,  who  have  infused  energy  into  all  the  move- 
ments of  the  society,  and  enriched  its  records  with  many  wise  and 
liberal  acts."  ' 

Certain  extensive  repairs  were  made  on  the  house  of  worship,  es- 
pecially the  upper  part  of  it,  in  1844,  as  to  render  it,  in  appearance 
inside,  like  a  new  house,  and  thus  was  provided  what  was  practically 
the  second  Meeting  house  of  this  society,  which  served  its  purpose 
satisfactorily,  for  the  term  of  twenty  years. 

In  1864,  the  question  of  reconstructing  the  Meeting  house  and 
building  or  fitting  up  a  conference  room  was  brought  before  the  an- 
nual meeting,  and  this  proved  to  be  the  beginning  "  of  that  protracted, 
perplexing,  and  nobly  sustained  efFortof  the  society,  which,  after  long 
continued  struggles,  resulted  in  the  solid,  chaste,  and  truly  beautiful 
granite  edifice  now  standing  as  a  Sabbath  home.      Though  *the  vicissi- 


»  Dr.  Perrin  in  Centennial  sermon. 


ii6 


History  of  Torrington. 


tudes  of  the  enterprise  were  many,  and  made  doubly  burdensome  by 
the  failure  of  the  contractors,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  work,  to  ful- 
fill their  engagements,  yet  it  was  carried  to  completion  by  the  force 
of  unyielding  purpose  and  resolution,  to  the  general  satisfaction  of 
those  interested.  The  contract  was  taken  by  a  New  York  firm,  for 
the  sum  of  nearly  nineteen  thousand  dollars,  and  when  the  last  bill 
was  paid  the  sum  had  increased  to  over  thirty-two  thousand  dollars  ; 
and  as  in  all  such  cases,  those  who  do  most  at  the  commencement, 
are  quite  certain  to  do  most  in  the  final  closing  up  of  indebtedness  so 
in  this  case  ;  the  first  were  last.  It  is,  therefore,  a  beautiful  monu- 
ment of  earnest,  wise,  and  well  directed  energy  in  the  accomplishment 
of  a  noble  Christian  object,"'  and  will  be  appreciated  for  many  years 
to  come,  by  those  who  shall  worship  there. 

The  list  of  contributors  to  the  new  church  edifice  as  given  in  Dr. 
Perrin's  centennial  sermon  is  as  follows  : 

Lorrain  Wetmore,  . 


F.  N.  Holley,       . 
Ransom  Holley, 
Elisha  Turner,     . 
Elizur  Barber, 
Sidney  L.  Clark, 
H.  S.  Barbour, 
N.  B.  Lathrop, 
P.  F.  Parsons, 
Charles  Hotchkiss, 
E.  C.  Hotchkiss, 
Mrs.  C.  A.  Hungerford, 
H.  B.   Alvord, 
Charles  Alvord, 
J.  W.  Cook,  . 
B.  R.   Agard,      . 
Chester  Brooker, 
S.  H.  Perkins, 
George  W.  Church, 
J.  A.  Newbury, 
J.  F.  Calhoun, 
Harmon  Cook, 
D.  L.  Hungerford, 
John  W.  Langdon, 
J.  W.   Phelps, 
John  W.  Scoville, 
Benham  Barber, 
Henry  J.  Allen, 
Samuel  Brooker, 
Willard  Weed,  . 


$5,557.00  Dennis  Perkins, 

7,015.00  Lewis  Cook, 

4,715.00  Mr.  Millard, 

2,950.00  W.  S.  Lewis, 

875.00  N.  Alvord,  Jr., 

500.00  Nelson  Alvord, 

1,035.00  Charles  F.   Brooker, 

850.00  A.  F.  Brooker,    . 

740.00  Henry  Hopkins, 

665.00  Samuel  Stocking, 

350.00  George  H.  Mason, . 

400.00  Erskin  Andrus, 

400.00  E.  Fellows, 

635.00  Charles  J.  Battell, 

350.00  T.  S.  Hanchett, 

665.00  Merritt  Marks, 

450.00  Charlotte  Royce,     . 

200.00  O.  Hayward, 

425.00  Wm.  Bryant, 

200.00  J.  M.  Travis,     . 

300.00  Samuel  Burr, 

225.00  Arthur  B.  Agard, 

200.00  L.  B.  Mowry, 

100.00  Amos  Gear, 

275.00  Baldwin  &  Farnham, 

125.00  Giles  A.  Gaylord, 

200.00  J.  M.  Camp, 

115.00  Eliasaph  Scoville, 

250.00  D.  W.  Clark, 

1 15.00  J.  E.  Lewis, 


100.00 

200.00 

250.00 

250.00 

115.00 

70.00 

230.00 

165.00 

165.00 

235.00 

50.00 

50.00 

100.00 

50.00 

115.00 

50.00 

50.00 

50.00 

100.00 

190.00 

25.00 

30.00 

25.00 

25.00 

25.00 

75.00 

25.00 

50.00 

75.00 

10.00 


Dr.  Perrin's  sermon. 


The   Churches   in   Wolcottville. 


127 


Hobart  Churchill, 
Simon  Reid,    . 
Ferdinand  Adt, 
Louis  J.  Adt, 
Chauncey  Mix, 
J.  G.  Brothwell,      . 
Wait  B.  Wilson, 
C.  Ladd  &  Son, 
W.  H.  Talcott, 
Willis  Curtiss, 
George  W.  Cook, 
E.  M.  Judd, 
A.  E.  Barber,      . 
George  P.  Roberts, 
Louisa  North, 
C.  F.  Church  &  Co., 
Joel  Scoville, 
James  E.    Noble, 
E.  A.  Baldwin, 
G.  H.  Welch, 
J.  N.  Wetmore, 
James  H.  Patterson, 
J.  L.  Carson, 


10.00 

E.  H.Holley, 

50,00 

10.00 

William  Spittle, 

30.00 

10.00 

F.  L.  Wadhams,     . 

25.00 

10.00 

D.  McGregor  Means, 

50.00 

30.00 

Wm.  H.  Lacy,  Jr., 

50.00 

30.00 

George  H.  Fish, 

20.00 

50.00 

E.  J.  Hopkins, 

20.00 

100.00 

Clark  &  Wing, 

12.50 

50.00 

E.  J.  Steele, 

25.00 

75.00 

B.  C.  &  H.  S.  Patterson,      . 

115.00 

50.00 

John  Scoville, 

30.00 

200.00 

Theodore  Hartman,     . 

25.00 

215.00 

W.  W.  Mix, 

15.00 

615.00 

Daniel  B.   Joyce, 

50.00 

100.00 

Mrs.  R.  Dunbar,     . 

20.00 

50.00 

Estate  E.  Eggleston,     . 

25.00 

25.00 

F.  J.  Pierce, 

5.00 

25.00 

D.  C.  Kilbourn, 

40.00 

290.00 

W.  W.   Birge, 

15.00 

50.00 

Ladies  Society,    . 

125.00 

50.00 

Mrs.  Mary  Hodges, 

25.00 

50.00 

25.00 

$35,724-50 

Rev.  Hiram  P.  Arms,  D.D., 

Rev.  Stephen  Hubbell,  . 

Rev.  Samuel   Day, 

Rev.  Samuel  T.  Seelye,  D.D., 

Rev.  Ralph  Smith, 

Rev.  George  B.  Newcomb,  supply. 

Rev.  Edward  W.  Bacon,  . 

Rev.  Lavallette  Perrin, 


Officers  and  Members. 

Ministers. 
installed  Feb.  7,   1833, 


Feb.  29,  1837,    . 
Sept.  23,  1840, 
June  17,  1846,  . 
March  25,  1656, 

Sept.  29,  1869, 
July  31,  1872. 


dismissed  July  6,  1836. 

"  Sept.  29,  1839. 

.     "  June  4,  1845. 

"         March    21,    1855. 
.      "  Sept.   29,    1857. 

"  Oct.  31,  1871. 


Ministers  Raised. 
Rev.  Edward  Hungerford,  Congregational.  Rev.  John  Barbour,  Episcopal 

Deacons. 
Elected. 

Dec.  22,  1822.  Addison  Palmer, 

March  10,  1836.  Nelson   Alvord, 

June  29,  1837.  Charles  Hotchkiss, 

Nov.  7,    1 841.  Henry  S.   Barbour, 

Oct.  31,  1845.  Samuel  J.  Stocking,  . 
July  5,    1846. 

Original  Members. 

Elizur  Barber, 

Polly  (Phelps)  Barber, 

Mrs.  Lucy  Bissell, 


Lorrain  Wetmore,. 
Silas  Humphrey, 
Amasa  Scoville, 
Victorianus  Clark, 
Leonard  Blakeslee, 
Darius  Wilson, 


David  Baldwin, 

Mrs.  Sarah  Baldwin, 
Sarah  A.  Baldwin, 


Elected. 

1851. 
June,  1857. 
March   3,    1861. 
Feb.  15,  1868. 


Feb. 


1868. 


128 


History  of  Torringto 


N. 


Ruth  Brooks, 

Rebecca  Goodman, 

Sarah  Hungerford, 

Charlotte  (Austin)  Hungerford, 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Eno, 

Mrs.  Ursuala  Frost, 

Nancy  S.  Goodman, 

John  Hungerford, 

Abigail  Taylor, 

Lyman  Wetmore, 

Betsey  Wetmore  (Lyman), 

Lorrain  Wetmore, 


Abeling,  Julius  Wm.,     . 
Abeling,  Auguste  (Meelisch), 
Abernethy,  Russell  C, 
Abernethy  Orrel  S.  (R.  C), 
Abernethy,  Mary  (De  Forest), 
Adams,  Asa  G., 
Adams  Olive  (A.  G.), 
Adams,  Diana  (Barber), 
Adt,  Ferdinand,     . 
Adt,  Catherine  (Harrmann), 
Allen,  Laura, 
Allen,  Wm.  H., 
Allen,  Mrs.  Wm.  H.,     . 
Alvord,  Nelson, 
Alvord,  Lavinia  (Nelson), 
Alvord,  Harriet  Taylor, 
Alvord,  Hubbell  B.,       . 
Alvord,  Mrs.  H.  B., 
Alvord,  Charles,    . 
Alvord,  Almira  Burtis, 
Alvord,  Adelaide,  Mrs., 
Andrus,  Laura  M.,     . 
Andrus,  Adeline,  . 
Andrus,  Nancy,  .  ' 

Arms,  Lucy  Ann, 
Atwater,  Edward  A., 
Atwater,  Julia  Hills, 

Bacon,  Rev.  £.  W., 
Bacon,  Mary  Staples, 
Baldwin,  David, 
Baldwin,  Mrs.  David, 
Baldwin,  Sarah  Ann, 
Baldwin,  Amanda  Wetmore, 
Baldwin,  Elizabeth, 
Balcomb,  Julia  Brothwell,     . 


Frances  (Austin)  Wetmore  (Lorrain), 

Louisa  Wetmore, 

Amanda  Wetmore, 

Leverette  Scott, 

Mrs.  Leverette  Scott, 

Sarah  Wilcox, 

Lydia  Kimberly, 

Maria  S.  North, 

Ruhama  Smith, 

George  D.  Wadhams, 

Lucy  Wadhams  (Geo.  D,). 


Members. 

1874.  Barber,  Elezur, 

1874.  Barber,  Polly  Phelfs, 

1835.  Barber,  Dr.  A.  E.,      .     . 

"  Barber,  Mrs.  Julia  A.,     . 

"  Barber,  Myron  Flbert,     . 

1834.  Barber,  Walter  L.,      . 

"  Barber,  Hannah  yohnsan, 

1 85 1.  Barber,  Mary,    . 

1869.  Barber,  Mary  E.,  . 

"  Barber,  Alvin  E., 

1833.  Barber,  Mrs.  Athalia,     . 

1844.  Barber,  Anna,  . 

"  Barber,  Hector, 

1841.  Barber,  Diana  Hinman, 

■  "  Barbour,  Henry  S., 

1876.  Barbour,  Parmelia, 

1851.  Barbour,  John  H., 
1857.  Barclay,  Louisa, 

1852.  Barrett,  Joseph, 

i860.  Bartholomew,  Jeremiah  H., 

1863.  Bartholomew,  Mrs.  Polly, 

1843.  Bates,  Nathaniel, 

1852.  Bates,  Rowani  Thorp, 

1869.  Beach,  Lurandus, 

1833.  Beach,  Mrs.  Harriet, 

1869.  Beach,  Content, 

"  Beach,  Mary  Leach, 

Beecher,  James  E., 

"  Beers,  Horace  A., 

"  Beers,  Carrie  Warner, 

1832.  Benham,  Jane  Ann., 

"  Bellamy,   Angeline  Mitchell, 

"  Berry,  Lucy  A.,  Mrs.,    . 

"  Berry,  Fannie  M., 

1875.  Berg,  Theodore, 

1867.  Berg,  Mrs.  Mary, 


I832. 
(( 

1867. 
(( 

1864. 

1867. 

1868. 

1876. 

1858. 

1849. 

1847. 

1835- 
1875. 

1852. 

1853. 
<< 

1867. 
« 

1836. 
1843. 
1841. 

1842. 

1843. 

1836. 

« 

1843. 
1853. 
1867. 

1873. 
(( 

1843. 
1851. 
1861. 
1873. 


The  Churches  of  Wolcottville. 


129 


Berg,    Anne, 
Berg,  Martha,    . 
Berg,  Emma  (Abeling),  . 
Bissell,  Lucy  Porter,   . 
Blakeslee,  Leonard, 
Blakeslee  Mrs.  Rumina, 
Bolster,  Cornelia  E., 
Bogue,  Mrs.  Deborah  C,   . 
Brace,  Elizabeth  Morgan, 
Brace,  Mrs.  Pearly,     . 
Bradley,  Mary  Steele, 
Bradley,  Elnora  M.,   . 
Bradford,  A.  G.,   . 
Briggs,  Ellen,     . 
Brooks,  Ruth, 
Bristol),  Chester, 
Brooker,  Mary, 
Brooker,  Samuel, 
Brooker,  Huldah  D., 
Brooker,  Chester, 
Brooker,  Maria  L., 
Brooker,  Mehitable  Tutt/e,   . 
Brooker,  Marion   N., 
Brooker,  Francis  L., 
Brooker,  Julia, 
Brooker,  Annie  G.,   . 
Brooker,  Julia  Seymour, 
Brooker,  Ella  T., 
Brooker,  Arthur  S., 
Broo.ker,  Maria  Seymour, 
Brooker,  Charles  F., 
Brooker,  Mary  L., 
Broth  well,  Addie  Ho/comb, 
Buell,  Joseph  C, 
Buell,  Mrs.  Mary, 
Burr,  Samuel,    . 
Burr,  Mary  Seymour, 
Burr,  Lyman  S., 
Burr,  Mary  Fleming, 

Calhoun,  Joseph  F.,   . 
Calhoun,  Clarissa  Cas'we/l, 
Calhoun,  Sarah, 
Camp,  Jabez  M.,  . 
Camp,  Mrs.  Mary,      . 
Camp,  Martha   A., 
Camp,  Lottie  E., 
Camp,  Mary  F., 
Camp,  Wallace  H.,  , 
Carrington,  David, 


1873.  Carrington,  Mrs.  Mercia, 

'•  Castle,  Nancy  McCoe,     . 

"  Castle,  Mary  E., 

1832.  Catlin,  Imogene  J., 

1842.  Chapin,  Sarah  L., 

"  Church,  Charles  S., 

1865.  Church,  Oiarlotte  Taylor, 

1866.  Churchill,  Lucy  J., 
1841.  Chipman,  Rev.  R.  M., 
1834.  Chipman,  Mrs.  Mary  K., 
1858.  Clark, 

1876.  Clark,  Victorianus, 

1848.  Clark,  Mrs.  Rhoda  B., 

1867.  Clark,  Elizabeth  F., 
1832.  Clark,  Erwin  B., 

1843.  Clemens,  Hiram, 

1834.  Clemens,  Fidelia  Hotchkiss, 
1852.  Coe,  Sybel, 

1843.  Coe,  Israel, 
1867.  Coe,  Nancy  Wetmore, 
1852.  Coe,  Russell,      . 
1862.  Coe,  Lillie  Wheeler, 
1867.  Cook,   Herman, 

"  Cook,  Angeline  Dare, 

"  Cook,  John,       . 

1876.  Cook,  Mrs.  Lydia, 

1849.  Cook,  Huldah, 
1867.  Cook,  Anna, 

"  Cook,  Margaret  Judd, 

1852.  Cook,   Louisa, 

1867.  Cook,  George  W.,      . 
"  Cook,  Mrs.  Gertrude,     . 
"  Cook,  Walter  H.,       . 

1835.  Cook,  Mrs.  W.  H., 
"  Cook,  Lucy  J., 

1873.  Cooper,  Mrs.  Elizabeth, 

1849.  Curtiss,    Ursula, 

1872.  Curtiss,  Worthy,   . 

1866.  Curtiss,  Mrs.   Alpha, 

1852.  Day,  Mrs.  Hannah  E., 

1 85 1.  Daily,  Clarissa, 

1868.  Daily,  Mrs.  Lois   G.,     . 

1867.  Dayton,  Urania     Marsh, 
Davidson,  Ira  A., 
Dunbar,  Rhoda,  Huntington, 
Dunbar,  Adeline  L., 

Eggleston,  Alexander  L., 

1844.  Eggleston,  Jane, 


1844. 
1863. 
1858. 
1867. 
1846. 
1833. 
1834. 
1864. 

1859. 

i< 

1835. 

1840. 
(( 

1844. 

1872. 

1867. 
<< 

1849. 


« 

. 

1835. 

•   1874- 

. 

1834. 

. 

<( 

1835. 

, 

<c 

. 

I84I. 

. 

.  1842. 

. 

1852. 

. 

.  i860. 

,      , 

1866. 

. 

.    1866. 

. 

1867. 

, 

« 

, 

« 

. 

.  I84I. 

• 

1835. 

. 

.    1883. 

• 

a 

.       1841. 

. 

1842. 

• 

.   1844. 

• 

•     1855. 

. 

.   1867. 

", 

1837. 

• 

.   1858. 

, 

1836. 

. 

•   1853- 

17 


IJO 


History  of  Torrington. 


Eldredge,  Horace  S., 
Eldredge,  Emogene     Cook, 
Elmer,  Ann  M., 
Elton,  Marilla, 
Eno,  Elizabeth, 
Everest,  Eunice,     . 

Fairchild,  Jeremiah, 
Fairchild,  Mrs.  Ruth,     . 
Fellows,  Ephraim, 
Fellows,  Charles  L., 
Fellows,  Julia  Crippin, 
Fenton  Harriet    Vaill, 
Finn,  Theresa    Hoffman, 
Fleming,  Jennie    Taylor, 
Follott,  Lewis, 
Follett,  Ann, 
Freeman,  Olive  Mix, 
Freeman,  Orinda, 
Frost,  Mrs.  Ursula,     . 
Fyler,  Addie  Steele, 
Fyler,   Mary  Vaill, 

Gaylord,  Charles  A., 

Gaylord,  Giles  A.,      . 

Gaylord,  Elizabeth  Byington, 

Geer,  Amos, 

Geer,  Eunice  Allyn, 

Geer,  Amos  M., 

Geer,  Mrs.   Melissa, 

Geer,  William, 

Geer,  Mrs.   Mary, 

Geer,  Eliza  (Mrs.  Allen), 

Goodman,  Rebecca, 

Goodman,  Nancy  S., 

Goodman,   Henry, 

Hammond,  Harriett    Merrill. 
Hammond,  George  A  , 
Hanchett,  Thatcher  S., 
Hart,  Sophia  C, 
Haywood,    Emily  Lee, 
Hayden,  Helen,     . 
Hill,  Mary, 
Hills,  Hannah,     . 
Hills,  Lottie  Ulade,      . 
Hinman,  Mary, 
Holly,  Eliza  Hotchkiss, 
Holly,  Edward  H., 
Holly,  Lucinda  Branson, 


1871. 
(( 

1834. 
1852. 
1832. 
i860. 

1844. 
1847. 
1859. 

1874. 
u 

1876. 
1870. 
1869. 

1843- 
<( 

1834. 
1841. 
1832. 
Z858. 
1872. 

1846. 
1867. 
1869. 
1855- 

1858. 
(( 

(( 


1832 


1835. 


Holly,  Mary  Sperry,       .  .           .      1865. 

Holcomb,  Mary  Brunt,       .  .          1869. 
Holmes,  Israel,     ....      1835. 

Holmes,  Ardelia  Coe,           .  .             " 

Hoffman,  Charles,          .  .           .      1869. 

Hoffman,  Augusta  Conrat,  .             " 

Hopkins,  Henry,             .  .          .      1852. 

Hopkins,  Sarah  fVebster,  .          1845. 
Hopkins,  Mary  (Mrs.  Fowler),        .      1866. 

Hopkins,  Harry  P.,              .  .           1857. 

Hopkins,  Mrs.  Lydia,     .  .          .        '' 

Hopkins,  Edward  J.,             .  .          1870. 

Hopkins,  Eleanor  Hi//s,  .          .         *' 

Hotchkiss,  Charles,              .  .           1859. 

Hotchkiss,  Electa  Brace,  .          .        " 

Hotchkiss,  Amelia  Briggs,  .          1864. 

Hotchkiss,  Ella  Osborn,  .          .      1870. 

Hotchkiss,  Henry  S.,           .  .           1841. 

Hotchkiss,  Mrs.  H.  S.,  .          .        " 

Hubbard,  Betsey  TVheeler,  .           1 843. 

Hubbell,  Martha  Stone,  .           .      1 839. 

Hudson,   Daniel   C,          .  .             1838. 

Hudson,  Mrs.  Rhoda,  .          .         " 

Hudson,  Charlotte,      ...  " 

Humphrey,  Silas,            .  .          .      1836. 

Humphrey,  Mrs.  Mary,       .  .             " 

Humphrey,  Evan,           .  .          .      i860. 

Hungerford,  John,      .           .  .          1832. 

Hungerford,  Charlotte  Austin,  .         " 

Hungerford,  Sarah,     ...  " 

Hungerford,  Lucinda,  .          .      1833. 

Hungerford,  Elizabeth    W.,  .           1834. 

Hungerford,  Helen  L.,  .          .      1852. 

Hungerford,   Frank  L.,       .  .          1867. 

Huntington,  Elizabeth,  .          .      1837. 

Hurlbut,  Clark  W.,              .  .           1875. 


1842. 

Isbell,  Evelina    Judson, 

.      1852. 

1858. 

1867. 

Jankson,  Roxy  Taylor, 

1865. 

1836. 

Jones,  Henry  W., 

.      1852. 

1867. 

Jones,  Mrs.  Julia  H., 

« 

1876. 

Joyce,  Daniel  B., 

.      1876. 

1836. 

Joyce,  Carolina  Dayton, 

i( 

1845. 

Judd,  Edward  M., 

.      1868. 

1858. 

Judd,  Jane  Peck, 

(( 

1852. 

I85I. 

Kellogg,  Mindwell, 

.      1838. 

1867. 

Kilbourne,  Sarah   Hopkins, 

1875. 

1873. 

Kimberly,  Lydia, 

.      1832. 

The   Churches   of  Wolcottville. 


13' 


Ladd,  Jane  Byington, 
Lake,  Arthur  S., 
Lake,  Jennie   Fox, 
Langdon,  John  W., 
Langdon,  Mary  Spencer, 
Langdon,  Helen  A.  (Wheeler), 
Lathrop,  Sarah  Comstock, 
Lathrop,  Caroline  C, 
Lathrop,  Louisa  B.  (Chapin), 
Leach,  Adaline  Mott, 
Leach,  Sarah  J., 
Lockhart,  Jennett, 
Loomis,  Ophelia  Leach, 
Loomis,  Sarah  F., 
Loomis,  Flora  A., 
Loomis,  Louisa, 
Lowry,  Martha, 
Lyman,  Rufuss,     . 
Lyon,  Jennie  Johnson, 

Marks,  Mary  Hinman, 

Mansfield,  Harriet, 

Mason,  Albert  A., 

Mason,  Lucy  Stanley, 

Mason,  Mary  Frost, 

Mason,  Kate  E.  Jeffries,     . 

Mather,  Sarah  Rowbottom, 

Mawson,  Mrs.  David, 

McCarty,  Wm.  H., 

McCarty,  Jennie  yohnson, 

McNeil,  Robert, 

McNeil,  Margaret  Johnston, 

Mills,  Henrietta, 

Millard,  Helen  Mott, 

Millard,  Alfred  M., 

Millard,  Agnes  C,      . 

Mix,  Chauncey,     . 

Mix,  Abigail  Jackins, 

Mix,  Willard, 

Mott,  Chloe  Coe, 

Mott,  Chloe, 

Morse,  Harriett  Pbippani, 

Morse,  Martha  (Davy), 

Moses,  Ellen  E.,         .  .  , 

Munson,  Huldah, 

Munson,  Lucretia  Palmer, 

Munson,  David  C, 

Munson,  Sarah  Holcomh, 

Newcomb,  Mrs.    Elizabeth, 


1852. 

Noble,  James  E.,        . 

1869, 

1872. 

North,  Maria  S., 

1832. 

(( 

North,  Louisa  Wetmore, 

(C 

1852. 

Norton,  Horatio  A., 

1840. 

<< 

Norton,  Mrs.  Lois,     . 

« 

1867. 

1858. 

Olcott,  Esther, 

1833- 

1876. 

Oviatt,  Mrs.  Aloisa, 

1842. 

1858. 

* 

(C 

Palmer,  Mehitable, 

1849. 

n 

Palmer,  Addison, 

1852. 

1843- 

Palmer,  Febe  Foivler,     . 

« 

1842. 

Palmer,  Hayden  D., 

1867. 

1852. 

Palmer,  Mary  Munger, 

1868. 

1858. 

Palmer,  Julia  M., 

1874. 

1854. 

Palmer,  Sarah  Be/den,     .          , 

(( 

1863. 

Parson,  Corinthia, 

1834. 

1865. 

Parsons,  Phineas  F., 

1867. 

1869. 

Parsons,  Helen  Brotison, 

(( 

Patterson,  Polly  Gilbert, 

(1 

1852. 

Patterson,  Burton, 

« 

1842. 

Patterson,  Harriet  Beach, 

1872. 

1838. 

Patterson,  Henry  S., 

1867. 

I84I. 

Payson,  Hiram,     . 

1847. 

1867. 

Perkins,  Sanford  H., 

1855. 

<( 

Perkins,  Adaline  Barber, 

1848 

1869. 

Perrin,  Ann  Eliza   Comstock, 

1872. 

1868. 

Perrin,  Bernadotte, 

« 

1874. 

Perrin,  Catharine  (Lester), 

« 

1< 

Phelps,  Mindwell  Scoville, 

1849. 

1865. 

Phelps,  Augusta  E., 

I85I. 

(( 

Phillow,  Charlotte, 

1843- 

1835. 

Phippany,  Emily, 

1833. 

1852. 

Phippany,  William  Jr., 

1850. 

1867. 

Phippany,  Louisa, 

1848. 

1875. 

Phippany,  Orpha  R., 

1855. 

1867. 

Pitman,  Charles  A., 

1875. 

1863. 

Pitman,  Sarah  George, 

1869. 

1867. 

Porch,  William, 

1842. 

1840. 

Preston,  Eliza,  Van  Valkenburg, 

1868. 

1858. 

1848. 

1869. 

Roberts,  Geo.  P.,       . 

(( 

1868. 

Roberts,  Annis  Allyn,     . 

« 

1834. 

Robertson,  Daniel,     . 

1852. 

1864. 

Robertson,  James, 

1855. 

1867. 

Robertson,  Mrs.  James, 

(( 

« 

Robertson,  Laura  A.,      . 

1867. 

Rose,  Harriet  Humphrey,     . 

1876. 

1868. 

Rynders,  Garrett, 

1872. 

132 


History  of  Torrington. 


Sage,  Harriet,    .... 

1834. 

Stocking,  Emma  O.  (Wier), 

.      1867. 

Sammis,  Mary  Huntington, 

.      1836. 

Stocking,  Frank  L., 

1874. 

Sanbourn,  John, 

1854. 

Stocking,  Charlotte  C.  (Pierce), 

.      1858. 

Sanbourn,  Mrs.   Huldah, 

(I 

Stocking,  Flora, 

1852. 

Sanford,  Joel,     .... 

1841. 

Stocking,  Philo  H., 

.      1858. 

Sanford,  Mrs.  Charity, 

<i 

Stone,  Mrs.  Mary  A., 

1852. 

Sanford,  John  T.,       . 

1843. 

Sturtevant,  Samuel  G., 

.      i860. 

Sanford,  Mrs.  Sally, 

ii 

Sturtevant,  Mrs.  Anna, 

« 

Sanford,  Morris  H.,          '   . 

i860. 

Swift,  Solomon  E., 

1841. 

Sanford,  Mrs.   Elizabeth, 

<( 

Scheurer,  Katy, 

1867. 

Talcott,  Wm.  H.,      . 

1864. 

Scott,  Leverette,     . 

.      1832. 

Talcott,  Emma  Munson, 

•      1853. 

Scott,  Mrs.  Leverett, 

« 

Taylor,  Abigail  Austin, 

1832. 

Scoville,  Amasa,    . 

•      1834- 

Taylor,  Emeline  Scott,  . 

•      1843- 

Scoville,  Mrs.  Lucy  C, 

.( 

Thorp,  Sarah  W.,      . 

(( 

Scoville,  Mrs.  Mary, 

« 

Thompson,  Harriet  Green, 

•      1874- 

Scoville,  Mrs.  Chloe, 

1849. 

Tillinghast,  Henrietta  E.,    . 

1859. 

Scoville,  John, 

.      1852. 

Todd,  Wm.  P.,      . 

.      1866. 

Scoville,  Maria  Cat/in, 

(( 

Travis,  Eliza  Brooker, 

1873- 

Seelye,  Maria  Gay/ord, 

•      1849- 

Tubbs,  Nathan,    . 

.      1841. 

Seelye,  L.  Clark, 

1852. 

Tuttle,  Catharine, 

1849. 

Settle,  Sabrah  Thrall,     . 

.      1848. 

Seymour,  James  H., 

1867. 

Wadhams,  Dothia, 

•      1833. 

Seymour,  Florilla  Hudson, 

■      1839. 

Wadhams,  George  D., 

1832. 

Seymour,  Lura  Taylor, 

1850. 

Wadhams,  Lucy  Eno, 

<i 

Seymour,  Charlotte  (Church), 

.      1867. 

Wadhams,  Eliza   Thompson, 

1855. 

Skinner,  H.,      .... 

1847. 

Wadhams,  Sarah  Goodivin,     . 

•      1873. 

Smith,  Rubama,    . 

.      1832. 

Walling,  Catharine  Foote,  . 

1863. 

Smith,  Albert  H.,       . 

1852. 

Webster,  Marilla  M.,     . 

.      1848. 

Smith,  Phebe  A., 

.      1842. 

Weed,  Willard, 

1867 

Smith,  Eliza, 

1864. 

Weed,  Harriett  Clark,    . 

.      1869 

Slade,  Eliza  Green, 

.      1852. 

Weed,  Mary,     .... 

1867 

Spencer,  Henry  C,      . 

(1 

Weed,  Emma, 

.      1871 

Spencer,  Mrs.  H.  C,      . 

(( 

Welch,  Susie  Agard, 

1874 

Squire,  Samuel  W.,    . 

1841. 

Wells,  Margaret  Johnson, 

(( 

Squire,  Mrs.  Caroline  A., 

<c 

Weston,  Margaret  Fleming, 

1864 

Stearns,  B.  B.,             ... 

1867. 

Wetmore,  Lyman, 

.      1832 

Stearns,  Mrs.  B.  B., 

(( 

Wetmore,  Mrs.  Bessey, 

« 

Steele,  William  S.,     . 

1839. 

Wetmore,   Lorrain, 

« 

Steele,  Caroline  Jones,    . 

<< 

Wetmore,  Frances  Austin, 

« 

Steele,  Elijah  J.,  . 

.       1867. 

Wetmore,  John,  . 

.      1869 

Steele,  Hannah  Skiff, 

(C 

Wheeler,  Asa,  .... 

1843 

Steele,  George  B., 

<( 

Wheeler,  Mrs.  Kezia,     . 

u 

Stimpson,  Cornelia  W., 

1834- 

Wheeler,  Ansel, 

1869 

Stocking,  Anson, 

•  1833. 

Wheeler,  Harriett  ^oybniow, 

t( 

Stocking,  Mrs.  Flora, 

u 

Wheeler,  Martha  Chidsey, 

<( 

Stocking,  Samuel, 

n 

Wheeler,  Frank  M.,      . 

.   1874 

Stocking,  Marcia, 

a 

Wheeler,  Nellie  M.  (Holly),      . 

« 

Stocking,  Samuel  J., 

.    1851. 

Whiting,  Mrs.  Anna  C, 

.    1867. 

Stocking,  Mary  Felloius,     . 

1858. 

Whiting,  Francis  Hungerford, 

1852. 

The  Churches  of  Wolcottville.  133 

Wilcox,  Sarah,      .         .          .          .1832.  Wilson,  Mrs.  Clarissa,        .  .           1839. 

Wilcox,  Harnett,        .          .          .           1833.  Wilson,  Caroline  E.,      .          .  .      1850. 

Wilson,  Amos,       .           .          .          .        "  Wilson,  Mary  Wheeler,       .  .          1843 

Wilson,  Mrs.  Eliza,  ...              "  Woodford,  Isabella  Sidde/I,      .  .      1875. 

Wilson,  Darius,     ....      1839.  Woodford,  George  E.,         .  .          1876. 

The  Episcopal  Church. 

Services  were  held,  occasionally  in  Wolcottville,  in  accordance 
with  the  usages  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  previous  to 
1842  ;  the  ministers  so  officiating  were  the  rectors  of  Christ  church, 
Harwinton,  and  of  St.  Michael's  of  Litchfield.  In  that  vear  the  Rev. 
Henry  Zell  began  to  officiate  regularly  in  one  of  the  district  school 
houses  in  the  village,  and  to  minister  to  the  Episcopalian  families 
residing,  in  the  town. 

In  February  1843,  ^  l^g^l  notice  was  given  to  all  persons  desirous 
of  organizing  a  parish  to  meet  for  that  purpose,  in  the  brick  Academy. 
The  meeting  was  held  according  to  the  notice ;  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Frederick  Holcomb  in  the  chair,  and  the  organization  effected,  and 
the  following  constitution  adopted,' 

The  society  took  the  name  and  title  of  Trinity  church.  Its  pur- 
pose was  declared  to  be  the  worship  of  Almighty  God,  agreeable 
to  the  forms,  usages,  doctrines,  and  discipline  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  following  persons  were  the  original  incorporators  of  the  society  : 

Samuel  Bradley,  Henry  B.  Richards.  Samuel  Workman, 

James  Gaunt,  Rodney  Brace,  Charles  B.  Smith, 

M.  W.  Fyler,  James  Ashborn,  Nelson  Alvord, 


'Article  ist.  The  officers  of  this  society  shall  be  two  wardens,  three  vestrymen,  a  clerk, 
and  a  treasurer,  to  be  appointed  annually  on  Easter  Monday  or  on  some  other  day  in  Easter 
week,  and  the  appointment  of  officers  shall  always  be  by  ballot. 

Article  2d.  The  names  of  the  members  of  the  society  shall  be  registered  in  a  book  and 
this  enrollment  shall  constitute  the  legal  evidence  of  membership  in  the  society  agreeable  to 
the  provision  of  the  civil  law,  which  enrollment  together  with  all  votes,  assertments  and  all 
other  important  transactions  by  this  body,  whether  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  shall  be  entered  and 
properly  attested  by  the  clerk. 

Article  3d.  As  the  society  is  designed  to  be  formed  on  the  principle  of  voluntary  contri- 
bution for  the  support  of  the  gospel,  no  tax  shall  be  levied  on  its  members  except  at  a 
special  meeting,  the  object  having  been  specified  in  the  previous  warning,  nor  then  except 
by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present  at  such  special  meeting,  which  shall  always 
be  more  than  one-half  of  the  whole  number  of  votes  in  the  society. 

Article  4th.  This  constitution  shall  not  be  altered  except  by  a  majority  vote  at  an  annual 
meeting,  the  alteration  having  been  proposed  in  writing  at  least  six  months  before  formal 
action  is  had  upon  it. 


134 


History  of  Torrington. 


James  R.  Coe, 
Benjamin  H.  Morse, 
James  H.  Seymour, 


Edward  Atkins, 
Charles  Cooper, 
Demas  Coe, 


Janna  B.   Phelps, 
James  Ogleby, 
Allen  G.  Brady. 


The  officers  of  the  parish  elected  on  the  day  of  its  organization 
were:  James  Gaunt  and  Benjamin  H.  Morse,  wardens  ;  James  R. 
Coe,  Charles  Cooper,  Samuel  Bradley,  vestrymen ;  Demas  Coe, 
treasurer;   Benjamin  H.  Morse  clerk. 

This  society  continued  to  worship  in  the  brick  Academy  during  the 
summer  of  1843,  and  until  their  house  of  worship  was  completed  in 

1844- 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1843,  •'^  ^^^  deemed  wise  and  proper 
to  move  in  the  direction  of  building  a  house  of  worship,  and  a  sub- 
scription was  circulated,  dated  December  20th,  1843,  ^"^  ^^^  ^^^~ 
lowing  names  and  amounts  were  secured  : 


Demas  Coe, 
B.  H.  Morse, 
Charles  B.   Smith, 
Charles  Cooper,    . 
Daniel  Robertson, 
Henry  Coe, 
Samuel  Workman, 
L.  W.  Coe, 
Charles  Hollis, 
Trumbull  Ives, 
Janna  R.    Phelps, 
James   Palmer, 
Uri  Taylor, 
F.  L.  Taylor, 
Daniel  Scoville, 
Albert  Bradley, 
Nelson  Alvord, 
Eunice  Taylor, 
H.  B.  Richards, 
Albert  A.  Mason, 
F.  M.  Holley, 
R.  F.  Ensign, 
Robert  Palmer, 
Benham  Barber, 
James  H.  Seymour, 
Linus  Johnson, 
Lyman  Wetmore, 
Lucius  Foot, 
Charles  Scoville, 
Rodney  Brace, 
Collins  Holcomb, 
Edmund  Wooding, 


)i25.oo.      Ralph   Palmer, 
125.00.      S.  P.  Burr, 
100.00.      Edwin   B.  Webster, 
125.00.      Solomon  Marsh, 
50.00.      O.  S.  Seymour, 
50.00.      Mrs.  Parmalee, 
30.00.      William  Payne, 
30.00.     J.  G.  Beckwith, 
25.00.     Wm.  Phippeny,  . 

25.00.      Wm. , 

25.00.     G.  P.  Cowles, 
25.00.      J.  M.  Thompson, 
12.50.      Wm.  F.  Baldwin, 
37.50.      Daniel  B.  Bulkley, 
20.00.      Charles  Mansfield, 
25.00.      Oliver  S.  Hills, 
50.00.      Cash, 
25.00.      C.  &  G.  Mason, 
20.00.      George  Pond, 
20.00.      Benj.  F.  Smith, 
10.00.      Luther  Bissell, 
20.00.      [.  W.  Cook, 
25.00.      Wm.  H.  Webster, 

5.00.     Lyman  Clark, 
10.00.      Abijah  Munn, 
5.00.     Joseph  Allyn, 
10.00.      Alexander  Gillett, 
Martin  Brooker, 
Chester  Brooker, 
Edward   Pierpont, 
Amos  Gilbert, 
Samuel  Brooker  Jr., 


5.00. 

5.00. 
25.00. 

5.00. 
10.00. 


5.00. 
30.00. 
20.00. 
10.00. 
20.00. 

5.00. 
10.00. 
10.00. 

5.00. 
10.00. 

5.00. 

5.00. 

3.00. 

5.00. 

5.00. 

5.00. 
26.00. 
20.00. 

5.00. 

3.00. 
10.00. 
10.00. 

5.00. 

5.00. 
15.00. 

3.00. 
10.00. 
10.00. 
10.00. 

5.00. 

5.00. 
10.00. 


The  Churches  of  Wolcottville.  135 

Samuel  Williams,  .          .          .             S-OO.  Wm.  S.  Pond,       .          .          .  5.00. 

Edward  Atkins,  .          .                10.00.  John  W.  Scoville,              .          .  5.00. 

Daniel  Burns,  .          .          .             3.00.  Willis  Hubbard,             .          .  10.00. 

Richard  Henisee,  .          .                  3.00.  Cash,       .....  50.00. 

Elkanah  Barber,  .          .          .              5.00. 

Besides  the  above  amounts,  six  hundred  dollars  were  obtained  from 
other  places,  largely  from  Waterbury,  making  in  all  about  two  thou- 
sand dollars. 

In  1844,  the  edifice  of  wood  now  standing  on  the  corner  of  Water 
and  Prospect  streets  was  completed  and  consecrated  by  Bishop 
Thomas  C.  Brownwell,  December  4th,  1844. 

On  January  6th,  1845,  ^^^  Rev.  Henry  Zell  was  elected  rector 
of  the  parish,  which  election  he  accepted  with  an  annual  salary  of 
five  hundred  dollars  a  year. 

When  the  House  was  consecrated  there  remained  some  debt  against 
it,  and  to  remove  this  an  effort  was  made  in  the  summer  of  1846, 
which  seems  to  have  been  successful.  The  same  subscription  book 
was  passed  the  second  time  and  some  of  those  who  had  given  liberally, 
repeated  the  amount,  some  doubled  the  amount,  and  likeother  churches 
in  Wolcottville,  they  received  help  from  neighboring  churches,  for 
the  following  record  is  made  : 


Offerings 

at  Stratford, 

. 

$30.00. 

Offerings 

at  Christ  church  Brooklyn, 

97.00 

« 

"  Stamford, 

. 

20.00. 

"  Dr.  Tyng,     . 

30.00 

(< 

"   Norwalk, 

30.00. 

"   Dr.  Lewis, 

20.00 

n 

'■   Trinity,  N 

:w  Haven, 

110.00. 

"   Bridgeport,    . 

10.00 

a 

"   Ascension, 

« 

20.00. 

"   New  Milford, 

32.00 

it 

"  St.  Pauls, 

(<       a 

58.00. 

"  Southport,      . 

44.00 

Several  subscriptions  are  donated  by  men  of  considerable  fame, 
such  as  James  E.  English  of  New  Haven  and  George  D.  Morgan  of 
New  York. 

At  Easter  1848,  Mr.  Zell  resigned  and  during  the  succeeding 
year  the  rectorship  remained  vacant,  the  Revs.  Enoch  Huntington, 
Abel  Nichols  and  George  L.  Foot  officiating. 

The  Rev,  David  P.  Sandford  became  rector  on  Easter  day 
April  8th,  1849;  there  being  then  forty  families  in  the  parish,  and 
eleven  communicants.  This  relation  Mr.  Sanford  held  one  year, 
when  he  resigned,  and  the  Rev.  S.  V.  Berry  was  in  temporary  charge 
of  the  parish  a  little  more  than  a  year.  In  August  1851,  the  Rev. 
J.  S.  Covell  became  rector  and  continued  until  October,  1855. 

The  Revs.  Ezra  Jones  and  C.  B.  Seymour,  officiated  nearly  a 
year  each,  in  succession,  when  the  parish  was  united  with  Christ 
church,  Harwinton,  as  one  cure  for  one  year,  the  Rev.  James  Mor- 


136  History  of  Torrington. 

ton  being  the  rector.  On  the  tenth  of  October  1858,  the  Rev.  J. 
S.  Covell  was  recalled  to  the  rectorship  and  remained  until  1863, 
when  he  removed  to  Huntington,  Ct. 

The  Rev.  David  P.  Sanford  served  his  second  term  of  office  in 
this  church  commencing  in  April,  1864,  and  resigning  September 
13th,  1868.  During  this  time  the  house  of  worship  was  considerably 
improved  ;  a  recess,  chancel  and  robing  room  were  constructed,  a 
vestry  room  was  added,  stained  glass  put  into  the  windows  and  other 
improvements  were  made  upon  the  building. 

In  1868,  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Eastwood  became  the  rector,  and  re- 
mained until  1874,  when  he  removed  to  Rhode  Island.  In  June 
1874,  the  Rev.  Henry  B.  Ensworth  became  rector  elect,  but  re- 
signed in  the  next  December,  and  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
He  is  now  pastor  of  St.  Mark's  chapel  New  York. 

The  Rev.  Henry  M.  Sherman  became  rector  of  the  parish  Sep- 
tember ist,  1876,  and  is  laboring  with  much  energy  and  success  in 
all  departments  of  his  office.  The  house  of  worship  has  been  re- 
modeled to  some  extent  inside,  and  repaired  so  as  to  have  quite  a  new 
and  very  agreeable  appearance.  Prophecy  does  not  belong  to  history 
but  it  is  quite  evident  that  if  the  present  energy  and  strength  of  this 
church  are  continued  it  will  not  be  long  before  it  will  have  a  new 
house  of  worship. 

The  present  strength  of  the  parish,  as  represented  in  figures  re- 
ported to  the  diocesan  convention  of  1876,  is  one  hundred  fami- 
lies, one  hundred  and  one  communicants,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  members  in  the  Sunday  school. 

The  Catholic  Church. 

The  first  Catholic  priest  who  preached  in  Wolcottville  was  Father 
James  Fitten,  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  who  preached  in  1835,  in 
the  brick  building  south  of  the  bridge. 

In  1842,  the  Rev.  John  Brady,  who  was  then  stationed  in  Hart- 
ford, began  to  visit  the  scattered  families  of  the  Catholic  faith  in  this 
community,  once  a  year,  holding  services  in  Richard  Hennessey's 
house  on  the  west  hill.  At  that  time  there  were  only  five  or  six 
families,  and  a  few  single  persons,  to  whom  he  ministered.  Father 
Brady  has  long  since  gone  to  his  reward  in  a  future  life,  having  per- 
formed many  missionarv  journeys,  without  the  help  of  rail  roads,  to 
minister  to  his  scattered  parishioners.  The  Rev.  Father  Lynch 
stationed  at    Bridgeport,   succeeded    Father    Brady  and   visited  occa- 


The  Churches  of  Wolcottville.  137 

slonally,  this  people  about  one  year.  He  is  also  gone  to  hi?  heavenly 
home.  He  died  in  Bridgeport,  respected  by  members  of  all  Christian 
denominations.  During  these  first  years  of  occasional  visits  of  min- 
isters, parents  frequently  carried  their  children  to  Hartford  to  receive 
the  sacrament  of  baptism. 

Durino;  these  periodic  visits  the  priests  usually  made  their  home  at 
Mr.  Hennessey's  house. 

When  the  Catholic  population  had  considerably  increased  the  Rev. 
Father  O'Neil  of  Waterbury  was  appointed  to  minister  to  them,  and 
he  continued  so  to  do,  about  five  years.  When  he  first  came,  ar- 
rangements were  made,  and  he  thereafter  held  services  in  the  brick 
Academy  building  in  Wolcottville.  This  was  the  third  denomination 
that  held  meetings  in  that  old  Union  meeting  house  and  graduated 
into  commodious  churches.  Father  O'Neil  was  the  first  who  visited 
regularly,  twice  a  year,  the  Catholic  people  of  the  town.  He  also  is 
gone  to  his  future  happy  home.  The  Rev.  Father  James  Lynch  of 
Birmingham  followed  him  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  here.  The  Rev. 
Father  Gillie,  the  first  priest  stationed  at  Winsted,  ministered  to  the 
Catholics  of  Wolcottville,  once  a  month,  and  held  service  in  Wad- 
ham's  hall.  When  he  was  removed  Rev.  Father  Quinn  took  his 
place  for  a  short  time. 

Rev.  Father  Thomas  Hendrican,  now  bishop  of  Rhode  Island, 
was  next  in  charge  at  Winsted,  and  he  visited  Wolcottville  as  a  mis- 
sion nearly  four  years.  To  him  succeeded  in  the  space  of  a  few 
years,  Revs.  Richard  O'Gorman,  Michael  Mangin,  Daniel  Mullen, 
Philip  Sheridan,  and  Father  Leo,  each  doing  his  work  earnestly  for 
the  improvement  of  his  people. 

In  1 85 1,  Fath^  Michael  O'Neil  purchased  the  lot  opposite  the 
Congregational  church  on  Main  street,  as  a  site  for  a  church  build- 
ing, and  although  Father  Quinn's  labors  intervened,  yet  Father  James 
Lynch  was  the  first  to  move  in  the  matter  of  taking  collections  for 
the  payment  of  this  lot.  He  collected  over  four  hundred  dollars,  and 
had  the  lot  deeded  to  the  Bishop  O'Riley,  as  was  the  custom  at  the 
time,  but  that  deed  with  all  others  in  the  state  has  been  transferred 
to  the  incorporated  body  according  to  an  act,  authorizing  the  organ- 
ization of  Roman  Catholic  churches. 

Rev.  Father  Mangin  commenced  building  the  Church  in  the  autumn 
of  1859,  ^'""^  completed  it  in  July  i860,  and  paid  all  debts  against  the 
property,  amounting  to  about  three  thousand  dollars.  This  building 
was  considerably  enlarged  in  1866,  by  Father  Leo,  at  an  expense  of 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  or  more. 

18 


138  History  of  Torrington. 

About  the  time  the  Church  was  built  there  was  considerable  preju- 
dice manifested  toward  the  Catholics,  and  against  the  building  of  the 
Church,  and  whether  there  were  threats  made  or  not,  the  Catholic 
people  felt  it  necessary  for  a  time  to  station  a  watchman  at  the  Church 
during  the  nights,  to  give  the  alarm  if  an  attempt  should  be  made  to 
burn  the  building.  This  was  a  decided  mistake,  if  any  occasion  was 
given  for  such  fear,  for  if  religious  liberty  is  good,  then  it  is  as  good 
for  one  as  another,  and  it  is  not  good  unless  it  will  apply  to  all  the 
heathen  even,  as  well  as  Christians.  The  Catholics  are  a  Christian 
people.  But  all  the  disposition,  if  ever  there  was  any,  to  hinder  the 
success  of  the  Catholic  church  in  the  town  is  thoroughly  removed, 
all  persons  knowing  that  it  is  far  better  for  them,  as  well  as  all  other 
people,  to  go  to  church,  hear  the  gospel  and  obey  it,  than  to  neglect 
such  duty  and  privilege.  It  is  also  true  that  the  Catholic  people  know 
that  there  is  no  occasion  for  fear,  so  long  as  they  do  as  they  hereto- 
fore have  done,  respect  the  rights  of  others  as  well  as  their  own,  and 
that  they  are  now  held  in  respect  by  those  who  differ  widely  from 
them,  in  religious  belief. 

Father  Leo,  O.  S.  F.,  attended  this  mission  about  thirteen  years. 
He  built  an  addition  to  the  Church,  and  otherwise  beautified  it  inside 
and  outside.  In  1870,  he  purchased  from  the  Coe  Brass  company 
six  acres  of  land,  near  the  Redfield  and  Rice  manufactory,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  east  branch  of  the  Naugatuck  river,  for  the  purpose 
of  a  cemetery.  This  cemetery  was  consecrated  by  the  Right  Rev. 
Bishop  McFarland,  while  Rev.  Father  Anaclete,  O.  S.  F.,  was 
pastor  of  this  place,  and  superior  in  Winsted.  The  cemetery  is  well 
laid  out  and  kept  in  proper  order  ;  and  the  monuments  of  the  Migeon, 
and  Whealon  families  are  very  beautiful,  and  a  noble  honor  to  the 
departed,  and  ornament  to  the  community.  By  way  of  incident  it 
may  be  mentioned  that  Father  Brady  of  Hartford,  the  first  missionary 
to  this  place,  baptized  all  the  children  of  Mr.  Henry  Migeon,  and 
that  the  first  child  that  Bishop  Hendrican  ever  baptized  was  Maggie 
Farrell,  now  Mrs.  John  Heeley  of  this  village. 

The  first  resident  pastor  of  this  church  was  Rev.  Father  Isaiah, 
O.  S.  F.,  and  who  still  continues  in  that  office.  He  was  appointed 
by  Bishop  McFarland,  and  made  his  residence  here  in  October  1874. 
He  purchased  the  Patterson  property  on  Prospect  street,  which  is 
fitted  up  in  good  style  and  makes  a  very  pleasant  pastor's  residence. 

The  parish  now  numbers  one  hundred  and  twenty  families,  seven 
hundred  parishioners,  six  hundred  communicants,  and  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  children  and  youth  in  the  Sunday  school.     The  annual 


The  Churches  of  Wolcottville.  139 

revenue  of  the  church  is  about  fifteen   hundred  dollars,   which  is  all 
expended  at  home  except  five  per  cent  for  the  bishop's  salary. 

The  officers  of  the  corporate  body  are  the  bishop,  the  vicar-general, 
the  pastor  and  two  trustees,  elected  annually  by  the  congregation. 
The  following  laymen  have  been  so  elected  :  Edward  Kelly,  Andrew 
Harty,  Richard  Carroll  and  William  Grant. 

The  corporate  name  is,  St.  Francis  of  Assisium  church,  and  the 
by-laws,  by  which  it  is  governed,  were  established  by  the  vote  of  the 
trustees  in  1866. 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  items  that  this  church  has  had  a  steady 
success  according  to  the  increase  of  numbers  in  the  community  of 
those  who  adhere  to  its  faith.  In  1842,  there  were  five  or  six  families 
in  the  town,  or  about  thirty  persons,  now  they  number  seven  hundred  ; 
an  average  increase  of  twenty  per  year.  The  industry  and  spirit  of 
citzenship  of  this  people,  in  this  town,  are  recognized  even  by 
strangers.  There  are  no  Irish  shanties  or  dirty  looking  houses  in  the 
village  or  town  ;  all  live  in  good  painted  houses,  with  pleasant  yards, 
and  no  stranger  could  guess,  in  which  part  of  the  village  the  Catholics 
live  any  more  than  which  part  the  Methodists,  or  Congregationalists, 
or  Episcopalians  occupy.  This  is  owing  in  part  to  the  attention 
which  the  business  men  of  the  place  give  to  this  matter  ;  aiding  all 
persons  to  have  pleasant  homes,  and  also,  to  the  enterprise  of  all  the 
citizens  in  securing  this  end.  Hence  Wolcottville  is  a  beautiful  vil- 
lage, with  no  dark  spots  on  it,  and  this  beauty  is  rapidly  increasing  to 
the  great  honor  of  all  its  citizens. 

Father  Isaiah. 

Father  Isaiah,  the  present  pastor  of  this  church,  was  born  April 
24,  1842,  in  the  village  of  Scanno,  in  the  province  of  Acquila,  Italy. 
His  early  schooling  was  obtained  under  the  care  of  the  priest  of  his 
native  village.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  he  was  received  upon 
examination  in  Latin,  Italian,  and  other  studies,  into  the  Passionist 
congregation  in  the  city  of  Acquila,  for  the  purpose  of  devoting 
himself  continuously  to  religious  observances.  When  fifteen,  he 
was  received  into  the  first  order  of  St.  Francis  ;  a  ministerial  order 
acknowledged  by  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  To  this  course  of 
life  his  father  never  gave  consent,  but  still  did  not  impose  severe 
obstacles.  His  christian  name  was  Dominic  Piscitelle,  but  on  en- 
tering this  order  it  was  changed  to  Brother  Isaiah,  and  the  other 
name  entirely  lost,  and  he  entered  upon  his  novitiate  year  of  study. 


140  History  of  Torrington. 

The  next  year  he  went  to  St.  Angel,  near  the  Adriatic  sea,  where 
he  remained  three  years  and  finished  his  philosophical  and  classical 
course.  He  was  then  removed  to  the  city  of  Salmona,  or  the  city  of 
Ovid,  where  he  commenced  his  theological  studies.  After  being 
there  but  a  short  time,  he  was  drafted  for  service  in  the  army  of 
Italy,  and  escaped  on  foot  one  hundred  miles  to  the  city  of  Rome, 
which  city  still  remained  under  the  political  power  of  the  pope. 
Here  he  finished  his  theological  course,  but  being  under  twenty-five 
years  of  age  he  was  not  eligible  to  the  office  of  the  priesthood  except 
by  special  decree  of  the  pope.  This  was  secured  by  his  superiors, 
and  he  was  accordingly  ordained.  Consequent  upon  this  ordination 
his  name  was  again  changed  and  became  Father  Isaiah,  according  to 
the  order  of  the  priesthood  in  that  church.  Four  months  after  this 
he  was  sent  by  his  superiors  to  America,  and  arrived  in  New  York, 
in  September,  1865.  He  went  to  Buffalo  and  entered  upon  the 
study  of  the  English  language  preparatory  to  the  exercising  of  his 
professional  orders  in  this  country.  After  one  year  he  was  sent  to 
Winsted,  Ct.,  where  he  remained  two  years,  and  thence  to  St.  Bona- 
venture  convent  in  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania  as  superior  for 
one  year.  After  being  engaged  in  that  part  of  the  country,  in  dif- 
ferent parishes,  he  was  sent  in  October,  1874,  to  Wolcottville,  and 
settled  as  pastor  of  this  church.  He  is  well  accepted  by  the  people 
of  his  own  parish  ;  is  exerting  a  beneficial  and  elevatmg  influence 
over  them,  and  is  truly  respected  by  the  entire  community. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


EDUCATION. 


HE  first  settlers  located  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town, 
and  in  that  part  was  the  first  school  ;  the  School  house 
standing  on  the  Lyman  farm  near  Mill  brook,  and  near 
the  Fort,  and  was  built  in  or  about  1745.  The  settle- 
ment of  that  part  of  the  town  during  ten  years  from  the  building  of 
this  house  was  quite  rapid,  so  that  in  1756,  there  were  two  hundred 
and  fifty  inhabitants  in  the  town,  and  most  of  them  were  in  that  part 
of  the  town.  Hence  that^SdhooLhouse  was  soon  filled  with  boys  a.nd 
girls,  whoJiaye^smce  perforrned.very  important  parts  in  the  history  of 
the  town.  Their  descendants  have  since  planted  their  homes  in 
almost  every  part  of  the  United  States,  and  have  honored  education_^ 
wherever  they  have  dwelt.  Two  young  ladies,  descended  from  this 
district,  kept  a  select  school,  of  extensive  reputation,  in  the  city  of^ 
Montreal,  Canada,  quite  a  number  of  years. 

There  is  a  School  house  still  within  twenty  rods  of  the  site  of  the 
old  one,  down  by  the  side  of  the  brook,  where  from  twelve  to  twenty 
children  study  a  far  different  series  of  books  than  were  studied  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  ago;  but  the  object  is  the  same,  fitting  for 
life,  and  immortality.  At  this  house  attend  the  children  of  one  of 
the  Whiting  families,  the  only  representative  of  all  the  families  who 
dwelt  there  in  1745. 

The  records  of  the  first  society  of  the  town  for  fifty-five  years  are 
lost,  and  as  that  society  had  supervision  over  all  schools  within  its 
bounds,  during  that  time,  the  account  of  the  efforts  made  for  the 
education  of  that  generation  cannot  be  very  complete. 

The  second  school  was,  probably,  that  of  the  Brandy  hill  district, 
and  the  house  (if  any  separate  house  was  erected)  stood  near  Dr. 
Hodges,  store  or  Abel  Beach's  tavern  ;  most  probably,  some  little 
distance  north  of  Dr.  Hodges.  This  school  was  removed  to  near 
the  site  of  the  present  school  house,  a  little  north  of  Mr.  Gillett's  old 
homestead.  Aunt  Adah  Gillett,  still  living,  honored  and  esteemed  by 
all,  and  in  her  ninetieth  year,  and  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Father  Gillett, 
informs  that  when  her  father  settled  there,  that  school  was  full  of 


142  History  of  Torrington. 

young  people,  numbering  seventy  or  eighty  scholars,  many  of  them 
grown  up  young  men  and  women. 

The  third  school  was  in  the  Wilson  district,  the  house  standing  at 
the  forks  of  the  roads  near  Joseph,  and  afterwards,  Gilbert  Allyn's 
homestead.  In  this  house,  in  1771,  Isaac  Bool  was  the  school 
master,  according  to  records  in  Capt.  Amos  Wilson's  account  book  ; 
and  the  records  are  so  made  as  to  indicate  that  this  man's  principal 
business  was  teaching  school.  Here,  too,  for  many  years  attended 
a  crowd  of  young  men  and  women,  in  the  winter  time,  to  complete 
their  course  of  education,  and  here  they  graduated.  It  was  all  that 
they  could  do  in  education,  and  doing  it,  they  did  well.  From  this 
district  the  people  did  not  scatter  so  widely  and  generally  as  those  of 
the  Lyman  district  ;  they  stayed  by  the  stuff,  especially  did  they  (the 
families  of  the  Wilsons  and  AUyns),  stay  by  mast  swamp,  where  they 
were  very  efficient  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  flourishing  village 
that  now  occupies  its  once  lordly  standing.  James  Wolcott,  one  of 
the  boys  of  this  district,  went  to  Middletown  and  learned  the  trade 
of  making  woolen  cloths,  then  persuaded  his  uncle  Frederick  Wol- 
cott, to  build  the  woolen  mill  ;  and  this  is  the  secret  of  how  that 
mill  came  to  be  built. ^ 

As  near  as  can  be  ascertained  the  fourth  school  district  formed  was 
in  the  valley  between  Brandy  hill  (from  Abner  Loomis's  north)  and 
the  old  Noppet  hill,  the  School  house  standing  a  little  way  northeast 
of  the  Hotchkiss  saw  mill,  north  of  the  bridge  over  the  brook.  When 
the  eastern  part  of  Newfield  became  more  fully  settled,  about  1790, 
the  School  house  near  the  old  Thrall  place  was  abandoned  and  the 
new  house  built  at  Newfield  corners  ;  or  what  was  then,  on  the  road 
from  the  Capt.  Richard's  place  to  the  Fyler  neighborhood. 

This  Newfield  district  was  for  a  time  the  most  populous  section 
of  the  town,  and  was  called  the  third  district  in  1830.  The  School 
house  was  the  largest,  probably,  in  the  town,  having  two  spacious  fire 
places  and  chimneys.  There  were  two  doors,  the  east  one  for  the 
girls,  the  west  for  the  boys,  and  a  "  walking-stick  "  stood  at  each 
door.  If  a  pupil  desired  to  go  out  during  school  hours,  and  the  stick 
stood  at  the  door,  he  said  nothing  but  went  out  taking  the  walking- 
stick  with  him,  and  until  that  stick  came  back,  no  other  scholar  on 
that  side  of  the  house  could  go.  There  was  no  recess,  except  at 
noon,  for  dinner. 


'Authority  ?  Aunt  Adah  Gillett. 


Education.  143 

The  seats  were  slabs  with  sticks  for  legs  ;  and  some  times  when 
these  seats  were  not  in  use  in  the  house  the  boys  and  girls  made  them 
serve  the  purpose  of  sleds  for  riding  down  hill  on  the  snow  crust. 

When  school  was  out  at  night,  the  boys  were  required  to  bring  in 
snow  and  make  a  snow  bank  around  each  fireplace  so  that  the  fire 
should  not  roll  out  on  the  floor  and  set  the  house  on  fire. 

The  pupils  were  not  punctual  in  attendance  at  nine  o'clock  or  any 
fixed  time.  As  soon  as  a  few  had  arrived  in  the  morning  the  teacher 
began  the  exercise  of  reading,  which  was  a  large  part  of  the  school 
exercises,  using  the  Bible  jn  a  large  number  of  cases  as  the  reading 
book.  The  geography  was  used  also  as  a  reading  book.  Writing  was 
a  leading  exercise,  occupying  a  large  portion  of  time.  When  the 
writing  commenced,  the  teacher  began  the  mending  of  goose  quill 
pens,  which  constituted  a  large  part  of  his  manual  labor,  until  the 
exercise  closed,  and  the  pupil  who  had  attained  to  the  high  mechanical 
skill  of  making  a  pen  was  a  hero,  and  was  allowed  special  privileges, 
particularly  when  pens  were  wanted.  Upon  a  direct  look  of  a  young 
lady  across  the  room,  he  was  allowed  to  go  over  that  way  and  mend 
the  pen  and  thus  aid  the  teacher,  to  be  sure,  who  could  not  mend 
pens  as  fast  as  they  became  poor. 

Geography  was  studied  in  this  school  from  1800,  but  what  was  a 
little  peculiar  was  the  holding  of  night-schools,  for  the  study  of 
arithmetic.  Spelling  was  an  important  study;  and  exercises  in 
curious  words,  and  sentences,  were  frequent  as  a  kind  of  elocutionary 
training  of  which  the  following  is  a  specimen  :  "  Say,  hu-der,  hen- 
pen,  say,  hu-der,  brass-clip-per,  nip-per,  at-las,  pe-lia,  Williams,  en- 
der,  ven-der,  o-ver,  cu-ler,  de-lom-i-lom-i-ter." 

Another  exercise  is  also  given  as  taxing  the  memory  as  well  as  the 
ability  to  spell  and  pronounce  ;  a  portion  of  which  seems  to  have 
gone  to  Winchester,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  that  master  of  stories, 
Mr.  John  Boyd.' 

A  —  there's  your  A. 

BO  —  there's  your  Bo,  and  your  Abo. 

MI  —  there's  your  Mi,  and  your  Bo-mi,  and  your  A-bo-mi. 

N  A  —  there's  your  Na,  and  your  Mi-na,  and  your  Bo-mi-na,  and  your  A-bo-mi-na. 

B  L  E  —  there's  your  Ble,  and  your  Na-ble,  and  your  Mi-na-ble,  and  your  Bo-mi-na-ble, 

and  your  A-bo-mi-na-ble. 
B  U  M  —  there's  your  Bum,  and  your  Ble-bum,  and  your  Na-blebum,  and  your  Mi-na- 

ble-bum,  and  your  Bo-mi-na-ble-bum,  and  your  A-bo-mi-na-ble-bum. 


'  Annali  of  fVinchester,    220. 


144  History  of  Torrington. 

B  L  E  —  there's  your  Ble,  and  your  Bum-ble,  and  your  Ble-bum-ble,  and  your  Na-ble-bum- 

ble,  and  your  Mi-na-ble-bum-ble,  and  your  Bo-mi-na-ble-bum-ble,  and  your  A-bo- 

mi-na-ble-bum-ble. 
B  E  E- — there's  your  Bee,  and  your  Ble-bee,  and  your  Bum-ble-bee,  and  your  Ble-bum- 

ble-bee,  and  your  Na-ble-bum-ble-bee,  and  your  Mi-na-ble-bum-ble-bee,  and  your  Bo- 

mi-na-ble-bum-ble-bee,  and  your  A-bo-mi-na-ble-bum-ble-bee. 

The  catches  in  the  repetition  of  these  syllables,  was  the  item  of 
attraction,  in  addition  to  the  puzzle  of  remembering  and  speaking  the 
words  without  mistake,  or  a  slip  of  the  tongue. 

Miss  Eunice  Coe  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  teacher  in  this 
School  house,  she  being  then  about  twenty  years  of  age.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Jonathan  Coe,  Jr.,  and  was  born  in  Torrington,  but 
lived  over  the  Winchester  line  with  her  father  at  the  time  of  her 
teaching.  She  married  in  1793,  Abiel  Loomis,  and  lived  and  died 
in  Winchester. 

In  1799,  Harlow  Fyler,  then  but  four  years  of  age,  was  sent  to 
this  house  to  school,  one  day,  to  make  the  number  of  scholars  one 
hundred,  the  highest  number  ever  attained. 

The  Middle  district  was  in  existence  as  early  as  1784,  when 
Amos  Wilson  delivered  several  hundred  feet  of  boards  at  the  School 
house  and  charged  them  accordingly.  That  house  stood  as  near 
as  can  be  ascertained  at  the  corner  near  Mr.  Willard  Birge's 
dwelling,  but  some  years  after  stood  at  Torrington  hollow  east  side 
of  the  river,  and  was  the  building  now  falling  to  the  gronnd,  standing 
on  the  south  side  of  the  old  foundery  building,  at  that  place. 

A  Sixth  district  was  organized  before  1795,  and  included  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  town,  and  had  also  a  large  school. 

In  1796,  these  districts  were  newly  arranged  and  numbered  as 
follows  : 

First.  Lyman  District,  the  northeast  corner  at  Levi  Thrall's,  now 
Willard  Birge's. 

Second.   Brandy  Hill,  house  near  Mr.  Gillett's. 

Third.  Newfield,  extending  east  to  Still  river  nearly,  and  south 
to  Caleb  Leach's,  and  within  half  a  mile  of  Daytonville. 

Fourth.   Wilson's. 

Fifth.   Southwest. 

Sixth.   The  Center,  or    Middle. 

A  school  house  was  afterwards  built  for  the  Center  district  at  Levi 
Thrall's,  at  the  corner  of  the  roads. 

Four  districts   now  compass   nearly   all  that  the   six  did  in   1800, 


Education.  145 

there  being  in  them  about  ninety  scholars  instead  of  five  hundred  and 
more  then,  including  summer  and  winter  ;  for  when  the  schools  were 
so  full  in  the  winter,  the  smaller  children  were  not  allowed  to  go. 


TORRINGFORD  SiDE  OF  THE  ToWN 

In  December  1761,  the  inhabitants  in  society  meeting  voted  to 
raise  one  penny  and  a  half  on  the  list  to  hire  schooling,  and  ap- 
pointed Lieut.  Benjamin  Bissell,  Ebenezer  Winchell  and  Nehemiah 
Gaylord,  school  committee.^  The  next  December,  they  voted  to 
raise  the  same  amount,  "  a  penny  half  penny  on  the  pound,  to  hire 
schooling,"  and  in  1763,  the  same.  The  next  year  they  voted  to 
have  '^  two  months'  schooling  the  winter  ensuing." 

In  1 771,  after  they  had  built  a  Church,  though  it  was  not  com- 
pleted, and  had  settled  a  minister,  they  gave  a  little  more  attention  to.>^ 
education,  and VoteU  that  the  "  north  end,  above  the  long  causeway,  be 
one  district  for  schooling,  the  ensuing  year,  and  to  improve  their  own 
money,"  and  that  "  all  below  the  long  crossway,  be  one  district." 
They  laid  a  tax  as  usual,  the  one-half  to  be  used  for  winter  school 
the  other  half  for  summer  school.  "  Voted  that  Mr.  Daniel  Hudson 
be  school  committee  and  collector  for  the  north  district,  and  that 
Sergt.  Ebenezer  Winchell,  Lt.  John  Strong  and  Mr.  Josiah  Moore 
be  a  committee  for  the  south  district." 

In  October  1772,  they  made  three  districts.  Besides  the  north 
and  south,  as  the  year  previous,  they  voted  that  "  Great  hollow  and 
East  street  as  far  north  as  Amos  Miller's  be  one  district,"  "  Voted 
that  the  middle  district  lay  out  two-thirds  of  their  money  in  a  man's 
school,  and  that  the  children  who  go  to  a  man's  school  shall  not  go 
to  the  woman's  school."  In  the  autumn  of  1774,  four  districts  were  / 
made,  and  in  December  they  voted,  "  that  there  be  a  school  house  / 
built  in  the  middle  district,  near  Capt  Bissell's  house  or  horse-house  ; 
and  that  Capt.  Strong,  Capt.  Bissel!,  Lt.  Griswold  and  Sergt.  Ebe- 
nezer Winchell  be  a  committee  to  build  said  house." 

In  1770,  they  voted  a  tax  of  four  shillings  on  the  pound,  for  school- 
ing, which  large  sum  was  probably  owing  to  the  depreciated  currency 
with  which  the  tax  was  to  be  paid,  but  even  then  it  is  difficult  to  un- 
derstand the  change  to  such  an  extreme,  and  especially  when  in  1781, 
it  was  only  one  and  a  half  penny  on  the  pound.  In  1 782,  the  society 
was  divided  into  four  districts,  by  a  "  parallel  line  to  the  town,  across 


'  Old  Society  records. 

19 


146  History   of  Torrington. 

the  society,"  the  tax  one  penny  and  a  half.  It  was  frequently  voted 
in  the  meetings  for  society  business,  that  the  children  who  went  in 
the  winter  "  should  not  go  in  the  summer,"  and  this  was  the  practice 
on  the  west  side,  although  there  are  no  accounts  of  such  votes.  The 
changing  of  the  districts  continued  every  few  years  on  the  east  side 
as  on  the  west.  There  seems  to  have  been  no  way  to  shorten  dis- 
tances nor  to  enlarge  the  houses,  nor  equalize  the  money,  nor  to  ar- 
range other  items,  so  as  to  meet  the  wants  of  all.  In  1786,  a  vote 
was  passed  that  the  school  money  should  be  divided  to  the  districts 
equally  according  to  the  number  of  scholars  in  each  district  between 
four  and  sixteen  years  of  age. 

The  law  concerning  the  business  transactions  in  behalf  of  schools 
having  been  changed,  the  parish  met  in  1795,  and  thereafter,  as  a 
school  society,  and  voted  the  usual  tax,  some  years  from  six  to  eight 
mills  and  some  times  one  cent  on  a  dollar,  it  being  more  frequently 
seven  and  eight  mills.  Such  amounts  of  tax,  alone  for  schooling,  at  the 
present  day  would  make  wild  confusion  in  the  town.  The  present 
tax  for  schooling  purposes,  is  about  four  and  a  half  mills  on  the  dollar, 
but  the  state  appropriation  and  other  funds  returns  a  part  of  this  sum 
to  the  town  treasury. 

There  are  now  three  districts  in  Torringford  ;  the  south,  center 
and  north  districts. 

Academies. 

There  have  been  four  academies  in  the  town.  Soon  after  Rev. 
Epaphras  Goodman  was  settled  in  Torringford,  he  leased  a  large  room, 
which  had  been  used  for  other  purposes,  fitted  it,  and  opened  a  select 
school,  for  advanced  pupils,  both  boys  and  girls.  Such  was  the  en- 
thusiasm with  which  the  people  entered  into  this  enterprise  that  Mr. 
Goodman  was  compelled  to  employ  an  assistant,  Mrs.  Faxon,  which 
gave  still  greater  ambition  to  the  enterprise.  The  whole  society  was 
awakened  to  the  effort,  and  erected  a  brick  building,  long  known  as 
the  Torringford  academy,  and  in  this  building  Mr.  Goodman  con- 
tinued the  school  while  he  remained  at  this  place.  He  employed 
students  and  graduates  from  Yale  and  other  colleges,  and  inspired  the 
whole  enterprise  with  his  indefatigable  devotion  to  the  advantages  of 
education. 

When  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  settled  in  Torringford  he  cheerefully 
added  his  influence  and  energy  to  the  institution  and  it  became  a 
boarding  school  as  well  as  an  academy  for  the  community.  There 
have  been  as  high  as  twenty  students  at  a  time,  from  the  cities  and 


Education.  147 

other  states,  in  attendance  on  this  school.  The  influence  of  this 
school  was  not  only  felt  on  the  whole  community  but  gave  so  much 
of  a  spirit  of  love  of  literature  and  learning  as  has  not  yet  disappeared 
from  the  place. 

In  regard  to  this  subject  and  Mr.  Goodman's  part  in  it  the  Tor- 
ringford  Centennial  thus  speaks. 

"  The  Academy  in  which  he  taught  was  erected  in  1823,  and  stood  \ 
a  few  rods  north  of  the  Old  church  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.     . 
After  being  unoccupied  several  years,  it  was  removed  in    1849,  ^^^ 
rebuilt  as  an  academy  and  conference  house,  and  stands  opposite  the 
Church.     The  intelligence  of  the  people,  and  their  appreciation  of 
education  may  be  shown  not  only  by  the  fact  that  they  have  furnished 
a  large  number  of  competent  teachers,'  men  and  women,  of  public 
and    private  schools,  but    also  by  the  number  of  those  who    have 
obtained  a  liberal    education,    or  engaged    in    professional  pursuits. 
Torringford  has    raised,    in  addition    to  several  successful  business 
men,   twelve   college  graduates,   five   lawyers,  ten    ministers,   eight 
minister's  wives,  two  editors,  and  twenty-five  physicians  ;  and  some  of 
these  educated  men  have  not  only  been  eminent  in  their  profession, 
but  have  filled  prominent  civil,  political,  and  judicial  stations." 

Torringford,  in  connection  with  the  whole  county  of  Litchfield, 
had  a  large  number  of  men  and  women  of  native  talent,  and  whether 
they  were  in  professional  life  or  engaged  in  the  more  common  pur- 
suits of  industry,  they  have  promoted,  and  developed  this  spirit  of 
education  in  establishing  institutions  of  learning  in  different  parts  of 
the  nation,  and  encouraging  general  intelligence. 

The  part  which  this  society  had  in  rearing  and  sustaining  the 
mission  school  was  such  as,  of  which  any  community,  of  the  time, 
might  well  boast. 

The  Torrington  Academy. 

This  institution  was  erected  by  the  joint  efi^ort  of  several  men, 
interested  in  the  higher  advantages  of  education,  in  about  eighteen 
hundred  and  eighteen  or  nineteen,  and  was  located  at  the  green,  near 
Erastus  Hodges, or  a  little  south  of  the  Second  Meetinghouse.     The 


'  Nathaniel  Gaylord  kept  what  was  termed  a  grammar  school,  for  a  number  of  successive 
winters,  about  1806,  and  school  keeping  became  a  passion,  and  often  over  twenty  went  out 
to  teach  in  the  same  season  ;  and  Torringford  school  teachers  enjoyed  a  high  reputation  in 
the  adjoining  towns  as  well  as  at  home. 


148  History  of  Torrington.  ! 

Rev.  Herman  L.  Vaill,  while  studying  theology  at  Goshen,  in  1821,         j 

I 

was  one  of  the  earliest  teachers  in  this  house.      The  school  was  con-         ! 
tinued   with   some  intervals  some   twenty-five   or  thirty   years,   after         1 
which  the  building   was  purchased   by  the  late    Sheldon  Barber   and 
placed  at  the  corner  of  the  roads  near   his  house  and  used  for  a  work         i 
shop.  ; 

The  Brick  Academy,  a  three  story  building  in  Wolcottville  south        ' 
of  the  bridge  on  Main  street,  was  built  as  a  Union  meeting  house  and        j 
academy,   and  was  used  for   both  purposes  quite  a  number  of  years. 
It  has  been  occupied  as  a  manufactory,  a  store,  and  a  Masonic  Hall. 

The  Academy  on  Church  street,  built  about  1859,  ^^^  been  merged 
into  the  Union  Graded  school  of  the  village. 

Wolcottville  Public  Schools. 

In  1798,  the  Torringford  school  society  voted  that  John  Brooker 
and  Isaac  Edgarton  might  have  the  use  of  their  own  money  for  school- 
ing ;  i.  <'.,  they  were  at  an  inconvenient  distance  from  the  school 
houses,  and  therefore  might  employ  a  teacher  in  their  own  neighbor- 
hood. John  Brooker  then  lived  in  the  house,  still  standing  a  little 
east  of  the  papier  machie  shop,  and  Isaac  Edgarton  in  the  same 
neighborhood,  or  perhaps  further  south.  The  society  was  very  careful 
that  this  money  should  be  used  as  designed,  for  the  year  previous 
they  voted  that  John  Brooker,  Isaac  Edgarton  and  Zebulon  Curtiss 
might  have  the  use  of  their  own  money,  if  they  lay  it  out  in  schooling 
their  children  in  other  schools  and  bring  a  certificate  to  that  eff^ect, 
and  the  same  requisition  was  made  each  year.  The  nearest  schools 
were  the  west  district  of  Torringford  and  the  school  in  Litchfield,  half 
or  three-fourths  of  a  mile  south  of  the  present  village  of  Wolcottville. 

In  1808,  the  school  society  voted  that  Mrs.  Sally  Sanford  and 
Porter  Bissell  be  annexed  to  the  district  in  Litchfield.  Mrs.  Sanford 
then  lived  near  the  Coe  Furniture  store  on  Litchfield  street. 

In  1 8 10,  the  society  voted  that  "  all  living  west  of  Eliphalet  Eno's 
and  belonging  to  the  west  district  have  the  use  of  their  own  money," 
showing  that  no  district  had  yet  been  formed  in  what  is  now  the 
village. 

In  1812,  they  stated  that  the  "families  of  Eliphalet  Eno,  Heze- 
kiah  Eno,  Jonathan  Ives,  Widow  Ives,  Shelburn  Ives,  Trumbull 
Ives,  and  John  Cook  and  sons,  are  to  be  annexed  to  the  village  dis- 
trict," but  the  district  was  not  formed   until  the    next    year,    when 


Education.  149 

they  voted  the  village  to  be  a  district,  and  Uri  Taylor  was  ap- 
pointed the  committee  and  collector,  and  this  was  probably  the  first 
officer  of  any  kind  Wolcottville  ever  had. 

There  are  no  votes  for  taxes  in  the  village  district,  which  look  like 
paying  for  a  school  house,  and  the  house  having  been  built  in  181 4. 
or  1815,  it  is  quite  probable  that  it  was  built  by  volunteer  subscrip- 
tions and  work,  and  that  Uri  Taylor  took  a  large  part  of  this  stock, 
as  he  did  in  the  First  Meeting  house  and  parsonage.  This  house 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Register  office  on  Main  street.  Miss 
Fannie  C.  Austin,  now  Mrs.  Laurin  Wetmore,  taught  school  in 
this  house,  in  1817  or  18,  it  being  before  it  was  enlarged.  As  the 
village  increased  and  more  room  was  needed,  this  house  was  length- 
ened, to  nearly  double  its  original  size.  Some  time  after,  a  brick 
School  house  was  built  on  Litchfield  street,  which  is  still  standing  a 
little  above  the  railroad,  and  is  used  as  a  dwelling;  another  was  built 
on  what  is  now  George  street,  which  is  also  used  now  as  a  dwelling  ; 
and  another  was  built  on  Church  street,  west  side  of  the  rail  road. 
The  one  on  George  street  was  two  stories  and  the  second  story 
was  occupied  some  time  as  a  higher  department,  or  grammar  school. 

In  1859,  Dea.  L.  Wetmore  gave  a  valuable  and  appropriate  lot 
on  Church  street  opposite  his  own  residence,  as  a  site  for  a  school 
building,  and  on  this  a  two  story  house  was  erected  soon  after,  and 
was  called  the  Academy,  but  was  used  as  the  higher  department  of 
the  several  schools  of  the  village,  Lucius  Clark  was  principal  of  the 
school  on  George  street  when  the  new  building  was  erected.  He 
removed  his  department  into  the  new  building  and  taught  there  a 
term  or  two.  The  following  persons  succeeded  him  as  principal  of 
the  academy  and  having  the  oversight  of  the  other  schools  in  the 
village  :  A.  E.  Barlow,  A.  B.,  now,  and  for  many  years  past,  professor 
in  Amherst  college  ;  C.  B.  McClenn,  E.  A.  Paddock,  MissHotch- 
kiss,  H.  M.  Morrill  A.B.,  D.  M.  Means,  A.B.,  and  Charles  L. 
Fellows.  About  1863  and  4,  there  was  a  strong  desire  in  the  com- 
munity to  consolidate  the  schools,  but  certain  parties  who  seemed 
opposed  to  all  real  improvements,  opposed  the  plan  with  great 
energy.  The  contest  went  on  for  several  years,  those  persons  hav- 
ing large  money  interests  in  the  manufacturies  were  most  of  them  in 
favor  of  the  Union  graded  school.  At  the  time  and  soon  after  the 
revival  of  enterprise  in  the  brass  mill  in  1863,  a  number  of  families 
came  in  from  Waterbury  where  they  already  had  a  free,  graded 
school,  and  their  efforts,  with  those  who  favored  the'plan  in  Wolcott- 


150  History  of  Torrington. 

ville,  were  successful  and  the  consolidation  was  effected.  Then  the 
academy  building  was  rearranged  and  large  additions  to  it  built  and 
the  present  commodious  edifice  secured.  The  enterprise  of  public 
school  education  in  this  village,  has  had  but  faint  support  as  a  whole, 
until  very  recently,  and  now  the  most  that  has  been  attained  is  a 
building,  partially  fitted,  but  sparingly  furnished  with  apparatus  for  the 
work  of  common  school  education. 

It  might  be  a  question  worthy  of  entertainment  whether  a  school 
of  such  efficiency  and  grade  of  studies  as  would  retain  in  it,  boys  and 
girls  from  twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  instead  of  their  being  sent 
abroad  to  obtain  a  knowledge  of  those  branches,  almost  universally 
believed  to  belong  to  proper  common  school  education  should  be 
maintained  here.  It  was  a  great  work  to  reorganize  and  enter  upon 
a  graded  system  of  teaching  as  was  done  under  the  supervision  of 
Henry  M.  Morrill,  late  judge  of  the  court  of  the  city  of  Waterbury. 
He  taught  four  years,  studying  law  with  Esq.  H.  S.  Barbour,  and 
secured  much  efficiency  in  the  schools,  but  the  work  was  only  com- 
menced. Some  considerable  advancement  has  been  made  since  the 
beginning,  but  the  spirit  that  opposed  the  building  of  the  house,  has 
opposed  for  years,  the  paying  for  it  until  very  recently  a  tax  was  laid 
to  meet  the  demands,  and  that  same  spirit  will  oppose  the  furnishing 
of  books  and  apparatus  for  the  school,  as  is  the  ordinary  method  of 
such  schools,  and  that  same  spirit  does  send  small  children  by  the 
dozen  to  sit  in  their  seats  the  whole  day  without  a  book  or  slate  or 
scrap  of  paper  with  which  to  work,  unless  private  benevolence  fur- 
nishes them. 

The  following  persons  have  been  teachers  in  this  school  during  the 
school  year  ending  July  i,  1877  : 

Mr.  Charles  L.  Fellows,  principal,  of  Wol-  Miss  Mary  Miller,  of  Winsted. 

cottville.  Mrs.  Sarah  Coe  Fellows,  of  Wolcottville. 

Miss  Gertrude  Fenn,  of  Terryville.  Miss  Bell  A.  Waterman,  of  Torringford. 

Miss  Sarah  B.  Norton,  of  Goshen.  Miss  Sarah  C.  Calhoun,  of  Wolcottville. 

Miss  Linda  Woodford,  of  Avon.  Miss  Hattie  Griswold,  of  Auburn,  Indiana. 

School  Funds. 

Besides  the  usual  state  funds,  common  with  other  towns,  Torring- 
ton has  had  a  small  local  fund  amounting  to  several  hundred  dollars. 

The  school  plot,  appropriated  in  1752,  by  the  proprietors,  in  the 
third  division  containing  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  was  sold,  or 
leased  for  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  years,  in  1772,  to  Matthew 
Grant,  for  ^^93, 14^.     This  money,  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  was 


Education. 


151 


merged  into  the  bequest  of  Daniel  Grant  under  the  one  name  of  that 
fund. 

The  Daniel  Grant  Fund. 

This  was  a  bequest  by  Daniel  Grant  of  Torrington  in  his  last 
will,  of  certain  lands,  to  be  sold,  or  devoted  to  the  support  of  schools 
in  the  town.  These  lands  were  in  the  town  of  New  Hartford  and 
were  supposed  at  the  time  to  be  worth  one  thousand  dollars,  but  the 
precise  amount  realized  has  not  been  ascertained. 


College  Graduates. 


Jonathan  Miller, 

of  Torringford, 

Yale, 

Stanley  Griswold, 

<( 

Yale, 

Joseph  Miller, 

« 

Williams, 

Charles  I.   Battell, 

« 

Yale, 

Harvey  Loomis, 

Ct 

Williams, 

Orange  Lyman, 

(C 

Williams, 

Samuel  J.  Mills  Jr., 

« 

Williams, 

Rufus  Woodward, 

« 

Yale, 

John  B.  Lyman, 

(( 

Williams, 

Lucius  Curtiss, 

« 

Williams, 

Hudson  Burr, 

(( 

Yale, 

John  T.  Miller, 

« 

Yale, 

Warren  H.  Roberts, 

« 

Kenyon,   O., 

Timothy  P.  Gillett, 

of  Torrington, 

Williams, 

James  Beach, 

« 

Williams,  about 

William  F.  Hodges, 

« 

Yale, 

Abel  Knapp  Hinsdale, 

« 

Yale, 

Willard  Hodges, 

« 

Yale, 

Alfred  North, 

a 

Brown  University, 

Elisha  Smith  Abernethy, 

a 

Yale, 

Rev.  Edward  Hungerford, 

Wolcottville, 

Yale, 

Rev.  John  H.  Barbour, 

(( 

Trinity, 

Wm.  Stone  Hubbell, 

(i 

Yale, 

I78I. 

1786. 

1799. 

1808. 

1809. 

1809. 

1809. 

i8i6. 

1825. 

1835- 
1853. 

1854. 
1856. 
1804. 
1804. 
1811. 

1833- 

1845- 
1857 

1825. 

1851. 

1873- 
1858. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

PROFESSIONS  AND  SOCIETIES. 

Physicians  in  Torrington. 

R.  Thaddeus    Austin,   son  of  Andrew  Austin  of  Tor- 
ringford,    was    born    in    1783;   studied  medicine    under 
[aI      Dr.   Samuel  Woodward;   practiced  in   Fayetteville,   N. 
^        C,  and  died  Sept.  12th,  181 2,  aged   29  years.      He  was 
much  respected  by  the  profession. 

Dr.  Erastus  Bancroft.  (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Oliver  Bancroft,  son  of  Lt.  Ephraim  and  Esther  (Glea- 
son)  Bancroft,  was  born  July  22,  1757,  in  Windsor,  and  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Torrington,  when  two  or  three  years  of  age.  He 
became  a  physician  and  settled  in  Newtown,  Ct.,  where  he  continued 
to  practice  in  his  profession  until  advanced  in  years.  He  was  less 
than  medium  height,  energetic  and  quick  of  action  ;  and  is  said  to 
have  been  much  respected  and  loved  as  a  physician  and  a  citizen. 
He  died  at  Newtown. 

Dr.  Reuben  Bancroft,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Jemima  (Loomis) 
Bancroft  of  Torringford,  w^s  born  Aug.  3,  1794;  studied  medicine 
under  Dr.  Elijah  Lyman,  and  settled  in  Oxford,  Chenango  co., 
N.  Y. 

Dr.  Charles  R.  Bissell,  son  of  Roderick  and  Fanny  (Gaylord), 
Bissell  of  Torrington  was  born  May  18,  1831  ;  studied  with  his 
brother  at  Bethlehem  and  began  practice  in  Berkshire  county,  Mass. 
He  removed  to  Colorado,  Rocky  mountains,  where  he  was  judge  of 
the  court  some  years  ;  was  one  year  auditor  of  the  state;  removed 
to  Central  City,  Colorado. 

Dr.  Eliphaz  Bissell,  son  of  Eliphaz  and  Elizabeth  (Birge), 
Bissell  of  Torringford,  was  born  in  1779  ;  studied  medicine  under 
Dr.  Samuel  Woodward  ;  settled  and  practiced  as  a  physician  in  Ver- 
non, Oneida  co.,  N.  Y.  ;  died  by  drowning  in  1829,  aged  fifty 
years.      He  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  talented  man. 

Dr.  Gaylord  G.  Bissell,  son  of  Roderick  and  Fanny  (Gaylord) 
Bissell  of  Torringford,  was  born  Feb.  13,    1824  ;  studied  medicine 


Professions  and  Societies.  153 

under  Dr.  Beckwith  of  Litchfield  ;  practiced  at  Bethlehem,  and 
afterwards  spent  seven  years  in  the  Rocky  mountains  ;  was  judge  of 
a  high  court  in  Montana,  and  for  a  considerable  time  was  mayor  of 
Virginia  city,  Montana  ;  and  removed  to  practice  medicine  at 
Lovillia,  Iowa. 

Dr.  Hezekiah  Bissell,  son  of  Eliphaz,  brother  of  Dr.  Eliphaz, 
of  Torringford,  was  born  in  1792  ;  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Sam- 
uel Woodward  ;  practiced  in  Wooster,  Ohio,  and  was  for  some  time 
judge  of  a  high  court  in  that  state. 

Dr.  John  Bissell,  son  of  Ebenezer,  was  born  in  Torringford 
about  1770,  became  a  physician  and  settled  in  Onondaga  co.,  N.  Y., 
and  in  old  age  removed  to  Chicago,  111.,  where  he  died  in  Sept.  1856. 

Dr.  William  Bostwick,  came  from  Farmington  into  this  town 
as  early  as  1798,  and  took  the  place  of  Dr.  Hodges  on  the  west  side 
of  the  town.  In  June  1799,  he  purchased  one  acre  of  land  across 
the  road  west  of  Levi  Thrall's,  on  which  he  built  the  house,  which 
is  the  old  red  house  still  standing.  This  property  he  sold  in  1807,  to 
Dr.  Elijah  Lyman,  and  removed  to  Vermont,  and  some  time  after, 
in  attempting  to  cross  Lake  Champlain  with  a  sleigh  on  the  ice,  was 
drowned. 

The  births  of  three  of  Dr.  Bostwick's  children  are  recorded  on  the 
town  records. 

Dr.  Albert  M.  Calkins,  a  practicing  physician  in  Wolcottville. 
(See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Jairus  Case,  a  native  of  Simsbury,  settled  in  Torringford, 
after  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  left,  but  soon  after  removed  to  Winsted 
and  engaged  in  other  pursuits  for  a  time,  then  removed  to  Granby. 

Dr.  Samuel  Childs,  son  of  Timothy  Childs,  was  born  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  town,  became  a  physician  and  practiced  some 
few  years  in  Litchfield,  then  removed  to  New  York  city,  where  he 
resides  in  wealth  and  retired  life.  Mr.  Israel  Coe  met  Dr.  Childs 
in  Europe  in  1842,  and  traveled  with  him  several  days.  The  doctor 
was  a  man  of  intelligence  and  cultivation  and  of  considerable  standing 
in  New  York. 

Dr.  Sherman  W.  Chipman,  D.D.S.,  born  in  Waterbury  ;  studied 
with  Austin  B.  Fuller,  New  Haven  ;  graduated  at  the  Pennsylvania 
Dental  college,  February  28,  1874  ;  came  to  Wolcottville,  Decem- 
ber 1875,  and  is  a  practicing  dentist. 

Dr.  Elisha  Clark,   son  of  Abel  Clark  of  Torringford,    studied 

medicine  under  Dr.   Samuel  Woodward,  and   had  nearly  completed 

his  course  when  he  was  taken  away  by  disease  of  the  lungs  in  18 10. 

20 


1^4  History  of  Torrington. 

Dr.  Erskine  Curtiss,  son  of  Truman  and  Wealthy  (Parsons) 
Curtissof  Torringford,  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Harvey  B.  Steele 
of  W  insted,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  New  Hartford, 

Dr.  Isaac  Day,  a  native  of  Colchester,  was  a  practicing  physi- 
cian in  Torringford,  and  in  July  1777,  was  appointed  surgeon's 
mate  in  Col.  Samuel  Webb's  regiment  in  the  Revolution.  He 
died  in  Torringford  Sept.  16,  1779,  aged  29  years. 

Dr.  Parleman  Bradley  Fowler,  a  practicing  physician  in 
Bethlehem,  Ct.      (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Remus  Marcus  Fowler,  a  practicing  physician  of  Wash- 
ington, Conn.     (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Warren  R.  Fowler,  a  practicing  physician  of  Washington, 
Conn.      (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Samuel  Fyler,  son  of  Ulysses  Fyler  of  Torringford,  was 
born  Feb.  11,  1782  ;  studied  under  Dr.  Samuel  Woodward,  com- 
menced practice  at  Hilton  Head,  S.  C,  and  died  there,  age^39 
years. 

Dr.  Horace  C.  Gillett,  son  of  Horace  and  Rachael  (Austin) 
Gillett,  was  born  in  1806  ;  studied  medicine  under  Dr.  Charles 
Woodward,  received  the  degree  of  M.D.  from  Yale  college,  be- 
gan practice  in  South  Windsor  about  1828,  and  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Chicago.  His  name  appears  in  the  Roll  of  Honor  ot 
surgeons  in  the  late  war,  in  Yale   Catalogue  for  1866. 

Dr.  Penfield  Goodsell,  boarded  a  time  with  Capt.  Amos  Wil- 
son, and  on  October  26,  1791,  married  Nancy  Beach;  was,  ap- 
parently, a  practicing  physician  a  short  time  in  Torrington. 

Dr.  Edward  W.  Hatch  was  born  in  Blandford,  Hampden  Co., 
Mass.,  Aug.  31,  1818.  His  parents  were  Timothy  Linus  and  Sarah 
Walker  (Shepard)  Hatch.  He  was  graduated  at  the  Berkshire  Medi- 
cal college,  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  in  the  class  of  1842.  He  came  to 
Torringford  in  1843,  ^"^  practiced  here  as  a  physician  about  two 
years,  the  last  settled  physician  in  that  part  of  the  town.  Dr.  Hatch 
removed  to  New  Jersey,  and  married  Miss  Nancy  C.  Boies,  daughter 
of  David  Boies,  Esq.,  of  Blandford.  He  practiced  as  a  physician  in 
New  Jersey  until  December,  1849,  when  he  removed  to  Meriden, 
Ct.  He  was  appointed  trustee  of  the  State  Reform  school  by  the 
legislature  of  1858,  and  in  July,  1859  ^as  appointed  by  the  trustees 
superintendent  of  that  institution,  in  which  office  he  became  very 
celebrated  as  one  of  the  very  best  managers  of  such  institutions  in  a 
Christian  and  enlightened  sense. 


Professions  and   Societies.  155 

In  1853,  ^^  united  with  the  First  Congregational  church  in  Meri- 
den  and  was  an  earnest  interested  Sabbath  school  man  to  the  close 
of  his  life.  He  was  well  known  as  an  earnest  advocate  of  total  ab- 
stinence ;  was  one  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Connecticut 
Temperance  Union,  and  one  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Con- 
necticut Industrial  school  for  girls,  established  at  Middletown.  Dr. 
Hatch  was  a  warm  and  earnest  advocate  of  the  Union  all  through  the 
late  rebellion.      He  died  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Meriden. 

Dr.  Augustine  Hayden,  son  of  Capt.  Augustine  and  Cynthia 
(Fyler)  Hayden,  was  born  Sept.  28,  1770  ;  studied  under  Dr.  Wm. 
Abernethy,  of  Harwinton  ;  practiced  medicine  in  Chatham,  N.  Y.  ; 
died  at  the  residence  of  his  son  in  Franklinville,  N.  Y.,  March  28, 
1838,  aged  68  years.  He  continued  in  practice  until  his  constitution 
failed,  and  after  that  was  often  called  to  consult  with  other  physicians 
as  to  difficult  cases. 

Dr.  Samuel  Hayden,  brother  of  Dr.  Augustine,  was  born  in 
1772;  studied  in  Yale  college  but  was  not  graduated.  It  is  thought 
he  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Moses  Hayden  of  Conway,  Mass.  He 
commenced  practice  in  Windham,  Pa.,  became  eminent,  was  much 
sought  in  counsel,  and  followed  the  profession  until  disabled  by  the 
infirmities  of  age. 

Dr.  Thatcher  S.  Hanchett,  physician  in  Wolcottville.  (See 
Biography.) 

Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges,  a  practicing  physician  and  merchant  in 
Torrington,     (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Erasmus  D.  Hudson,  a  practicing  physician  in  Torringford 
and  of  New  York  city.     (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Philander  P.  Humphrey,  son  of  Daniel  G.  and  Eliza 
(Burr)  Humphrey  of  Torringford,  was  born  about  1822;  studied 
with  Dr.  Hubbard  of  New  Hartford,  and  after  some  practice  in  New 
England,  removed  to  St.  Paul's,  Minnesota,  near  which  place  he  and 
all  his  family,  except  one  son,  were  murdered  by  the  Indians  in  the 
massacre  of  1862. 

Dr.  George  O.  Jarvis,  practiced  medicine  and  married  here  ;  re- 
moved to  Colebrook,  and  thence  to  Portland,  Ct.      (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Elijah  Lyman,  a  practicing  physician  in  Torrington  and 
Warren.     (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Norman  Lyman,  a  practicing  physician  in  Glastonbury  and 
Warren.     (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  William   Marsh    was  raised    in    Torrington,    west    side  ; 


156  History  of  Torrington. 

studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Elijah  Lyman  ;  practiced  medicine  a  time  in 
Goshen  ;  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  but  said  to  be  somewhat 
peculiar  ;  died  young. 

Dr.  Allen  G.  Miller,  brother  of  Willard,  studied  with  Dr. 
Samuel  Woodward,  and  Dr.  William  Abernethy  of  Harwinton  ; 
settled  in  Mansfield,  O.,  and  died  July  30,  1849,  ^g^^  55   y^^rs. 

Dr.  Gaylord  B.  Miller,  was  born  May  i,  1797  ;  studied  with 
his  brother  Dr.  Allen  G.  Miller,  and  practiced  with  him  at  Mans- 
field, O.,  and  died  July  18,  1828,  aged  31   years. 

Dr.  Gaylord  B.  Miller,  son  of  Deacon  Thomas  A,  and  Mary 
C.  (Hudson)  Miller,  was  born  July  4,  1831  ;  studied  with  Dr. 
James  Welch  of  Winsted,  and  attended  lectures  at  Woodstock, 
Vt.,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  commenced  practice 
in  Harwinton  in  January,  1852,  and  removed  to  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.,  in  January,  1864. 

Dr.  Willard  Miller,  son  of  Dea.  Ebenezer  and  Thankfull 
(Allen)  Miller  of  Torringford,  was  born  Jan.  i,  1788  ;  studied  with 
Dr.  Samuel  Woodward  ;  settled  at  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  and  died  of 
fever,  at  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  May  11,  1825,  aged  25  years.  He 
was  on  a  visit  to  see  a  lady  to  whom  he  expected  to  be  married. 

Dr.  Alfred  North,  raised  in  Torrington  ;  a  practicing  physi- 
cian in  Waterbury,  Conn.      (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Jeremiah  W.  Phelps,  some  years  a  practicing  physician  in 
Wolcottville.      (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  James  O.  Pond,  a  physician  in  Hartford  county  and  in  New 
York  city.      (See   Biography.) 

Dr.  Bela  St.  John,  a  practicing  physician  in  Wolcottville. 
(See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Joel  Soper,  a  native  of  Windsor,  was  a  practicing  physician 
in  Torringford  a  few  years. 

Dr.  Hiram  Watson,  son  of  Thomas  and  Melicent  (Wetmore) 
Watson  was  born  Jan.  21,  1802  ;  attended  lectures  at  Harvard 
university  in  1825;  studied  with  Dr.  Charles  Woodward  ;  practiced 
in  East  Windsor,  until  June  1854,  when  he  removed  to  New  York 
city,  where  he  resided  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Detroit, 
Mich.,  where  he  engaged  in  manufacturing,  and  in  dealing  in  west- 
ern lands.' 

Dr.  Erastus  Darwin  Whiting,  son  of  Selah  and   Sabra  Aber- 


'  Wation  Genealogy ,  p.  29. 


Professions  and  Societies.  157 

1 

nethy  Whiting,  was  born  in  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  19,  1811,  and  came 
to  Torrington,  with  his  father's  family  the  spring  he  was  three  years 
old.  He  attended  the  Harwinton  academy  two  years,  after  which 
attended  Rev.  Mr.  Cooly's  private  school  in  Granville,  and  then  spent 
a  year  in  the  academy  at  Westfield,  Mass.  He  commenced  his 
studies  in  medicine  with  Dr.  Andrew  Abernethy,  his  uncle,  attended 
his  first  course  of  medical  lectures  at  P'airfield,  New  York,  where  he 
became  acquainted  with  Emily  Bradley,  whom  he  married  Nov.  2, 
1837.  He  was  graduated  in  medicine  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  in  1834  ; 
practiced  medicine  in  Wayne,  Ashtabula  co.,  O.,  two  years,  where 
he  was  urged  by  the  citizens  to  remain,  but  he  removed  to  Atlas, 
Pike  CO.,  III.,  in  the  spring  of  1837.  He  remained  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  in  Pike  county  twenty-three  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Taylor's  Falls,  Min.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  bnsiness,  which 
he  continued  fifteen  years.  He  has  been  a  representative  in  the  state 
legislature  three  times  ;  traveled  one  season  in  Europe,  going  over 
most  ot  it  ;  and  returned,  and  for  several  years  has  lived  a  retired 
life,  having  a  competency  of  this  world's  goods. 

Dr.  Samuel  Woodward,  a  physician  in  Torringford.  (See  Bio- 
graphy.) 

Dr.  Samuel  B.  Woodward,  a  practicing  physician  of  Wethers- 
field,  Conn.,  and  physician  in  chief  of  the  Mass.  Lunatic  Asylum. 
(See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Elijah  Woodward,  son  of  Dr.  Samuel.     (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Henry  Woodward,  a  practicing  physician  in  Middletown, 
Conn.      (See  Biography.) 

Dr.  Charles  Woodward,  a  practicing  physician  in  Windsor  and 
Middletown,  Conn.      (See  Biography.) 

Women  as  Physicians. 

There  were  of  such  women,  two  in  the  town,  who  became  very 
celebrated,  and  who  did  a  most  noble  and  honorable  work,  both  for 
the  comfort  and  honor  of  women. 

Mrs.  Jacob  Johnson,  wife  of  an  early  settler  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  town,  married  in  1773,  was  celebrated  as  a  midwife  or 
accoucheure,  and  for  remarkable  success  as  such,  never  having  lost 
a  patient,  in  some  hundreds  of  cases.  She  rode  on  horseback,  keep- 
ing ahorse  for  the  special  purpose,  and  traveling  night  or  day,  far  and 
near,  until  Granny  Johnson  became  as  thoroughly  known  and  trusted 


158  History  of  Torrington. 

in  her  profession,  as  any  physician  that  was  ever  in  the  town.  She 
kept  an  account  of  the  number  of  cases  she  had,  and  the  success  of 
the  patient,  and  the  new  comers,  and  of  these  last  there  is  at  least 
one  still  living  in  the  town. 

In  the  midst  of  her  usefulness,  and  of  life,  she  was  taken  away  by 
death,  and  then  it  became  a  great  inquiry,  who  "  will  take  the  place 
of  Granny  Johnson  ?  "  and  in  the  time  of  need  one  was  at  hand. 

Mrs.  HuLDAH  Beach,  wife  of  Dea.  Wait  Beach  ;  she  that  was 
Huldah  Loomis,  daughter  of  Aaron  Loomis,  Jr.,  was  the  successor 
of  iVlrs.  Johnson.  Her  mother  was  Hannah  Hills,  daughter  of 
Benoni  Hills  of  Massachusetts  and  Torrington.  Mrs.  Beach 
became  as  successful  and  celebrated  as  Granny  Johnson  ;  perhaps 
more  so  as  she  continued  in  life  to  advanced  age,  and  was  employed 
in  her  profession,  as  long  as  she  could  ride,  and  attend  to  the 
invitations  given  her.  She  was  a  remarkable  woman,  having 
a  fine  personal  appearance,  of  decided  dignity,  yet  marked  kindliness. 
Her  intellectual  strength  and  ability  was  perceptible  to  every  one, 
and  hence  she  commanded  great  respect  in  all  classes  of  society, 
and  won  the  confidence  of  the  people,  so  that  but  few  calls  were 
made  on  any  other  physician,  in  her  profession,  on  the  western  side 
of  the  town.  She  also  rode  far  and  near  ;  having  calls  in  Win- 
chester, Goshen  and  Litchfield. 

It  has  been  imagined  that  since,  within  the  last  twenty-five  years, 
women  have  been  educated  as  physicians,  that  a  new  era  had  arrived  ; 
but  in  this  there  is  only  the  restoration  of  one  of  the  lost  arts,  and  a 
very  decent  and  proper  one  it  is  ;  but  where  is  the  womanly  courage, 
and  the  noble  devotion,  in  women  themselves  to  occupy  such 
positions,  to  the  ennoblement  of  women  in  this  age  ? 

Lawyers  in  Torrington. 

Joseph  Miller,  son  of  Dea.  Ebenezer  and  Thankful  (Allen) 
Miller,  was  born  in  Torringford  Oct.  29,  1779;  was  graduated  at 
Williams  college  in  1799  ;  studied  law  at  Litchfield,  and  began  prac- 
tice in  Fairfield  ;  removed  to  Winsted  about  1806,  where  he  prac- 
ticed until  1834;  was  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention 
in  1818,  and  represented  Wincester  in  the  legislature  two  or  three 
times  about  1830  ;  removed  to  Richland,  Michigan,  in  1834,  and  de- 
voted himself  to  agriculture.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legislature 
of  that  state  in    1840  and    1841,  and  died  June   29,    1864,  aged   85. 


Professions   and   Societies.  159 

He  delivered  an  oration  in  Torringford  Feb.  22,  1800,  commemora- 
tive of  Washington. 

Charles  T.  Battell,  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Buckingham) 
Battell,  was  born  in  Torringford,  July  25,  1789  ;  was  graduated  at 
Yale  college  in  1808  ;  studied  law  at  Catskill,  N.  Y.,  and  spent  the 
earlier  years  of  his  professional  life  in  the  western  part  of  that  state. 
He  removed  to  Indiana  in  18 19,  and  lived  first  at  Springfield,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  1821,  and  1822;  resided  at 
Evansville,  Ind.,  from  1823  to  1866,  and  while  there  he  filled  with 
honor  important  public  positions,  and  among  them  judge  of  the 
state  circuit  court.  He  spent  the  last  two  years  of  his  life  at 
Cleveland,  O.,  where  he  died  April  12,  1868,  aged  78. 

Thomas  Grant,  son  of  Matthew  and  Rosanna  (Lee)  Grant, 
was  born  in  Torrington  in  1806  ;  became  a  lawyer,  and  commenced 
practice  in  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.,  and  afterwards  went  to  California 
where  he  died. 

Hudson  Burr,  son  of  Rufus  and  Ann  S.  (Hudson)  Burr,  was 
born  in  Torringford,  Jan.  23,  1830.  He  was  graduated  at  Yale 
college  in  1853  '  ^^^  teacher  of  languages  in  Maryland  Military 
academy,  from  September  1853,  *-'"^  y^^^i  ^"^  then  removed  to 
Bloomfield,  III.,  December  1854.  He  was  assistant  circuit  clerk 
for  McLean  county  four  years  and  commenced  the  practice  of  law 
in  July  1859.  ^^  enlisted  in  the  ninety-fourth  regiment,  Illinois 
volunteers,  in  August,  1862,  and  was  commissioned  adjutant  of  the 
regiment,  in  May,  1863,  was  commissioned  captain  and  assistant 
adjutant  general  in  May,  1 863,  and  was  in  the  army  of  the  frontier  and 
the  army  of  Tennessee.  After  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  the  law  in  the  city  of  Bloomington,  in  the  firm  of  Williams  and 
Burr,  and  in  1866  and  7,  was  city  attorney  in  that  city. 

John  T,  Miller,  son  of  Dea.  Thomas  A.  and  Mary  C.  (Hud- 
son) Miller,  was  born  Feb.  28,  1832,  in  Torringford,  was  graduated 
at  Yale  college  in  1854.  He  studied  law  in  Grand  Rapids,  Mich., 
and  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  and  began  to  practice  law  at  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich.,  in  March,  1859. 

Henry  S.  Barbour  was  born  in  Canton  Conn.,  August  2d, 
1822.  His  father  was  Henry,  the  son  of  Jonathan  a  revolu- 
tionary soldier.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Solomon  Humph- 
rey, also  a  revolutionary  soldier.  She  was  sister  to  the  Rev.  Herman 
Humphrey  D.D.,  president  of  Amherst  college  about  twenty  years. 
Her  mother  was  first  cousin  to  Capt.  John  Brown,  the  martyr  of 
Harper's  Ferry  fame. 


i6o  History  of  Torrington. 

He  attended  some  years  the  academies  of  Amherst  and  East 
Hampton,  Mass.,  and  studied  law  with  Roger  H.  Mills,  Esq.,  of 
New  Hartford,  and  in  the  Yale  law  school. 

In  1849,  he  came  to  Wolcoltville  and  commenced  the  practice  of 
an  attorney  at  law,  and  was  successful  in  business  and  highly  esteemed 
in  the  community.  He  was  elected  to  various  offices  in  the  town  ; 
judge  of  probate,  town  clerk  and  treasurer  nineteen  years,  and  other 
offices,  and  was  sent  to  the  legislature  two  terms  and  was  senator 
from  the  fifteenth  district  in  1870.  He  was  also  elected  deacon  of 
the  Congregational  church  ;  and  was  a  diligent  laborer  in  the  Sun- 
day school.  He  is  remembered  with  much  pleasure  and  cordial 
good  feeling  by  the  people  of  the  town. 

In  1870,  he  removed  to  Hartford,  and  entered  into  the  practice  of 
law  with  his  brother  Herman  N.  Barbour,  since  deceased.  He  was 
largely  influenced  to  this  removal  for  the  purpose  of  the  better  edu- 
cation of  his  children. 

Florimond  D.  Fyler,  son  of  Harlow  and  Sibyl  R.  (Tolls) 
Fyler,  was  born  in  Newfield  in  this  town  Dec.  11,  1834.  He  at- 
tended school  at  the  Wesleyan  academy  in  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  two 
years.  He  then  accepted  the  offer  to  accompany  the  Illinois  state 
scientific  survey,  under  Prof.  C  D.  Wilber,  in  1859,  ^"^  having 
completed  the  work  returned  to  Torrington.  His  health  being  quite 
poor  at  this  time  he  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  purpose  of  a 
higher  course  of  education  ;  and  he  commenced  the  study  of  law  in 
the  office  of  Judge  Gideon  Hall  at  Winsted,  where  he  continued 
as  his  health  would  allow  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when  he  attended 
Yale  law  school  that  term.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  in  1864, 
and  returned  to  Yale  law  school  and  studied  one  year  and  received 
the  degree  LL.B.,  July,  1865.  In  September,  1865,  he  located  in 
Winsted  as  an  attorney  at  law.  He  was  a  member  of  the  legislature 
in  the  May  session  of  1872. 

He  was  elected  by  the  legislature  of  1877,  judge  of  the  district 
court  of  Litchfield  county  for  four  years  from  July  i,  1877. 

Carson  Fyler  Drake,  son  of  Chester  P.  Drake,  wa"s  born 
Aug.  29,  1857  ;  was  graduated  at  Yale  law  school  in  June  1877, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  soon  after  graduation,  being  under 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  His  mother  was  the  adopted  daughter  of 
Harlow  Fyler  of  Newfield.  He  is  assistant  librarian  in  the  law 
library  at  New  Haven,  where  he  and  his  father's  family  reside. 

William  F.  Hodges,  son  of  Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges,    was    born 


Professions  and  Societies.  i6i 

Aug.  24,  1789;  was  graduated  in  Yale  college  in  1811  ;  studied, 
and  became  a  lawyer,  and  entered  upon  his  profession  in  Alabama, 
where  he  died  Oct.  10,  1837,  aged  48  years. 

NoADiAH  Bancroft,  son  of  Noadiah  and  Jerusha  (Loomis) 
Bancroft,  was  born  April  12,  1786  ;  became  a  lawyer  and  settled  in 
his  profession  in  Massachusetts. 

Frank  L.  Hungerford^  son  of  John  and  Charlott  (Austin) 
Hungerford,  attended  the  University  of  Vermont  three  years  ;  then 
went  to  Cambridge  law  school  where  he  graduated.  He  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar,  and  practiced  law  two  years  in  Wolcottville,  then 
settled  in  New  Britain  in  the  law  practice  where  he  is  successfully 
prosecuting  his  profession. 

Gideon  H.  Welch,  son  of  James  M.,  and  Eliza  (Higgins) 
Welch  of  New  Haven,  was  born  Sept.  22,  1844  ;  and  was  grad- 
uated at  Yale  college  in  1868,  and  in  Yale  law  school  in  1870. 
He  came  to  Wolcottville  in  August  1870,  and  made  his  arrange- 
ments for  the  practice  of  law  in  this  place,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  September.  He  served  as  city  clerk  in  New  Haven  while  in 
his  last  year  in  the  law  school.  His  law  practice,  together  with 
the  service  he  renders  as  town  clerk,  and  in  various  other  rela- 
tions as  scribe,  school  visitor,  and  treasurer  keep  him  very  steadily 
at  work  winter  and  summer,  and  almost  day  and  night. 

Edward  A.  Kunki.e,  was  born  at  East  Hartford,  Ct.,  Nov.  5, 
1850  ;  was  student  at  Frienwalde  and  Hittstock  college,  and  Berlin 
university,  Prussia.  He  entered  as  law  student  in  office  of  Judges 
Elisha  Johnson  and  Thomas  McMannus  of  Hartford,  in  1869,  and 
afterwards  in  1872,  in  office  of  Francis  Fellows  and  Sons  of  Hart- 
ford, and  admitted  to  practice  at  law,  December  term,  1872,  of  the 
supreme  court  for  Hartford  county.  He  settled  in  Wolcottville  in 
the  practice  of  law  in  the  spring  of  1877. 

The  Masonic  Lodge. 

The  charter  of  the  Seneca  Lodge,  of  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons, was  granted  June  13,  1817,  and  the  persons  who  petitioned 
for  the  charter,  and  became  the  chartered  members  were  the  follow- 
ing : 

Chauncey  Humphrey,  Harvey   Palmer, 

Samuel  Hurlbut,  Aaron   Smith, 

Leonard    Hurlbut,  Amos    Bradley, 

Drake  Mills,  Hugh    Kearney, 

21 


l62 


History  of  Torrington. 


William  Crum, 
Lemuel   Hurlbut 
Truman  S.   Wetmore, 
John  McAlpin, 
Daniel    Phelps,  Jr., 
William  Bunnel, 
Stephen   Fyler, 
Joseph  D.   Humphrey, 
Charles    Andrus, 
John  Wetmore,    ad., 
Elisha  Hinsdale, 
Rapheal   Marshall, 
Russell  C.   Abernethy, 


Edward  Taylor, 
Samuel   Bradley, 
Norman    Wilson, 
Israel   Coe, 
Christopher    Pierce, 
James  Green, 
Miles  Beach, 
George    Lyman, 
Norman  Fowler, 
Alanson    H.   Kimberly, 
Joseph  R.  Judson, 
Phineas    Reed, 
Ichabod    Loomis. 


Asahel    Smith, 

The  lodge  was  organized  and  its  first  meeting  held  at  the  house 
of  Stephen  Fyler,  in  Newfield,  where  they  continued  to  meet  a  little 
over  six  years.  It  was  desired  at  [that  time  to  have  the  lodge  meet 
at  Wolcottville,  but  the  law  of  boundaries  between  the  different 
lodges,  at  that  time,  made  it  necessary  to  go  to  Newfield,  because 
that  place  was  ten  miles  distant  from  any  other  lodge.  In  July, 
1823,  Mr.  Harlow  Fyler^brought  home  his  bride,  and  soon  after  a 
lodge  meeting  was  held  at  his  father's  house,  where  he  and  his  bride 
were  living.  This  lady,  still  living,  describes  her  impressions  of  that 
night  when  she  heard  the  "  thunder  of  the  rolling  cannon  balls  and 
the  strange  noises  "  as  if  the  air  was  full  of  judgments  come  to  tear 
down  the  house.  She  says,  only  one  or  two  lodge  meetings  were 
held  there  after  she  became  a  resident.  Whether  the  Masons 
dreaded  her  frown,  or  whether  the  laws  of  boundary  were  soon 
changed  is  not  reported,  but  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  ihey  re- 
moved to  Wolcottville  to  Capt.  Samuel  Bradley's  Hall  in  his  hotel, 
now  the  American  House.  Here  they  remained  two  years,  when, 
having  fitted  a  room  over  what  is  now  the  store  of  Walter  S.  Lewis 
they  removed  into  it,  calling  it  Seneca  Hail.  Here  they  remained 
until  Dec.  20,  1833,  when  they  returned  to  Capt.  Bradley's  Hall. 
There  was  no  communication  of  this  lodge  from  June  1833  to  De- 
cember 1836,  after  which  they  renewed  and  continued  them,  until 
1840,  and  then  surrendered  the  charter  to  the  Grand  Lodge.  In 
i860,  upon  the  petition  of  the  following  persons,  the  charter  was  re- 
turned : 


Samuel  Burr, 
Russell  C.  Abernethy, 
Rev.  J.  F.  Covell, 
Allen  G.   Brady, 


Henry  J.  Allen  Sr., 
William  H.  Moore, 
George  B.  Fish, 
Uri  Taylor, 


James  Palmer, 
Isaac  C.  Palmer, 
Edward   Pierpont, 
James  Ashborn. 


Professions   and   Societies.  163 

They  then  fitted  a  room  in  Capt.  Bradley's  brick  building,  and 
named  it  Masonic  Hall,  the  whole  building  for  a  time  wearing  the 
honor  of  the  name.  From  this  place  they  removed  in  April  1863, 
to  Lathrop's  Hall,  where  they  continued  five  years,  and  then  located 
in  a  well  furnished  room,  Masonic  Hall,  over  the  hardware  store 
of  Messrs.  Agard  and  Church,  where  they  still  remain. 

The  active  life  of  Seneca  Lodge  has  been  quiet,  honorable  and 
harmonious  in  its  internal  society  enjoyments  and  work,  and  as  to 
external  life,  no  great  excitements  or  oppositions  or  emoluments  have 
been  experienced.  There  was  a  time  when  the  first,  or  old  Torring- 
ton  church  was  quite  disturbed  by  the  fact  of  one  of  its  members 
being  a  mason,  but  the  trouble  was  quieted  in  a  most  admirable  way. 

The  financial  and  social  standing  in  the  lodge  is  very  creditable 
and  satisfactory.  The  only  charter  members  now  living  are  Israel 
Coe  of  Bloomfield,  N.  J.,  and  George  Lyman  of  Wadsworth, 
Ohio. 

The  whole  number  of  persons  who  have  been  members  of  this 
lodge,  from  the  first,  is  three  hundred  and  fourteen. 

The  first  officers  were:  Truman  S.  Wetmore,  W.  M.  ;  Russell C. 
Abernethy,  S.  W.  ;  John  McAlpin,  J.  W.  ;  Aaron  Smith,  Treas.; 
Daniel  Phelps  Sr.,  Sec;  Carlton  Humphrey,  S.  D. ;  Alanson  Kim- 
berly,  J.  D.;  Ichabod  Loomis,  Tyler. 

The  present  officers  are  :  J.  W.  Brothwell,  W.  M.  ;  Charles 
Alldis,  S.  W.  ;  James  Bell,  J.  W.  ;  James  Alldis,  Treas.  ;  O.  R. 
Luther,  Sec;  John  D.  Bishop,  S.  D.  ;  Herman  W.  Huke,  J.  D. ; 
Albert  L.  Tuttle,  Tyler. 

The  following  persons  united  with  the  lodge  after  its  organization 
at  Newfield  and  before  the  surrender  of  the  charter  : 

Josiah  Smith,         ....      5817.      Geo.  O.  Jarvis,  .  .  .  581J 

Orrin  Moses,     ....  "  Walton  Case,  .  .  .  .        " 

Elijah  Starkweather, 

Eleazer  Hawley,         ...  "  Alfred   French,      ....      5819. 

Ansel  Wilson, 

Norris  Coe,        ....  "  Edward  Lesler,        .  .  .  .        " 

Fisk  Beach, "  William  North,  ...  " 

Adna  Beach,  Jr., 

Stephen  Fyler,  Jr., 

Benjamin  Ely,  ....  "  Seth  Wetmore,       .  .  .  .        " 

James  C.  Cleveland, 

Benjamin  Jenkins,     . 

Daniel  Tuttle,       .  .  .  .5818.      Carlton  Humphrey,  ...  " 

Henry  Walters,  .  .  .  "  Roderick  Bissell,  ....      5820. 

Bassett  Dunbar,      . 


5817. 

Geo.  0.  Jarvis, 

(( 

Walton  Case, 

« 

Abiel  Taylor,    . 

(1 

Alfred   French,      . 

<( 

Anson  Loomis, 

<( 

Edward  Lesler, 

« 

William  North, 

« 

John  Cook,  3d, 

1( 

George  Bissell, 

« 

Seth  Wetmore, 

(( 

Luman  Hinman, 

« 

Norman  Hawley,  . 

5818. 

Carlton  Humphrey, 

a 

Roderick  Bissell,  . 

(( 

Joshua  Hewitt, 

« 
« 


« 


(( 


164 


History  of  Torrington. 


Horace  Ramsey,  . 

.      5820. 

Homer  Higley, 

<( 

James  M.  Boyd,     . 

« 

Jesse  Williams, 

(( 

Prescott  Pond, 

« 

Nehemiah  Johnson,  . 

(< 

Levi  Holmes, 

i< 

James  Grant,    . 

(( 

Timothy  Cotton,    . 

iC 

Thomas  L.  Marshall, 

it 

Oliver  Coe,   . 

(C 

Roger  Coe, 

<< 

William  Russell, 

.    5821. 

Joseph  Lewis,  .          .    '      . 

« 

Henry,           .          .          .          . 

(I 

Sanford  Palmer, 

( i 

Anson  Colt, 

(< 

Roman  Watson, 

<( 

Anson  Wheeler,     . 

(( 

Abner  Loomis, 

(( 

Selah  Frost, 

.    5822. 

Alvin  Loomis,  . 

(( 

Nathan  W.  Hammond, 

.  5823. 

Ethel  North,     . 

« 

Henry  Whitman, 

« 

Edward  Pierpont, 

(( 

George  W.  Buell, 

(( 

James  P.  Collins, 

« 

Roswell  Birge, 

(( 

James  H.  Seymour,   . 

(( 

Uri  Taylor,  . 

(( 

Norman  Kellogg, 

5824. 

Joshua  Burton, 

(( 

S.  R.  Fielding, 

<• 

The  following  have 

united  with 

the  charter. 

William  Phippany, 

.    5860. 

Clark  B.  Downs, 

<( 

Rufus  W.  Gilbert, 

(< 

Charles  McNeil, 

u 

Nelson  Alvord,  Jr., 

« 

Francis  M.  Hale, 

« 

Dexter  W.  Clark, 

(< 

Andrew  Roberts, 

« 

Edwin  A.  Berry,    . 

(( 

S.  G.  Sturdevant, 

<( 

Edward  C.  Hotchkiss,     . 

c< 

William  J.  Palmer,   . 

(( 

Julius  A.  Blakeslee, 

« 

• 

S.  H.  Perkins, 

f< 

Geo.  H.,       . 

« 

William  Phippany, 
Newton,  . 
Benjamin  Darling, 
John  Grant, 
Jeremiah  Page, 
William  Bissel), 
Ephraim  W.  Wolcott, 
Norman  Coe,    . 
John  Hungerford, 
Eno  Sperry, 
Levi  Rogers, 
Thomas  Sparks, 
William  North,      . 
Thomas  Moses, 
Nathaniel  Smith,  . 
Elijah  T.  Cummings, 
Harlow  P.  Page,    . 
George  D.  Wadhams, 
Laban  M.  Oliver,  . 
Philip  Leddy,    . 
Samuel  Burr, 
Edward  R.  Warner,  . 
Franklin  Hodge,    . 
Heman  L.  Cummings, 
Daniel  Richards,  . 
Robert  Palmer, 
Abel  Clark,  . 
James  Palmer, 
Samuel  Foust, 
Benjamin  F.  Smith,  . 
George  W.  French, 
James  H.   Scofield,    . 
Aaron  Gilbert, 


5825. 


« 

(( 
<( 
(( 

« 
« 


5826. 


« 
« 


5828. 
5829. 
5832. 


5839- 
(( 

<( 

« 


the    lodge  since  the  restoration  of 


Cornelius  Bellamy,    . 
Rev.  Charles  W.  Powell, 
Wm.  T.  Spencer, 
Henry  M.  WoodrufF, 
Joseph  F.  Calhoun,    . 
Willard  H.  Barbour, 
Lyman  Hall, 
D.  C.  Munson, 
James  Humphrey, 
Nelson  Roberts,    . 
M.  H.  Sanford, 
O.  R.  Fyler, 
M.  F.  Barber,  . 
J.  Moran,      . 
McKenzie_Millard, 


5860. 


5861. 


5862. 


5863. 


•      i 


Professions  and  Societies. 


Nelson  W.  Coe, 
John  Ashborn, 
E.  H.  Smith,    . 
J.  H.  Balcom, 
Charles  W.  Smith,    . 
William  Butler,      . 
L.  T.  Wooster, 
Hayden  D.  Palmer, 
Henry  E.  Hotchkiss, 
Edward  Leopold,    . 
Dwight  F.  Peck, 
J.  Garner  Brothwell, 
Rev.  David  P.  Sanford,  . 
John   Huke, 
James  M.  Mott, 
Levi  W.  Thrall,    . 
John  Smith, 
D.  N.  Goff,  . 
Heman  P-.  Brooks,     . 
George  B.  Cook,    . 
Albert   F.  Brooker,     . 
A.  L.  Tuttle, 
S.  L.  Clark,       . 
Lyman  A.  Colt, 
Alson  Sanford, 
Joseph  Sykes, 
Lewis  G.  Logan, 
Elisaph  Scovill, 
Louis  Adt, 
George  P.  Chapman, 
R.  N.  Brothwell, 
Oswald  Klasche,    . 
Virgil  R.  Bissell, 
Henry  A.   Church, 
George  V'rgil,  . 

F.  J.  Seymour, 
Wm.  H.  Lacy,  Jr.,  . 
C.  P.  Drake, 
Henry  R.  Morrill,      . 
A.  P.  Smith, 

John  Workman, 
Andrew  Workman, 
J.  E.  Lewis, 
Wm.  H.  Brothwell, 
H.  J.  Hendee, 
Charles  Benedict,   . 
Burr  Lyon, 
Charles  R.  Welton, 
M.  Fowler, 

G.  W.  Cooke, 

F.  L.  Hungerford, 


« 


5863.  J.  H.  Jeffrey, 

"  A.  W.  Sperry,  . 

"  Ferdinand  Adt, 

"  Hubbard  Waldo, 

"  John  Adt,      . 

"  Samuel   Hodgton, 

5864.  James  McKenzie, 
D.  Alonzo  Smith, 
W.  C.  Hillard,       . 
Charles  F.  Brooker,  . 
J.  M.  Travis, 
Geo.  H.  Fish,   . 
L.  G.  Turner, 
David  Lanagan, 

«  W.  A.  Church,       . 

5865.  C.  H.  F.  Hoffman,    . 
«         J.  F.  Gibbs, . 

"  Lorrain  Appley,. 

"  Rev.  Benj.  Eastwood, 

"         Rodney  L.  Smith, 
"  Horace  A.  Beers, 

"  John  Maxwell, 

Fred  O.  Hills,   . 
Charles  Houldsworth 
Truman  P.  Clark, 
Nathan  R.  Tibbals, 
Joseph  W.  Brothwell 
John  F.  Saxty, . 

F.  L.  Wadhams,    . 
Solon  G.  Dunbar,. 

"  Wm.  Engert, 

"  James  L.  Carson, 

"  E.  T.  Coe,     . 

5866.  J.  W.  Phelps,   . 
Robert  E.  Ensign, 

G.  S.  Weeks,    . 

"  Jas.  M.  Farnham, 

"  S.  Karrman, 

5867.  James  Alldis, 

"  F.  F.  Fuessenich, 

«  E.  F.  Weston, 

"  Henry  Ashley,  . 

«  H.  S.  Eldridge, 

"  E.  S.  Minor, 

"  Nathan  A.  Tuttle, 

"  Henry  H.  Rowley, 

"  Achille  F.  Migeon, 

"  John  M.  Burr, 

"  Lyman  Dunbar, 

"  La  Van  B.  Smith, 

"         C.  R.  Bailey,     . 


<< 


165 

5867. 
« 
« 

C( 

« 

5868. 
« 

« 

« 
« 
« 
« 
« 
« 

(I 
« 
« 


5869. 
(( 

K 
« 


« 


5870. 
<( 

(( 

(( 

« 

« 

« 

« 


5871. 
(( 

(1 

« 


i66 


History  of  Torrington. 


L.  B.  Munson, 
J.  A.  McDonald, 

B.  S.  Eastwood, 
Wm.  H.  Garner, 
John  D.  Bishop, 
Theodore  Hartman,  . 
Samuel  Tatro, 
Charles  Alldis,  . 
William  J.  Morris, 
Charles  M.  Ladd, 

C.  H.  Volkman,    . 
H.  F.  HofFman, 

L.  Rudolph  Prentice, 
James  Bell, 
Henry  S.  Patterson, 
Clemence  Hoffman,  . 
Harvey  Barnes, 


5871.  L.  M.  Jones, 

"  James  F.  Cady, 

"  T.  S.  Hanchett, 

"  George  H.  Cook,    . 

"  Charles  Rhodes, 

"  Andrew  T.  Finn,   . 

5872.  Henry  Barnes,  . 

"  Thomas  J.  Alldis, 

''  Frederick  Devoe, 

"  Burrall  Riggs, 

"  Ernest  T.  Huke, 

"  William  Devoe, 

"  Frank  A.  Cook, 

5873.  O.  R.  Luther, 

"  Herman  W.  Huke, 

"  John  Davey, 


5873- 


« 
« 


5874- 
(( 

(i 

C( 

« 

« 

5875- 
« 

5877- 


Bands  of  Music. 

There  was  a  band  of  martial  music  organized,  and  continued 
some  years  at  Torrington,  and  held  its  meetings  some  ot  the  time  at 
Torringford.  It  is  said  that  Torrington  first  society  appropriated 
money  at  different  times  to  encourage  music  by  this  band,  some- 
where about  1820,  or  earlier. 

A  large  band  of  thirty-five  persons  was  organized  in  Wolcottville 
in  the  autumn  of  1832;  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  town,  and 
were  taught  by  Mr.  Jewitt,  who  resided  in  Simsbury.  The  follow- 
ing are  the  names  of  some  of  the  members  of  this  band  : 

Arvid  Dayton,  Dexter  Clark,  Thomas  Moses,  Ebenezer  Ed, 
wards,  Mr.  Harding,  Goodwin  Dana  (overseer  in  the  woolen  mill), 
Harmon  Dayton,  Prescott  Pond  (played  the  bassoon,  was  in  the  old 
Torrington  band),  William  North  (son  of  Norris  North  the  clock- 
maker  at  Torrington  hollow),  Joseph  North,  Judson  Smith  (was  in 
the  old  Torrington  band),  Justus  Dayton,  William  Durand,  Charles 
B.  Smith,  Henry  Colt,  Lorenzo  Moses,  Oliver  Hills. 


Cornet  Band. 

The  Wolcottville  Cornet  Band  was  organized  in  June    i860,  and 
consisted  of  the  following  persons  : 


William    Dayton, 
George  Workman, 
John  Workman, 


Edwin  Alvord, 
Mark  Bronson, 
Lewis   Briggs, 


William  Bariclau, 
H.  E.  Hotchkiss, 
C.  L.    Fellows, 


Professions   and  Societies.  167 

C.  H.  Seymour,  Robert  Wait,'  William   Smith, 

Andrew  Coe,  J.  G.  Brotliwell,  Dexter  W.  Clark,drum  mj. 

Elisaph     coville,  John  Ashborn, 

William  Dayton  was  elected  leader  of  this  band,  George  Work- 
man secretary  and  treasurer,  and  C,  B.  Merrills  of  Waterbury  en- 
gaged as  teacher,  and  under  his  instruction  the  first  meeting  was  held 
July  6,  i860,  and  the  progress  was  so  rapid  that  the  baud  made  its 
first  public  appearance  in  October  of  that  year,  playing  for  a  torch 
light  procession  of  "Wide  Awakes." 

In  the  spring  of  1861,  the  band  contributed  its  share  toward  stir- 
ing  up  the  patriotic  hearts  and  zeal  of  the  citizens,  playing  for  war 
meetings  and  the  like,  and  in  July  1861,  the  following  named  mem- 
bers of  the  band,  enlisted  as  members  of  the  band  of  the  fourth  regi- 
ment (afterward  the  first  artillery)  Connecticut  volunteers  : 

J.  G.  Brothwell,  Mark  Bronson, 

Lewis  Riggs,  H.  E.  Hotchkiss, 

Charles  H.   Seymour,  D.  W.  Clark, 

Edwin  Alvord,  died  at  Richardson,  Va.,  Folk  Berthold. 
March  25,    1862. 

The  following  resident  musicians  soon  after  enlisted  : 

Justin  Dayton,  band  master  ;  Miletus  Huxford,  Thomas  Robert- 
son, who  died  at  Cold  Harbor  July  9,  1862,  while  a  prisoner  ;  Rob- 
ert Barclay,  Edward  Leach,  Chauncey  Leach,  and  Warren  B. 
Murray.  The  fourth  regiment  band,  rendezvouzed  at  Wolcottville 
while  recruiting,  and  consisted  of  twenty-four  men,  who  were  mus- 
tered into  service  at  Hartford  July  22,  1 861,  and  joined  the  regi- 
ment at  Hagerstown,  Md.,  on  the  24th  of  the  same  month. 

In  the  mean  time  William  Dayton  kept  up  the  organization  at 
home. 

John  Ashborn  also  enlisted  as  a  musician  of  the  fourth  Pennsyl- 
vania cavalry  band  and  was  discharged  at  the  same  time  of  the  ist 
artillery  band. 

This  band  having  been  changed  to  the  first  artillery  regiment,  was 
discharged  by  act  of  congress,  disbanding  volunteer  bands,  at  Har- 
rison's Landing,  Va.,  August  12,  1862,  having  been  in  the  service 
nearly  thirteen  months.  Upon  their  return  home  the  Wolcottville 
band  was  reorganized,  and  in  December  1872,  Henry  E.  Hotchkiss 
chosen  leader.  This  organization  was  continued  until  the  autumn 
of  1871,  when  the  men  being,  most  of  them,  very  actively  engaged 


'  Robert  Wait  soon  resigned  and  Folk  Berthold  was  elected  to  fill  the  place. 


i68  History  of  Torrington. 

in  business  enterprises,  the  playing  was  by  mutual  consent  discon- 
tinued for  a  time  ;  the  band  at  this  time  consisting  of  the  following 
persons  : 

Henry  E.    Hotchkiss,  leader,  Morris  Cook, 

J.  G.  Brothwell,  Joseph  Jeffries, 

James  Alldis,  William  Bishop, 

E.  S.  Steel,  Fred  Matthews, 

William  Dayton,  Herman  Huke, 

Joseph  Brothwell,  L.  B.  Smith, 

William  Brothwell,  A.  E.  Workman. 

The  present  Wolcotville  band  was  organized  March  27,  1873, 
and  the  following  were  the  members  : 

Henry  E.    Hotchkiss,  leader,                            C.  H.  Johnson, 

Frank  W.  Buttler,  George  Lewis, 

L.  B.  Smith,  John  D.  Bishop, 

Joseph  H.  Jeffiies,  Joseph  W.  Brothwell, 

Eugene  Hotchkiss,  William  F.  Bishop, 

Herman  W.  Hake,  Ed.  A.  Lacey, 

A.  E.  Workman,  Fred.  L.  Matthews, 

Frank  Oberhausen,  William   T.    Davey, 

William    H.  Brothwell,  Thomas  Hendy, 

John  A.  Jeffries,  Morris   H.   Cook. 

The  officers  are,  Joseph  W.  Brothwell,  president ;  A.  E.  Work- 
man, vice  president ;  Wm.  H.  Brothwell,  secretary  and  treasurer ; 
L.  B.  Smith,  assistant  leader;  and  H.  E.  Hotchkiss,  director. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  new  band,  the  members  of  the  old 
one  dissolved,  and  turned  over  their  band  property  to  the  new  one, 
and  it  has  had  but  few  changes  since.  The  following  named  persons 
have  removed  from  the  town  :  Morris  H.  Cook,  Fred.  L.  Matthews, 
Thomas  Hendy,  Ed.  A.  Lacy,  and  Frank  Oberhausen,  and  the  fol- 
lowing have  been  added  to  fill  their  places  :  Owen  Cummings,  Jr., 
Michael  Spain,  G.  Sturman,  Mr.  Baldwin  and  Gustav  Epstien. 

A  large  number  of  men  have  been  connected  with  these  bands  at 
various  times,  besides  those  whose  names  appear  in  the  above  lists, 
but  it  being  impossible  to  make  the  lists  complete  they  are  given  as 
they  stood  at  certain  periods. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

TOPOGRAPHY,  ECONOiMIC  AND  SCIENTIFIC  GEO 

LOGY. 

'HE  town  of  Tonington  rests  on  four  hills,  and  the  vallej^s 
between  them.  The  eastern  boundary  of  the  town  lies 
nearly  on  the  ridge  of  the  eastern  hill,  which  descends 
westward  about  one  and  a  half  miles  to  the  valley 
of  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Naugatuck,  and  that  of  Still  river  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  town.  The  western  hill  or  Chestnut  ridge  lies 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town,  and  slopes  northward  and  east- 
ward to  the  west  branch  of  the  Naugatuck,  and  extending  south 
throuo-h  the  town  of  Litchfield.  The  third  hill  lies  west  of  Still 
river,  and  east  of  the  east  branch  of  the  Naugatuck,  in  the  shape  of 
the  letter  V,  on  the  north  side  of  the  town  ;  the  top  part  of  the  letter 
representing  the  Winchester  line,  the  point  of  the  mountain  sloping 
south,  extends  to  Daytonville,  and  this  plateau  includes  Walnut, 
Observation  and  Shawngum  hills.  The  fourth  hill  is  oblong  in  shape, 
lying  between  the  two  branches  of  the  Naugatuck  ;  the  southern  end 
being  called  red  mountain,'  and  extends  north  to  Winchester.  The 
western  branch  of  the  Naugatuck  rises  in  Norfolk  ;  enters  Torring- 
ton  near  the  northwest  corner  of  the  town,  runs  in  a  southeasterly 
direction  and  passes  into  Litchfield  a  little  east  of  the  center  of  the 
town  on  Litchfield  line.  The  east  branch  of  the  river  rises  in  Win- 
chester ;  runs  in  a  southeasterly  direction  until  it  unites  with  the  west 
branch  near  the  southern  boundary  of  the  town.  Still  river  rises 
about  one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Wolcottville,  runs  northeasterly 
to  Winsted  in  Winchester. 

At  the  south  end  of  Red  mountain,  which  ends  quite  abruptly,  is 
a  valley  about  one  mile  wide  from  east  to  west,  extending  south  in- 
to the  old  town  of  Litchfield  where  the  hills  again  close  up  to  the 
river,  three  miles  below  Wolcottville.  Since  the  change  in  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  town,  Torrington  includes  a  large  part  of 
the  valley  below  the  old  boundary  of  Torrington  line.      The  highest 

'  Before  Torrington  was  settled,  a  white  man  reported  that  he  shot   an  Indian  on   this 
mountain.      The  reason  he  gave  was,  that  when  he  saw  the  Indian  he  knew  if  he  did  not 
shoot  the  Indian,  the  Indian  would  shoot  him.      Therefore  he  shot  first,  and   killed  him 
and  hence  the  name,  Red  mountain. 

22 


lyo  History  of  Torrington. 

point  of  land  in  the  town  is  Walnut  mountain  in  Newfield,  it  being 
one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twelve  feet  above  the  ocean  level,  and 
about  six  hundred  feet  above  Wolcottville,  in  iVIain  street.  Observa- 
tion mountain  near  Burrville,  is  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
one  feet  above  ocean  level.  Chestnut  hill  in  the  southwest  part  of 
the  town  is  very  nearly  as  high  as  Walnut  mountain  ;  the  difference 
being  fifty  feet.  Torringford  is  not  quite  as  high  as  Chestnut 
hill.  The  view  from  either  of  these  hills  is  very  picturesque  and 
entertaining.  From  Chestnut  hill,  looking  north  and  east,  the  view 
is  extended  to  about  twenty-five  miles  across  valleys,  and  amid  a 
number  of  spurs  of  mountains  or  high  hills  ;  from  Red  mountain  the 
view  is  down  the  valley  of  the  Naugatuck,  and  over  Litchfield,  Har- 
winton  and  New  Hartford  hills  ;  from  Torringford  the  view  is  ex- 
tended in  every  direction,  and  is  far  superior  in  extent,  variety,  and 
pleasantness  of  landscape,  and  it  is  no  wonder,  that  that  man,  so  capa- 
ble of  appreciating  the  view.  Father  Mills,  when  he  first  saw  it, 
should  have  exclaimed,  "Here  let  me  live  and  here  let  me  die." 
Another  view  is  from  Perkins's  hill,  in  the  edge  of  Harwinton,  look- 
ing over  Torrington  and  parts  of  Winchester,  Goshen  and  Litch- 
field, and  presents,  perhaps,  the  most  perfect,  quiet  landscape  scenery 
of  fields  and  patches  of  woods,  spread  as  upon  smooth  canvas,  grad- 
ually rising  from  the  Naugatuck  valley  to  the  horizon,  that  can  be 
found  in  the  state.  This  remark  is  made  in  regard  to  scenery  limited 
to  the  distance  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  miles.  The  view  from 
Pratt's  hill  in  Winchester  is  much  more  extended,  but  reveals  the 
roughness  of  the  country,  while  that  from  Perkins's  hill  is  as  one  con- 
tinned  artificial  plane  ascending  to  the  horizon. 

It  is  very  probable,  therefore,  that  the  town  has  of  itself,  and  in 
connection  with  the  adjoining  towns,  more  interesting  and  entertain- 
ing scenery  than  any  other  in  the  state. 

The  valleys  are  represented  by  the  Naugatuck  river ;  the  east 
branch  and  Still  river  forming  that  through  which  the  rail  road  passes 
to  Winsted,  which  was  originally  called  the  Shawngum  valley,  after 
an  Indian  or  an  Indian  tradition.  The  valley  from  Newfield  to  Day- 
tonville  is  on  the  east  branch  of  the  Naugatuck.  The  west  branch 
passes  from  near  the  northwest  corner  in  a  southeasterly  direction, 
and  the  hills  on  the  west  side,  most  of  the  distance,  are  steep  and 
rocky,  and  covered  with  woods  ;  on  the  east  side  there  are  some  cul- 
tivated fields,  and  along  the  valley  is  a  little  good  land.  Two  brooks 
run  down  from  Goshen  to  the  west  branch  and  are  found  very  en- 
tertaining for  visitors  in  the  summer. 


Topography  and  Geology.        171 

Mill  brook  rises  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town,  runs 
easterly,  then  north,  then  easterly  and  enters  the  west  branch  of 
the  river  at  Torrington  hollow.  On  the  bank  of  this  stream,  at 
Ebenezer  Lyman's,  stood  the  fort  and  the  first  school  house,  and  a 
little  way  below  them,  the  first  grist  mill ;  and  afterwards,  on  the 
same  site  a  tannery.  At  Harvey  Palmer's,  now  Albro  Cowle's  is  a 
cascade  or  waterfall  of  much  interest,  beauty  and  wonder.  When 
the  late  Henry  Migeon  was  apprised  of  this  scenery,  he  took  his 
family  and  a  photographer,  and  went  to  the  place,  encamped  for  the 
day,  and  gave  to  theplace  the  name  of  little  Switzerland^  and  ob- 
tained several  pictures  of  the  scenery.  Along  this  stream  above  Mr. 
Cowle's  dwelling,  is  a  road  called  Lover's  lane,  which  is  a  very 
pleasant  drive  in  the  summer,  and  even  in  the  winter,  and  the  running' 
of  the  brook  over  the  stones  and  down  the  rocks,  among  the  great 
trees  which  form  an  almost  unbroken  shade,  gives  a  beauty  and  ro- 
mance to  the  road  by  which  it  received  its  name,  so  far  as  is  known. 
On  the  bank  of  this  stream,  near  the  most  secluded  and  shady  spot,' 
an  aged,  and  rather  eccentric  woman  made  her  home.  Having  re- 
ceived as  a  gift,  an  old  weaver's  loom,  she  had  it  transported  to 
this  place  and  covered,  and  in  it  she  lived  one  summer,  keeping  a  half 
dozen  chickens,  and  selling  the  eggs,  and  thus  mostly  supporting 
herself  ;  and  when  winter  came  she  was  so  unwilling  to  leave  the 
place,  saying  that  being  alone  in  the  world,  there  was  no  place  like 
home,  that  the  neighbors  refitted  an  old  cellar  place  near  the  old 
loom,  where  she  remained  until  near  the  middle  of  the  winter,  and 
was  then  taken  in  care  by  the  town.  Now,  also,  her  house  is  left 
desolate,  and  the  remains  bear  a  close  resemblance  to  those  by  the 
score  in  other  parts  of  the  town,  which  were  once  fine  houses,  occu- 
pied^y  prosperous  and  energetic  inhabitants.  This  was  probably  the 
humblest  dwelling  ever  arranged  in  the  town,  but  its  occupant  may 
have  a  far  different  station  in  another  state  of  being.  God's  poor 
shall  not  want  for  a  house  by  and  by. 

The  west  branch  is  a  brook  rising  near  Goshen,  and  crossing  the 
old  Matthew  Grant  farm  in  two  streams,  but  which  uniting  at  the 
old  Abijah  Barber  place,  runs  southeast,  past  the  nickel  mine  and 
unites  with  Mill  brook,  before  entering  the  Naugatuck.  On  this 
stream,  near  Matthew  Grant's  house,  was  a  mill  or  tannery  or  both. 

Wist  pond  lies  mostly  in  Goshen,  but  partly  in  Torrington,  a  little 
west  of  Squabble  hill,  and  from  it  the  water  runs  east  and  enters  the 
Naugatuck  at  Drake's  mill.  On  this  stream,  near  the  pond,  David 
Hart  built  a  grist  mill,  run  it  a  ievf  years,  and  then  sold  it  a  short 
time  before  the  year  1800. 


1/2  History  of  Torrington. 

There  is  much  beauty  and  wildness  along  the  streams  of  the 
town.  The  beds  of  the  two  branches  of  the  river,  and  all  the  brooks^ 
of  the  town,  are  rock,  or  boulders  of  varied  sizes,  except  between 
Daytonville  and  Burrville,  where  it  is  difficult  often  to  tell  by  any 
motion  of  the  water  which  way  it  runs, 
/"x^"  When  the  town  was  first  settled,  these  hills  and  valleys  were 
'  covered  with  forests  of  large  trees  and  and  much  underbrush.  The 
evergreen,  lofty  pine  and  hemlock,  covered  the  valleys  of  the 
pine  swamp  and  green  woods  ;  also  the  hemlock  was  found  along  the 
streams,  and  on  some  of  the  hills,  but  especially  along  the  west 
branch  of  the  Naugatuck.  This  order  of  tree  furnished  a  beautiful 
/  verdure,  a  grateful  and  healthful  fragrance,  and  no  inconsiderable 
i  material  for  commerce  •,  such  as  masts  for  ships,  boards,  timber,  shm- 
gles  and  bark  for  tanning.  From  the  hill-tops  and  slopes,  the  lordly 
maples  stood  as  monarchs,  furnishing  for  more  than  a  hundred  years, 
great  quantities  of  sugar  and  molasses,  without  which,  many  a  boy 
would  have  eaten  his  meals  of  dry  bread  •,  and  in  the  days  when  great 
fireplaces  and  chimneys  were  in  common  use,  this  maple  wood  was 
a  source  of  great  comfort  and  cheerfulness  to  the  domestic  and  social 
circlg^  While  the  maple  logs  burned  with  a  charming  light  in  the 
fireplace,  the  old  people  told  their  marvelous  stories  of  Indians,  wolves, 
wildcats  and  witches,  until  the  boys  fell  asleep  in  the  corner,  the  state 
of  atmosphere  often  being  uncomfortably  warm  on  one  side,  and  cold 
on  the  other  ;  and  late  in  the  evening  when  the  boys  were  ordered 
to  bed  (they  did  not  carry  them  then)  they  obeyed  hesitatingly 
lest  there  might  be  another  story  they  should  not  hear. 

Next  to  the  maple  in  size  and  loftiness  was  the  chestnut  tree, 
which  flourished  quite  extensively  in  nearly  every  part  of  the  town, 
and  was  of  great  value  for  4t-s~4i4*it--*ad_tijTlljisr.  The  hickory  and 
butternut  trees  (indigenous)  grew  in  many  portions  of  the  territory ; 
sometimes  in  groves  or  clusters,  and  were  invaluable  in  the  mechanic 
arts,  while  they  produced  considerable  quantities  of  choice  fruit,  which 
were  greatly  relished  when  served  with  good  cider  and  appjea... 

The  white  oak  of  good  quality  occurred  somewhat  rarely  and  was 
very  valuable  when  obtained.  The  white  ash,  black  birch,  cherry, 
basswood,  white  wood  or  tulip  tree,  abounded  more  or  less  in  various 
parts  of  the  town,  and  afforded  valuable  material  for  various  mechani- 
cal purposes. 

The  black  oak,  the  red  ash  and  red  oak  ;  the  white  birch  and 
beach  interspersed  the  other  varieties  on  the  low  grounds,  which  with 


7 


Topography  and  Geology.       173 

the  pretty  larch,  tamarack  and   hackmatack  were  valuable  only  for 
firewood. 

The  forests  in  every  part  of  the  town  were  richly  adorned  with  the 
several  varieties  of  Kalmicr^  or  laurel,  with  their  dark  leaves,  and 
gaudy  party-colored  flowers  in  their  season,  and  were  so  thick  as 
often  to  form  jungles  impassable  by  man  or  beast.  These  with  the 
Cornus^  or  boxwood,  its  branches  loaded  with  beautiful  flowers, 
and  its  auxiliary  Aronia^  or  shad  flower,  and  bush  honey  suckle  nearly 
complete  the  list  of  the  trees  which  covered  the  whole  area  of  the 
town  and  constituted  the  glory  of  the  native  forest  of  Torrington. 

The  lower  order  of  shrubs  and  plants  exist  in  great  profusion 
and  variety  on  the  hills  and  in  the  valleys,  ravines,  and  gorges, 
and  contribute  much  to  the  interest  of  the  region.  In  addition  to 
their  flowers  and  perfume,  they  possess  important  hygienic  and  medi- 
cinal properties.  Much  of  the  distinguished  salubrity  of  the  town 
and  longevity  of  its  inhabitants  may  be  attributed  to  the  hygienic  in- 
fluence of  4ts^lants,  shrubs  and  trees.  Its  grasses  are  of  a  superior 
quality  for  stimulation  and  nutrition,  and^a'bundant  in  quantity. 

Valuable  medicinal  plants  abound,  viz  :  Sanguhiar'ia  (blood-root),^ 
Eupatorium  (bone-set),  Prunus  Virginiana  (wild  cherry),  Macrotys 
(cohosh)  Leontodon  (dandelion),  Sambucus  (elder),  Spirea  (hardback), 
hellebore^  Jsclepias{m\\]ii~\VGe.d),  Mintha  (pepper-mint),  Hedeoma{'ptnny- 
royal),  Phytolacca  (poke-weed),  Chimaphila  (princess-pine),  Pyrus 
(quince),  Salvia  (sage),  Aralia  (sarsaparilla),  Solanum  (bitter-sweet), 
Laurus  (sasafras),  Ictodes  (skunk  cabbage),  Convallaria  (solomon  seal), 
Aultheria  (wintergreen),  Rhus  glabra  (common  sumach)  Rhus  vernix 
(poison  sumach)  Acorus  (sweet  flag),  Hamamelis  (witch  hazel). 

The  autumnal  display  of  flowers  and  colored  leaves  of  plants  and 
trees  is  truly  gorgeous  and  wonderful.  The  richest  word  picturing 
can  give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  great  beauty  and  variety,  from  the 
top  of  the  tallest  tree  to  the  least  creeping  vines  upon  the  earth. 

Geologic  Formations. 

The  formation  of  the  town  is  almost  exclusively  diluvial.  The 
alluvial  deposits  are  limited  to  the  Great  swamp,  valley  of  Still  riv.er_ 
and  Greenwoods,  and  consists  of  sediments  of  the  rains  and  melted 
snows,  which  take  up  and  carry  into  the  valleys,  the  finest  and  richest 
pojtian-^f^-th#~SQiL_  Diluvium  occurs  in  the  formation  of  the  larger, 
portion  of  the  area  of  the  town,  and  constitutes  the  surface  of  the 
hills  and   higher  lands  ;  and  its  relations_and^  causes  jxe_subjects  of 


174  History  of  Torrington. 

varied  speculations.  The  prevalent  theory  is  that  the  diluvial  soil  is 
the  product  of  disintegration  of  its  rocky  base  ;  and  that  its  composi- 
tion over  the  primitive  granitic  and  gneiss  foundations,  indicates  the 
"rock  theory."  Composed  as  it  is  of  silicons  material,  clay,  potash, 
magnesia,  iron,  coarse  stones  and  pebbles,  etc.,  it  has  been  deemed, 
by  many,  as  poverty  stricken,  or  possessing  no  sustentation  for  man 
or  beast.  Yet  for  agricultural  purposes  and  products,  with  industrial 
and  scientific  culture,  with  admixture  of  fertilizers,  its  character  for 
productiveness  is  hardly  surpassed  by  the  alluvial  soil.  The  vigorous 
growth  of  forest  trees  and  apple  orchards,  afford  unmistakable  indica- 
tions of  the  native  strength  of  the  diluvium  with  appropriate  fertilizers. 

The  hills  of  Torrington  are  a  continuance  of  the  Hoosac  range 
of  the  Green  mountains  of  western  Massachusetts  and  Vermont,  and 
their  altitude  furnish  some  of  the  most  pleasing  and  entertaining 
prospects  that  can  be  imagined,  or  that  is  often  realized. 

The  hidden  mineral  resources  of  Torrington  hills  have  yet,  mostly 
to  be  discovered  and  unearthed.  That  such  exist  in  richness  of 
quality  cannot  be  doubted.  The  indications  of  their  existence  are 
so  numerousand  conclusive,  and  the  evidences  so  demonstrably  mani- 
fest that  the  practiced  observer  is  at  a  loss  to  understand  why  it  is 
that  they  have  not  already  been  revealed. 

A  summary  of  the  representative  minerals  of  this  town,  which 
have  been  studied,  classified,  and  to  some  extent  furnished  to  the 
state  cabinet,  affords  some  little  idea  of  what  may  be  realized,  in 
some  not  far  off  future  day.  The  exhibit  of  specimens  of  copper, 
is  rich  and  very  promising.  Specimens  of  almost  pure  ore 
(amorphous),  others  vitrified,  and  crystalized,  of  various  colors,  have 
repeatedly  been  obtained  at  the  summit  of  Occident  hill  (Chestnut 
hill),  and  afford  presumptive  evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  rich  cop- 
per ore  bed  in  that  locality.  Tradition  says  that  before  the  revolu- 
tionary war  an  English  miner  discovered  this  ore  bed  ;  made 
considerable  excavations  ;  obtained  valuable  products,  which  he 
shipped  for  England,  he  going  in  the  same  vessel,  and  that  the  ves- 
sel and  himself  were  lost  at  sea. 

The  copper  is  found  in  a  mica  slate  ledge  and  associated  with 
quartz  distinctively.  Some  of  the  specimens  are  carbonates  and  of 
beautiful  green  crystals.      The  yellow  or  copper  pyrites  are  also  found. 

Marked  indications  of  the  existence  of  iron  are  abundant  in  this 
town,  but  the  efforts  to  obtain  it  in  paying  quantities  have  been  so 
slight,  or  other  disastrous  circumstances  attending  the    efforts,    that 


Topography  and   Geology.  175 

success  has  not  crowned  this  mining  enterprise.  The  sulphuret 
ot  iron  (or  iron  pyrites),  abound  to  some  extent  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  town,  but  very  little  effort  has  been  made  to  develop  those 
treasures  so  as  to  know  whether  the  results  would  be  economical  or 
not. 

Nickel  has  been  found  and  mined  to  some  considerable  extent 
in  the  hill  and  on  a  line  continuous  and  north  of  the  designated  cop- 
per mine  locality  ;  blended  with  copper,  iron,  and  supposed  cobalt. 
A  copper  nickel  bed  exists  in  the  prevailing  quartz  and  mica  slate 
rock  of  the  hill  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  site  of  the  second  Meet- 
ing house,  or  Torrington  green  ;  and  is  owned  by  Mr.  Willard 
PI.  Barber  who  has  taken  some  trouble  and  been  at  considerable  ex- 
pense latterly  to  ascertain  the  value  of  the  mine.  The  ore  is  abun- 
dant ;  and  a  few  years  since  extensive  buildings  were  htted  at 
Torrington  hollow,  where  considerable  effort  was  made  and  expense 
incurred  to  make  the  enterprise  a  paying  one  but  that  end  was 
not  reached.  Another  attempt  is  now  being  made  by  a  gentleman 
from  Hartford,  and  to  all  appearance  it  promises  success.  After  the 
first  process  of  smelting  the  result  consists  of  iron,  copper  and  nickel. 
The  last  is  obtained  by  the  chemical  destruction  of  the  two  former. 

The  existence  of  silver  in  the  Torrington  hills  has  been  indicated 
by  specimens  found  in  disintegrated  quartz  and  mica  slate  rock  which 
have  been  carried  down  the  hills  by  rains  and  melted  snow.  A  little 
distance  north  of  Wolcottville,  and  west  of  the  railroad  at  the  foot 
of  Horse  mountain,  a  mining  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  some  consid- 
erable depth,  for  silver  ore,  and  although  silver  was  obtained,  yet 
the  effort  to  obtain  it  did  not  prove  economically  successful. 

Gneiss  and  granite  rock  constitute  the  firm  foundations  and 
form  of  Torrington  hills.  They  exhibit  interesting  combinations,  forms, 
and  qualities,  and  occur  in  extensive  plateau,  or  table  rock  and 
enormous  boulders,  as  in  Torringford  ;  or  in  spurs  of  mountain 
range,  upheavals,  abrupt  terminal  and  grotesque  ledges,  forced  and 
stratified  gneiss  rock,  on  the  north  and  west  sides  of  the  town.  /^"^ 

Several  varieties  of  the  granite  rock  occur  in  the  town,  much  of 
which  may  be  utilized  for  building  and  architectural  purposes.  The 
variety  in  which  the  feldspar  constitutes  a  leading  ingredient,  is 
designated  as  white  granite  ;  is  a  beautiful  material  for  building 
purposes,  and  is  extensively  quarried  at  Plymouth,  Ct.  Another 
variety  is  constituted  by  quartz  rock,  hornblend  and  epidote  blended, 
which  is  much  preferred  by  many  for  its  grayish  aspect,  great    dura- 


176  History  of  Torrington. 

bility,  and  capability  of  a  fine  polish.  A  variety  also  occurs  in  which 
the  feldspar  is  of  a  beautiful  flesh  color,  similar  to  what  occurs  in  the 
Scotch  and  California  granite,  though  not  in  quality  or  quantity  for 
any  ecortomical  purpose.  An  uncommon  and  curious  variety  oc- 
curs on  the  way  from  Wolcottville  to  Burrville,  midway  between 
these  places,  constituted  by  the  feldspar  being  of  a  deep  red  color. 

Steatite,  or  soap  stone,  designated  by  its  grayish  color,  smooth 
soapy  feel,  and  capability  of  being  cut,  or  wrought  with  sharp  instru- 
ments without  injury  to  them,  makes  its  appearance  mostly  on  Chest- 
nut hill,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town.  One  quarry  of  this 
stone,  nearly  on  the  top  of  that  hill,  was  worked  to  a  considerable 
depth,  and  with  fair  remunerative  success,  a  few  years  since,  and  the 
cutting  of  the  stone  was  conducted  in  Wolcottville,  at  the  old  Wil- 
son's mill.  About  a  mile  east  of  this,  near  the  old  Captain  Amos 
Wilson  place,  this  stone  crops  out  in  considerable  proportions. 

The  extensive  clay  beds,  which  exist  in  the  northeastern  section 
of  the  town,  have  been  utilized  in  the  manufacture  of  brick,  to  a 
greater  extent  and  more  remuneratively,  than  any  other  native  ma- 
terial which  the  town  affords.  These  clay  beds  being  of  primitive 
formation,  afford  opportunity  for  interesting  study,  and  for  economi- 
cal purposes  are  almost  an  anomaly.  This  material  for  brick  is  of  a 
superior  quality,  because  of  the  rich  color  it  has  by  oxidation,  and  the 
extreme  hardness  of  the  brick  in  consequence  of  the  iron  which  is 
combined  in  the  clay  beds.  The  evidence  of  the  primitive  origin  of 
these  beds  is  their  proximity  to  primitive  rock,  and  the  impacted 
round  pebbles  (silicious  substance),  small  stones  of  brown  hematite, 
granite  boulders  and  jasper. 

These  beds  extend  over  a  considerable  area,  and  have  been 
worked  many  years,  by  the  Hudsons,  Haydens  and   Burrs. 

Many  varieties  of  the  quartz  rock  abound  in  the  town  ;  some  of 
them  of  uncommon  richness  and  beauty.  During  the  period  of  more 
than  a  century  since  Torrington  hills  were  first  inhabited  until  the  na- 
tional centennial,  the  economical,  the  psychological, and  the  scientific 
wealth  which  this  old  township  affords,  have  been  little  known  and 
studied,  by  a  people  who  have  been  more  than  ordinarily  character- 
ized for  industry,  schools,  intelligence,  and  moral  and  scientific  at- 
tainments. It  is  self-evident  that  the  muck  rake  inspiration  has 
been  the  inciting  one,  to  such  a  degree,  that  great  nature's  constant  and 
silent  work  and  beautiful  productions  from  her  scientific  labtiratory, 
have  been  viewed,  when  viewed  at  all,  as  of  very  little    account    in 


Topography  and  Geology.        177 

the  duties  and  privileges  of  the  present  life.  The  getting  of  money, 
has  been,  and  still  is  in  a  great  measure,  the  one  great  object  of 
pursuit,  while  the  magnificent  gems  of  nature,  which  adorned  the 
breast  plate  of  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  which  symbolize  the  heavenly 
gates  of  wisdom,  purity  and  simplicity,  have  been  unheeded  and  left 
by  the  wayside  embedded  in   impurities. 

Of  these  gems,  we  find  X.\\t  jasper^  the  chalcedony^  the  sardonyx  the 
amethyst^  the  beautiful  malachite^  the  apatite^  of  bluish  white  crystals, 
the  agates^  the  jet  black  tourmaline  crystals,  the  epidote^  white  and 
grass-green  crystals,  the  laminated  mica  white,  milky,  smoky,  and 
rose  colored  quarts  ;  and  also,  flesh  colored  and  deep  red  feldspar  ; 
chalcedony,  of  several  varieties  ;  opal,  semi-opal,  of  many  colors  and 
forms.  The  jasper  occurs,  of  fine  quality,  takes  a  beautiful  polish, 
and  has  been  set  for  signet  rings.  Of  all  the  gems  thus  far  discovered 
in  Torrington,  those  of  the  chalcedonic  species  excel  in  colors  and 
beauty.  They  were  discovered  by  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  in  his  miner- 
alogical  surveys,  occurring  in  quite  large  boulders,  on  the  slope  of 
the  Torringford  hill,  towards  Still  river,  directly  west  from  the  Tor- 
ringford  Meeting  house.  They  were  interspersed  along  the  side  hill 
over  a  considerable  area,  and  firmly  impacted  in  the  earth  with  here 
and  there  an  encrusted,  sharp  point  exposed  to  observation.  When 
they  were  unearthed,  they  presented  no  attractive  appearance  ;  had 
a  disintegrated  ragged  exterior  ;  were  oblong,  and  from  three  to  four 
feet  in  length,  and  some  eighteen  inches  in  diameter.  Not  until 
some  ragged  point  had  been  detached  by  the  hammer,  was  the  species 
of  the  mineral  discovered  to  be  purely  chalcedonic.  Heavy  blows  of 
the  sledge  hammer,  soon  revealed  in  the  very  heart  of  the  boulder, 
nature's  secret  laboratory,  and  her  magnificent  crystaline  products  of 
many  colors,  of  the  most  gorgeous  tints,  which  no  human  skill  could 
imitate.  So  rich  an  exhibit  of  the  purest  crystals  of  carnelian  as 
these  boulders  disclose,  rarely  occur.  They  were  of  light  pink,  flesh, 
and  deep  blood  red  colors  ;  regular  crystals  of  dazzling  luster  ;  also 
botryoidal  [grapeform)^  and  stalagmites  of  yellow,  green,  and  white 
colors.^ 

The  chalcedony  occurs  in  white  and  translucent  uncrystalized 
masses  ;  some  of  it,  the  agate  variety,  makes  beautiful  watch  seals, 
signet  rings,  sleeve  buttons  and  the  like  ornaments.^  In  these  boulders. 


'See  Prof.  Shepard's  Report  of  Geological  Sur-vey  of  Conn.,  and  State  Cabinet  of  Minerals. 
^  Dr.  Hudson   has  several  sets  of  jewelry,  made  for  members  of  his  family,  to  memorial- 
ize the  gems  of  his  native  town.      They  are  unique,  greatly  admired  and  valuable. 

23 


lyS  History  of  Torrington. 

beautiful  specimens  of  the  chrysoprase  variety  of  apple  green  color 
occur  ;  also  heliotrope,  of  green  and  red  blended  ;  the  sard  and  sar- 
doynx,  deep  red,  bluish  red,  and  yellow.  The  garnet  mineral  in 
beautiful  crystals,  and  hornblend  abound  in  the  primitive  rocks  of  the 
tow^n,  especially  near  the  nickel  mine,  where  many  fine  specimens 
have  been  found  in  the  bed  of  the  brook  a  little  north  from  the  ex- 
cavations. 

The  phenomenal  manifestations  of  the  formation  of  mountain 
range,  hills,  solidified  and  stratified  rocks,  downs,  and  valleys  of 
the  town  are  wonderful  and  affx)rd  an  interesting  field  for  study.  To 
contemplate  the  irresistible  forces,  which  must  have  existed,  suffi- 
ciently to  rend  these  rock-bound  granite  hills  ;  to  heave  up  their  ever- 
lasting foundations,  and  force  upward  through  their  solid  structure, 
laminated  masses  or  veins  of  pure  quartz,  is  sufficient  to  fill  the  mind 
with  awe  and  wonder.  It  becomes  evident  that  the  Still  river 
and  the  Naugatuck  river,  never  excavated  those  valleys  through 
which  they  course  ;  neither  did  they  form  the  downs,  or  conical  sand 
hills,  which  mound-like  exist  in  those  valleys  and  various  parts  of  the 
town.  The  upheavals  which  Torrington  hills  have  suffered,  in 
common  with  every  portion  of  the  earth,  and  the  marked  results  of 
some  overwhelming  deluge,  floating  its  mountain  glaciers  over  the 
hills  are  distinctly  indicated.  The  angles  and  bends  of  the  stratified 
laminated  gneiss  rock  of  Torrington,  and  the  more  solid  granite  table 
of  Torringford,  plowed  and  furrowed  by  the  huge  boulders,  which 
were  carried  upon  and  over  them  by  glaciers,  and  deposited  on  the 
north  brow  and  very  summit  of  that  hill,  aflx)rd  demonstrable  evidence 
of  their  origin,  and  of  their  geological  formation. 

These  mammoth  granite  boulders ;  the  peculiar  and  interesting 
chalcedonic  boulders  along  the  western  slope  of  Torringford  hill,  far 
from  their  original  locality ;  the  vast  primitive  clay  beds,  full  of 
debris,  on  its  north  brow,  lead  to  the  irresistible  conclusion  that 
Torrington  was  once  the  scene  of  an  overwhelming  deluge  ;  com- 
pletely submerged  ;  that  vast  bodies  of  ice  floated  over  it,  freighted 
with  rocks  which  had  been  detached  from  their  native  beds  and  left 
isolated  upon  its  topmost  hills,  and  that  the  current  or  drift  was  from 
the  north  to  the  south. 

The  enormous  boulders  of  sienitic  granite  which  have  lain,  tor 
ages,  strewn  and  isolated  far  distant  and  high  above  all  like  forma- 
tions; some  near  to  and    in  the  diluvial  clay  beds  of  that   hill,  and 


Topography  and  Geology.        179 

others  mounted  on  its  highest  elevations,  indicate  the  chaotic  state 
which  existed  during  the  physical  formation  of  western  Connecticut, 
and  the  hills  of  Litchfield  county. 

One  of  those  monumental  rocks,  is  of  unusual  interest  on  account 
of  its  size,  shape,  position,  and  location  upon  the  summit  of  Torring- 
ford  hill,  at  an  altitude  considerably  greater  than  that  of  any  other 
within  several  miles  distance,  except  in  Winchester  and  Newfield 
mountain  range,  which  is  separated  from  Torringford  by  a  deep  valley. 
It  is  shaped  like  a  cone,  or  great  hay-stack.  It  rests  upon  the  table 
rock  with  some  loose  stones  around  and  beneath  it,  and  is  in  its  greatest 
diameter  about  twenty  feet,  and  about  twenty-five  feet  in  height. 
It  can  be  seen  from  many  portions  of  Torringford  and  from  great 
distances  ;  and  has  stood  as  a  monument,  during  untold  ages,  mutely 
pointing  northward  to  the  locality  whence  it  was  rudely  detached. 
It  stands  about  a  half  mile  due  west  from  the  Torringford  parsonage. 
The  revelations  which  geology  furnishes  are  well  calculated  to  make 
men  humble  themselves  before  the  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the  universe. 
Magnificent  and  glorious  are  these  granite  hills,  and  the  wonderful 
revelations  thev  make. 

"Who  great  in  search  of  God  and  nature  grow, 
They  l>est  the  wise  Creator's  praise  declare." 


CHAPTER   XV. 
TORRINGTON    ROADS. 

The  Highways. 


(^^^^^5  HE   original  town  was    mapped   on  the  hills   and    valleys 
^   v^^      '"   ^^^  shape  of  a   rhombus,  the  sides    being  about    six 


miles  in  length  and  running  twenty-one  degrees  east 
and  north  of  north  and  west,  as  stated  in  the  ori- 
ginal survey.  It  is  found  however,  by  actual  survey  to  vary  less 
than  this,  from  the  cardinal  points.  The  lots  of  land,  were  laid  in 
twelve  tiers  ;  one  running  east  and  west  parallel,  and  a  half  a  mile 
distant  from,  the  southern  boundary,  and  eleven  running  north  and 
south,  with  highways  between  them. 

The  first  highway  was  on  the  eastern  boundary  four  rods  wide, 
and  is  called  Torringford  East  street,  and  is  open  and  worked  nearly 
the  whole  length  of  the  town.  The  second  is  one-half  a  mile  from 
the  first  and  is  called  Torringfprd  street,  and  is  ten  rods  wide,  and 
open  the  whole  length  of  the  town,  and  connects  with  South  street 
to  Winsted.  It  is  the  most  picturesque  and  pleasant  road,  as  a  whole, 
in  the  town.  The  third  is  half  a  mile  west  of  the  second  and  is 
called  Torringford  West  street  and  is  open  nearly  if  not  quite  all  the 
way,  though  in  some  parts  not  much  used. 

And  thus  were  laid  eleven  highways,  running  north  and  south, 
parallel,  the  last  or  most  western,  being  half  a  mile  east  of  the 
Goshen  east  line.  Another  highway  was  laid  from  Torringford 
street  half  a  mile  from  Harwinton  line,  running  west  and  parallel  to 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  town,  ten  rods  in  width.  These  were 
the  original  highways^  including  what  is  now  Main  street  and 
Water  street,  in  Wolcottville,  and  were  laid  before  the  lots  or  farms 
were  laid,  and  hence  were  never  any  part  of  the  adjoining  farms. 
The  roads  were  taken  out  or  reserved  by  the  proprietors,  as  their  own 
property,  in  the  right  of  soil  and  all  timber  growing  upon  them.  This 
was  the  original  intention,  and  this  the  proprietors  claimed  in  law 
and    equity  until  they  delivered  the   books  to  the  town  in  1785,  or 


ToRRINGTON     RoADS.  l8l 

fifty-three  years  after  they  took  charge  of  these  lands.  In  conse- 
quence of  there  having  been  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  these 
highways,  it  is  proper  to  insert  here  the  proceedings  of  the  last  meet- 
ing of  the  proprietors  as  a  legal  body.  Committees  had  been  ap- 
pointed by  the  proprietors'  meeting,  and  continued  as  standing 
committees,  to  prosecute  any  person  who  should  make  encroach- 
ments on  the  highways,  or  any  who  should  cut  timber  on  these  high- 
ways, and  also  to  sell  parts  of  these  highways. 

The  Last  Meeting. 

"  Att  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  of  y^  town  of  Torrington,  held 
in  Torrington  October  the  iith  day  A.  D.,  1785. 

"  Voted  that  Mr.  Benj.   Phelps  be  Moderator  of  said  meeting. 

"  Voted  that  the  proprietors  impower  the  town  of  Torrington  to 
exchange  their  highways,  or  sell  highways  for  highways,  or  make 
up  lands  where  wanted,  if  any  in  equity,  or  any  ways  to  act  and 
transact,  as  is  necessary  and  best,  as  we  ourselves  could  do  legally 
in  these  matters. 

"Voted  that  moneys  due  to  y^  proprietors,  either  in  money  or  notes, 
the  proprietors' committee  shall  render  an  account  to  y^  town  or  town 
committee,  and  give  up  what  remains  when  s^  committee  are  called 
to  account  therefor. 

"Voted  that  the  afores'' committee  appointed  by  the  proprietors,  re- 
main to  act  and  transact  until  the  town  appoint  a  committee  to  act 
in  their  room. 

"Voted  that  y^  proprietors  committee  be  allowed  and  excepted  as 
now  brought  in. 

"  Voted  that  y^  proprietors  book  and  accounts  be  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  y^  town. 

"The  meeting  then  being  dissolved." 

This  shows  that  the  proprietors  held  then  the  absolute  right  of 
soil,  and  the  power  to  sell  for  the  purpose  of  highways  even  or  any 
other^  and  that  these  powers  were  transferred  by  vote  to  the  town,  so 
that  whatever  power  had  been  vested  in  them  was  thereafter  pos- 
sessed by  the  town. 

The  proposition  thus  made,  the  town  accepted  and  in  1785,  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  "  exchange  highways  where  it  is  necessary, 
and  to  lease  out  according  to  their  discretion,  and  also  full  power  to 
move  ofF  encroachments  where  they  judge  needful." 


1 82  History  of  Torrington. 

From  1785  to  1826,  some  forty  years,  the  town  acted  upon  the 
right  to  sell  or  dispose  of  highways  as  the  committees  appointed 
deemed  expedient  and  equitable. 

In  April,  1826,  the  town  took  action  upon  a  suit  brought  by  Elihu 
Barber  against  Stephen  Fyler  and  John  Birge,  who  as  a  committee 
for  the  purpose,  had  sold  a  piece  of  road  to  the  said  Barber.  The 
action  taken  was,  that  the  selectmen  should  obtain  advice  with  Mr. 
Fyler  and  Birge,  as  to  the  legality  of  the  sale.  At  the  same  time 
the  selectmen  were  directed  to  "  bring  a  petition  to  the  next  general 
assembly  of  this  state,  either  by  themselves  or  in  connection  with 
other  towns  in  this  vicinity,  to  establish  the  sales  of  highways,  here- 
tofore made  by  this  town."  The  selectmen  obeyed  this  request  and 
the  assembly  took  the  following  action  : 

"  Resolved  by  this  assembly,  that  all  sales  and  conveyances,  here- 
tofore made  by  the  town  of  Torrington,  or  by  their  selectmen,  or 
committee  appointed  for  that  purpose,  of  any  original  highways,  or 
parts  of  highways,  or  reservations  for  the  purpose  of  highways,  laid 
out  or  reserved  in  the  original  survey  and  laying  out  of  said  town  by 
the  proprietors  thereof,  in  those  cases,  and  those  only  where  such 
sales,  deed  or  conveyances  have  been  made  as  aforesaid,  to  persons 
who  at  the  time  of  such  sales  or  conveyances,  were  the  owners  of  the 
land  adjoining  such  highways  or  reservations,  so  sold  or  conveyed,  as 
aforesaid,  and  all  payments  made  in  consideration  of  such  sales,  and 
conveyances,  be  deemed  and  taken  to  be  good  and  valid  to  all  intents 
and  purposes. 

"  Said  town  of  Torrington  be  and  hereby  are  fully  authorized  to 
sell  and  convey  any  such  original  highway,  or  reservation,  or  parts 
thereof,  remaining  unsold  as  are  or  may  be  unnecessary  to  be  used 
for  public  highways,  giving  the  right  of  preemption  to  the  adjoining 
proprietors."^ 

Against  this  enactment,  and  these  claims  of  ownership  by  the  pro- 
prietors, and  the  town,  for  more  than  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
years,  there  have  been  no  decisions  of  the  courts  so  far  as  is  known, 
and  therefore  the  absolute  right  of  soil  inheres  or  remains  in  the  town. 

These  original  highways  were  never  laid  through  the  farms  for  the 
only  purpose  of  highways,  as  in  the  case  of  most  towns,  but  were 
reserved  for  highways,  or  any  other  purpose  to  which  the  proprietors 
of  the  town  might  direct. 


»  Pri-vate  Laws  of  Conn.,  vol.  2,  passed  May,  1826. 


TORRINGTON     RoADS.  1 83 

If  these  items  are  facts,  then  the  town  owns,  not  only  the  right  of 
soil,  but  all  timber  growing  on  them  naturally  or  planted  on  them, 
and  all  grass,  and  all  the  valuable  stone,  boulders  and  rocks  originally 
belonging  to,  or  lying  on  these  original  highways,  and  until  the  pro- 
per courts  shall  judge  otherwise,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  persons  can 
properly  claim  any  of  these  items  on  or  in  these  roads,  except  by 
suffrage  of  the  town.  The  one  fact  that  a  suit  was  pending  in  the 
court,  in  1826,  when  the  legislature  rendered  its  judgment  as  to  the 
right  of  property  in  these  roads,  and  thereby,  apparently,  that  suit 
was  brought  to  a  close,  is  clear  evidence  that  the  courts  have  no  au- 
thority to  override  the  old  law  and  practice  of  the  town. 

The    Turnpikes. 

The  charter  for  the  Torrington  turnpike,  from  Jared  Mills  in 
Canton  to  Litchfield,  was  granted  in  May,  1800,  and  the  road  was 
surveyed  the  following  summer.  Hon.  Herman  Swift,  Sylvester 
Gilbert  and  Samuel  Forbes,  were  appointed  by  the  assembly  to  lay  out 
the  road  and  make  report  of  their  doings.  The  petition  for  the  road 
was  signed  by  eighty-five  names,  quite  a  number  of  whom  were  of 
Torringford,  very  few  from  the  west  side  of  this  town.  Col.  Aaron 
Austin  of  New  Hartford,  was  agent  for  the  company  and  he  did  very 
much  to  secure  the  success  of  the  road. 

The  charter  was  surrendered  in  1861,  and  therefore  the  road  was 
in  use  as  a  turnpike  nearly  sixty  years.  In  1801,  the  town  voted  a 
tax  of  five  mills  on  a  dollar  to  pay  the  owners  for  the  land  taken  by 
the  turnpike,  but  refused  to  build  the  bridge  over  Waterbury  river, 
for  the  turnpike  company,  and  the  question  was  carried  to  court,  and 
decision  rendered  against  the  town,  and  they  appealed  to  a  higher 
court,  and  it  was  decided  against  them,  whereupon  they  built  the 
bridge.  This  turnpike  proved  to  be  of  great  advantage  to  the  town, 
probably  much  more  than  it  ever  was  to  the  stockholders. 

In  1800,  Abijah  Holbrook  and  others  sued  in  the  county  court 
for  a  highway,  that  should  go  along  the  west  branch  near  his  house, 
or  Holbrook's  mills,  and  connect  with  other  roads  so  as  to  form  a 
through  road  from  Norfolk  to  Plymouth,  and  thence  to  water  naviga- 
tion. Mr.  Holbrook  was  interested  in  the  iron  forge,  and  was  mak- 
ing efforts  to  work  the  iron  mine  on  Walnut  mountain  in  Torrington, 
but  the  town  opposed,  and  the  road  was  not  built  then,  but  by  the 
efforts  of  Israel  Coe  and  others  some  years  after,  the  road  was  made 


184  History  of  Torrington. 

just  where  Mr.  Holbrook  desired  it,  but  he  no  longer  needed  high- 
ways on  the  physical  earth. 

The  Waterbury  turnpike  was  surveyed  through  in  1 801,  or  in  the 
spring  of  1802,  and  was  soon  after  completed  ;  the  directors  were: 
William  Leavenworth  of  Waterbury  ;  Noah  Bronson  of  Litchfield  ; 
Stephen  Fyler  of  Torrington  and  Reuben  Rockwell  of  Colebrook. 
It  came  up  the  old  Plymouth  road,  and  went  through  Newfield  to 
Winchester. 

In  1803,  the  town  by  vote,  instructed  their  representatives  to  op- 
pose in  the  assembly,  the  petition  of  Abijah  Catlin  and  others,  for  a 
highway  from  near  Torringford  Meeting  house,  through  Harwinton 
and  Bristol,  to  Southington. 

In  1802,  they  opposed  in  the  county  court,  the  making  of  a  high- 
way from  Cornwall  through  Goshen,  Winchester  and  Torrington  to 
New  Hartford. 

The  Goshen  and  Sharon  turnpike,  was  made  mostly  in  1805,  and 
the  town,  seeing  no  other  way,  voted  at  once,  that  they  would  build 
and  maintain  bridg-es  over  the  following  streams,  for  that  road  :  "  The 
Stream  east  of  Messrs.  Cook  and  Soper's  saw  mill,  the  east  branch 
of  Waterbury  river  northwesterly  of  said  saw  mill,  Waterbury  river 
near  Roger  Loomis's  dwelling  house,  and  the  stream  near  Harvey 
Palmer's,  provided  the  turnpike  company  agree  to  have  no  further 
claim  on  the  town  for  bridges  on  said  road." 

In  181 3,  a  report  by  a  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose,  was 
made  to  the  town,  concerning  a  road  to  be  laid  from  Torrington 
Meeting  house  (Erastus  Hodges)  to  Litchfield  north  line,  and  in  the 
same  year  there  was  a  petition  before  the  assembly  for  a  turnpike 
road  from  Winsted  to  Litchfield,  and  this  town  instructed  its  repre- 
sentatives not  to  oppose  it  in  the  assembly. 

About  this  time  the  town  was  almost  crazy  on  roads.  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  vote  in  town  meeting  was  ever  against  any  turnpike, 
but  against  building  the  bridges  for  the  turnpikes. 

In  1807,  the  town  started  out  anew  on  building  and  repairing  roads  ; 
made  a  thorough  division  into  districts;  collected  and  arranged  the 
tax  lists  on  every  district  of  roads  ;  made  new  assessment  of  taxes, 
and  stirred  up  quite  a  business  in  road  making.  But  it  was  not  all 
voluntary,  for  the  town  had  been  complained  of  in  court,  and  some- 
thing must  be  done,  but  when  the  work  began  to  move,  they  scarcely 
knew  where  to  stop. 

The  expenses  for  roads  have  been  and  are  heavy  because  of  the 


TORRINGTON     RoADS.  185 

washing  by  sudden  showers  and  heavy  rains,  and  the  melting  of  snows, 
and  in  the  carrying  away  of  bridges. 


The  Naugatuck  Rail  Road. 

Mr.  Alfred  Bishop,  then  of  Bridgeport,  first  proposed  a  rail  road 
in  the  Naugatuck  valley,  and  after  consultation  with  various  parties 
of  leading  men  who  might  be  interested  in  such  an  enterprise,  the 
matter  was  laid  before  the  legislature  of  Connecticut,  and  a  charter 
granted  in  the  year  1845,  which  was  altered  and  amended  in  1847 
and  1848.  The  following  were  the  persons  named  in  the  grant  as 
directors  : 

Timothy  Dwight,  of  New  Haven,  Philo  Hurd,   Bridgeport, 

Green  Kendrick  of  Waterbury,  Alfred  B.  Brittain  of  Bridgeport, 

Thomas  Burlock  of  Derby,  George  L.  Schuyler  of   New  York. 
William  P.   Burrall,  Bridgeport, 

The  first  proposition  was  a  road  from  Bridgeport  to  Waterbury, 
the  capital  stock  $800,000,  but  afterwards  it  was  made  $1,200,000, 
to  go  to  Winsted.  This  amount  of  stock  was  afterwards  increased 
for  furnishing  the  road  with  engines,  cars  and  coaches,  or  rolling 
stock,  to  $1,500,000.  An  organization  of  the  company  was  ef- 
fected in  February  1848,  and  a  contract  made  with  Alfred  Bishop, 
to  build  the  road  complete,  and  receive  in  pay  $800,000  cash  and 
$400,000  in  bonds. 

The  first  officers  of  the  road  were  :  Timothy  Dwight,  president  ; 
Ira  Sherman,  secretary  ;  and  Horace  Nichols,  treasurer. 

The  profile  and  survey  of  the  road  was  prepared,  and  presented  to 
the  directors  on  March  14,  1848  ;  which  was  adopted,  and  in  the 
following  April  the  work  was  commenced.  The  contract  stipulated 
that  the  road  should  be  built  in  the  most  thorough  and  durable  man- 
ner, with  a  heavy  H  rail,  similar  to  that  used  on  the  Housatonic 
road,  which  Mr.  Bishop  had  just  completed. 

When  the  building  of  the  road  was  assured,  application  was 
made  to  the  business  men  along  the  line  of  the  road,  to  take  stock  in 
the  road  and  thus  aid  in  securing  money  to  build  it.  This  they  de- 
clined for  the  reason,  probably,  that  they  had  no  faith  in  any  returns 
from  such  investment,  but  offered  a  bonus,  or  to  give  to  the  company  a 
sum  of  money  instead  of  taking  stock.  Mr.  Bishop  named  the  sum 
of  $100,000  but  consented  to  take  $75,000,  which  was  raised  and 
delivered  to  the  company.  In  raising  this  sum,  and  rendering  special 
aid  in  the  construction  and  completion  of  the  road,  Mr.  Philo  Hurd, 

24 


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a, 
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O 
o 

O 


TORRINGTON     RoADS.  187 

who  was  the  general  agent  in  all  this  work,  mentions  the  following 
men,  as  having  been  of  great  service  to  the  road  :  At  Winsted, 
John  Boyd,  Mr.  Bearsley,  M.  and  J.  C.  Camp,  Wm.  L.  Gilbert, 
George  Dudley. 

At  Burrville,  Milo  Burr.  At  Wolcottville,  Geo.  D.  Wadhams, 
John  Hungerford,  F.  N.  Holley,  and  Wm.  R.  Slade.  At  Thomas- 
ton,  Seth  Thomas,  gave  $15,000  or  more.'  At  Waterbury,  Dea. 
Aaron  Benedict,  and  his  son  Charles,  M.  &  W.  C.  Scofield,  Green 
Kendrick,  John  P.  Elton,  Brown  brothers,  William  Phylo,  Almon 
Terrell,  Scofield  Buckingham,  Charles  B.  Merriman,  Norton  J. 
Buell,  Israel  Homes.  AtNaugatuck,  Milo  Lewis,  William  B.  Lewis, 
J.  Peck,  William  C.  De  Forest,  Mr.  Goodyear,  Josiah  Culver. 
At  Seymour,  Dwight  French  &  Co.,  George  F.  De  Forest,  S. 
Y.    Beach,   Gen.    Clark   Wooster. 

At  Ansonia,  Anson  G.  Phelps,  Thomas  Burlock.  At  Derby 
and  Birmingham,  John  J.  Howe,  Edward  N.  Shelton,  Henry  At- 
water.  Fitch  Smith,  Abraham  Hawkins. 

Two  men  are  mentioned  by  Mr.  Hurd  as  having  been  very 
influential  throughout  the  valley,  in  behalf  of  the  road  ;  George  D. 
Wadhams  of  Wolcottville,  and  Israel  Holmes  then  of  Waterbury, 
but  for  some  years  also,  of  Wolcottville. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  May  1849,  the  first  fifteen  miles  of  the  road 
was  ready  for  the  transaction  of  business  ;  on  the  eleventh  of  June 
the  road  was  open  to  Waterbury  ;  on  the  twenty-third  of  July  it  was 
opened  to  Plymouth,  and  on  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  September 
1849,  ^^^  whole  road  was  completed.  Mr.  Bishop  the  contractor 
having  died  in  June,  the  completion  was  thereby  delayed  a  few  days. 

The  first  time  table  was  issued  on  the  14th  of  May  1849,  ^"^  ^^^ 
the  fourth  of  July  1849,  ^  regular  excursion  train  was  run,  and 
that  time  table  mentions  the  following  places,  beginning  at  Inchliff's 
bridge  and  passing  Waterville,  Waterbury,  Naugatuck,  Pines 
Bridge,  Humphreysville,  Ansonia,  Derby,  Baldwin's  Platform,  Junc- 
tion, Bridgeport." 

On  the  twenty-third  of  July,  a  time  table  was  issued,  the  train 
starting  at  Plymouth. 

On  November  15,  same  year,  a  time  table  was  issued,  naming  the 
following  stations  :  Winsted,  Rossiterville,  Wolcottville,  Harwinton, 


'The  amounts  would  have  been  given,   but  the  books  are  not  in  possession  of  the  com- 
pany but  kept  in  New  York. 


i88  History  of  Torrington. 

Plymouth,  Waterville,  Waterbury,  Naugatuck,  Humphreysville, 
Ansonia,  and  Derby. 

No  particular  change  from  the  first  plan  of  the  road  was  made, 
except  at  the  south  end  where  instead  of  crossing  the  Naugatuck 
river  at  Derby  and  going  direct  to  Bridgeport,  they  ran  down  to  the 
New  York  and  New  Haven  road,  and  on  that  to  Bridgeport,  as  at 
present. 

The  directors  in  their  first  report  (1849)  ^^Y  '■  ""  T^^Q  road  com- 
mences at  Winsted,  in  Litchfield  county,  about  nine  miles  from  the 
north  line  of  the  state,  and  terminates  in  the  town  of  Milford,  near 
the  Housatonic  river,  about  twelve  miles  from  New  Haven,  and  five 
from  Bridgeport,  at  which  point  it  intersects  with  the  New  York  and 
New  Haven  rail  road.  It  is  fifty-five  miles  in  length,  and  passes 
through  the  villages  of  Winsted,  Wolcottville,  Thomaston,  Water- 
ville, the  city  of  Waterbury,  Union  City,  Naugatuck,  Seymour, 
Ansonia,  Derby  and  Birmingham,  besides  several  other  intermediate 
stations." 

Wolcottville  in  1836,  contained  about  forty  dwellings,  and  be- 
tween that  time  and  1850,  there  were,  probably,  not  over  ten  more 
erected,  as  that  was  a  period  of  very  little  growth.  When  the  rail 
road  was  being  constructed  in  1848,  the  capital  stock  employed  in 
Wolcottville  in  all  manufacturing  enterprises  was  about  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  annual  sales  of  products  amounted  to  about 
four  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  transportation  of  products,  was 
estimated  by  Geo.  D.  Wadhams,  John  Hungerford  and  B.  H.  Morse, 
to  be  thirty-two  thousand  tons.  In  1853,  ^^^  directors,  in  their  re- 
ports say:  "Wolcottville  is  fifty-two  miles  distant  from  Bridge- 
port. At  this  place  there  have  been  erected  during  the  past  year 
thirty-five  dwellings  and  ten  manufacturing  establishments  and  stores. 
The  new  manufacturing  establishments  are ;  a  papier  mache,  a 
carriage,  a  hardware,  a  sawing  and  planing,  a  scythe,  a  woolen 
knitting,  and  a  lock  manufactory  ;  also  a  tannery.  The  increased 
value  of  real  estate  at  this  place  is  estimated  by  its  citizens  at  seventy- 
five  to  one  hundred  per  centum." 

At  the  same  time  they  say  of  Winsted  ;  "  the  additional  manu- 
facturing capital  invested  here  since  opening  the  road  is  about 
$160,000,  and  over  one  hundred  buildings  have  been  erected  during 
the  same  period." 

Of  Waterbury  the  same  report  says  :  "  there  have  been  erected 
at  this  place,  during  the  last  three  years,  from  four  hundred  and  fifty 


TORRINGTON     RoADS.  I  89 

to  five  hundred  dwellings,  and  the  mercantile  business  of  the  place 
has  nearly  quadrupled,  and  real  estate  has  advanced  from  four  to  five 
hundred  per  cent." 

Besides  this  increase  of  business  and  the  value  of  real  estate  in  the 
village,  the  rail  road  has  brought  within  the  reach  of  every  farmer  in 
the  town  a  market  for  all  the  milk  he  can  produce.  Some  com- 
plaint is  made  as  to  prices  realized  from  the  milk,  and  from  this  cause 
some  have  given  up  the  business,  yet  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  a 
number  of  the  most  enterprising,  successful  farmers  in  the  town  are 
selling  their  milk  by  the  rail  road. 

While  the  country  all  along  the  line  of  the  road  has  been  greatly 
benefited,  it  is  pleasing  to  know  that  the  road,  as  a  business  enter- 
prise, has  been  a  success,  and  in  every  way  an  honor  to  the  country 
and  the  men  who  have  conducted  it.  There  has  been  no  repudiation 
of  bonds,  nor  of  bills,  nor  damages  from  the  first  day  to  the  present 
time.  The  president  of  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  rail  road, 
not  long  since,  pronounced  it,  "  one  of  the  best  managed  roads  in  the 
country."  It  must  have  been  or  it  would  have  been  a  lame,  one 
horse  affair,  instead  of  being  one  of  the  most  prompt  and  energetic 
institutions  in  the  state. 

The  extra  expense  in  repairs  on  this  road,  above  that  of  many 
others,  absorbs  annually  a  large  per  cent  of  the  income.  The  road 
is  built  in  a  narrow  valley,  and  the  hills  on  either  side  much  of  the 
distance  are  very  precipitous,  and  the  water  rushing  down  these  steeps, 
often  carries  every  thing  before  it.  The  clouds  some  times  lower 
down  below  the  tops  of  the  adjacent  hills  and  empty  their  waters  as 
in  a  flood,  and  bridges  and  heavy  masonry  are  carried  away,  as  float- 
ing chips,  as  was  the  case  in  1875,  between  Thomaston  and  Water- 
bury.  And  also  on  another  occasion  when  the  bridge  was  carried 
away  at  Pine  brook,  a  little  distance  above  Thomaston.  On  this  oc- 
casion the  workmen  on  the  road  above  the  bridge  closed  work  at  six 
o'clock  and  went  down  the  road  over  the  bridge  to  Thomaston, 
soon  after  a  heavy  shower  came  along  above  the  bridge,  and  carried 
away  a  part  of  the  abutment  of  the  bridge,  the  bridge  remaining  in  its 
place.  When  the  up  train  came  to  Thomaston  the  workmen  took 
a  baggage  or  freight  car,  which  when  they  came  to  the  bridge  went 
into  the  river  and  nine  out  of  the  sixteen  men  in  the  car  were  drowned. 
Great  precaution  is  taken  to  have  track  walkers  examine  the  road 
after  showers,  but  in  this  case  the  shower  was  so  confined  to  a  short 
distance   on  the  road  and   that  between  the  stations,   that  no  appre- 


190  History  of  Torrington. 

hension  was  entertained,  of  any  injury  to  the  road.  That  shower 
was  very  unusual,  as  it  fell  within  the  distance  of  one  mile  on  the 
road  and  in  three  or  four  hours,  the  flood  of  water  was  gone  and  the 
river  assumed  its  natural  low  water  mark.  In  consequence  of  this 
abruptness  of  these  rocky  hills,  the  scenery  along  the  road  is  wild  and 
picturesque.  At  High  rock,  especially,  it  is  exceedingly  wild  and 
grand  -,  equalling  in  all  respects,  except  height,  that  of  many  cele- 
brated places.  At  Wolcottville  the  valley  widens  a  little  and  the 
rise  of  the  hills  both  east  and  west  is  not  steep  but  gradual  and 
free  from  rocks,  forming  the  most  beautiful  and  convenient  site  for 
a  city,  of  any  location  in  the  valley.  It  is  but  due  credit  to  say, 
therefore,  that  the  management  of  this  road  has  been  upon  honor 
and  with  a  careful  eye  to  expenses  as  well  as  incomes. 

The  receipts  of  the  road  in  1849,  were  $52,292.04,  a  little  more 
than  half  the  amount  of  the  interest  on  the  capital  stock  for  one  year. 
In  1850,  it  was  $145,261.59;  in  i860,  $241,  330.54;  in  1870, 
$589,928.62  ;  and  in  1876,  $501,604.86.  At  Wolcottville  the  re- 
ceipts of  the  first  month  were  $250,  but  since  that  time  have  reached 
over  $6,000,  in  a  single  month,  but  does  not  average  this  amount, 
nor  half  of  it  probably. 

It  is  for  the  honor  of  Torrington,  as  well  as  every  town  on  the 
line,  that  this  road  has  been  a  success  and  is  still  enjoying  the  same 
distinguished  honor;  and  it  is  also  an  honor,  that  this  success  has 
been  attained  and  is  maintained,  only  by  great  effort  and  the  most 
skillful  management  on  the  part  of  the  officers  of  the  road. 

The  present  officers  :  E.  F.  Bishop,  son  of  the  first  president,  is 
president ;  Horace  Nichols,  secretary  and  treasurer ;  George  W. 
Beach,  superintendent;   Samuel  Wilmot,  auditor. 

Directors  :  W.  D.  Bishop,  R.  Tomlinson,  and  E.  F.  Bishop  of 
Bridgeport  ;  J.  G.  Wetmore  of  Winsted  ;  A.  L.  Dennis  of  Newark, 
N.  J.  ;  Henry  Bronson  and  J.  B.  Robertson  of  New  Haven  ;  R. 
M.  Bassett  of  Derby,  and  F.  J.  Kingsbury  of  Waterbury. 

The  company  are  completing  the  work  of  laying  the  new  steel 
rail  the  whole  length  of  the  line. 

If  the  road  has  been  a  successful  enterprise  it  must  have  had  com- 
petent and  honorable  men  engaged  in  its  business  transactions  in 
order  to  secure  such  an  end,  for  if  either  of  these  conditions  had  been 
wanting  the  end  could  not,  and  would  not  have  been  realized. 

It  will  be  interesting,  therefore,  to  look  over  briefly  the  business 
life  of  some  of  the  leaders  in  this  enterprise. 


TORRINGTON     RoADS.  I9I 


Alfred  Bishop. 

Alfred  Bishop,  first  president  of  the  Naugatuck  rail  road,  de- 
scended from  Rev,  John  Bishop,  minister  in  Stamford,  and  was  the 
son  of  William  and  Susannah  (Scofield)  Bishop,  and  was  born  in 
Stamford  December  21,  1798.  At  an  early  age  he  commenced  his 
self  reliant  career  as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools.  After  teaching  a 
short  time  he  went  into  New  Jersey,  with  the  intention  of  spending  his 
days  in  farming.  While  thus  employed,  he  made  personal  experi- 
ments with  his  pick  axe,  shovel,  and  wheel  barrow,  from  which  he 
estimated  the  cost  for  removing  various  masses  of  earth  to  different 
distances.  In  this  way  he  prepared  himself  for  the  great  work  of 
his  life,  as  canal  and  rail  road  contractor.  Among  the  public  works 
on  which  he  was  engaged,  and  which  constitute  the  best  monument 
to  his  name,  are  the  Morris  canal  in  New  Jersey,  the  great  bridge 
over  the  Raritan,  at  New  Brunswick  ;  the  Housatonic,  Berkshire, 
Washington  and  Saratoga,  Naugatuck,  and  New  York  and  New 
Haven  rail  roads. 

He  removed  from  New  Jersey  to  Bridgeport,  Ct.,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  It  is  not  claiming  too  much  for  him  to  say 
that  Bridgeport  owes  much  to  his  enterprise  and  public  spirit.  Mr. 
Bishop  readily  inspired  confidence  in  his  plans  for  public  improve- 
ments, and  at  his  call  the  largest  sums  were  cheerfully   supplied. 

But  in  the  tnidst  of  his  extensive  operations,  and  while  forming 
plans  for  still  greater  works,  he  was  suddenly  arrested  by  his  last 
illness.  From  the  first  he  felt  that  it  would  prove  fatal ;  and  now, 
still  more  than  while  in  health,  he  displayed  his  remarkable  talents 
in  arranging  and  planning  all  the  details  of  a  complicated  operation. 
In  the  midst  of  great  physical  suffering  he  detailed  with  minuteness 
the  necessary  steps  for  closing  all  his  extensive  business  arrangements, 
laying  out  the  work  for  his  executors,  as  he  would  plan  the  details  of 
an  ordinary  contract  for  a  rail  road.  He  then,  in  the  same  business 
like  manner,  distributed  his  large  estate.  One-quarter  of  it  he  dis- 
posed in  gratuities,  outside  of  his  own  family,  partly  to  his  more  dis- 
tant relatives,  partly  to  his  personal  friends  who  had  been  unfortunate, 
and  partly  to  strictly  benevolent  uses. 

Mr.  Bishop  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Ethan  Ferris  of  Green- 
wich and  had  three  sons,  all  born  in  New  Jersey.  William  D. 
Bishop  a  graduate  of  Yale,  and  president  of  the  New  York  and  New 


192  History  of  Torrington.  i 

Haven  rail  road ;  Edward  F.  Bishop  a  graduate  of  Trinity  college, 
Hartford,  lives  in  Bridgeport  and  is  president  of  the  Naugatuck  rail 
road.      Henry  Bishop  resides  in  Bridgeport. 

Philo  Hurd. 

Philo  Hurd  was  born  in  Brookfield,  Ct.,  in  1 795,  and  was  the  son 
of  a  farmer.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  physical  constitution  and  energy, 
which  he  has  been  heard  to  say,  he  gained  "  by  inheritance,  and  by 
holding  the  plough  among  the  rocks  on  the  hills  of  Connecticut." 
He  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  tor  a  number  of  years,  in  New 
York  city,  in  the  state  of  Georgia,  and  in  the  city  of  Bridgeport. 
While  conducting  business  in  Bridgeport  he  was  elected  sheriff  of 
the  county,  and  before  his  time  in  this  oiEce  had  expired  Mr.  Alfred 
Bishop  invited  him  to  engage  in  making  rail  roads. 

He  commenced  his  rail  road  work  on  the  Housatonic,  in  completing 
the  road.  He  was  afterward  engaged  nearly  a  year  and  a  half  on  the 
New  York  and  New  Haven  rail  road,  assisting  Professor  Twining  in 
locating  parts  of  that  road,  and  in  giving  deeds  and  arranging  the  pre- 
liminaries to  that  road. 

In  the  autumn  of  1844,  he  came  up  the  Naugatuck  valley  on  an 
exploration  tour,  to  inspect  the  localities,  and  inquire  as  to  the  feasi- 
bility of  building  a  road  in  this  valley.  His  report  was  so  favorable 
that  application  was  made  for  a  charter,  which  was  granted,  and  Mr. 
Hurd  went  through  the  entire  valley  with  the  engineers,  as  overseeing 
agent  in  locating  the  road  and  making  the  profile  and  survey. 
Then  he  went  through  again,  surveyed  and  measured  the  land  taken 
by  the  road,  gave  every  deed,  settled  every  claim,  of  man,  widow, 
orphan  or  child,  who  owned  any  of  the  land,  whether  those  persons 
resided  on  the  road,  in  Michigan  or  in  California.  He  has  said  that 
it  seemed  to  him,  that  he  "  had  slept,  or  taken  a  meal  of  victuals  in 
nearly  every  house  from  Bridgeport  to  Winsted,  and  that  in  all  this 
work  he  never  had  any  serious  difficulty  with  any  person." 

This  last  item  is  remarkable,  and  proves  without  a  doubt  that  Mr. 
Hurd  must  have  been  a  man  of  unusual  good  nature,  and  that  he  had  a 
kindly  way  of  doing  business,  and  that  he  succeeded  in  showing  that 
the  road  was  for  the  benefit  of  every  person  on  the  line,  as  has  been 
proved  to  be  the  fact,  in  the  development  of  the  enterprise,  or  he 
would  have  had  serious  trouble  somewhere.  Mr.  Hurd  speaks  with 
decided  emphasis  of  the  assistance  rendered  him  by  Mr.  George  D. 


TORRINGTON     RoADS.  1 93 

Wadhams  of  Wolcottville,  as  being  equal  to  that  of  any  man  in  the 
valley,  except  Israel  Holmes,  then  of  Waterbury. 

In  the  construction  of  the  road,  Mr.  Hurd  bought  all  the  material 
along  the  line,  paid  all  the  men  employed,  and  saw  every  thing 
completed  and  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  directors. 

The  one  great  thing  that  made  the  work  comparatively  easy  was, 
"  the  people  wanted  the  road."  In  1853,  ^^^  ^'^^^  ^^^  been  so 
prosperous,  and  Mr.  Hurd's  work  so  acceptable  that  the  company 
made  him  a  present  of  $1,000. 

By  the  time  the  Naugatuck  road  was  finished  Mr.  Hurd  had  be- 
come thoroughly  a  rail  road  man  and  very  naturally  kept  in  the 
work.  He  went  to  Indiana  and  was  engaged  some  time  in  finishing 
the  rail  road  from  Indianapolis  to  Peru.  Scarcely  was  he  through 
with  that  when  he  was  invited  to  engage  on  the  Hudson  river  road. 
Gov.  Morgan  was  president  of  that  road  and  Mr.  Hurd  was  made 
vice  president.      In  this  office  and  work  he  continued  some  few  years. 

When  Robert  Schuyler  failed  and  the  Hudson  river  road  became 
somewhat  in  trouble  Mr.  Hurd  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  Har- 
lem rail  road,  where  he  continued  about  three  years. 

At  this  time  his  health  failed.  He  went  to  Florida  and  returned 
no  better  :  went  to  St.  Paul's,  and  returned  no  better.  He  then 
packed  his  trunk  for  a  longer  journey  ;  sailed  for  Europe,  went  to 
Nice,  Italy,  and  there  in  a  short  time  entirely  recovered,  and  has 
never  since  had  pulmonary  difficulty. 

After  returning  home  he  engaged  a  short  time  on  the  Delaware, 
Lackawana,  and  Western  rail  road,  and,  after  this,  with  a  few  items 
in  regard  to  other  roads,  ceased  to  be  a   rail  road  man. 

He  resides  at  Bridgeport,  spending  the  winters  at  the  south,  and  is 
still  an  energetic,  cheerful,  and  agreeable  gentleman. 

Horace  Nichols. 

Horace  Nichols  was  born  in  18 12,  in  the  town  of  Fairfield, 
Conn.,  and  was  a  clerk  some  years  in  Bridgeport.  He  became  the 
treasurer  of  the  Housatonic  railroad  in  1840,  and  has  held  that  office 
since  that  time. 

When  the  Naugatuck  road  was  started  he  was  elected  secretary 
and  treasurer,  and  has  continued  therein,  a  faithful,  honorable  but 
prompt  and  energetic  officer  until  the  present  time.  He  is  unosten- 
tatious, scarcely  allowing  a  notice  to  be  made  of  him  in  print  ;  con- 

25 


194  History  of  Torrington. 

stant  in  his  attention  to  business,  and  therefore  greatly  successful,  and 
merits  and  receives  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  is  associated. 


George  W.  Beach. 

George  W.  Beach  was  born  in  1833,  in  Humphreysville,  now 
Seymour,  then  in  the  town  of  Derby,  Ct.  His  father  Sharron  Yale 
Beach  was  of  the  Wallingford  branch  of  the  New  Haven  family,  and 
still  resides  at  Seymour.  Soon  after  the  rail  road  was  opened,  or 
about  1850,  George  W.,  entered  the  service  of  the  company  in  the 
capacity  of  clerk  at  the  depot,  and  also  filling  any  place  or  attending 
to  any  transactions  on  the  road,  to  which  he  might  be  directed.  In 
this  position,  having  a  natural  tendency  to  observation,  he  readily 
became  in  a  good  degree,  familiar  with  the  work,  and  the  men,  and 
the  methods  of  executing  the  work  of  the  road.  In  185 1,  he  was 
placed  as  second  clerk  in  the  office  at  Waterbury,  but  was  frequently 
sent  to  various  places  on  the  line  of  the  road,  and  hence,  has  been 
agent  at  nearly  every  station  on  the  road.  This  very  naturally  gave 
him  an  acquaintance  with  the  people,  and  the  interests  centering  at 
every  station,  and  the  requirements  necessary  to  adapt  the  road  to  the 
work  it  had  to  do  as  a  whole,  and  as  related  to  each  station. 

In  1855,  he  was  appointed  agent  at  Naugatuck,  in  which  position 
he  continued  until  April  1857,  when  he  was  called  to  the  conductor- 
ship  of  a  morning  and  evening  passenger  train.  While  in  this  capacity 
he  took  charge  of  the  general  ticket  agency,  and  thereby  became 
more  familiar  with  the  general  travel  on  the  road,  the  running  of  the 
trains,  and  the  efficiency  of  the  men  and  the  machinery  of  the  road. 
In  1861,  he  was  transferred  as  agent  to  Waterbury,  the  point  of 
greatest  business  on  the  road. 

In  September  1868,  Charles  Waterbury,  then  superintendent  of 
the  road,  died,  and  Mr.  Beach  was  appointed,  in  the  following 
November,  to  this  position  ;  which  office  he  has  held  to  the  present 
time,  and  in  which  position  he  has  become  extensively  and  favorably 
known  to  the  people  along  the  line  of  the  road  and  throughout  the 
state. 

Mr.  Beach  is  an  unpretending,  plain,  business  man,  a  good  specimen 
of  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  his  quiet  way  he 
will  direct  fifty  men  in  repairing  a  break  or  a  bridge  on  the  road  with 
the  least  noise,  and  have  the  work  done  and  the  trains  running,  in 
the  shortest  time  possible,  for  such  work. 


ToRRINGTON    RoADS.  I95 

A  peculiar  qualification  of  Mr.  Beach  for  the  precise  position  he 
now  occupies  is  that  of  fore-thought,  and  fore-sight.  It  would  not 
do  in  such  a  position  to  say  "  I  did  not  think  about  it."  And  then 
when  one  in  such  a  position  thinks  he  must  see  at  once  whether 
the  think  is  practicable  and  also  remunerative.  Several  occur- 
rences on  this  road  have  illustrated  these  statements  within  the  last 
ten  years. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  first  Congregational  church  of  Waterbury, 
where  he  resides ;  is  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  of  that 
church.  He  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  state  committee  of  the  Y. 
M.  C.  A.,  and  was  one  of  the  few  delegates  to  the  convention  in 
New  York,  which  organized  the  Christian  Commission^  for  the  relief 
of  the  soldiers  during  the  late  war.  He  represented  the  town  of 
Waterbury  in  the  legislature  in  1870  and  1871. 

Alfred  Beers. 

Alfred  Beers,  son  of  Jonathan  Beers,  was  born  at  Canaan,  Ct., 
Sept.  26,  18 1 7,  where  he  resided  with  his  parents  until  about  five 
years  of  age,  when  they  removed  to  Lewisboro,  Westchester  county, 
N.  Y.  He  continued,  after  the  old  style,  to  work  with  his  father 
until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  but  during  which  time  he  had,  by 
various  methods  and  efforts  learned  the  trade  of  boot  and  shoe  maker. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  married  Mary  E.  daughter  of  Capt. 
Leander  Bishop,  of  Rye,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Beers  resided  a  time  in  Shrewsbury,  N.  J.,  and  removed 
thence  to  Bridgeport  and  commenced  work  as  a  conductor  with  the 
Naugatuck  railroad  company  in  March,  1851  ;  in  which  position  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time  ;  a  term  of  over  twenty-six  years. 
During  this  time  he  has  served  under  all  the  superintendents  who 
have  been  employed  on  the  road  ;  Philo  Hurd,  W.  D.  Bishop, 
Clapp  Spooner,  Charles  Waterbury,  and  George  W.  Beach.  The 
distance  he  has  traveled  while  in  this  work  has  been  about  one 
million  miles,  or  the  same  as  forty  times  around  the  world  ;  and  has 
conducted  about  two  millions  of  passengers  over  the  road  in  safety 
having  never  lost  the  life  of  a  passenger,  nor  having  one  seriously 
injured.  But  in  one  respect  he  had  the  advantage  of  his  brother, 
in  the  matter  of  safety,  his  train  running  in  the  middle  of  the  day, 
and  his  brother's  at  morning  and  evening  ;  and  the  only  serious  ac- 
cidents which  have  occurred  on  the  road  were  two,  both  on  the  up 
train,  each  in  the  evening,  after  a  heavy  shower  of  rain. 


196    -  History  of  Torrington. 

Mr.  Beers,  having  been  so  long  connected  with  the  road  as  con- 
ductor, has  become  the  personal  friend  (and  almost  personal 
property)  of  every  body  from  Long  Island  sound  to  the  Old  Bay 
state,  and  in  traveling  it  is  a  matter  of  about  as  much  satisfaction  and 
sense  of  safety  to  the  public,  to  see  the  old  conductor,  as  it  is  to 
knovi^  there  is  a  steam  engine  ahead  of  the  train.  Indeed  his  silver 
vi^edding  in  connection  with  the  road  ought  to  have  been  celebrated 
two  years  ago,  and  thereby  given  expression  to  the  joyful  fact  that 
in  regard  to  these  "  bans  hitherto,  no  man  hath  put  asunder." 

Mr.  Beers  has  six  children  ;  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

His  eldest  son  Leander  J.,  is  conductor  on  the  Shore  Line  rail  road, 
and  runs  from  New  Haven  to  New  London  ;  his  second  son  Charles 
W.  is  mail  agent  on  the  Housatonic  rail  road  ;  and  his  third  son, 
Alfred  B.,  is  an  attorney  at  law,  and  now  judge  of  the  city  court  of 
Bridgeport.  He  enlisted  in  the  late  war  as  a  private,  served  three 
years;  re-enlisted  with  the  declared  determination  to  do  what  he 
could  to  the  very  last  to  put  down  the  rebellion.  He  came  out  of 
the  contest  unharmed,  and  with  a  captain's  commission.  Mr.  Beers's 
daughters  are  married  ;  two  residingin  Bridgeport  and  oneinLitchfield. 

He  has  four  grandsons,  all  of  them  doubtless  if  not  on  the  rail  road 
are  traveling  in  the  "  way  they  should  go." 

Mr.  Beers  resides  and  is  one  of  the  vestrymen  of  St.  Paul's  church 
of  East  Bridgeport,  and  warden  of  the  borough  of  West  Stratford. 
He  is  also  one  of  the  assessors  of  the  town  of  Stratford,  and  also 
grand  juror. 

Amos  S.  Beers. 

Amos  S.  Beers  was  born  in  1827,  in  South  Salem,  New  York 
state,  and  was  the  son  of  Jonathan  Beers,  a  farmer.  He  worked  on 
his  father's  farm  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  New 
Canaan,  where  he  served  his  time,  three  years,  as  a  shoemaker. 
From  this  place,  he  went  to  New  York  city  where  he  remained  as 
clerk  in  a  shoe  store  two  years. 

He  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  Naugatuck  road  in  1854,  as  fire- 
man, remaining  nine  months  and  then  left  that  service.  In  1855, 
he  was  appointed  conductor  and  has  thus  continued  to  the  present 
time,  a  period  of  twenty-two  years,  and  has  thereby,  as  well  as  his 
older  brother,  become,  if  not  a  part  of  the  incorporate  body  politic,  a 
fixture,  so  important  and  so  familiar  to  all  the  people,  that  his  absence 
from   his  train,    would   require  a  definite   explanation    from   high  au- 


TORRINGTON    RoADS.  I97 

thorities  to  satisfy  the  inquiry  of  the  public.  He  has  at  different  times 
run  his  train  years  in  succession  without  losing  a  trip. 

He  understands  his  business  and  attends  to  it,  without  fear  or  favor, 
and  yet  in  the  demeanor  of  a  true  gentleman  as  well  as  officer.  At- 
tentive in  an  unusual  degree  to  the  sick  and  disabled  who  are  com- 
pelled to  travel,  he  is  decided  and  thorough  in  securing  perfect  order 
and  decorum  on  his  train,  at  all  times. 

In  the  accident  which  occurred  a  little  above  Thomaston,  on  the 
eleventh  of  May  1876,  by  which  a  coach  heavily  loaded  with  pas- 
sengers, was  thrown  into  the  river,  by  the  breaking  of  an  axle,  he 
manifested  such  presence  of  mind  in  rescuing  every  person  in  safety, 
as  to  secure  the  approbation  of  all  on  the  train,  and  also  received  a 
present  of  an  elegant  gold  watch  from  the  company.  As  to  this  ac- 
cident he  has  been  heard  to  say  that  as  he  was  standing  on  the  plat- 
form and  saw  the  coach  (the  last  in  the  train)  go  down  the  banks, 
although  the  breaks  were  already  on,  ''it  seemed  to  him  that  the 
train  would  never  stop."  Very  likely  !  persons  have  sometimes 
lived  ages  in  a  moment. 

He  also  knows  the  road  on  which  he  travels  and  looks  ahead. 
Going  down  on  a  morning  train,  after  a  shower  in  the  night,  he  said 
to  his  engineer,  "  when  you  reach  such  a  place,  before  passing  the 
curve,  stop,  and  I  will  look  at  the  track."  The  train  stopped  ;  and 
in  the  waiting  the  passengers  began  to  be  uneasy  and  wonder  what 
crazy  fit  had  come  over  the  engineer,  or  the  conductor,  or  some 
body.  The  conductor  passed  around  the  curve  and  there  lay  a  land 
slide  covering  the  whole  track.  If  they  had  proceeded  as  usual, 
the  whole  train  must  have  gone  into  the  river,  and  a  coroner's  jury 
would  have  rendered  death  to  a  score  or  more,  caused  by  a  land 
slide. 

Behind  a  clear  intellect  is  often  wanted  a  heart  to  feel  for  humanity. 
Men  often  see  the  danger,  but  having  no  human  sympathy,  rush  on, 
and  a  great  calamity  is  the  result.  A  rail  road  conductor  needs  a 
heart  as  well  as  a  clear  head  ;  and  also  he  needs  courage  to  ignore 
the  jeers  of  a  thoughtless  company  who  would  be  the  first  to  condemn 
him  if  an  accident  occurred. 

The  Naugatuck  rail  road  hitherto  has  been  very  fortunate  in  its 
conductors. 

Mr.  Beers's  eldest  son,  Herbert  S.  Beers,  is  conductor  on  the  New 
Haven  and  Ansonia  rail  road. 

His  son  Willie  H.  Beers,  is  shipping  clerk  for  the  Gilbert  Clock 
factory  at  Winsted. 


198  History  of  Torrington. 


HiLAN  M.  Rogers. 

HiLAN  M.  Rogers,  was  born  in  Michigan  January  10,  1838. 
His  father,  Orlando  Rogers,  was  born  at  North  East,  Dutchess  county, 
N.  Y.,  in  1810,  and  died  at  Bridgeport,  Ct.,  in  1871.  His  grand- 
father, Joel  Rogers,  was  born  at  Fishkill,  N.  Y.,  in  1769  or  70,  and 
removed  to  North  East,  Dutchess  co.,  about  1775,  with  his  father, 
Isaac  Rogers,  who  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  and  removed  to  Fishkill. 
Mr.  H.  M.  Rogers  enlisted  in  the  twentieth  regiment  Connecticut 
volunteers,  in  1862,  and  was  under  General  Hooker  at  the  battle 
of  Chancellorville  and  under  General  Mead  at  Gettysburg,  and 
followed  the  rebel  army  to  the  Rapidan.  His  regiment  was  soon 
transferred  to  the  army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  was  under  General 
Sherman  in  his  grand  march  through  Georgia  to  the  Atlantic  and 
northward.  At  Bentonville,  N.  C,  he  was  wounded  with  a  minie 
ball  through  the  right  thigh,  March  19,  1865,  in  Sherman's  last 
battle.  He  was  sent  to  the  hospital  in  Goldsborough,  N.  C,  and 
thence  to  Newbern,  from  there  to  Fort  Schuyler,  and  arrived  at  New 
Haven  the  night  before  the  news  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination. 
He  was  discharged  from  the  New  Haven  hospital  in  the  latter  part 
of  June  following. 

Mr.  Rogers  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  service  of  the  rail  road  in  1865, 
and  was  located  at  Ansonia,  where  he  remained  three  years,  but  act- 
ing as  agent  on  the  road  in  different  offices.  In  1868,  he  took  charge 
of  the  station  at  Seymour,  where  he  remained  until  May  1870,  when 
he  was  made  agent  at  Wolcottville  where  he  has  remained  since. 

Edward  Kelly. 
Edward  Kelly  came  to  Wolcottville  in  1849,  and  commenced 
work  on  the  rail  road  as  track  repairer,  and  continued  in  that  work 
one  year.  He  then  became  baggage  master  and  freight  agent  at  the 
depot,  in  which  position  he  continued  until  1 871,  a  term  of  twenty- 
one  years.  Since  that  time  he  has  held  the  position  of  truck  and 
express  man,  and  is  about  as  well  known  as  any  other  man  about 
Wolcottville.  Regularly  and  as  faithfully  as  the  days  come  and  go 
he  is  on  his  truck  or  express  wagon  delivering  goods,  and  although 
he  is  servant  of  all  yet  he  rules  the  town  according  to  the  law  of  a 
certain  book  he  carries,  as  thoroughly  as  though  he  were  King 
Edward  the  First. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

INTEMPERANCE  AND  TEMPERANCE. 

^HE  opinion  or  judgment  of  the  early  settlers  of  Torring- 
ton  was,  in  common  with  all  the  early  settlers  of  New 
England,  that  spirituous  and  malt  liquors  possessed  pro- 
perties of  beneficence  to  the  human  race  ;  that  the  race 
had  always  thus  judged,  and  that  it  was  not  only  consistent,  but  also 
in  accord  with  the  highest  wisdom,  thus  to  use  them.  Intoxication 
was  regarded  as  not  only  a  wrong  use,  but  a  criminal  use  of  a  bene- 
ficent gift  to  man.  Under  these  opinions,  liquors  of  these  kinds  were 
trom  the  first  brought  to  this  country,  and  were,  so  far  as  skill  and 
ability  would  allow,  produced  in  this  country,  for  the  benefit  of 
society.  The  early  fathers  of  Connecticut,  judging  thus,  that  a 
proper  use  was  both  Christian  and  wise,  proceeded  to  enact  laws  to 
restrain  and  prohibit  men  from  the  wrong,  or  excessive  use  of  these 
drinks,  and  proposed  to  treat  the  excess  in  this  matter,  the  same  as 
any  other  excess  should  in  their  judgment  be  treated. 

Hence  the  general  court  of  Connecticut,  enacted,  in  1650,  only 
fourteen  years  afier  the  first  settlement  was  made  in  the  colony,  the 
following  restrictions  of  the  sale  of  these  liquors  : 

Innkeepers. 

"  For  as  much  as  there  is  a  necessary  use  of  houses  of  common 
entertainment  in  every  commonwealth,  and  of  such  as  retail  wine, 
beer  and  victuals,  yet  because  there  are  so  many  abuses  of  that  law- 
ful liberty,  both  by  persons  entertaining  and  persons  entertained,  there 
is  also  need  of  strict  laws  and  rules  to  regulate  such  an  employment.' 


'The  need  of  houses  of  entertainment  is  seen  from  the  following  law  made  in  1650  : 
"  It  is  ordered  by  this  court  and  authority  thereof,  that  no  master  of  a  family  shall  give  en- 
tertainment or  habitation  to  any  young  man  to  sojourn  in  his  family  but  by  the  allowance 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  where  he  dwells  under  penalty  of  twenty  shillings  per  week. 
And  it  is  also  ordered,  that  no  young  man  that  is  neither  married  nor  hath  any  servant, 
nor  is  a  public  officer,  shall  keep  house  of  himself  without  the  consent  of  the  town  for  and 
under  pain  or  penalty  of  twenty  shillings  a  week." —  Col.  Rec,  i,  538. 


200  History  of  Torrington. 

"It  is  therefore  ordered  by  this  court  and  authority  thereof,  that  no 
person  or  persons  licensed  for  common  entertainment  shall  suffer  any 
to  be  drunken  or  drink  excessively,  viz  :  about  half  a  pint  of  wine 
for  one  person  at  a  time,  or  to  continue  tippling  above  the  space  of 
half  an  hour,  or  at  unseasonable  times,  or  after  nine  o'clock  at  night, 
in  or  about  any  of  their  houses  on  penalty  of  five  shillings  for  every 
such  offence.  And  every  person  found  drunken,  viz:  so  that  he  be 
thereby  bereaved  or  disabled  in  his  understanding,  appearing  in  his 
speech  or  gesture,  in  any  of  the  said  houses  or  elsewhere,  shall  for- 
feit ten  shillings,  four  pence  ;  and  for  continuing  above  half  an  hour 
tippling,  two  shillings  six  pence  ;  and  for  tippling  at  unseasonable 
times,  or  after  nine  o'clock  at  night,  five  shillings,  for  every  offence 
in  these  particulars,  being  lawfully  convicted  thereof;  and  for  want 
of  payment,  such  shall  be  imprisoned  until  they  pay,  or  be  set  in  the 
stocks,  one  hour  or  more,  in  some  open  place,  as  the  weather  will 
permit,  not  exceeding  three  hours  at  a  time  :  Provided,  notwithstand- 
ing, such  licensed  persons  may  entertain  sea-faring  men  or  land 
travelers  in  the  night  season  when  they  come  first  on  shore,  or  from 
their  journey,  for  their  necessary  refreshment,  or  when  they  prepare 
for  their  voyage  or  journey  the  next  day  early  [if  there]  be  no  dis- 
order amongst  them  ;  and  also  strangers  and  other  persons  in  an 
orderly  way  may  continue  [in]  such  houses  of  common  entertain- 
ment during  meal  times,  or  upon  lawful  business  what  time  their 
occasions  shall  require. 

"  And  it  is  also  ordered  that  if  any  person  offend  in  drunkenness, 
excessive  or  long  drinking,  the  second  time  they  shall  pay  double 
fines  ;  And  if  they  fall  into  the  same  offence  the  third  time  they 
shall  pay  treble  fines  ;  and  if  the  parties  be  not  able  to  pay  their 
fines,  then  he  that  is  found  drunk  shall  be  punished  by  whipping  to 
the  number  of  ten  stripes,  and  he  that  offends  by  excessive  or  long 
drinking,  shall  be  put  into  the  stocks,  for  three  hours,  when  the 
weather  may  not  hazard  his  life  or  limbs  j  and  if  they  offend  the 
fourth  time  they  shall  be  imprisoned  until  they  put  in  two  sufficient 
sureties  for  their  good  behavior."' 

From  these  provisions  of  law  it  will  be  seen  that  drinking  intoxi- 
cating liquors  made  people  drunken  from  the  earliest  days  of  the 
settlement  of  the  colony,  and  hence  the  oft  repeated  remark  that  the 
people  who  used  to  drink  liquors,  did  not  get  drunk,  is  historically 
untrue,  and  that  too,  in  the  best  of  communities.  Nearly  every  man 
and  woman  who  came  early  to  this  colony  was  a  professed  Christian, 
and  yet  there  were  "  so  many  abuses  of  that  lawful  liberty,"  that  is, 
so  many  that  "  be  drunken  or  drink  excessively  "  that  laws  were  enacted 


'  Colonial  Records,  vol.    I,  p.  533.      Some  of  the  provisions  of  this   section    were  enacted 
in  the  court  May  25,  1647. 


Intemperance  and   Temperance.  201 

to  restrain  men  from  drunkenness.      Not  to  restrain  them  from  drink- 
ing, for  that  was  thought  to  be  proper  and  advantageous  to  health. 

It  may  be  further  seen  that  drunkenness  or  excess  in  drinking,  or 
"to  continue  tippling"  and  lounging  about  the  tavern  or  inn,  was  a 
disgrace  and  dishonor  that  the  community  could  not,  and  would  not 
suffer  to  exist,  and  whatever  may  be  said  of  the  temperance  principles 
of  those  days,  they  had  one  principle  that  they  thought  something  of, 
namely,  that  drunkenness  should  not  stalk  abroad  at  noon-day, 
and  its  profanity  and  obscenity  be  a  matter  only  of  jest  and  sport  for 
young  and  old  through  all  the  streets. 

Another  item  is  worthy  of  notice  ;  that  the  seller  and  drinker  were 
both  punished  ;  they  had  both  committed  a  trespass  against  the  com- 
munity, and  there  was  manliness  enough  in  the  people  to  see  that 
both  were  properly,  and  if  need  be,  severely  punished  :  "  And  if  they 
offend  the  fourth  time  they  shall  be  imprisoned  until  they  put  in  two 
sureties  for  their  good  behavior." 

Such  were  the  ideas  of  the  people  of  Connecticut  in  regard  to 
intemperance,  nearly  one  hundred  years  before  Torrington  was  settled, 
and  seventy-five  years  afterward  as  well,  and  there  was  some  virtue 
in  law,  in  those  days.  And  they  went  further  still,  and  ordered  that 
no  "  innkeeper,  victualer,  wine  drawer,  or  other,  shall  deliver  any  wine, 
nor  suffer  any  to  be  delivered  out  of  his  house,  to  any  which  come 
for  it,  unless  they  bring  a  note  under  the  hand  of  some  one  master  of 
some  family  and  allowed  inhabitant  of  that  town."  And  fearing 
that  some  interested  persons  might  take  advantage  of  some  part  of 
these  statements,  they  added  :  "  neither  shall  any  of  them  sell  or  draw 
any  hot  water  to  any  but  in  case  of  necessity,  and  in  such  moderation 
of  quantity  as  they  may  have  good  ground  to  conceive  it  may  not  be 
abused,"' 

In  1659,  it  was  further  ordered,  "  that  if  any  person  be  found 
drunk,  and  convicted  so  to  be,  in  any  private  house,  he  shall  pay 
twenty  shillings  for  every  transgression  of  this  nature,  unto  the 
public  treasury,  and  the  owner  of  the  house  where  the  person  is  found 
and  proved  to  be  made  drunk  shall  pay  ten  shillings."^ 

As  early  as  1670,  the  use  of  cider  and  the  sale  of  it,  became  a 
subject  of  restriction  among  the  new  settlers  ;   it  had  been  prohibited 


'  Col.  Rec,  vol.  I,  535. 
"  Ibid,  p.  333. 

26 


202  History  of  Torrington. 

in  sale  to  the  Indians  in  1660,  and  in  some  respects  was  prohibited 
much  earlier  than  that. 

It  is  therefore  historically  true  that  cider  and  malt  and  distilled 
liquors,  however  pure,  have  produced  drunkenness  all  along  the  life, 
or  the  existence  of  the  American  nation,  and  they  have  ever  been, 
as  a  beverage,  to  say  the  least,  a  terrible  curse,  a  burning,  blighting 
shame  on  every  community,  and  destroyers  without  equals,  in  any 
considerations  under  the  sun. 

It  was  under  this  impression,  that  these  drinks,  as  such,  were 
beneficial  to  the  community,  that  the  early  settlers  of  Torrington 
planted  their  thousands  of  apple-trees,  and  built  their  cider  mills  and 
brandy  stills.  Torrington  soil  grew  apple-trees  with  great  rapidity 
and  thrift  and  hence  in  thirty  years  after  the  building  of  the  Fort,  the 
town  was  flooded  with  apples  and  cider,  and  cider  brandy.  In  1775, 
there  must  have  been  from  twelve  to  fifteen  cider  mills  in  the  town 
at  a  low  estimate,  and  one  brandy  still.  Not  long  after  this  Abner 
Loomis  erected  another  still.  Dea.  Whiting's  account  book  indicates 
the  making  by  his  mill  about  one  hundred  barrels  a  year  for  ten  years 
from  1773.  Noah  North's,  about  the  same.  The  number  of  in- 
habitants in  1774,  was  843.  There  was  made  then,  on  a  small  esti- 
mate, one  barrel  of  cider  a  year,  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  in 
the  town.  Thrall's  brandy  still  was  no  small  afFair,  and  Abner 
Loomis's  was  such  that  he  boasted  of  its  mighty  producing  power.  A 
barrel  of  brandy  was  brought  from  Windsor  to  the  hill,  a  little  north 
of  Dr.  Hodge's  home,  and  thereby  that  hill  from  Capt.  Abel  Beach's 
north,  was  called  Brandy  hill  ;  but  when  Abner  Loomis's  still 
had  acquired  its  majority  years,  the  hill  on  which  his  house  stood  was 
called  Brandy  hill.  It  should  have  been  Brandy  hill  junior,  or 
number  two.  When  a  frame  was  raised  for  a  house  on  the  corner 
north  of  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett's  house,  a  jug  of  brandy  was  thrown 
from  the  top  of  the  frame,  on  a  heap  of  stones  and  thus  consecrated 
that  hill  to  the  shrine  of  Brandy. 

A  tradition  says  the  first  brandy  distilled  in  the  town  was  effected 
by  a  woman  (on  some  emergency  of  sickness  or  calamity),  then  living 
on  the  farm  now  known  as  the  Palmer  farm,  a  mile  and  a  half  north- 
east of  Wolcottville,  and  that  it  was  made  in  a  common  iron  dinner 
pot.  A  number  of  old  account  books,  preserved,  all,  so  far  as  they 
show  the  progress  of  intemperance,  or  the  regular  use  of  intoxicating 
drinks  as  a   beverage,  agree    as  to   one   tiling  ;  the  free   use  of  cider 


Intemperance  and  Temperance.  203 

from  1760,  emerged  into  the  free  use  of  brandy  about  1790:  the 
difference  seeming  to  be  gallons  of  brandy  in  the  place  of  barrels 
of  cider.  Hence  brandies  and  imported  wines,  and  other  distilled 
liquors,  constituted  an  important  part  of  the  sales  in  all  the  stores 
during  fifty  and  more  years.  And  this  kind  of  merchandise  bore 
fruit,  such  as  the  night  after  the  rasing  of  John  Brooker's  house  in 
a  place  called  The  Horns,  but  named  that  night  Orleans  village,' 
and  such  scenes  as  at  the  anti-slavery  mob  in  Wolcottville  in  January, 
1837.  Without  this  liquid  fire,  no  such  scenes  would  ever  have  dis- 
graced this  beautiful  valley,  nor  these  charming  hills.  Nor  is  it  quite 
elegant  to  suggest  that  it  was  because  of  some  "  rough  fellows  from 
Harwinton  "  and  some  wild  cat  "  fellows  from  Goshen,"  who  made 
the  row  ;  nor  Arabs  from  the  desert. 

When  Joseph  Taylor  was  elected  to  the  office  of  ensign  in  the 
military  company,  about  1 790,  he  gave  a  dinner,  as  was  enjoined  on 
all  persons  elevated  in  those  days  to  such  distinguished  offices.  Five 
hundred  took  dinner  the  first  day  in  the  yard  at  his  house,  and  those 
who  could  not  attend  that  day  came  the  next  morning.  He  provided 
for  the  occasion  a  barrel,  forty  or  more  gallons  of  liquor,  and  the 
next  morning,  in  order  to  treat  those  who  took  breakfast,  he  sent  and 
bought  nine  gallons  more. 

And  other  fruits  there  have  been  of  this  cider  graduation  into 
brandy,  some  of  them  so  shameful  that  no  pen  has  the  courage  to 
write  them,  and  if  written  none  but  a  bloated  face  could  read  them 
without  a  blush  of  horror. 

The  young  man  who,  of  all  in  the  town,  started  in  life  with  the 
most  money  and  the  fairest  prospects,  before  the  year  1800,  built  a 
tavern  and  kept  it,  and  died  in  the  poor  house.  He  was  not  a  be- 
sotted drunkard,  but  even  the  selling  of  liquors,  tends  to  poverty. 

A  long  list  of  idiotic  children  appeared  in  the  town  in  the  midst 
and  towards  the  latter  part  of  the  brandy  period  and  were  an  expense 


'  The  night  after  the  raising  of  Brooker's  house  was  made  hideous  by  the  carousals  of  the 
crowd  who  had  gathered  from  far  and  near  to  share  in  the  frolic.  Persons  still  living 
speak  of  it  as  absolutely  fearful,  from  the  noise,  profanity,  and  rowdyism  which  prevailed. 
A  little  later,  when  the  tavern  was  opened,  a  company  of  guests  from  Litchfield,  after 
ordering  supper,  drinks,  and  other  supplies  to  their  full  desire,  being  somewhat  inspired  by 
what  they  had  received,  took  the  landlord  to  a  third  story  window,  and  put  him  out,  head 
foremost,  and  held  him  by  the  heels  until  he  promised  to  make  no  charges  for  their  enter- 
tainment.—  Rev.  Dr.  Perrin''s  Centennial  Sermon,  page  12. 


204  History  of  Torrington. 

to  the  town  for  a  long  list  of  years.     Set  this  down  to  the  account 
of  brandy. 

More  than  a  hundred  of  the  finest  sons,  of  a  noble  ancestry  in  this 
town,  have  gone  to  the  close  of  life's  short  day,  under  a  cloud  :  put 
it  down  to  brandy  !  And  what  sorrow,  shame,  ruin  and  death  has  it 
not  perpetrated  in*  this  town  ? 

The  climax  in  the  production  of  cider  was  reached  about  1830, 
when  one  farmer  from  his  own  orchards  made  three  hundred  barrels 
and  more  ;  since  that  day  cider  has  been  in  a  glorious  decline. 

The  time  was,  also,  when  there  were  in  great  and  small  from  one 
to  two  score  brandy  stills  in  the  town,  and  quite  a  number  of  these 
are  still  standing.  Let  the  traveler,  as  he  passes  the  farm  houses  in 
the  back  parts  of  the  town  look  around,  and  if  he  sees  a  small  out 
house,  alittle  distance  from  thedwellings,  ordown  by  the  brook,  with  a 
chimney  rising  from  the  roof,  put  it  down  as  one  of  the  olden  time 
brandy  stills,  and  ride  on  ,•  the  times  he  will  be  mistaken  in  his  judg- 
ment will  not  be  worth   counting. 

About  the  year  1800,  there  were  eleven  taverns  in  the  town  ;  five 
in  Torringford,  two  in  Newfield,  and  four  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  town  ;  two  large  brandy  stills,  and  two  stores  where  liquors 
were  freely  sold  ;  and  in  18 10,  there  were  two  more  taverns,  and  one 
store  added,  making  eighteen  houses  for  the  public  and  free  sale  of 
intoxicating  drinks. 

Tobacco  and  Intemperance. 

Tobacco  is  so  intimately  allied,  in  its  qualities,  effects  and  social 
relations,  with  intemperance,  that  it  may  properly  be  denominated, 
its  forerunner.  All  persons  who  use  tobacco  do  not  drink  intoxicat- 
ing drinks,  but  so  many  do,  and  so  many  use  tobacco  first  and  then 
come  to  strong  drink  in  consequence  of  the  appetite  created  by  the 
tobacco,  that  the  weed  may  very  properly  be  said  to  be  the  forerun- 
ner of  the  drinking,  and  certainly  of  the  two  the  drinking  is  the  more 
cleanly  and  elegant  habit  until  men  get  into  the  ditch.  It  is  there- 
fore important  for  every  temperance  person,  or  every  person  who 
values  temperance  principles,  to  weigh  well  and  seriously,  whether 
the  use  of  tobacco  is  not  a  responsibility  so  high  as  to  preclude  all 
possibility  of  a  safe  investment  in  the  matter. 

The  history  of  intemperance  is  very  far  from  complete  with  the 
subject  of  tobacco  left  out. 

The  deleterious  effects  of  the  use  of  tobacco   were  recognized  by 


Intemperance   and   Temperance.  205 

the  fathers  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  colony.  In  the  May  session 
in  1647,  the  court  considered  the  subject  and  made  the  following 
order  : 

"  Forasmuch  as  it  is  observed  that  many  abuses  are  committed 
by  frequent  taking  tobacco,  it  is  ordered  that  no  person  under  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  nor  any  other  that  hath  not  already  accustomed 
himself  to  the  use  thereof,  shall  take  any  tobacco  until  he  have 
brought  a  certificate,  under  the  hand  of  some  who  are  approved  for 
knowledge  and  skill  in  physic,  that  it  is  useful  for  him,  and  also  that 
he  hath  received  a  license  from  the  court  for  the  same.  And  for  the 
regulating  those  who  either  by  their  former  taking  it,  have  to  their 
own  apprehensions  made  it  necessary  to  them,  or  upon  due  advice  are 
persuaded  to  the  use  thereof.  It  is  ordered,  that  no  man  within  this 
colony,  after  the  publication  thereof,  shall  take  any  tobacco  publicly 
in  the  street,  nor  shall  any  take  it  in  the  fields  or  woods,  unless  when 
they  be  on  their  travel  or  journey  at  least  ten  miles,  or  at  the  ordinary 
time  of  repast  commonly  called  dinner,  or  if  it  be  not  then  taken,  yet 
not  above  once  in  the  day  at  most,  and  then  not  in  company  with 
any  other.  Nor  shall  any  inhabitant  in  any  of  the  towns  within,  this 
jurisdiction,  take  any  tobacco  in  any  house  in  the  same  town  where 
he  liveth,  with  and  in  company  of  any  more  than  one  who  useth  and 
drinketh  the  same  weed,  with  him  at  the  time  ;  under  the  penalty  of 
six  pence  for  each  offence  against  this  order,  in  any  of  the  particulars 
thereof,  to  be  paid  without  gain  saying,  upon  conviction  by  the  testi- 
mony of  one  witness  that  is  without  just  exception,  before  any  one 
magistrate." 

Thus  did  the  fathers  indicate  their  judgment  against  the  use  of 
tobacco,  and  if  the  law  they  enacted  could  have  been  carried  into 
effect  in  the  practice  of  the  people,  it  is  very  possible  that  a  large 
proportion  of  the  drunkenness  which  has  been  experienced  would 
have  been  avoided,  for  the  perpetual  and  universal  use  of  tobacco  by 
those  who  drink  liquors  as  a  beverage,  is  such  an  acknowledged  his- 
torical fact,  and  that  with  these,  the  use  of  tobacco  began  first,  that 
the  voice  of  history  is,  if  tobacco  had  not  been  used,  vast  multitudes 
of  drunkards  would  never  have  been  drunkards.  Tobacco  and  strong 
drinks  are  not  only  associated  together  in  men's  mouths,  but  in  a 
large  degree  in  the  public  markets.  Where  liquors  are  sold  there, 
always  nearly,  tobacco  is  sold,  and  those  who  drink  liquors  are  always 
expected  to  smoke  or  use  tobacco,  and  those  who  use  tobacco  with 
a  few  exceptions,  comparatively,  will  drink  liquors.  Then  also  the 
accompaniments  of  tobacco  selling  and  using  are  in  a  large  degree 
the  same  as  those  around  liquor  selling.  Very  few  places  used  for 
the   one  purpose  of  selling  liquors   can  be   found    without   indecent 


2o6  History  of  Torrington. 

pictures  of  women,  posted  so  as  to  be  gazed  at  while  the  deadly 
poisons  are  swallowed.  It  is  also  well  known  that  during  twenty 
years  past,  the  brands  of  tobacco  most  sought  after  have  been  those 
put  up  in  boxes,  on  the  inside  of  the  covers  of  which  were  the  highest 
perfected  pictures  of  gay  women,  scantily  dressed. 

Then  again,  it  is  almost  an  impossibility  for  a  lad,  or  young  man  to 
learn  to  use  tobacco  without  learning  to  swear,  or  use  profane  lan- 
guage. It  is  a  legitimate  consequence  that  the  tongue,  having  become 
physically  unclean,  should  become  morally  the  same  with  comparative 
ease. 

According  to  the  best  information  obtained  tobacco  was  very  little 
used  during  the  first  thirty  years  after  the  commencement  of  the 
settling  of  the  town.  The  account  books  which  reveal  the  sale  of 
tobacco,  inform  us  that  the  demand  for  this  commodity  began  to 
prevail  about  the  year,  1770,  and  then  demand  for  cider  increased. 
Men  having  smoked  until  thirsty,  drank  cider  to  quench  the  thirst ; 
and  thus  smoking  and  drinking  became  a  prevailing  custom.  At 
first  there  was  very  little  of  the  chewing  of  tobacco  ;  this  was  rather 
the  consequent  of  the  smoking  and  drinking. 

When  the  men  had  fallen  into  the  prevailing  habit  of  smoking  and 
drinking;  filling  their  dwellings  with  the  clouds  of  smoke  and  the 
perfumes  of  both,  the  women,  out  of  a  proper  inclination  to  take  part 
in  social  entertainments,  and  partly  out  of  self  defence,  began  to  take 
part  in  the  smoking,  as  well  as  the  drinking  ;  and  thus  whole  families, 
of  men  and  women  engaged,  especially  on  social  occasions,  in  smoking 
tobacco  as  well  as  drinking  cider  and  stronger  drinks.  Some  women 
chewed  tobacco  as  well  as  the  men,  nor  was  this  all,  the  use  of 
tobacco  was  followed  by  the  use  of  snufF,  especially  by  the  women, 
until  many  voices  retained  no  natural  sound.  It  used  to  be  said  that 
such  people  talked  through  their  noses,  but  the  fact  was  that  the  nose 
became  so  closed,  and  thus  became  a  kind  of  sounding  board,  for 
throwing  out  a  dull,  snufFy  sound,  that  was  as  unmusical  as  it  was 
unnatural,  and  hence  many  persons  could  not  sing  because  of  the  use 
of  snufi^. 

Another  consequence  of  the  use  of  tobacco  and  snufi\,  was  the  use 
of  opium.  The  men,  after  the  free  use  of  tobacco  and  cider,  resorted 
to  brandy  and  strong  drinks  ;  the  women  to  the  eating  of  opium  ; 
and  hence  fifty  years  ago,  there  was  probably  a  score  of  times  more 
opium  taken,  for  narcotic  eff^ects  than  at  the  present  day,  in  propor- 
tion to  the  number  of  the  people  in  the  rural  parts  of  the  country. 


Intemperance  and  Temperance.  207 

The  raising  of  tobacco  has  been  a  prolific  source  to  the  introduction 
of  the  habit  of  using  it.  Considerable  tobacco  has  been  raised  in 
Torrington,  and  that  of  a  very  good  quality,  as  reported  by  those 
who  deal  in  it,  but  at  present  very  little  is  here  produced  ;  the  reason 
being,  not  the  diminishing  of  the  use  of  it,  but  the  increase  in  its  pro- 
duction in  other  parts  of  the  country. 

Temperance  Reform. 

The  earliest  record  that  has  been  obtained  concerning  any  reform- 
atory movements  in  the  town  on  this  subject,  are  recorded  in  a 
book,  kept  for  that  purpose  by  the  Torringford  temperance  societies, 
and  in  this  book  the  various  stages  of  the  reform  are  represented  in 
the  declared  objects  of  the  societies,  and  the  pledges  which  were  cir- 
culated and  signed  at  different  periods  during  thirty  years.  This 
representation  is  in  accordance  with  the  temperance  movement 
throughout  the  town,  and  the  state  and  nation. 

The  active  reform  movement  began  here  in  1827,  headed  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Goodman,  although  the  community  had  been  awaking  to  the 
subject  because  of  the  sermon  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Porter  of 
Washington,  Ct.,  in  r8o6  and  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher's  lectures,  on  the 
prevalence  of  intemperance,  delivered  about  18 12,  and  other  public 
discussions  of  the  subject.' 

In  Torringford  the  first  society  for  the  promotion  of  temperance 
was  organized  in  1827,  and  the  first  article  gives  the  following  rea- 
sons for  the  movement  :  "That  intemperance  is  an  evil  of  alarming 
magnitude,  in  our  country  ;  which  every  friend  of  religion,  of  hu- 
manity, and  of  his  country,  should  labor  to  suppress  and  prevent. 
That  among  the  causes  of  this  vice  are  the  common  use  of  ardent 
spirits  as  an  auxiliary  to  labor,  or  an  alleviation  from  pain  ;  the  com- 
mon practice  of  presenting  it  to  friends  and  guests  as  a  necessary  ex- 
pression of  hospitality  or  civility,  and  the  practice  of  drinking  it  on 
public  occasions,  in  social  circles,  and  on  every  occasion   of  slight 


'A  temperance  movement  started,  and  a  pledge  was  signed  in  May,  1789,  in  the  town 
of  Litchfield,  repudiating  the  use  of  distilled  liquors,  by  thirty-six  gentlemen;  and  among 
the  names  annexed  to  it,  were  those  of  Julius  Deming,  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  Uriah  Tracy, 
Ephraim  Kirby,  Moses  Seymour,  Daniel  Sheldon,  Tapping  Reeve,  Frederick  Wolcott,  and 
John  Webb  {^Litchfield  Centennial).  The  next  movement  of  this  kind  was  in  Saratoga 
county,  N.  Y.,  in  1808.  In  1826,  the  American  Temperance  Union  was  organized  in 
Boston. 


2o8  History  of  Torrington. 

indisposition."  Such  were  the  plain,  decided  and  fearless  charac- 
terizations of  intemperance  as  a  vice,  and  declarations  put  forth  by 
the  Torringford  people  from  the  first  ;  and  then  they  state  their  judg- 
ment as  to  what  should  be  done  in  regard  to  this  great  question. 
"That  entire  abstinence  from  the  use  of  ardent  spirits,  except  for 
medicinal  purposes,  is  a  practice  we  should  therefore  rejoice  to  see 
adopted  by  the  sober  and  conscientious  part  of  community,  as  it 
would  have,  in  our  opinion,  a  powerful  tendency,  both  to  prevent  and 
suppress  the  evil  in  question." 

The  second  article  states  :  "  We  will  consider  it  our  duty  to  pro- 
pagate these  sentiments,  and  to  discourage  the  evil  practices  re- 
ferred to." 

This  was  all  the  pledge  they  had  in  this  first  society,  and  to  which 
thirty-nine  names  of  the  leading  men  of  the  community  were  attached, 
headed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman, 

In  June,  1829,  they  made  a  little  advance  in  their  statements  of 
the  evils  and  cure  of  intemperance  and  pledged  themselves  that :  "  We 
will  abstain  from  the  use  of  distilled  spirits,  except  as  a  medicine  in  case 
of  bodily  infirmity  ;  that  we  will  not  allow  the  use  of  them  in  our 
families  nor  provide  them  for  the  entertainment  of  our  friends,  nor 
for  persons  in  our  employment,  and  in  all  suitable  ways  we  will  dis- 
countenance the  use  of  them  in  the  community."  This  pledge  was  a 
great  and  radical  change  from  the  usual  customs  and  practices  of 
those  times,  and  after  forming  such  a  pledge  the  question  readily 
arises,  how  many  signed  such  an  instrument?  The  answer  is  as 
wonderful  as  is  was  good,  just  eighty^  all  leading  and  influential  men 
of  the  community.  Eighty  heads  of  families  (apparently)  resolve,  in 
the  midst  of  all  the  old  practices  and  customs,  to  that  day,  not  to  allow 
the  use  of  these  drinks,  as  such,  in  their  homes,  nor  provide  them  for 
friends  or  guests.  Eighty  families  in  a  farming  community  like  Tor- 
ringford was  a  sweeping  work  with  but  few  if  any  parallels  in  the 
country.  But  this  was  only  the  beginning  for  Torringford  ;  they 
invited  speakers  to  address  their  society  meetings,  making  them  pub- 
lic, or  for  all  to  hear,  and  these  speakers  were  of  their  own  citizens, 
Griswold  Woodward,  Dr.  Samuel  B.  Woodward,  Rev.  Mr.  Arms 
of  Wolcottville,  and  others,  and  also  speakers  from  Norfolk,  Hart- 
ford and  many  other  places.  They  voted  also,  that  the  children  of 
the  several  school  districts  should  be  encouraged  to  sign  the  pledge 
with  the  consent  of  their  parents.  The  Rev.  Mr,  Goodman  was 
invited  to  "hold  religious  meetings  at  the  several  school  houses  of  the 
place  as  often  as  consistent,  for  the  purpose-of  diffusing  information  on  the 


Intemperance  and   Temperance.  209 

subject  of  temperance."  In  1834,  they  resolved  to  offer  the  pledge 
to  the  youth  of  the  several  schools  in  the  society,  the  result  being 
that  of  securing  a  large  number  of  names.  At  this  place  in  the  re- 
cords we  discover  the  name  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  who  at  once, 
after  settling  in  Torringford,  entered  into  this  work  most  heartily. 
The  next  year  the  society  passed  a  vote  to  present  the  pledge  to 
every  person,  not  now  a  member,  for  signatures.  This  was  making 
clean  work  of  it  ;  and  from  this  time  meetings  were  held  which  were 
called  monthly  meetings;  and  delegates  were  frequently  sent  to  the 
county  meetings,  while  reports  of  the  progress  of  the  enterprise  were 
frequently  made  at  the  Torringford  meetings  ;  so  that  a  lively 
interest  was  felt  and  continued  from  year  to  year.  In  these  meetings 
it  was  a  custom  to  call  on  those  persons  who  were  trying  to  reform 
as  well  as  others,  to  report  as  to  their  success  in  fulfilling  the  pledge. 
There  was  one  case  as  to  whom  there  seems  to  have  been  some 
doubt,  and  when  called  to  make  report  as  to  whether  he  had  drank 
any  during  the  past  month,  gave  uniformly  the  answer,  "  No  more 
than  usual."  In  1836,  they  discussed  the  duty  of  all  temperance 
persons  to  sign  the  total  abstinence  pledge,  and  in  1839,  the  pledge 
was  revised  and  made  a  little  more  definite  in  its  terms  and  re-signed 
by  two  hundred  and  thirty  persons,  and  under  this  banner  they  worked 
in  the  great  cause  some  four  or  five  years. 

The  next  form  that  the  work  took  in  this  region  was  the  Wash- 
ington temperance  society,  about  the  days  of  the  so  called  Wash- 
ingtonians,  or  reformed  drunkards.  The  pledge  of  Torringford 
society  states  that  "  we  pledge  ourselves  that  we  will  not  use,  as  a 
beverage,  any  spirituous  or  malt  liquors,  wine  or  cider."  This  pledge 
doubtless  tried  the  taith  of  some  and  others  went  away  backward  to  their 
own  hurt,  but  the  Torringford  people  went  forward,  perfectly  willing 
to  deny  themselves  if  thereby  good  might  be  secured  to  others,  and 
two  hundred  and  fifty  signed  this  total  abstinence  pledge.  Under  this 
new  banner  against  wine  and  cider  the  strength  and  courage  of  the 
people  were  fully  tested,  and  the  victory  was  never  fully  proclaimed 
as  triumphant,  though  but  for  just  this  specific  agitation  there  might 
have  been  hundreds  of  drunkard's  graves  filled  which  now  must  re- 
main empty,  forever. 

In  1852,  another  clause  was  added  to  the  pledge  prohibitory  of 
traffic  in  intoxicating  drinks,  since  which  time  various  temperance  or- 
ganizations have  been  fostered  and  encouraged,  more  especially  in 
Wolcottville,  where  there  is  now  one  society  of  the  sons  of  temper- 
ance holding  regular  meetings. 

27 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SLAVERY  AND  ANTI-SLAVERY. 

iHE  spirit  and  institution  of  African  slavery  were  introduced 
to  this  town  by  the  early  settlers,  who  came  from  those 
parts  where  this  system  had  been  upheld  and  practiced 
nearly  a  century.  The  first  slaves  introduced  into  the 
colonies  were  sold  from  a  Dutch  vessel,  which  landed  twenty  at 
Jamestown  in  Virginia  in  1620,  and  slavery  soon  came  into  existence 
in  nearly  every  part  of  North  America,  and  Indians  were  enslaved  as 
well  as  negroes.  The  son  of  King  Philip  (Indian)  was  sold  as  a 
slave. 

Slavery  has  existed  more  than  three  thousand  years,  but  negro,  or 
African  slavery,  as  a  distinctive  class  condition,  came  into  existence 
about  14J5,  along  the  coasts  of  the  Mediterranean  sea  ;  and  after 
that,  grew  into  a  traffic,  of  kidnapping  and  selling  for  gain.  And 
even  this  trade  began  to  decrease  before  the  discovery  of  America, 
but  after  the  discovery  there  arose  a  demand  for  this  kind  of  slaves 
in  the  tropical  climate  of  the  new  world,  and  the  traffic  revived  and 
grew  to  the  enormous  proportions  acknowledged  by  the  history  of  the 
last  century.  Slavery  existed  in  Mexico  before  the  discovery  by 
Columbus,  but  it  was  a  very  mild  form  compared  with  that  after- 
wards practiced  in  the  United  States. 

In  1553,  negro  slaves  were  first  sold  in  England,  and  for  one 
hundred  years  slavery  and  the  slave  trade  were  accepted  in  England 
almost  without  a  voice  of  protest.  The  Quakers,  who  arose  about 
1660,  made  the  first  formidable  opposition  to  the  system  and  to  this 
kind  of  commercial  enterprise.  The  puritans,  therefore,  who  came 
to  America  had  scarcely  thought  of  slavery  as  improper  or  wrong, 
either  in  regard  to  the  master  or  the  enslaved,  although  they  enacted 
severe  laws  against  stealing  men.'  Also  the  laws  concerning  children 
and  of  apprenticeship  in  England,  and  those  enacted  at  first  in  the 
New  England  colonies  were  not  far  below,  in  severity,  the  laws  after- 
ward made  concerning  slavery,  and  slavery  at  that  day  was  but  little 


«  "  If  any  man  stealeth  a  man  or  mankind,  he  shall  be  put  to  death." —  Col.  Rec,  i,  77. 


Slavery  and  Anti-Slavery.  211 

more  than  an  apprenticeship.^  Hence  it  was  no  great  transition  from 
apprenticeship  to  slavery  ;  and  they  both  run  well  together  more  than 
one  hundred  years.  It  required  no  act  to  permit  slavery  in  the 
colonies  because  it  was  thought  to  be  an  unquestioned  right,  if  any 
one  deemed  it  expedient  or  advantageous  to  exercise  it. 

The  first  act  of  the  Connecticut  court  appears  in  1660;  "It  is 
ordered  by  this  court,  that  neither  Indians  nor  negro  servants  shall 
be  required  to  train,  watch  or  ward,  in  this  colony."^  The  next  law 
of  the  kind  was  made  in  1677,  and  provided  that  Indians  who  were 
bound  to  service  and  ran  away,  when  captured  their  masters  might 
sell  them  to  be  "  transported  out  of  the  colony."  Thus  gradually, 
without  political  purpose  or  forethought,  slavery  became  a  practical 
reality  in  the  colony,  so  that  in  1680,  there  were  thirty  persons  held 
in  servitude  by  it.  And  although  increased  thereafter,  it  was  at  a 
slow  ratio  and  never  attained  any  considerable  proportions  in  the  state. 
In  1790,  there  were  2,759  slaves  ;  the  largest  number  ever  attained  ; 
at  which  time  the  state  passed  a  law  providing  for  gradual  emancipa- 
tion, and  in  1840  there  were  but  seventeen  left  in  the  state. 

The  records  of  the  first  church  in  Torrington  show  that  among 
others  who  united  with  the  church  in  1756,  was  Phebe,  colored 
servant  of  Joel  Thrall  ;  this  person  was  probably  a  slave.  After 
this  another  slave  woman  was  in  the  town  held  by  the  wives  of  Dea. 
John  Whiting  and  William  and  Matthew  Grant.  These  women 
were  sisters  and  their  father,  Mr.  Foster  of  Meriden,  gave  this 
woman  to  them.  In  later  years  these  families  hired  Jude  Freeman 
to  keep  this  woman  by  the  year,  and  there  was  considerable  talk 
about  the  propriety  of  turning  the  old  woman  "  out  to  pasture  " 
when  she  could  do  no  more  work.  But  she  had  a  good  home,  for 
Jude  Freeman  was  a  noble  man,  though  colored. 


'  [13.]  If  any  child  or  children  above  sixteen  years  old  and  of  sufficient  understanding, 
shall  curse  or  smite  their  natural  father  or  mother,  he  or  they  shall  be  put  to  death,  unless 
it  can  be  sufficiently  testified  that  the  parents  have  been  very  unchrlstianly  negligent  in  the 
education  of  such  children,  or  so  provoke  them  by  extreme  and  cruel  correction  that  they 
have  been  forced  thereunto,  to  preserve  themselves  from  death  or  maiming. 

[14.3  If  a  man  have  a  stubborn  and  rebellious  son  of  sufficient  years  and  understanding, 
viz  :  sixteen  years  of  age,  which  will  not  obey  the  voice  of  his  father,  and  that  when  they 
have  chastened  him,  will  not  hearken  unto  them,  then  may  his  father  and  mother,  being 
his  natural  parents,  lay  hold  on  him  and  bring  him  to  the  magistrates  assembled  in  court, 
and  testify  unto  them  that  their  son  is  stubborn  and  rebellious  and  will  not  obey  their  voice 
and  chastisement,  but  lives  in  sundry  notorious  crimes,  such  a  son  shall  be  put  to  death 

'  Col.  Rec,  I,  349. 


212  History  of  Torrington. 

About  1787,  Abijah  Holbrook  came  from  Massachusetts  and 
settled  in  Torrington  as  a  miller.  He  had  two  slaves  which  he  after- 
wards made  free  according  to  the  following  paper  ;  liberty  for  so 
doing  having  been  secured  of  the  town  authorities  at  the  time  ;  the 
slaves  being  "  about  twenty-eight  years  old,"  and  "  desirous  of  being 
made  free," 

Abijah  Holbrook's  Letter  of  Emancipation. 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents  that  I,  Abijah  Holbrook  of  Tor- 
rington, in  the  county  of  Litchfield  and  state  of  Connecticut,  being 
influenced  by  motives  of  humanity  and  benevolence,  believing  that 
ail  mankind  by  nature  are  entitled  to  equal  liberty  and  freedom  ;  and 
whereas  I  the  said  Holbrook  agreeable  to  the  laws  and  customs  of 
this  state  and  the  owner  and  possessor  of  two  certain  negroes  which 
are  of  that  class  that  are  called  slaves  for  Ijfe  :  viz,  Jacob  Prince  a 
male  negro,  and  Ginne  a  female,  wife  of  said  Jacob  ;  and  whereas 
the  said  negroes  to  this  time  have  served  me  with  faithfulness  and 
fidelity,  and  they  being  now  in  the  prime  and  vigor  of  life,  and  appear 
to  be  well  qualified  as  to  understanding  and  economy  to  maintain 
and  support  themselves  by  their  own  industry,  and  they  manifesting 
a  great  desire  to  be  delivered  from  slavery  and  bondage  : 

I  therefore  the  said  Abijah  Holbrook,  do  by  these  presents  freely 
and  absolutely  emancipate  the  said  Jacob  and  Ginne,  and  they  are 
hereby  discharged  from  all  authority,  title,  claim,  control  and  demand 
that  I  the  said  Holbrook  now  have  or  ever  had  in  or  unto  the  persons 
or  services  of  them  the  said  Jacob  and  Ginne,  and  they  from  and 
after  the  date  hereof  shall  be  entitled  to  their  liberty  and  freedom, 
and  to  transact  business  for  themselves,  in  their  own  names  and  for 
their  own  benefit  and  use. 

To  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  this 
i8th  day  of  August  A.  D.  1798. 

Abijah  Holbrook.' 

It  has  been  said  so  many  times,  that  a  multitude  have  believed  it, 
that  the  Connecticut  people  freed  their  slaves  not  because  of  motives 
of  humanity  but  for  financial  reasons  only.  This  paper  is  a  clear 
refutation  of  this  saying.  These  slaves,  healthy  and  ''  in  the  prime 
and  vigor  of  life,"  were  worth,  or  would  have  been  to  Mr.  Holbrook, 
one  hundred   and   fifty   dollars  per  year,    for  the  succeeding  twenty 


'  Land  Record,   vol.  6. 


Slavery  and   Anti-Slavery.  213 

years,  or  a  good  three  thousand  dollars,  above  all  costs.  It  is  very 
evident  to  the  fair  minded,  therefore,  that  what  Mr.  Holbrook  says 
was  strictly  and  religiously  true,  that,  "influenced  by  motives  of 
humanity  and  benevolence  ;  believing  that  all  mankind  are  entitled 
to  equal  liberty  and  freedom,"  I  "  do  emancipate  the  said  Jacob  and 
Ginne."  By  this  emancipation  paper  Torrington  was  practically 
freed  from  slavery,  but  the  spirit  was  left  to  do  its  work  of  darkness 
for  years  to  come.  As  the  terrible  fire  in  the  forests  leaves  only 
blackness  and  falling  trees  for  years  to  come,  so  the  touch  of  slavery  in 
every  land  leaves  nothing  but  blackness,  and  the  falling  of  great  men 
as  sacrifices  to  the  violated  laws  of  an  undying  humanity. 


Anti-Slavery. 

In  England  the  Quakers,  though  few  in  numbers,  continued  to 
oppose  slavery,  though  unsupported  by  other  denominations  or  any 
leading  public  men  until  1789,  when  Thomas  Clarkson  and  William 
Wilberforce  began  their  efforts  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  traffic. 

The  question  had  already  become  a  topic  of  discussion  and  reli- 
gious sentiment  in  the  American  colonies,  and  some  of  these  colo- 
nies remonstrated  against  the  slave  trade,  but  the  mother  country 
supporting  it,  they  were  powerless.  The  first  societies  formed  in 
this  country  were  abolition^  and  were  not  confined  to  the  northern 
states.  The  first  was  organized  in  Pennsylvania  in  1775,  Benjamin 
Franklin,  president.  The  New  York  society  was  formed  in  1785, 
John  Jay  president  and  Alexander  Hamilton  his  successor.  Similar 
associations  were  also  formed  in  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Delaware, 
Maryland  and  Virginia.  The  anti-slavery  societies,  was  the  second 
movement  against  slavery  in  the  United  States.'  These  abolition 
societies  continued  gradually  to  multiply,  and  exerted  a  beneficial  in- 
fluence through  the  country.  In  1827,  the  general  convention  met 
in  Baltimore,  the  capital  of  a  slave  state.  To  this  convention  dele- 
gates or  communications  were  sent  from  the  following  abolition 
societies;  New  York,  Rhode  Island,  Pennsylvania  with  four  branches, 
Tennessee,  West  Tennessee,  Ohio,  Massachusetts  two  branches, 
Maryland  with  five  branches,  Loudon  county  Virginia,  North  Caro- 
lina with  forty  branches,  and  Delaware.^ 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  statements  that  the  sentiment,  both  politi- 


'  Nenv  American  Cylcopedia,  Wm.  Jay's  Miscellanaeous  Writings  on  Slavery. 
»Ibid. 


214  History  of  Torrington. 

cal  and  religious,  of  the  abolition  of  slavery,  was  received  and  propa- 
gated, more  than  fifty  years,  by  nearly  the  whole  country,  and  there 
was  no  voice  against  it ;  and  no  one  dreamed  that  it  could  be  a 
matter  jof  heated  discussion. 

In  1828,  a  society  was  organized  in  Virginia,  as  an  anti-abolition 
society,  and  this  was  the  first  formal  opposition  to  abolition  exhi- 
bited in  the  United  States.  These  anti-abolition  sentiments  soon 
spread  through  the  country,  especially  through  the  southern  states, 
and  became  a  political  power.  It  is  frequently  said  that  the  New 
England  states  rid  themselves  of  slavery  for  financial  reasons,  and 
/  not  otherwise.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the  subject  was  dis- 
cussed only  as  a  religious  and  moral  subject  more  than  fifty  years,  and 
that  freely  throughout  the  United  States,  in  the  pulpits  and  every- 
where, before  it  became  a  political  or  financial  question  in  any  defi- 
nite or  general  sense.  Also  the  New  England  and  some  of  the 
middle  states  had  all  provided  for  gradual  emancipation  before  1828, 
when  it  became  a  financial  and  hence  a  political  question  ;  and  this 
indicates  clearly,  that  the  motives  were  those  of  humanity  and  free- 
dom, as  Mr.  Holbrook  of  Torrington  said  in  1798,  that  the  slaves 
were  made  free  in  these  states.  When  this  work  of  freedom  was 
all  completed  in  the  north,  but  not  in  the  south,  then  arose  the  ques- 
tion of  the  right  to  discuss  the  subject,  because  it  had  a  political 
bearing  ;  and  all  the  pro-slavery  sentiment  in  the  north  grew  up,  or 
was  made  to  grow,  in  the  interest  of  a  political  party,  and  that  party 
working  preeminently  for  sectional  interests,  in  the  hope  of  the  one 
single  end  of  party  success.  This  was  the  definite  shape  this  sub- 
ject assumed  about  1832.  All  sentiment  in  the  north  against  free 
discussion  was  manufactured  for  this  one  end  and  has  been  continued 
for  the  same,  by  those  who  were  in  the  secret  of  the  managing  power. 
Freedom,  free  discussion  and  free  obedience  to  conscience,  were  the 
great  objects  for  which  all  New  England  was  settled,  but  now  a  de- 
mand for  a  radical  change  was  made,  which  must  if  successful 
inevitably  end  all  these  objects,  and  subject  the  people  to  a  worse 
tyranny  than  ever  England  thought  of  imposing. 

In  i8i9-'20  the  opponents  of  slavery  made  a  strong  resistance  to 
the  admission  of  Missouri  to  the  Union  as  a  slave  state,  and  were 
defeated.  This  event  was  followed  by  a  period  of  profound  repose 
in  regard  to  the  whole  subject.  The  publication,  by  Benjamin 
Lundy,  a  Quaker,  of  a  small  journal  at  Baltimore  entitled  Genius 
of  Universal   Emancipation^   was  almost  the  only  visible  sign  of  op- 


Slavery  and   Anti-Slavery.  215 

position  to  slavery  until  William  Lloyd  Garrison  established  The 
Liberator  in  Boston,  January  i,  1B31,  that  is,  three  years  after  the 
agitation  began  in  the  southern  states,  for  the  suppression  of  anti- 
slavery  societies,  (vi^hich  were  doing  nothing)  and  the  extension  of 
slavery.  On  Jan.  i,  1832,  the  first  anti-slavery  society,  on  the 
basis  of  universal  emancipation,  was  organized  in  Boston,  by  twelve 
men,  Arnold  BufFum,  a  Quaker,  being  president.  The  American 
Anti-Slavery  Society  was  formed  in  Philadelphia  in  December  1833, 
Arthur  Tappan  being  its  first  president.  This  society  and  its  auxil- 
iaries expressly  affirmed  that  congress  had  no  right  to  abolish  slavery 
in  the  slave  states,  and  asked  for  no  action  on  the  part  of  the  national 
government  that  had  not,  up  to  that  time,  been  held  to  be  constitu- 
tional by  leading  men  of  all  parties  in  every  portion  of  the  country. 
They  rejected  all  use  of  carnal  weapons,  and  announced  their 
weapons  to  be  "  such  only  as  the  moral  opposition  of  purity  to  moral 
corruption,  the  destruction  of  error  by  the  potency  of  truth,  and  the 
abolition  of  slavery  by  the  spirit  of  repentance." 

In  opposition  to  the  southern  demand  that  all  discussion  should 
cease,  and  acquiescence  to  their  wishes  be  granted,  the  anti-slavery 
societies  began  to  multiply  and  send  forth  their  publications. 

Such  is  the  simplest  outline  of  historical  facts  to  the  time  when 
Torrington  began  to  take  part  in  the  subject  of  anti-slavery.  Litch- 
field county,  at  the  time,  was  a  ruling  county  in  the  state,  in  several 
respects,  and  as  anti-slavery  principles  took  deepest  root  in  the 
strongest  minds  as  well  as  to  find  a  lodgment  In  the  lesser,  a  number 
of  persons  in  the  county  were  invited  to  meet  in  Wolcottville  in 
January,  1837,  for  the   purpose  of  organizing  a  county   society. 

When  the  friends  of  the  cause  began  to  look  around  for  a  place 
for  the  meeting  of  the  convention,  they  found  every  church,  public 
and  private  hall,  closed  against  them,  and  heard  whisperings  of  threat- 
nings  against  any  who  might  have  the  noble  daring  to  encounter  the 
pro-slavery  element  of  the  village  and  of  the  town.  At  this  juncture 
a  barn  was  offered  for  the  use  of  the  convention,  and  it  was 
promptly  accepted,  and  fitted  for  the  occasion.'  It  was  not  the 
first  time  that  strangers  found  the  shelter  in  a  barn,  "  because  there 
was  no  room  in  the  inn."  In  that  barn  the  friends  of  impartial  liberty 
and  justice,  gathered  in  goodly  numbers  ;  some  of  them  the  most 
reliable   and    respectable  citizens   ot  Litchfield   county.      The  barn 


'That  barn  has  since  been  removed,  refitted,  and  is  now  owned  by  Dr.  Wood. 


2i6  History  of  Torrington. 

was  filled  ;  the  floor,  scaffolds,  hay-mow  and  stables.  It  was  an  in- 
tense cold  day  in  January,  and  there  was  much  suffering  from  the 
severity  of  the  weather.  The  convention  was  called  to  order,  and 
Roger  S.  Mills  of  New  Hartford,  appointed  chairman.  The  Rev. 
Daniel  Coe  of  Winsted,  offered  prayer.  After  appointing  a  com- 
mittee to  nominate  permanent  officers,  the  convention  was  addressed 
by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Colver,  agent  of  the  American  society,  and 
others.  The  county  society  was  then  organized  and  the  following 
officers  appointed  :  president,  Roger  S.  Mills  :  vice  presidents,  Erastus 
Lyman  of  Goshen,  Gen.  Daniel  B,  Brinsmade  of  Washington,  Gen. 
Uriel  Tuttle  of  Torringford,  and  Jonathan  Coe  of  Winsted  ;  secre- 
tary, Rev.  R.  M.  Chipman  of  Harwinton  ;  treasurer.  Dr.  E.  D. 
Hudson  of  Torringford.  While  thus  peacefully  engaged,  though 
suffering  with  the  cold,  and  counseling  together  for  the  relief  of  the 
oppressed  and  the  elevation  of  humanity,  a  furious  mob  was  collect- 
ing in  the  village,  and  elevating  their  courage  for  their  deeds  of 
violence  by  the  intoxicating  cup.  A  class  of  men  from  the  adjoin- 
ing town,  as  well  as  from  Torrington,  had  gathered  for  the  very  pur- 
pose of  disturbing  this  meeting  if  it  should  attempt  to  exercise  the 
liberties  of  religious  and  civil  citizens.  This  mob,  after  parading  the 
streets,  making  hideous  and  threatening  noises,  gathered  around  the 
barn,  and  by  their  deafening  shouts,  the  blowing  of  horns  and  the 
ringing  the  alarm  of  fire  by  the  bell  of  the  Congregational  church, 
and  the  display  of  brute  force,  broke  up  the  meeting,  which  hastily 
took  an  adjournment.  Then  the  old  puritan  spirit  was  manifested 
by  the  Torringford  people,  who  offered  the  use  of  their  meeting- 
house to  the  convention,  and  it  repaired  to  that  place,  and  continued 
the  session  two  days.  The  opposition  in  Torringford  though  violent 
was  undemonstrative  for  lack  of  the  mob  element  and  rum  ;  and 
partially  from  the  fact  that  the  fury  of  the  mob  had  run  its  race  in 
Wolcottville.  When  the  convention  left  the  barn,  the  shouts, 
thumping  of  pans  and  kettles,  and  the  furious  ringing  of  the  church 
bell,  characterized  pandemonium  broken  loose.  When  the  people 
were  leaving  Wolcottville  in  their  sleighs,  the  entire  village  seemed 
to  be  a  bedlam.  That  good  man,  Dea.  Ebenezer  Rood,  was 
set  upon  in  his  sleigh,  to  over  turn  him  and  frighten  his  horses. 
This  excited  his  righteous  indignation,  and  in  a  voice  of  defiance  he 
shouted  to  them  :  "  Rattle  your  pans,  hoot  and  toot,  ring  your  bells, 
you  pesky  fools,  if  it  does  you  any  good,"  then  put  his  horses  on  a 
run  and  cleared  himself  from  the  gang. 


Slavery  and  Anti-Slavery.  217 

When  the  meeting  assembled  in  Torringford  it  was  inspired  with 
new  life,  energy  and  courage.  The  beacon  fires  of  liberty  and  free- 
dom blazed  much  higher  than  they  would  but  for  the  violence  mani- 
fested in  the  village.  Deacon  Rood's  spirit  of  defiance  to  the  mob, 
took  possession  of  the  whole  company,  and  every  man  and  woman, 
enlisted  in  the  cause,  gloried  in  the  name  of  abolitionist,  and 
felt  annointed  for  the  work  of  preaching  "  deliverance  to  the  captives 
in  chains."  Such  was  the  beginning  of  anti-slavery  agitation,  and 
times,  in  the  town  where  John  Brown,  "  Ossawattomie  Brown," 
was  born. 

This  society,  moved  now,  as  well  by  the  sense  that  despotism  had 
come  to  their  own  doors,  and  threatened  the  very  sacredness  of 
church  and  homes,  as  by  the  thought  of  freedom  for  the  slave,  pro- 
ceeded to  hold  monthly  meetings  throughout  the  county.  These 
meetings  were  held  in  barns  and  sheds,  in  groves  and  houses,  and 
any  where  that  the  people  would  assemble  for  such  a  purpose.  It 
raised  funds  by  systematic  method  ;  distributed  tracts,  books,  and  pa- 
pers. The  state  Charter  Oak  Society  was  organized  in  1838, 
and  employed  lecturing  agents,  who  besides  lecturing,  solicited  sub- 
scribers to  the  anti-slavery  papers,  and  scattered  anti-slavery  litera- 
ture. 

They  were  opposed  everywhere,  and  yet  moved  on  in  their  work 
as  though  every  body  knew  they  were  right.  They  were  called  all 
sorts  of  opprobrious  names  ;  were  proscribed  and  derided,  as  "  nig- 
ger friends,"  "disturbers  of  Israel."  Some  were  unceremoniously 
excommunicated  from  the  churches,  for  no  crime  but  speaking 
against  slavery  ;  the  very  thing  that  many  of  the  fathers  had  done 
for  a  hundred  years  without  objection  having  been  made.  All  ar- 
gument with  anti-slavery  men  started  with  the  Bible,  where  the 
Quakers  started  nearly  one  hundred  years  before,  and  this  brought 
the  question  into  all  the  churches  as  well  as  committees. 
Some  withdrew  from  the  churches  because  they  deemed  it  sinful  to 
hold  fellowship  with  those  who  voted  to  uphold  a  system,  acknow- 
ledged to  be  guilty  of  more  crime  than  any  other  system  in  the 
land. 

The  opposition  had  but  one  argument  ;   namely,    it  offended  the 
South;  slavery  was  for   their  interest.      This    argument  had    been 
gradually    obtaining  adherents,    from   the  time  the    Constitution   of 
the  United  States  was   adopted.      Before  that  some  of   the  southern 
states  was  as  much  anti-slavery  as   any  in  the    North.      When    the 

28 


2i8  History  of  Torrington. 

South  changed,  the  spirit  of  proscription  began  to  rise  in  the  North. 
Hence  in  the  first  meeting  house  in  Torrington,  there  was  no  slave 
pew,  nor  nigger  pew^  but  in  the  second  one  there  were  two. 
These  pews  were  located  in  the  gallerv  over  the  stairs,  boarded  up 
so  high,  that  when  the  colored  people  sat  in  them,  they  could  see  no 
part  of  the  congregation,  and  could  be  seen  by  no  one  in  the  assem- 
bly. Jacob  Prince,  after  being  made  a  freeman  by  his  master,  Abi- 
jah  Holbrook,  joined  the  church  in  Goshen,  and  then  being  placed 
in  such  a  seat,  and  treated  in  other  ways  by  the  same  spirit,  refused 
to  go  to  church,  because,  as  he  said,  he  was  not  treated  as  a  brother 
and  thereafter  held  prayer  meetings  in  his  own  house  on  the  Sab- 
bath. Wiiereupon  the  Goshen  church  proceeded  to,  and  did  ex- 
communicate him  for  neglect  of  duty.  This  same  Jacob  is  said  to 
have  been  as  fine  a  looking  man,  head  and  features,  as  nearly  any  one 
in   the  town,  except  the  color  of  his  skin. 

Two  such  pews  were  in  the  old  church  in  Torringford,  but  the 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  (whether  as  a  rebuke  to  the  spirit  of  cast  or 
not  is  not  known)  always  seated  Henry  Obookiah,  Thomas  Hooppo, 
and  other  tawny  brethren  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  when  they  visited 
him  from  the  Cornwall  Mission  school,  in  his  own  pew,  in  the  front 
of  the  congregation,  quite  to  the  dissatisfaction  of  some  even  of  that 
congregation. 

A  Remarkable  Occurrence. 

In  the  early  stages  of  the  anti-slavery  struggle.  Miss  Abbey  Kelley, 
a  young  and  educated  Quakeress  of  superior  talent,  and  most  esti- 
mable character,  "  felt  the  spirit  moving  her  "  to  take  part  in  the 
public  discussion  of  the  subject,  and  came  into  Connecticut.  Dr. 
Hudson  was  then  the  general  agent  for  the  Connecticut  Anti-Slavery 
Society,  and  she  called  on  him  and  made  known  her  purpose  to  speak 
whenever  opportunity  offered.  Dr.  Hudson  kindly  extended  to  her 
the  hand  of  fellowship  in  the  good  cause,  and  welcomed  her  to  the 
thorny  field,  and  to  the  home  of  his  wife  Martha  Turner  Hudson, 
to  whose  companionship  he  committed  her,  and  secured  respectable 
audiences  for  her  at  Torringford  and  other  places  in  adjacent  towns. 
This  movement  was  very  disturbing  to  pro-slavery  and  conservative 
orthodoxy.  It  occurred  after  Father  Mills's  death  and  after  Rev. 
Mr.  Goodman  was  dismissed.  From  many  pulpits  in  Litchfield 
county  she  was  proclaimed  as  "  that  woman  Jezebel  who  calleth  her- 
self a  prophetess  to  teach  and  seduce  my  servants."  The  watchman 
of  Torringford  uttered  a  cry  of  distress  and  requested  the  women  and 


Slavery  and  Anti-Slavery.  219 

their  lords  to  meet  him  at  the  Academy,  to  receive  his  testimony  and 
instructions  concerning  the  sphere  of  woman.  ("  Women  obey  your 
husbands.")  The  assemblage  was  large  ;  the  women  filled  one  side 
of  the  room,  and  the  men  the  other,  facing  them.  The  minister 
presided,  and  after  solemn  preliminaries  and  the  reading  of  St.  Paul's 
epistle,  adapted  to  the  occasion,  he  discoursed  vehemently  upon  the 
duties  of  woman,  her  proper  sphere  ;  and  the  unwomanly,  and  un- 
warrantable work  of  woman  as  a  public  teacher  ;  or  to  address  pro- 
miscuous audiences  and  thus  depart  from  the  good  old  ways  of  ortho- 
doxy. When  he  had  barely  closed  his  address,  as  if  Providence 
approved  his  testimony,  the  decayed  timbers  in  the  deep  cellar  of  the 
Academy,  which  sustained  the  floor,  suddenly  gave  way  on  the 
woman's  side  of  the  house  and  the  entire  floor,  and  all  the  women 
were  precipitated  into  the  cellar,  in  one  general  mass  of  tangled  con- 
fusion, the  whole  accompanied  by  screams,  groans,  and  cries  ;  one 
woman  exclaiming,  "  O  Lord  forgive  us  for  having  attended  such  a 
wicked  meeting  ;  "  a  noise  almost  equal  to  that  of  the  mob  at  the 
anti-slavery  meeting  at  Wolcottville. 

Whether  the  minister  of  the  occasion  concluded  that  the  women 
then  had  attained  their  appropriate  sphere,  is  not  related  in  the  nar- 
ration, but  the  men,  after  the  dum-astonishment  had  passed  away, 
hastened  from  on  high  to  drag  out  their  wives,  sisters,  daughters  and 
mothers,  with  bruised  limbs,  torn  garments  and  dissatisfied  counte- 
nances ;  and  hastened  to  their  homes,  glad  to  have  escaped  without 
encountering  any  worse  sphere  of  action,  though  this  was  not  exactly 
satisfactory.  What  precise  effect  this  little  episode  had  on  the  min- 
ister's mind,  or  whether  he  became  celebrated  as  defining  woman's 
sphere,  or  whether  he  afterwards  expanded  that  lecture  into  a  book, 
is  not  revealed  in  the  book  of  Torringford  chronicles. 

Prior  to  the  anti-slavery  agitation,  the  inhabitants  of  Torrington 
and  of  Litchfield  county,  and  the  state  of  Connecticut  as  well,  had 
suffered  a  calamitous,  moral  shock;  a  sort  of  aesthetic,  volcanic  up- 
heaving, by  an  affair  which  occurred  at  the  Foreign  Mission  school 
at  Cornwall.  This  school  had  been  established  and  mainly  sustained 
by  Congregational  churches,  for  the  purpose  of  educating  the  Indians 
and  Sandwich  Islanders  as  missionaries  to  their  own  people.  Two 
young  ladies  of  Cornwall,  belonging  to  the  most  respectable  and  best 
educated  families,  became  so  perverted  in  their  aesthetic  tastes,  as  to 
choose  and  dare  to  marry  two  of  the  tawny  brethren,  with  the  idea 
of  becoming  missionaries  among  the  native  tribes.     The  effect  was 


220  History  of  Torrington. 

quite  shocking  ;  almost  pestilential.  Every  class  of  society  was 
thrown  into  spiritual  convulsions.  The  mission  school  was  threat- 
ened with  demolition.  Those  sons  of  the  forest  who  had  been  so 
wicked  as  to  fascinate  the  belles  of  Cornwall  and  make  trophies  of 
them  were  compelled  to  depart  sans  ceremonie.  The  school  was  soon 
after  closed  or  rather  driven  out  of  existence,  not  because  it  was  not 
doing  a  good  work,  but  because  two  of  the  pupils  had  married  two 
girls,  which  girls  wanted  to  marry  them. 

These  items  are  but  a  faint  illustration  of  the  excitements,  hard 
feelings,  desperate  threatenings  and  silly  arguments  that  were  enter- 
tained concerning  slavery  and  anti-slavery.  No  attempt  is  here  made 
to  picture  the  contest.  No  human  language  would  be  equal  to  such 
a  task  !  If  the  late  war  of  the  rebellion  could  be  fully  described, 
there  would  be,  in  that  description,  some  features  of  the  terrible  curse 
set  forth  somewhat  appropriately  ;  but  even  then,  the  half  would  not 
be  told.  Now  most  people  see  it,  and  acknowledge  the  same.  No 
effort  is  here  made  to  sum  up  on  this  great  subject.  Only  a  few 
items  are  given  as  historical  facts  concerning  the  efforts  on  the  one 
side  in  behalf  of  slavery,  and  on  the  other  the  spirit  and  courage  of 
those  who  believed  slavery  to  be  a  sin  against  God  and  humanity. 

One  thing  is  strange,  that  after  the  terrible  sufferings,  hardships 
and  distresses  through  which  the  pilgrim  fathers  and  their  early  de- 
scendants passed,  for  the  one  object  and  end  of  religious  and  political 
freedom,  that  any  body  should  have  supposed  that  the  American 
people  could  have  been  compelled,  by  any  means  whatever,  to  put 
their  necks  under  the  yoke  of  slavery  and  submit  to  its  dictates  ! 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
TORRINGTON  IN  WAR  TIMES. 

The  American  Revolution. 

'HE  number  of  inhabitants  in  Torrington  in  1774,  was 
eight  hundred  and  forty-three,  of  which  there  were  only 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two  men,  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  women  over  twenty  years  of  age,  leaving  five 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  persons  under  twenty  years  of  age,  and 
in  a  great  measure  dependent  on  the  older  people  for  sustenance,  care 
and  protection.  Besides  this,  the  country  was  new,  and  the  obtain- 
ing of  food  and  comforts  was  much  more  difficult  than  it  would  have 
been  under  other  circumstances.  It  is  important  to  bear  these  things 
in  mind,  as  we  attempt  to  estimate  the  struggle  through  which  the 
inhabitants  passed  in  order  to  obtain  their  political  independence. 

The  two  military  companies  in  1774,  included  one  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  men,  or  all  the  men  in  the  town  over  twenty  years  of  age, 
and  thirty-seven  under  that  age.  When  hostilities  commenced  at 
Conqord,  in  this  same  year,  these  companies  were  not  called  on  to 
go  to  Boston,  but  were  notified  to  be  in  readiness  at  a  minute's  warn- 
ing. In  the  autumn  session  of  the  assembly  of  that  year,  an  act  was 
passed  offering  a  sum  of  money  to  every  member  of  the  military  com- 
panies of  the  state  that  would  train  twelve  half  days  in  the  spring  of 
the  next  year  ;  and  the  officers  were  required  to  report  to  the  justices 
of  the  town,  and  they  to  the  assembly  and  draw  the  pay.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  reports  made  from  Torrington.  The  report  was 
made  by  the  cleric  of  the  company  and  addressed  : 

"To  Captain  Amos  Wilson,  5th  Company  of  the  17th  Regiment  in  the 
colony  of  Connecticut  ;  and  to  John  Cook,  and  Epaphras  Sheldon,  Esqrs., 
Justices  of  the  peace,  etc. 

"This  may  certify  that  the  following  persons  in  pursuance  of  the  late  act  of 
law  of  the  colony,  passed  October  last,  respecting  the  military  ;  each  one  has 
trained  in  his  own  person  according  to  order  as  follows: 

Half  days.  Half  days. 

Lieut.    Epaphras  Loomis,        .          .          12.     Sergt.  Eli  Loomis,  ...        7, 

Sergt.     Wait  Beach,            .          .          .12.          "  Benj.  Beach,  ...          12. 

"       Noah  Wilson,    ...            a.          "  Joseph  Blake,  .          .          .8. 


222 


History  of  Torrington. 


Corp'l  Abijah  Wilson,  . 

Elijah  Barber, 

Caleb  Lyman, 

Ariel  Brace,    . 

Dr.  Ebenezer  Smith, 
Private  William  Wilson,    . 

'  Ashbel  Bronson, 

*  Joshua  Leach, 
'  Ashbel  North,    . 
'  Abel  Beach,  Jr.,     . 

*  Asahel  North,    . 
'  Asahel  Wilcox,    . 
'  Benj.  Eggleston, . 
'  Caleb  Leach, 

*  Ebenezer  North,  Jr.    . 

*  Ebenezer  Lyman, 
'  Abel  Thrall,       . 
'  Ambros  Marshall, 
'  Asahel  Strong,  Jr., 

*  Epaphras  Sheldon, 
'  Elijah  Loomis,    . 
'  Ephraim  Loomis,    . 
'  Epaphras  Loomis,  Jr., 
'  Elisha  Smith, 
'  Ephraim  Bancroft, 
«  Friend  Thrall, 
'  George  Miller,    . 
'  George  Allyn, 
'  Joseph  Eggleston, 
'  Joseph  Thrall, 
'  John  Curtiss, 

*  John  Beach, 
'  Josiah  Whiting,  Jr.,  . 
'  Israel  Averitt,  Jr., 
'  James  Leach, 
'  John  Youngs, 
'  James  Beach, 
'  Joseph  Beach,  Jr., 
'  Levi  Thrall, 
'  Noah  North, 
'  Noah  Fowler, 
«  Noah  Thrall, 
'  Noadiah  Bancroft, 
'  Noah  Beach, 


Half  days. 

Half  days. 

12. 

Private  Roswrell  Coe, 

6. 

II. 

(C 

Roger  Wilson, 

12. 

12. 

(i 

Samuel  Beach,    . 

12. 

lO. 

(( 

Shubael  Cook, 

12. 

12. 

C( 

Thomas  Marshall, 

lO. 

.        12. 

(< 

Timothy  Barber,     . 

.       12. 

7- 

IC 

Urijah  Cook, 

12. 

8. 

(( 

Wm.  Grant,  Jr  ,    . 

.       II. 

12. 

a 

John  Cook,  Jr., 

7- 

.       12. 

t( 

Oliver  Cotton, 

II. 

12. 

(( 

Daniel  Benedict, 

12. 

lO. 

(( 

Daniel  Loomis, 

12. 

8. 

<( 

Jacob  Johnson,  . 

7- 

.       12. 

(t 

Joseph  Thompson, 

•      ^*.- 

12. 

t( 

Lott  Woodruff,  . 

12. 

.        12. 

n 

Noah  North,  Jr.,    . 

12. 

7- 

« 

Isaac  Hull, 

12. 

.        12. 

(( 

Isaiah  Tuttle, 

.        12. 

12. 

<< 

Oliver  Bancroft, 

12. 

12. 

(< 

John  Whiting,  Jr., 

12. 

12. 

« 

Christopher  Whiting, 

12. 

12. 

<t 

Joel  Miller,  . 

12. 

12. 

ti 

Benoni  Loomis, 

12. 

12. 

ti 

Abner  Loomis,  Jr., 

12. 

12. 

« 

Charles  Thrall, 

12. 

.       12. 

(( 

Abel  Stannard, 

3- 

12. 

« 

John  Miner, 

12. 

12. 

(( 

Ephraim  Loomis,  Jr., 

.        12. 

II. 

C( 

Joseph  Drake,  Sr., 

12. 

•       9- 

« 

Solomon  Agard, 

12. 

II. 

(( 

Roger  Loomis,    . 

12. 

.        12. 

« 

Ebenezer  Leach,     . 

•       3- 

5- 

<( 

David  Alvord,    . 

9- 

12. 

« 

Joseph  Holmes, 

12. 

12. 

« 

Daniel  Murry,     . 

4- 

12. 

« 

Pardon  Thrall, 

4- 

12. 

(( 

Remembrance  Loomis, 

4- 

7- 

(C 

Aaron  Marshall,     . 

4- 

12. 

<( 

Richard  Loomis, 

4- 

II. 

c< 

John  Richards, 

•       4- 

12. 

(( 

Joseph  Taylor,   . 

4. 

12. 

« 

Daniel  Grant, 

12. 

12. 

« 

Joel  Roberts, 

8. 

12. 

Daniel  Grant,  Clerk. 


John  Cook,      |  ^^^,,.^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^^^^^ 

Epaparas  Sheldon, > 

Amount  £24  6j.  6J. 

Received  payment  Hartford,  July,  1775. 

Capt.  Amos  Wilson. 

Epaphras  Sheldon." 


ToRRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES, 


223 


The  ToRRiNGFORD  Company. 
To  Capt.  John  Strong  of  the  9th  Company  of  the  17th  Regiment. 


Half  days. 

Half  days. 

Sergt. 

Jesse  Cook, 

12. 

Private 

John  Birge  Jr., 

II. 

(( 

Charles  Mather, 

II. 

<( 

Stephen  Taylor, 

12. 

« 

Augustus  Haydon, 

.        12. 

<(  - 

Isaac  Austin, 

II. 

(( 

Isaac  Goodwin, 

12. 

<( 

Nathaniel  Barber, 

5- 

Clerk, 

Zachariah  Mather, 

12. 

t< 

Elisha  Kelsey, 

12. 

Corpl. 

Daniel  Stow, 

12. 

« 

Asaph  Atwater, 

•       9- 

« 

Daniel  Hudson, 

10. 

<i 

David  Norton, 

9- 

(( 

Daniel  Dibble, 

10. 

<( 

Daniel  Winchell, 

12. 

II 

Roswell  Olmstead, 

•       7- 

« 

Return  Bissell, 

12. 

.   << 

John  Gillett, . 

4- 

<i 

John    Marsh,      . 

II. 

Musician 

Timothy  Soper, 

II. 

t  ( 

Jesse  Spencer, 

12. 

« 

Abraham   Filley,      . 

4- 

u 

Ebenezer  Rood, 

•       9- 

<t 

Ulisus  Fyler, 

II. 

« 

Hezekiah  Bissell, 

II. 

(< 

Nathaniel  Frisbie, 

10. 

(( 

Jonathan  Kelsey, 

10, 

Private 

Benj.  Bissell  Jr., 

12, 

iC 

Ichabod  Stark,  Jr., 

3- 

(< 

Samuel  Austin, 

12. 

<( 

Levi  Austin, 

II. 

(( 

Cyrenus  Austin, 

12. 

(1 

Samuel  Averitt, 

9- 

« 

Joseph  Gaylord, 

12. 

ii 

Thomas  Matthews, 

12. 

(( 

Elisha  Bissell,     . 

II. 

i( 

Timothy  Kelsey, 

12. 

>( 

Nathaniel  Austin, 

12. 

a 

John  Standcliff, 

12. 

n 

Abel  Clark, 

12. 

<( 

Oliver  Bissell, 

12. 

tc 

Comfort  Standcliff  Jr., 

12. 

i< 

John  Spencer, 

12. 

(< 

Asa  Loomis, 

.     12. 

a 

Seth  Coe, 

12- 

(( 

Joseph  Austin, 

12. 

<( 

Simeon  Birge, 

12. 

(1 

Thomas  Goodman,      . 

•       9- 

« 

Joseph  Loomis, 

12. 

« 

Dan  Austin, 

12. 

iC 

Samuel  Kelsey  Jr., 

12. 

t< 

Silas  White, 

10. 

u 

Andrew  D.   Austin, 

10. 

(( 

Timothy  Gilhtt,      . 

10. 

.( 

Daniel  Kelsey, 

12. 

>< 

Timothy  Loomis, 

12. 

<< 

Benj.  Gaylord, 

12. 

<l 

John  Burr  Jr., 

12. 

(( 

Job  Curtiss, 

.       8. 

<c 

Cotton  Mather, 

•       9- 

«< 

Amos  Miller, 

6. 

l( 

Ebenczer  Bissell,      . 

II. 

(< 

John  Squire, 

3- 

it 

Eliphas  Bissell, 

.     12. 

i< 

Samuel  Austin,   2d, 

7. 

« 

Ezekiel  Bissell  Jr., 

12. 

(i 

Abner  Ives, 

6. 

« 

Roger  Sheldon, 

.     12. 

« 

David  Soper, 

3- 

« 

Reuben    Burr, 

12. 

t< 

Michael  Loomis, 

12. 

<« 

Enos  Austin, 

12. 

(i 

Nehemiah  Gaylord, 

12. 

John  Cook,  )^-        rtn  a  r.        ^^j 

p^. .>.,„.„  c f  Justices  of  the  Peace.      Amount  £19,  6s.  6d. 

£.PAPHRAS  SHELDON.     ) 

Received  payment, 
John  Cook, 
Epaphras    Sheldon. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold,  as  captain,  was  in  the  war  of  the  Re- 
volution, as  early  as  1775,  in  the  northern  campaign,  as  the  follow- 


224  History  oFj^jTorrington. 

ing  receipts  will  show.  These  receipts  are  preserved  in  the  pocket 
of  the  book  in  which  he  kept  his  journal  in  the  French  war,  and 
which  he  used  many  years  afterwards,  as  an  account  book. 

"  Crownpoint,  July  4,  1775. 

Elisha  Andrus:      Sir.     Please  to  let  Benjamin  Gaylord  have  five  shil- 
lings, lawful  money  worth  of  your  stores.  Shubael  Griswold,  Capt.^'' 
"  Crownpoint,   July  26,    1775.      Mr.    Andrus,   Suttler,   Sir:   Please    to    let 
Edward  Fuller  have  of  your  stores,   three  shillings  lawful  money,  by  order  of 

Shubael  Griswold,  Copt.'' 
"Crownpoint,  August  4,    1775.      To  Mr.   Bemus,  Suttler:   Please    to    let 
Edward  Fuller,  have  of   your  stores  six  shillings,  lawful  money. 

Shubael  Griswold,  Capt." 

"Crownpoint  Sept.  28,  1775. 

Received  of  Mr.  Jothem  Bemus,  sixteen  shilling  and  three  pence,  york 
money,  which  I  desire  Capt.  Griswold  to  pay  out  of  my  wages,  and  you  will 
oblige,  Sir  Your's  Bushniel  Benedict." 

"  To  Capt.   Shubael  Griswold:  Sir.     This  is    your    order    to    pay  Elisha 
Frisbie  of  Torrington,  two  pounds  money,  out  of  what  is  due    to  me  for  my 
wages  in  last  year's  campaign,  it  being  for  value  received. 
Dated,  Farmington  the  13th  day  of  March,  1776. 

David  Haydon.'* 
James  Cowles. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  a  number  of  Torrington  men  were  in  this 
campaign  with  Capt.  Griswold. 

The  following  paper  found  in  the  State  Library  explains  itself,  to 
the  credit  of  Torrington  : 

"  To  John  Lawrence,  Esq.,  Colony  Treasurer  for  the  State  of  Connecticut : 
Sir,  these  are  to  certify  that  there  were  forty-one  soldiers,  that  went  into  the 
service  out  of  the  town  of  Torrington,  in  the  year  1775,  whose  heads  were  all 
put  into  the  common  lists  and  county  rates  made  thereon,  18/  per  head,  which 
by  a  late  act  made  and  provided,  they  are  all  abated  ;  therefore  Sir,  we  desire 
that  the  same  may  be  credited  to  our  collector,  Elisha  Smith,  the  whole  thereof 
amounts  to  the  sum  of  thirty-six  pounds,  l8i  lawful  money,  etc. 

These  from  your  most  humble  servants. 
Dated,  Torrington  7lh  of  .April  1777. 

John  Cook,  ~\ 

Epaphras  Sheldon.  Vjiutices  of  the  Peace. 

John  Strong.  J 

Amos  Wilson,  j    ^,j,,,„,„  ,» 

T^  r,  >  o  elect  men. 

hPHRAiM  Bancroft,  j 

In  1775,  Goshen  sent  thirty-nine  soldiers.  New  Hartford  fifty-five, 
Cornwall  twenty-nine,    Harwinton  thirty-two. 

Early  in  August  1776,  the  aspect  of  affairs  at  New  York  was  so 
threatening,  that  at  the  urgent  request  of  General  Washington,  the 
governor    and    council  of  Connecticut,    ordered  the    whole    of  the 


TORRINGTON     IN     WaR     TlMES.  225 

Standing  militia,  west  of  the  Connecticut  river,  with  two  regiments 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  to  march  to  New  York  city.  This  or- 
der took  two  companies  from  this  town. 

This  year  the  militia  of  the  state  were  called  out  five  times. 
The  defence  of  New  London  was  met  by  the  eastern  part  of  the 
state  ;  and  that  of  the  western  boundary  in  the  autumn,  by  the  west- 
ern towns.  Therefore  the  Torrington  companies  may  not  have 
gone  more  than  in  the  call  to  New  York. 

For  the  comfort  of  the  militia,  when  they  should  go  into  the  ser- 
vice, the  assembly  directed  that  each  town  should  provide  one  tent  tor 
every  ^1,000  on  the  list,  and  Torrington  standing  ^5,816.15^,  was 
required  to  provide  five,  if  not  six  tents.  Hence,  Dea.  John  Cook, 
then  town  treasurer,  paid  one  order  to  the  widow  Mary  Birge,  by 
the  hand  of  her  son  John  Birge,  for  tent  cloth,  amounting  to  five 
pounds  and  six  shillings,  and  also,  paid  Capt.  John  Strong,  one  of 
the  selectmen,  seven  pounds  and  sixteen  shillings  lawful  money,  for 
tent  cloth. 

In  May  1776,  the  necessity  for  regular  soldiers  who  should  remain 
in  the  army  became  more  apparent,  and  the  assembly  made  the  regu- 
lar pay  of  a  private  forty  shillings,  and  that  of  corporals  and  musicians 
forty-four  shillings,  and  sergeants  forty-eight.  In  December  of  the 
same  year,  to  raise  an  army  for  the  following  two  years,  ten  pounds 
were  offered  as  a  premium  or  bounty,  and  the  same  pay  continued  ; 
and  in  1779,  the  authorities  of  this  town  paid  as  high  as  thirty  pounds 
for  one  soldier,  for  three  vears  or  during-  the  war. 

Capt.  Epaphras  Sheldon,  of  this  town,  was  appointed  cap- 
tain in  the  second,  of  the  six  battalions  ordered  in  June  1776,  to  be 
"raised  and  marched  directly  to  New  York,  and  there  join  the  Con- 
tinental army."  The  other  officers  of  this  company  were  ist  lieu- 
tenant, John  Rockwell;  2d  lieutenant,  Abner  Wilson;  ensign, 
Charles  Goodwin.  In  this  company  were  probably  two  of  the  sons 
of  the  captain  viz  : 

Epaphras,  aged  twenty  years,  served  his  time,  returned  home, 
and  after  many  years  removed  to  Hannibal,  Oswego  county,  N.  Y., 
where  he  died  in  1850,  ninety-four  years  of  age. 

Remembrance,  nineteen  years  of  age,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
British  at  Fort  Washington  ;  was  poisoned  by  the  water  and  died  in 
January,  1777. 

Wait,  son  of  Capt.  Epaphras,  served  in  the  war,  and  must  have 
entered  the  army  when  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age  ;  returned, 
lived  in  this  town  and  died  in  1849,  ^g^*^  eighty-four  years. 

29 


226 


History  of  Torringto 


N. 


The  captain  lived  in  this  town  until  1809,   when  he  removed  to 
Winchester,  where  he  died  in  18 1 2,  aged  eighty  years. 

Elijah   Loomis,   son  of  Ichabod,   was  probably  in  this  company 
and  died  a  prisoner. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold  was  appointed  captain  in  December, 
1776,  with  the  following  officers  in  his  company:  Jonathan  Mason 
ist  lieutenant  ;  Theodore  Catlin,  2d  lieutenant;  Jesse  Buell  ensign. 
The  men  were  enlisted  from  Torringford,  Litchfield  and  Cornwall. 
The  pay  roll  of  this  company  is  reported,  in  the  state  library,  as  lost  ; 
yet  Capt.  Griswold  made  an  extra  roll,  which  he  placed  in  the 
pocket  of  his  journal,  where  it  remained  to  the  present,  in  spite  of 
three  generations  of  children,  and  more  than  a  hundred  years  of  wear 
and  tear.  It  is  well  preserved,  and  beautiful  to  behold,  except  some 
hawk-eyed  pictures,  which  have  been  scribbled  on  it  either  by  sol- 
diers in  the  army,  or  those  of  the  household. 

The  company  marched  to  Sawpits  where  it  joined  the  army. 

The  Marching  Roll  of  Capt.  Griswold's  Company,  March  4,  1777. 


From  Torrington. 
John  Burr, 
Seth  Coe, 
Charles  Roberts, 
Ambrose  Fyler, 
Jonathan  Miller, 
Asaph  Atwater, 
John  Birge, 
Isaac  Filley, 
Timothy   Loomis, 
Ebenezer  Bissell, 
Return  Bissell, 
Daniel  Winchell, 
Frederick  Bigelow, 
Cotton  Mather, 
Benjamin  Frisbie, 
Thomas  Skinner, 
Nathaniel  Barber, 
Timothy  Kelsey, 
Thomas  Matthews, 
Stephen  Rossiter, 
Elisha  Kelsey. 


From  Litchfield. 
Stephen  Smith, 
Gideon  Philips, 
Abel  Catlin, 
Simeon  Ross, 
Timothy  Gibbs, 
Benjamin  Stone, 
Ashbel  Catlin, 
Calvin  Bissell, 
Benjamin  Palmer, 
John  Way, 
Abner  Baldwin, 
Philemon  Wilcox, 
Solomon  Linsley, 
John  Woodruff, 
Enoch  Sperry, 
Dyer  Cleaveland, 
Enos  Bains, 
Solomon  Hurson, 
Harris  Hopkins, 
Timothy  Linsley, 
Joel  Taylor, 


John  Bissell, 
Solomon  Woodruff, 
Philo  Woodruff, 
Simeon  Gibbs, 
BeJah  Benton. 

From  Cornwall. 
John  Mebbins, 
Samuel  Burton, 
Josiah  Hopkins, 
Asahel  Leet, 
Solomon  Johnson, 
Henry  Philemor, 
Samuel  Emmons, 
Israel  Dibble, 
Thomas  White, 
Elisha  Damon, 
Jernas  Wadsworth, 
Joshua  Hartshorn, 
Noah  Harrison, 
Asa  Emmons, 
Jonathan    Bell, 
Simeon   North. 


The  Torringford  and  Cornwall  men  marched  eighty-five  miles, 
and  the  Litchfield  men  seventy-five,  before  reaching  the  army,  on 
which  account  the  former  received  seven  shillings  and  one  pence, 
each,  and  the  latter  six  shillings  and  three  pence,  as  traveling   ex- 


TORRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES.  227 

penses.  Tradition  says  this  company  was  in  the  northern  campaign, 
going  to  Crown  point  and  Montreal,  taking  Fort  St.  Johns,  and  re- 
turning in  the  winter,  and  this  agrees  with  the  reports  preserved  by 
the  state. 

Capt.  Medad  Hills  was  appointed  captain  in  December,  1776, 
and  raised  his  company  from  Goshen,  Torrington  and  Winchester, 
with  the  following  officers  :  Timothy  Stanley,  lieutenant  ;  and  John 
Dowd,  ensign,  Capt.  Hills  resided  in  Goshen,  near  the  Torrington 
line,  and  is  celebrated  for  the  guns  which  he  made  during  the  war 
more  than  for  the  battles  he  fought  ;  for  the  reason  that  his  guns 
have  been  seen  more  than  his  battles  have  been  heard  of,  although 
he  was  a  brave  and  honored  soldier.  He  is  said  to  have  been  in  com- 
mand of  two  companies  at  the  taking  of  New  York  city,  by  the  Brit- 
ish and  to  have  conducted  himself  and  men  to  the  honor  of  his 
country  in  that  perilous  time. 

The  several  volunteer  companies  of  the  state  this  year,  were  put 
into  one  regiment  and  the  assembly  appointed  Noadiah  Hooker,  col- 
onel ;  James  Root,  lieut.  col.,  and  Medad  Hills,  major.  Mr.  Hills 
was  afterwards  appointed  colonel. 

The  following  persons  being  detached  [drafted]  in  1777,  and  paid 
their  fines,  each,  five  pounds  of  money  : 

Asahel  Wilcox,  Samuel  Beach, 

Joseph  Taylor,  William  Wilson, 

Isaiah  Tuttle,  George  Baldwin, 

Moses  Loomis,  Jr.,  Moses  Loomis,  for  his  son,  second  time, 

Epaphras  Loomis,  Jr.,  George  Baldwin,  2d  draft, 

Roger  Wilson,  Noadiah  Bancroft, 

Ephraim  Loomis,  Pardon  Thrall, 

Thomas  Marshall,  Ashbel  North, 

Noah  Fowler,  [Samuel]  Cummings, 

Arial  Brace,  Benjamin  Beach. 

In  addition  to  these,  Capt.  Epaphras  Loomis  reported  the  fines  of 
nine  others  in  1777.  Twenty-three  others  gave  their  notes  for  these 
fines,  and  paid  the  notes  in  1779,  "£115,  amounting  in  all  to  two  hund- 
red and  sixty  pounds.  These  funds  were  used  by  the  town  in  giving 
extra  pay  to  those  who  did  go,  and  in  hiring  other  soldiers.  Capt. 
Epaphras  Loomis's  company  received  of  this,  forty-six  pounds. 

Benjamin  Phelps,  in  January,  1779,  "  paid  two  hundred  dollars 
for  a  fine  for  his  son  Jonathan,  being  detached  and  not  going  ;  £60.'' 

In  1779,  the  town  treasurer  paid  the  following  sums  for  men  as 
soldiers. 


228 


History  of  Torrington. 


"Paid  Samuel  Roberts  for  his  service  in  the  army  £6,  \os.  Paid  an  order 
in  favor  of  Noah  North  for  his  hiring  a  man  in  the  service,  £io  ;  to  Capt. 
Amos  Wilson  for  his  hiring  a  man,  etc.,  £io  ;  to  Urijah  Cook  for  his  hiring 
a  man,  etc.,  £io  ;  to  Ebenezer  Leach  for  his  service  in  the  army,  <£io  ;  to 
Daniel  Grant  for  money  paid  for  clothing  £43,  js,  6d  ;  to  Samuel  Kelsey  for 
his  service  in  the  army  ;  to  Bushniel  Benedect  for  cartouch  box,  £4,  4/  ; 
to  Daniel  and  Abraham  Loomis  for  their  hiring  a  man  into  the  army  £10  ; 
to  Jabez  Gillett  for  two  soldier's  blankets,  £18  ;  to  Daniel  Waller  for  his  hir- 
ing a  man  etc.,  after  he  was  detached,  £10  ;  to  Dea.  Miller  for  two  blankets 
for  the  soldiers  £16  ;  to  Daniel  Dibble  for  a  soldier's  blanket,  £9  ;  to  Ambrose 
Fyler,  a  continental  soldier,  £13  ;  to  Jabez  Gillett  for  a  pot  detached  for  the 
state  use  £12,  l  2/,  ;  to  Abner  Loomis,  to  hire  John  Dear  to  go  into  the  service 
in  Phelps's  boy's  room,  who  paid  his  fine,  £60." 

In  1780,  the  treasurer  received  fines  as  follows:  By  CoL  Sheldon, 
from  Ulyses  Fyler,  Samuel  Clark,  Clement  Tuttle,  William  Wilson, 
and  James  Ferguson  $216.  By  Maj.  Strong,  a  fine  from  Stephen 
,  $240. 

In  1 78 1,  the  following  moneys  were  received.  By  several  notes 
given  for  fines  by  those  who  were  detached  £^5  each,  £35.  Also  by 
Ebenezer  Bissell  as  fine  £ro.      Sundry  other  notes,  £5,  \']s. 

In  1 78 1,  the  treasurer  of  the  town  paid  the  following  for  services 
in  the  army. 


To  Jesse  Whiting  for  three  months  tour,     ..... 

"  George  Baldwin  for  cloth  blankets,  pork,  etc.,      .... 

"  Nehemiah  Gaylord,  Jr.,  for  hiring  Brigadore  Loomis  a  tour, 

"  Elisha  Kelsey  for  six  months  tour,      ...... 

"  Eliphalet  Hough,  six  months  tour  for  Sam.  Cummings,   . 

"  Roger  Marshall  for  six  months  tour,  ...... 

"  Timothy  Loomis  for  hiring  a  man  six  months  tour, 

"  Andrew  Ely  for  six  months  tour,         ...... 

"  Benjamin  Gaylord  for  a  six  months  tour,        .... 

"  Asahel  Strong  conductor  of  teams,      ...... 

"  Stanley  Griswold  for  part  of  three  months  tour, 

"  Capt.  Noah  Wilson  for  wheat  for  the  soldiers,      .... 

"  John  Ellsworth  for  service  as  a  soldier,  .... 

"  Nathan  Sanders  for  his  apprentice  in  service  one  summer,    . 

"  Barber  Moore  for  a  six  months  tour,       .......      30,12,0 

"  Elijah  Bissell  for  six  months  tour,       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  36,   0,0 

"  Ebenezer  North  for  one  iron  pot  for  service,    .  .  .  .  .  .1,80 

"  Nathaniel  Kelsey,  Jr.,  for  part  of  three  months  tour,    ....  10,  o,  o 

"  Elisha  Smith  and   Samuel    Austin,    receivers  and    packers   of  beef  and    other 

provisions, 38,  2,  o 

"  Zachariah  Mather,  Wait  Beach  and    Abijah  Wilson  for  clothing  and   trans- 
porting to  New  Milford,         ........  25,   3,  6 

"  John  Standcliff  for  a  six  months  tour,  .......     20,  o,  o 

"  John  Ellsworth  for  part  of  a  six  months  tour,       .....  20,  o,  o 


£.  s.  d. 
10,  8,  o 

4,  9>  6 
34,10,  o 
34,10,0 
29,  5,  6 
10,  8,  o 
20,  o, o 

37,  4,0 
20,  o,  o 

18,  0,0 
10,  0,0 

^,   S,° 

5,14,0 

37,  4,  o 


TORRINGTON    IN     WaR    TiMES.  229 

£.  .1.  d. 

To   Jared  Palmer  for  part  of  a  three  months  tour, 5,14,8 

"     Noah  North  for  hiring  a  six  months  tour,  ......  20,  o,  o 

"     Ensign  [Benj.]  Whiting  tor  part  of  three  months  tour,    .  .  .  .        8,   8,  o 

"     Daniel  Benedict  was  voted, ao,oo,  o 

The  following  are  some  of  the  actions  taken  in  town  meeting  in 
support  of  the  Revolution  ; 

Dec,  1777.  "Voted  that  Abner  Marshall,  Capt.  Noah  Wilson,  Mr. 
Ebenezer  Coe,  Sargt.  Aaron  Austin,  and  Capt.  Shubael  Griswold  shall  be  a 
committee  to  look  into  the  matter,  in  respect  to  fines  and  to  do  justice  and  equity 
to  them  that  were  fined." 

"  Voted  that  Capt.  Abel  Beach,  Capt.  Ebenezer  Coe,  Capt.  Noah  Wilson, 
Mr.  Aaron  Austin,  Capr.  Benjamin  Bissell  and  Lieut.  Nehemiah  Gaylord,  shall 
be.  a  committee  to  get  clothing  for  the  Continental  soldiers  according  to  an  act 
of  Assembly,  and  that  the  committee  give  prizes  as  they  judge  just  and  reasonable." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  town  held  Jan.  6,  1778,  "  to  try  the  minds 
of  the  town,  whether  they  would  approve  and  adopt  the  articles  of 
confederation."  "  Voted  article  by  article  and  adopted  the  ist,  id, 
3d,  4th,  5th,  6th,  7th  articles,  and  approved  the  same  by  a  very  clear 
majority. 

"Voted  the  8th  article  upon  condition  that  if  that  article  is  to  be  understood 
onlv  to  mean  that  our  lands  and  buildings,  etc.,  are  to  be  estimated  according 
to  their  value  for  a  rule  to  proportion  the  United  States  by  and  to  find  what 
each  state  ought  to  pay  and  then  left  with  each  state  legislature  to  have  liberty 
to  tax  the  people  in  their  own  way  to  raise  such  sums  of  money  as  may  be 
ordered  from  time  to  time  by  congress,  then  we  are  in  the  affirmative,  but  if 
it  is  to  be  understood  that  our  taxes  are  to  be  raised  by  lands  and  buildings  and 
improvements  only  and  that  must  be  the  mode,  then  we  are  in  the  negative  by 
a  clear  majority.'' 

This  point  of  objection  was  well  taken  and  indicates  the  sensitive- 
ness of  the  fathers,  as  to  the  authority  of  the  general  government  to 
levy  taxes  directly  upon  the  people.  This  was  one  cause  of  the  war 
in  England  under  Cromwell,  and  was  one  great  cause  of  the  Ame- 
rican Revolution,  and  the  people  were  too  thoroughly  educated  on  the 
subject  to  take  this  authority  from  one  party  (the  king  of  England) 
and  put  it  into  the  hands  of  another  (the  American  congress).  Poli- 
tics, in  those  days  meant  something.  They  were  not  mere  party 
squabbles,  but  questions  of  law,  government  and  freedom. 

"  Articles,  ninth,  tenth,  eleventh,  twelfth  and  thirteenth,  are  approved  bv  a 
very  clear  majority." 

"  Voted  that  the  selectmen  let  those  families,  whose  husbands  are  in  the 
service,  have  what  salt  they  judge  reasonable."  "  That  the  widow  Preston 
have  given  to  her  gratis  one  bushel  of  salt,  when  it  comes,  as  a  free  gift  from 
the  town." 


230  History  of  Torrington. 

"  Voted  that  Nathaniel  Barber  Jr.,  Samuel  Kelsey  Jr.,  Clerk  Roberts,  Am- 
bros  Fyler,  Ebenezer  Scovill,  Ebenezer  Leach,  who  are  now  in  our  service  to 
fill  our  quota,  and  all  those  men  who  will  enlist  or  are  detached,  have  given 
them  twenty  shillings  a  month  for  each  month  they  are  in  the  service,  until  the 
first  day  of  January  next,  except  those  who  take  the  benefit  by  law  provided  to 
support  their  tlimilies  " 

"Voted  that  Lieut.  Ebenezer  Miller  and  Ensign  Elijah  Gaylord,  Capt.  x'lbel 
Beach,  and  Mr.  Caleb  Lyman  be  a  committee  to  divide  to  each  family  the 
town  salt  according  to  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  town  " 

In  March  1778,  they  "voted  that  Capt.  Noah  Wilson,  Capt. 
Abel  Beach,  Capt.  Ebenezer  Coe,  Capt.  Benjamin  Bissell,  Mr. 
Aaron  Austin  and  Lieut,  Neheiniah  Gaylord,  shall  be  a  committee 
to  provide  for  those  families  that  are  left  and  whose  husbands  are  in 
the  army,  as  the  law  directs."  "  Voted  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
provide  the  clothing  for  our  quota,  and  that  the  committee  divide 
into  six  districts,  and  that  each  district  provide  their  equal  proportion, 
and  that  Lieut.  Ebenezer  Miller,  Mr.  Daniel  Hudson,  Mr.  Asahel 
Strong,  Mr.  Abner  Loomis,  Ensign  Daniel  Grant  and  Mr.  Ashbel 
North  be  a  committee  to  divide  and  procure  their  equal  proportions 
of  clothing." 

In  December,  1778,  another  committee  was  appointed  to  procure 
clothing,  consisting  of  George  Baldwin,  Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges,  Ens. 
Benjamin  Whiting,  John  Wetmore,  Ezekiel  Bissell  Jr.,  and  John 
Birge. 

In  September,  1779,  a  special  town  meeting  was  called  for  the 
purpose  and  they  directed  the  select  men  with  the  committee,  to 
borrow  money  if  necessary,  to  provide  clothing  and  provisions  for 
soldiers'  families. 

In  the  next  December,  at  the  regular  meeting  they  decided  that 
"  Daniel  Dibble,  Reuben  Burr,  Noah  Wilson,  Jr.,  and  Ens.  Wait 
Beach,  be  a  committee  to  take  care  of  the  soldiers'  families  the  year 
ensuing."  And  at  the  same  time  they  appointed  Nehemiah  Gaylord, 
Jr.,  Michael  Loomis,  Elisha  Smith,  Caleb  Lyman,  Hewit  Hills,  Eli 
Richards,  a  committee  to  procure  clothing  for  the  soldiers  for  the 
year  ensuing. 

On  December  4th,  1780,  when  war  matters  were  looking  gloomy, 
and  further  call  had  been  made  for  soldiers,  the  town  appointed 
Lieut,  Jesse  Cook,  Ens.  Daniel  Grant,  Lieut.  John  Burr,  Sergeant 
Benjamin  Beach,  Mr.  David  Soper,  and  Mr,  Ashbel  North,  a  com- 
mittee to  procure  men  for  three  years,  or  during  the  war  to  fill  one 
quota  of  the  Continental  army  ;  and  to  leave  the  matter  with  the 
committee  now  appointed,  to  get  the  men  as  reasonable  as  they  can 


ToRRINGTON     IN    WaR    TiMES.  23  I 

and  for  whatever  they  do  the  town  will  be  responsible,  and  will 
satisfy  their  contract  with  those  they  hire,  and  satisfy  all  reasonable 
expenses." 

In  this  year  and  in  1781,  it  required  a  great  effort  to  procure  the 
number  of  men  required  of  the  town,  and  the  votes  passed  were  of  a 
very  stringent  and  thorough  character  so  as  to  meet  the  demands 
made;  extra  taxes  were  levied;  authority  to  borrow  money  given  ; 
Daniel  Grant  was  kept  in  the  saddle  collecting  taxes  almost  the  year 
round  ;  '  three  special  town  meetings  were  held  in  1781  ;  the  town 
was  divided  into  classes  or  districts  and  every  district  must  furnish 
the  men  adjudged  to  be  its  proportion  ;  and  the  very  language  in 
which  the  acts  are  expressed  indicate  the  extremity  to  which  they 
were  driven.  Their  town  meetings  were  like  councils  of  war  rather 
than  any  thing  else  ;  and  on  one  occasion  continued  (June  2),  in  the 
old  Torrington  meeting  house  until  after  dark  and  they  adjourned  to 
the  house  of  Ephraim  Bancroft  to  have  light  to  see  to  record  the 
transactions.  The  great  question  was  how  to  get  men  without  op- 
pression and  injustice,  for  they  say  to  the  committee,  '■'■  to  make  out 
the  town  quota,  in  the  most  equitable  way  and  manner  as  they  possi- 
bly can,  to  do  equal  justice,"  for  the  drafts  fell  so  heavy  that  there 
was  danger  of  rebellion,  and  if  not  who  could  be  found  to  arrest  a 
man  ;  take  him  from  his  already  suffering  family  and  drag  him  into 
the  army.  One  resolution  has  the  ring  of  defiance  !  "  voted  that  it 
the  militia  officers  neglect  to  detach  three  weeks  (against  the  order) 
the  town  will  defend  from  cost  that  may  arise  therefrom."  That 
is,  they  must  and  would  have  a  little  time  to  do  the  work  assigned. 
This  was  not  all ;  when  the  men  were  procured,  the  demands  for 
provisions  must  be  met.  "Voted  that  the  civil  authority  and  select- 
men, divide  the  town  into  four  equal  classes  by  the  lists  and  draw 
lots  which  class  shall  pay  the  first  month's  beef,  and  so  on  for  the 
four  months."  This  means  that  the  authorities  took  a  man's  ox  or 
cow,  whether  he  would  or  not,  and  sent  it  to  the  army,  that  those  sons 
and  fathers  already  there  might  not  starve.  For  any  such  thing 
taken,  the  town  always  paid  a  full  price,  but  every  ox  and  cow  was 
wanted  in  the  town  and  were  not  for  sale. 

The  year  1782  came,  and  with  it  another  call    for  men  from  this 
town  the  number  being  eleven. 

"  Voted  that  the  four  classes  as  set  out  last  year  he  assigned  to  procure  eleven 
men  for  one  year  as  follows,  viz  :   that   the    first  class    be  divided    into    three 


See  Biographical  sketch. 


232 


History  of  Torrington. 


classes,  each  to  procure  one  man  ;  the  second  class  remain  as  they  were  last 
year,  to  procure  two  men  ;  the  third  class  to  be  divided  into  three  classes,  each 
to  procure  one  man  ;  the  fourth  class  to  remain  together  to  procure  three  men  ; 
and  that  the  selectmen  first  divide  and  set  out  by  the  list  ot  1781,  into  four 
classes  or  equal  parts,  as  set  out  last  year,  and  then  divide  as  aforesaid." 

These   eleven,    were  state  men,  and    others    must    be    procured. 

"  Voted  that  the  committee  above  mentioned  be  a  committee  to  hire  what 
men  are  wanted  to  fill  our  quota  aforesaid  of  the  Continental  army  as  well  as 
the  state  men." 

This  was  the  last  draft  they  had  to  meet  and  well  it  was,  for 
they  could  not  have  procured  many  more  soldiers,  unless  the  women 
had  volunteered. 

In  all  the  votes  of  the  town  there  appeared  no  hesitancy,  but 
great  cheerfulness  in  meeting  all  requirements,  as  10  the  army  and 
the  care  of  the  soldier's  families  at  home,  in  hope  of  final  and  lasting 
success  in  freedom. 

Not  an  intimation  is  given  on  the  town  records  of  any  person  be- 
ing disloyal  to  the  American  cause,  and  as  far  as  can  now  be  judged 
those  who  took  the  oath  of  fidelity  to  this  cause,  beginning  in 
1777,  include  all  the  voters  in  the  town  at  that  time,  and  onward  as 
they  became  of  age  or  came  into  the  town.  That  list  is  a  noble 
showing  for  the   town. 

Epaphras  Sheldon,  as  colonel,  entered  complaint  against  Mat- 
thew Grant  Sen.,  in  May  1777,  as  an  officer  in  the  militia,  that  he 
neglected  and  hindered  in  the  exercising  of  the  militia,  and  he  was 
summoned  before  the  assembly,  but  he  took  the  oath  in  the  next 
September. 

Taxes  during  the  Revolution. 

They  were  very  high,  and  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  money 
extremely  difficult  to  pay  ;  and  the  actual  suffering,  consequent,  was 
very  considerable. 

The  town  tax  in  1775  amounted  to  X27,  u,  7^<5^  for  the  west  side, 
and  £14,3^,2^,  for  the  east  side,  or  both,  £/\.i^^s,  g^d.  In  1777,  the 
two  assessments  made  amounted  to  £181, 12^,  lO^;  or  more  than  four 
times  that  of  1775.  In  1779,  they  amounted  to  X308,  45,  2^.  In 
1780,  the  amount  in  figures  was  £3054,  is,  10^,  which  they  could  not 
have  paid  if  the  figures  represented  hard  money,  but  they  meant  Con- 
tinental money,  which  was  abundant,  but  worth  very  little.  In  [781, 
the  twoassessments amounted  to  £506,  5^,3!^,  in  state  money,  which 


TORRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES.  233 

money  was  then  becoming  the  reliable  currency,  gold]and  silver  being 
almost  unknown,  practically. 

In  the  collection  of  these  taxes,  Daniel  Grant  became  a  celebrated, 
and  almost  indispensable  man,  because  of  his  success  in  obtaining  the 
money,  and  also  in  making  it  as  easy  as  possible  for  the  people.  In 
many  cases  the  persons  could  not  raise  the  money,  it  being  entirely 
beyond  their  ability.  Mr.  Grant  would  take  a  cow,  sell  it  according 
to  law,  buy  it  himself;  leave  the  cow  with  the  family,  taking  a  note 
for  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  was  to  receive  the 
cow  with  the  first  calf.  This  was  a  great  favor  to  these  helpless 
families.  Mr.  Grant  is  said  to  have  made  some  money  In  this  mat- 
ter, and  if  so  it  was  well  earned.  He  was  the  banker  of  the  town. 
He  accepted  wheat  and  clothing  for  the  army,  and  attended  to  the 
exchange,  by  which  the  claims  for  money  were  satisfied  by  other 
articles,  and  when  others  could  not  raise  the  money  needed,  he  did 
it,  and  took  such  property  (lands  or  goods)  as  could  be  spared  ;  and 
did  the  work'  with  such  remarkable  equity,  that  the  town  by  vote  in 
town  meeting,  committed  almost  the  whole  matter  to  him  during 
the  last  four  years  of  the  war.  No  higher  praise  could  be  bestowed 
on  one  man  under  like  circumstances.  At  the  first  there  were  other 
collectors  appointed,  especially  one  for  the  east  side  ;  toward  the  last 
he  was  the  only  one  appointed,  and  in  the  collection  of  money 
levied  by  congress,  through  the  state,  he  was  chosen  "  grand  col- 
lector "  showing  the  confidence  placed  in  him  and  his  ability  to  man- 
age the  matter  to  the  satisfaction,  and  as  far  as  could  be,  to  the 
comfort  of  all. 

And  finally,  many  of  the  notes  he  took  for  property  were  never 
collected,  and  in  his  last  will  he  gave  a  farm  to  the  town  for  the  pur- 
pose of  schooling  (see  his  biography). 

The  Women  of  the  Revolution, 

They  stayed  at  home.  Ah,  did  not  their  hearts  go  with  their  sons 
and  husbands  to  the  battlefield,  for  seven  long  years  ?  Did  they  not 
suffer  more  in  their  anxieties,  sympathies  and  privations  at  home 
than  the  men  in  the  field  ?  What  meant  the  gathering  of  the  women 
once  a  week  at  the  taverns  of  Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon  and  Capt.  Ben- 
jamin Bissell  to  get  some  news  from  the  war,  but  that,  there  was 
much  suffiering  and  hard  fare  at  home  ?  But  this  was  not  all.  In 
1776,  when  the  two  militia  companies  were  called  away  in  August, 
who  gathered  the  crops  during  the  next  two  months  ?     The  women 

30 


234  History  of  Torringto 


N. 


and  the  children,  for  the  men  were  nearly  all  gone  ;  one  aged  lady 
who  heard  much  of  these  times  said  lately,  "  every  body  went." 
Who  was  it  that  did  without  tea,  and  cooked  the  dinners  without 
salt,  and  made  pies  without  sugar,  or  even  molasses,  except  they 
themselves  obtained  it  from  the  maple  trees  of  the  forest,  but  the 
women  whose  hearts  were  growing  sadder  every  year,  and  many  of 
them,  were  those  whose  eyes  were  dim  already,  because  they  should 
see  no  more  those  sons,  some  of  them  were  mere  children  in  years, 
who  had  gone  to  the  war  never  to  return  ?  Who  was  it  but  the  mother 
of  Noah  Beach's  children  who  for  weeks  during  the  war  had  no 
bread  in  the  house  for  herself  and  children,  but  griddle  cakes  made  of 
buckwheat  bran,  of  which  her  son  said  years  after,  "  if  they  were 
baked  from  morning  until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  would 
be  so  sticky  that  he  could  not  swallow  them  ?  " 

Who  spun  the  wool  and  wove  the  cloth,  made  into  the  blankets, 
for  which  the  town  was  credited  nine  and  ten  pounds  e^ch,  in  money 
by  the  state,  but  the  wives  of  Deacon  Miller,  Jabez  Gillett,  Daniel 
Dibble,  and  many  others  of  the  same  noble  heart  and  courage  ? 
Who  pulled  the  flax,  beat  off  the  seed,  spun  the  linen  and  wove  the 
cloth  to  make  the  soldiers'  tents  but  such  women  as  widow  Mary 
Birge  and  fifty  others  who  were  as  patriotic  as  any  general  in  the 
army.  ?  < 

In  the  early  part  of  178 1,  the  French  army  passed  through  this 
town  on  their  way  to  join  Washington's  army  near  New  York,  and 
encamped  on  Torringford  street.' 

There  was  a  company  of  troopers  or  soldiers  on  horses,  formed 
in  this  town  in  1779  or  80,  who  took  active  part  in  the  revolutionary 
service,  as  the  records  show  that  they  received  pay  for  such  service 
in  the  same  proportion  as  the  other  militia  companies.  Two  horse 
pistols  are  still  preserved,  and  are  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  George  Allyn, 
that  were  a  part  of  the  equipment  of  this  company.  They  were 
made  by  Medad  Hills,  and  bear  his  inscription. 


•Jeremiah  Spencer,  born  in  Bolton,  Ct.,  February  5,  1770,  was  taken  by  his  parents 
with  five  other  children  to  Wyoming.  In  the  summer  of  1776,  the  father  died  of  small 
pox.  The  two  older  sons  were  killed  in  the  battle  of  Wyoming  July  3,  1778,  and  the 
mother  and  four  surviving  children  fled  from  the  scene  of  desolation,  on  foot  for  Bolton, 
where  they  arrived  at  the  end  of  five  weeks,  Jeremiah  then  in  his  ninth  year,  making  the 
whole  journey  on  foot,  without  hat,  coat  or  shoes.  He  removed  to  Torringford  about  1803, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death.  He  joined  the  church  on  profession,  July  4,  1858,  in  his 
eighty-ninth  year,  and  died  Oct.  22,  1863,  in  his  ninety-fourth  year. 


TORRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES.  235 


Officers  and  Soldiers. 

Gen.  Epaphras  Sheldon  was  lieutenant  under  Col.  Oliver 
Wolcott  and  afterwards  was  made  major,  colonel  and  general  after 
the  war. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold  was  lieutenant  in  two  campaigns  in 
the  French  war  in  1758  and  9,  and  was  captain  in  two  campaigns  in 
the  Revolution. 

Capt.  John  Strong  was  captain  of  the  militia  and  was  probably 
in  two  or  three  campaigns. 

Capt.  Amos  Wilson  enlisted  a  company,  went  to  the  war  but  was 
taken  ill  by  sun  stroke  and  returned  home. 

Capt.  Epaphras  Loomis,  probably,  was  elected  to  Capt.  Amos 
Wilson's  position,  in  the  commencement  of  the  war,  and  as  captain 
of  the  Torrington  company  was  in  several  campaigns  with  the  militia, 
and  was  afterwards  appointed  captain  of  an  enlisted  company. 

Capt.  Noah  Wilson  was  the  first  captain  of  a  military  company 
in  the  town,  and  he  resigned  and  his  brother  Amos  was  elected  in 
his  place,  and  as  near  as  can  be  ascertained,  Amos  resigned  soon  after 
the  commencement  of  the  war,  and  was  not  in  the  service  long. 

Noah  Wilson  may  have  gone  in  the  call  for  the  militia  in  1775. 

David  Lyman  served  in  the  army  some  time,  was  honorably  dis- 
charged to  run  a  grist  mill  in  New  Hartford  for  the  supply  of  the  re- 
volutionary troops  ;  resided  in  Torringford  a  number  of  years  before 
his  death.  He  is  said  to  have  been  known  by  the  name  of  General 
Lyman. 

Capt.  Jabez  Gillett  was  in  the  service. 

Dr.  Isaac  Day,  of  Torringford,  was  appointed  surgeon's  mate  in 
the  regiment  of  Col.  Webb,  in  1777. 

Dr.  Oliver  Bancroft  was  in  the  army. 

Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges  was  probably  in  the  army  with  the  militia 
two  or  three  terms  when  they  were  called  out,  as  he  received  pay  as 
others. 

Dr.  Samuel  Woodward  was  in  the  army,  but  probably  with  the 
militia. 

Capt.  Seth  Coe  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,  enlisting  when 
but  seventeen,  and  remaining  through  the  war,  and  was  probably  made 
captain  in  the  war. 

Levi  Watson  was  at  Danbury  when  it  was  burned  by  the  British. 

Thomas  Watson  was  in  the  state  service,  which  he  entered  at 


236 


History  of  Torrington. 


the  age  of  fifteen,  and  joined  the  Continental  army  when  but  nine- 
teen. 

Shubael  Griswold  Jr.,  was  an  officer  in  his  father's  company  in 
the  Revolution,  and  afterwards  became  general  of  the  militia  at 
East  Hartford. 

Pardon  Abbott,  from  Rhode  Island,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tion ;  drew  a  pension  many  years  ;  lived  in  the  old  house  on  the  little 
hill  below  the  nickel  furnace  in  Torrington  hollow. 

AsAHEL  Strong  was  conductor  of  teams. 

The  following  persons  are  known  to  have  been  in  the  Revolution 
for  various  lengths  of  time  •,  some  in  the  militia  and  some  of  them  in 
the  regular  army  : 


Oliver  Coe, 
Oliver  Coe  Jr., 
Dr.  Oliver  Bancroft, 
Nathaniel  Barber  jr., 
Bushniel  Benedict, 
Daniel  Benedict, 
Simeon  Birge, 
Elijah  Bissell, 
John  Dear, 
Noah  Drake  Sen., 
Andrew  Ely, 
John  StandclifF, 
John  Ellsworth, 
Ebenezer  Scoville, 


Ambrose  Fyler, 
Benjamin  Whiting, 
Benjamin  Gaylord, 
Jesse  Whiting, 
Stanley  Griswold, 
Henry  Whiting, 
Shubael  Griswold  Jr., 
Eliphalet  Hough, 
Joseph  Hoskins  Sen., 
Samuel  Kelsey, 
Elisha  Kelsey, 
Nathaniel  Kelsey, 
Samuel  Kelsey  Jr., 
David  Lyman, 


Epaphras  Loomis  Jr., 
Wait  Loomis, 
Elijah  Loomis, 
Richard  Leach, 
Ebenezer  Leach, 
Roger  Marshall, 
Barber  Moore, 
Jared  Palmer, 
Abel  Roberts, 
Samuel  Roberts, 
Clerk  Roberts, 
William  Williams, 
Stephen  Rowley, 
John  Williams. 


The  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  flag  of  the  Union  was  fired  on  at  Fort  Sumter,  April  14,  1861, 
and  on  the  21st  of  the  same  month  this  town  issued  a  call  for  a  special 
meeting  to  be  held  on  the  27th  following,  "  for  the  purpose  of  making 
an  appropriation  from  the  treasury  of  the  town  to  furnish  arms  and 
clothing  to  those  who  might  volunteer  and  be  mustered  in  at  the  call 
of  the  president  of  the  United  States."  At  the  appointed  time  the 
meeting  voted  the  sum  of  four  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars,  to 
be  drawn  and  appropriated  to  the  designated  end  by  a  committee,  the 
following  named  persons  being  that  committee  :  Bradley  R.  Agard, 
Francis  N.  Holly,  William  R.  Slade,  Thomas  A.  Miller,  and  Harvey 
L.   Rood. 

Such  was  the  prompt,  decided  and  substantial  manifestation  of  the 
town  in  favor  of  sustaining  the  Union  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
principles  of  national  freedom.     At  the  annual  meeting  in  the  next 


TORRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES.  I37 

October,  they  made  further  provisions  for  soldiers'  families,  and  for 
any  persons  who  should  enlist  ;  and  on  Monday  July  28,  1862,  at  a 
special  meeting  the  town  voted  one  hundred  dollars  bounty  to  each 
soldier  accepted  in  the  service  from  the  town,  before  the  twentieth 
of  the  next  August.  Before  that  time  expired  another  meeting  was 
called  and  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  continued  ;  and  an  addi- 
tional fifty  dollars  offered  to  those  who  should  enlist,  under  the  call 
for  300,000  men  for  nine  months.  On  the  thirtieth  of  August,  of 
the  same  year,  after  a  draft  had  been  ordered  the  town  offered  two 
hundred  dollars  bounty  to  those  who  should  enlist  from  the  town  to 
obviate  the  necessity  of  carrying  the  draft  into  effect,  and  $7,000  were 
appropriated  for  this  end. 

On  the  27th  day  of  July,  1863,  a  meeting  was  held,  called  for  the 
purpose  of  voting  three  hundred  dollars  bounty  to  "  such  of  the  citi- 
zens of  this  town  who  may  be  drafted,"  but  no  vote  to  this  effect 
was  passed,  and  two  subsequent  meetings  were  held  before  a  final 
decision  was  reached  in  regard  to  certain  matters  of  interest,  when 
the  vote  passed  to  pay  every  man  who  should  be  drafted  two  hundred 
dollars,  and  every  man  who  should  be  drafted  and  furnish  a  substitute, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  the  selectmen  directed  to  hire  so 
•much  money  as  should  be  necessary  to  execute  the  vote. 

When  five  hundred  thousand  men  were  called  for  in  July,  1864, 
the  town  voted  five  thousand  dollars  to  fill  the  required  number  of 
soldiers,  and  in  the  next  month  the  town  gave  authority  for  the  select- 
men to  borrow  so  much  money  as  might  be  necessary  for  the  purpose 
of  filling  the  quota  of  the  town,  and  gave  them  power  to  "  use  said 
money  in  such  measures  as  they  shall  deem  best  for  the  object." 
Therefore  the  selectmen  were  entrusted  with  nearly  the  whole  matter, 
which  indicates  the  very  great  confidence  of  the  town  in  them,  and 
the  great  pressure  the  drafts  were  making  upon  the  people  of  the 
land. 

All  of  this  may  be  thought  to  be  well  enough  and  that  when  men 
are  trying  to  get  out  of  the  fight  themselves  they  can  afford  to  sur- 
render a  little  money  to  accomplish  that  end,  but  this  town  showed 
its  true  spirit  of  honor  when,  after  the  war  closed,  they  voted  one 
hundred  dollars  to  those  soldiers  who  had  not  received  a  bounty,  or 
the  wives  and  widows  of  such  soldiers  who  had  been  taken  prisoners 
or  who  had  died  in  the  service. 

Such  is  an  outline  of  the  acts  of  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  sus- 
taining the  nation's  honor  in  the  hour  of  severe  and  very  great  trial, 
in  the  hope  of  perpetuating  to  the  generations  to  follow  the  great  boon 


238  History  of  Torrington. 

of  liberty  for  which  the  fathers  in  the  Revolution  struggled  so  marvel- 
ously  and  successfully,  but,  to  portray  the  real  character  of  the  late 
war  as  it  affected  the  people  of  this  town  as  well  as  others,  and  follow 
the  desolations,  privations  and  sorrows  consequent  upon  the  mis- 
fortune of  those  who  by  the  calamities  of  war  "  crossed  the  dead 
line,"  would  require  a  book  of  itself,  and  such  a  book,  even,  would 
be  only  a  faint  echo  of  the  past.  Were  it  proper  and  consistent  with 
the  circumstances  of  the  author  of  this  book,  he  would  most  gladly 
give  a  month's  time,  to  secure  some  significant  memorial  to  the  noble 
men  of  this  town,  who  left  all,  risked  all,  suffered  much,  and  espe- 
cially those  who  laid  down  their  lives,  for  their  homes,  their  friends, 
and  their  country  ;  but  he  is  compelled  to  leave  the  matter  in  the  one 
effort  of  trying  to  make  the  catalogue  of  names  as  complete  as  it  is 
in  his  power  of  doing. 

First  Regiment  Heavy  Artillery,  C.  F. 

Sanford  H.  Perkins,  capt.,  Co.  I,  May  23,  1861  ;   promoted  maj.,  14th  C.  V.,  June  7,  1862. 
Albert  F.  Brooker,  ist  lieut.,  Co.  I,  May  23,  1861  ;   promoted  capt.,  Co.  B,  May  23,  1862. 
Edward  H.    Mix,    2d   lieut.,  Co.    I,  "  "  "  ist    lieut.,  Co.    C,   resigned 

Feb.  6,  1862. 
Collis  S.  Hough,  sergt.,  Co.  I,  May  23,  i86i  ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran,  Dec.  17,   1863. 
David  W.  Smith,  corporal,  Co.  I,  May  23,  1861  ;  discharged  May  23,  1864,  term  expired.* 
King  Walbridge,  "  "  "  " 

Charles  Huxford,  "  "  «  " 

Frank  R.  Brooker,  private, 
Wilbur  W.  Birge,        «' 
Edward  C.  Castle,         " 


<<  (C 

«  « 


<(  ((  «  <(  <l 

(t  «  «  <(  (< 

<(  <<  'I  I       '<  «  « 


"  disability,  Sept.  23,  1861. 

"      May  23,  1864,  term  expired. 


Clement  Griffin,  "  "  "  "    died,  Nov.  23,  1862, 

Asahel  C.  Johnson,     "  "  "  "    re-enjisted  as  veteran,  Feb.  5,  1864. 

James  H.   Mott,  "  "  "  "    discharged  May  23,  1864,  term  expired. 

Hayden  D.  Palmer,    "  "  "  "     re-enlisted  as  veteran,  Dec.  30,  1863. 

Eber  N.  Stocking,       "  ■'  "  "    discharged,  disability,  Sept.  23,  1861. 

Elisha  J.  Steele,     private,  "   May,  23,  1861  j   re-enlisted  as  veteran,  Dec.  30,  1863. 

Charles  W.  Smith,     "  "      "        «        '«  "  "  "   Nov.  16,  1863. 

Henry  M.  Stocking,  "  «     "        «'        "  "  «  "     "        "      " 

Lambert  W.  Steele,    "  «      «      '  "        «  "  "  Dec.  10,  1863. 

Recruits,  Company  I. 
John  Keaton,  private,  Co.  I,  April  12,  1862;   re-enlisted  as  veteran,  April  19,  1864. 


Second  Regiment  Heavy  Artillery  C.  V. 

Dr.  Jeremiah  W.  Phelps,  ist  ast.  surgeon,  Sept.  5,  1862;  resigned,  Sept.  15,  1862. 
Jonathan  A.  Wainwright,  chaplain,  Sept.  8,  1862;   resigned,  Jan.  20,  1863. 
Wilbur  W.  Birge,  sergt.  maj.,  July  28,  1862  ;   promoted  to  ist  lieut.,  Co.  F,  Feb.  6,    1864. 
William  T.  Spencer,    ist  lieut.,  Co.  C,   July  22,    1862;   promoted  capt.  of  Co.  K,   Aug. 

II,  1863. 
Morris  H.  Sanford,    2d  lieut.,  Co.  C,  July  21,  1862;   promoted  ist  lieut.,   Aug.  11,  1863. 
George  K.  Hyde,  sergt.,  Co.  C,  Aug.  25,  1862  ,  promoted  2d  lieut.,  Co.  G,  Feb.  6,  1864. 


TORRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES. 


239 


«     « 


((     << 
(<     <( 


July  28,  1862. 
Aug.  II,   1862. 

"     died,  Alexandria,  Va.,  April  i,  1863. 


<(  (C 

«      <c 


«      <c 


Orsamus  R.  Fyler,  sergt.  Co.  C,  Aug.  9,  1862  j   promoted  2d  lieut.,  Co.  I,  Feb.  6,  1864. 

David  C.  Munson,  corporal,  Co.  C,  Aug.  4,  1862. 

Albert  P.  Newberry,  corporal,  Co.  A,  Aug.  4,  1862;   died  in  Va.,  April  14,  1864. 

David  J.  Thorp,  corporal,  Co.  C,  July  28,  1862;   killed  at  Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June   I,  1864. 

Martin  L.  Judd,  corporal,  Co.  C,  Aug.  11,  1862. 

William  H.  Hyde,  corporal,  Co.  C,  July  24,  1862;   discharged,  disability,  Aug.  8,  1863. 

John  Wilcox,  Co.  A,  died  from  wounds,  June  16,  1864. 

Andrew  J.  Brooker,  Co.  A,  died  from  wounds,  Oct.    12,  1864. 

Hicks  Seaman,  musician,  Co.  C,  July  28,  1862. 

Andrew  E.  Workman,  musician,  Co.  C,  Aug.  4,  1862. 

Milo  F.  Barber,  private,  Co.  C,  Aug.   11,  18625   discharged,  disability,  April  18,    1864. 

Anson  F.  Balcom,     "         "    "       '«     «'  "       died,  wounds  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864. 

Edward  M.  Balcom,  private,  Co.  C,  Aug.  11,   1862. 

John  R.  Blakeslee,       " 

Virgil  R.  Bissell,  " 

Giles  A.  Come,  " 

Orrin  H.  Cooke,  " 

Alfred  Calkins,  « 

army. 
Edward  M.  Dunbar,     " 
Joseph    Durocher,  " 

Orlando  D.  Evans,  " 
John   Friend,  " 

Cornel  A.  Hammond,  " 
Frederick  O.  Hills,  " 
William  H.  Hart,  » 

Harlow  S.  Johnson.       " 

1864. 
James  Jukes,  " 

John  De  Lowry,  " 

Dennis  Murphy,  " 

McKenzie  Millard,  " 
James  Moran,  " 

Charles  E.  Morse,  " 

Carrel  F.  North,  « 

Alonzo  Smith,  " 

David  J.  Thorp,  " 

George  C.  Thompson,  " 
Wright  Waterhouse,  " 
Henry  M.  Woodruff,  " 
Lucien  N.  Whiting,  " 
Harrison  Whitney,  " 
Milo  Young,  " 


died  at   home,  disease    contracted    in 


died,  Feb.  28,  1863. 


Aug.  6,  1862. 

July  24,  1862J   discharged,  Nov.  9,  1862. 

Aug.  II,  1862. 

"     "  "     died  in  hospital,  Va.,  June  24,  1864. 

"     "  "     died  at    Baltimore,  Md.,   Sept.    23, 


honorably  discharged. 


« 

« 

it 

«         it 

il 

« 

l( 

«          « 

it 

« 

(< 

«          i< 

(1 

iC 

Aug. 

4,  1862. 

<( 

<t 

Aug. 

7,  1862. 

« 

It 

Aug. 

II,  1862 

c< 

(t 

Aug. 

14,  1862 

(■ 

<' 

July 

25,  1862. 

<( 

it 

<( 

tt 

(( 

ti 

it 

u 

'«     "  "     killed  at  Cold  Harbor,  June  i,  1865. 

July  23,  1862. 
July  28,  1862; 

Aug.  II,  1862  J  died  in  hospital,  N.  H.,  July  22,  1864. 
Aug.  4,  1862. 

it     tt     It 


Aug.  II,  1862;  died  in  hospital,  May   14,  1865. 
Charles  G.  Mason,  private,  Co.  E,  July  30,   1862. 
Hubbard  E.  Tuttle,        "  "     "     Aug.  6,  1862. 

Lant  Ryan,  corporal,  Co.  K,  Aug.  12,  1862. 
Asahel  N.  Perkins,  private,  Co.  K,  Augi.  7,  1862;   died,  wounds. 

Patrick  Farrell,  "  "      «        «     «        «     honorably  discharged,  June  I,  1864. 

Enoch  G.  Warhurst,     "  '«      "      Aug.  6,  1862. 

Patrick  Peacock,  "         '<     "  «     "     "     honorably  discharged. 


240  History  of  Torrington. 

Co.  C   Recruits.  j 

Newton  A.  Calkins,  private,  Co.  C,  Dec.  9,   1863.  1 

John   Delowry,  "         "      "  Jan.  2,  1864.  ' 

William  H.  Hart,  "  «     "  Dec.  28,  1863. 

Andrew  Harris,  "         "      "  Dec.  23,  1863.  \ 

James  M.  Hayes,  "         "     "  Dec.  15,  1863  j   died  in  Va.,  July  24,  1864.  i 

Patrick  Kenedy,  "         "     "  Feb.  1 1,  1864. 

Lewis  A.  Luddington,    "  "     "  Jan.  5,  1864. 

Jeremiah  McCarthy,      "         «      "  Dec.  28,  1863  ;   killed  Va.,  Sept.  19,  1864. 
Patrick  O'Conner,  "         '<     "  Dec.  15,  1863. 

Henry  W.  Ostrum,        "         "      "  Dec.    28,    1863. 

George  W.  Pitrce,  "         "      «•  Dec.  15,  1863;   killed.  Cold  Harbor  June    i,   1864. 

Albert  M.  Scoville,       "         "     "  Dec.  28,  1863  j   died,  Va.,  Oct.  19,  1864. 
Horace  A.  Thompson,  private,  Co.  M.,  Feb.  12,    1864. 
George  H.  Wheeler,  private,  Co.  M,   Feb.  12,  1864. 

.    i 
Second  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  V.  j 

Henry  G.  Colt,  private,  May  7,  1861  j    honorably  discharged  Aug.  7,  1861.  | 

George  M.  Evans,  "     "       «  "  «  "     "       "  ' 

Third  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F.  \ 

Allen  G.  Brady,  It.  colonel.  May  14,  i8bi  ;   honorably  discharged  Aug.  12,  1861. 
William  G.  Brady,  sergt.  major.  May  14,  1861;   "  "  Aug.  12,    1861,  I 

Joseph  P.  Reed,  private.  May  14,  i85i  ;   Rifle  Co.  F,  honorably  discharged  Aug.  12,  18 61.  I 

George  M.  Evans,  private,  Nov.  2,  1861  ;  Cav.  Co.  D,  re-enlisted  as  vet.,  Dec.  17,   1863. 

First  Regiment  Cavalry  Recruits,  Co.  G.  '. 

Nelson  Hodges,  private,  Nov.  30,  1863. 
Cornelius  Horgan,  "        Dec.  22,  1863.  ! 

Eighth  Regiment  Infantry,  Co.  C. 

Henry  H.  Riggs,  corporal,  Sept.  25,  1861.  < 

Thomas  J.  Hubbard,  corporal,  Oct.  5,  1861  ;   re-enlisted  veteran,  Dec.  24,  1863. 

William  H.  McCarty,  private,  Sept.  25,  1861  ;   discharged,  disability  March  4,  1863. 

John  Collins,  private,  Co.  F,  Sept.  4,  18635  substitute  or  drafted.  ; 

James  Churchill,  private,  Co.  I,  Sept.  4,  1863;      "  "        " 

John  Hern,  '•  Co.  F,  Sept.  4,  1863  ;   «'  '«        "  ; 

William  Matice,       "  Co.  I,  Sept.  4,    1863.  j 

Frank  Miller,  "  Co.  A,  Mar.  29,  1864.  ! 

Henry  C.  Woodward,  private,  Co.  I,  Feb.   25,  1864.  ■ 

Tenth  Regiment.  1 

Simon  Lathrop,  Co.  A.,  killed  N.  C,  Dec.  14,  1862.  ] 

Eleventh  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F.  Recruits.  [ 

'( 

John  C.  King,  private,  Mar.  30,  1864;   not  taken  upon  the  rolls  June  30,  1864.  ti 

Lewis  Dayton,  Co.  D,  killed  Sept.  17,  1862. 

Thomas  Lackey,  private,  Co.  H,  Mar.  30,  1864. 

James  McGrath,        "  Apr.    i,  1864. 

George  Sinclair,         "        Co.  K,  Apr.  i,  18645  trans.  U.  S.  navy,  Apr.  29,  1864. 


TORRINGTON    IN    WaR    TiMES.  24I 

Michael  Welch,  private,    Co.  K,  Mar.  30,  1864. 

Henry  Williams,       "     Co.  K,  Apr.  i,  1864. 

Lewis  E.  Walling,    "      Co.  E,  died  during  the  war. 

Thirteenth  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F. 

Hurlbifit  C.  Hayes,  corporal,  Co.  B.,  Jan.  11,  1862. 

Charles  F.  Cleaveland,  private,  Co.  B,  Dec.  22,  1861  j   died  Apr.  8,  1862. 

Edward  M.  Dunbar,  "         "     "    Dec.  2,  1861  ;  discharged,  disability,  June  30,    1862. 

Edward  A.  Foot,  "  *'      "  Jan.  11. 

Frederick  E.  Hawley,         "         "      "   Dec.  22,  1861  ;  discharged,  disability,  Feb.  28,  1863. 

Dennis  Hegany,  "         "      "   Dec.  22,  1861  ;   re-enlisted  as  veteran,  Feb.  8,  1864. 

George  E.  Hewlett,  "         "     "   Dec.  22,  1861  j  transf.  to  ist.  La.  Regt.,  Aug.  8,  1862. 

Edward  Murphy,  "         *'      "   Feb.  20,  died  Apr.  7,  1862. 

Michael  Higany,  "         "     "    Feb.  20,  re-enlisted  as  veteran,  Feb.  29,  1864. 

Henry  A.  Hurlbut,  Co.  G.,  honorably  discharged. 

Fourteenth  Regiment  Infantry^  C.  F.  Co.  C. 

William  Bradshaw,  Co.  A,  died  Aug.  16,  1864. 

Edward  Carroll,  private,  July  8,  1862;   deserted  April  30,  1863. 

Fourteenth  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F.  Recruits. 

Frederick  Cheever,  private,  Co.  D,  Sept.  17,  1863  ,•  substitute  or  drafted. 

Nicholas  Deane,  "  Co    C,  Sept.  7,    1863  ;             "          "          "     supposed  prisoner. 

Feb.  6,  1864. 

Ferdinand  GrosslofF,  "  Co.  D,  Sept.  17,  1863  j   deserted  to  the  enemy  April  30,  1864. 

John  Fitzpatrick,  "  Co.  E,      "        "       "         honorably  discharged. 

Thomas  Rumble  "  Co.  A,  Sept.  11,  1863;  supposed  prisoner  Oct.,  1863. 

George  Smith  2d,  "  Co.  H,  Sept.  8,   1863. 

John  Suffang,  "  Co.  C,  Sept    8,1863. 

Sixteenth  Regiment. 

Christopher  C.  Johnson,  Co.  E,   died  in  Andersonville  prison. 

Seventeenth  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F. 

Allen  G.  Brady,  major,  Aug.  29,  1862;   discharged,  disability,  Oct.  2i,  1863. 

Twenty-Second  Regiment  Infantry,  Co.  E. 

Riley  Dunbar,  private,  Sept.  20,  1862;   honorably  discharged  July  7,  1863. 

Twenty-Third  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F. 

Henry  Barber,  Co.  A,   honorably  discharged. 

John  Deloury,  private,  Co.  A,  Aug.  30,  1862  j  honorably  discharged  Aug.  31,  1862. 

Andrew  Barrett,     "       Co.  H,  Aug.  22,18625  "  "  ^"g-  3i>  1863. 

Twenty-Eighth  Regiment  Infaritry  C.  F . 
Lucius  E.  Bissell,  corporal,  Co.  F,  Sept.  i,  1862. 

Lafayette  Bailey,  private,       "      "    Aug.  21,  1862  ;  honorably  discharged  Aug.  28,  1863. 
Erwin  W.  Curtiss,     "  "      "    Sept.  i,  1862;   died  May  27,  1863. 

Lewis  E.  Dailey,        "  "     "    Sept.  i,  1862;   honorably  discharged  Aug.  28,  1863. 

31 


242  History  of  Torrington. 


Twenty-Ninth  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  V. 

Henry  S.  Freeman,  private,  Co.  H,  March  2,  1864. 

Edward  Freeman,  Co.  C,  died  in  Texas  Oct.  13,  1855. 

George  Wright,  private,  Co.  I,  Dec.  31,  1863. 

Thirtieth  Regiment  Infantry,  C.  F. 
Thomas  W.  Browne,  private,  Co.  F,  March  28,  1864;  not  taken  on  the  rolls  June  30,  1864. 

Colored  Drafted  Men  and  Substitutes,  assigned  to  Fourteenth  Regiment  R.  I. 

Heavy  Artillery. 

Richard  Harrison,  private,  Co.  D,  Sept.  9,  1863. 

Nelson  Harrison,        "        Co.  D,  Sept.  9,  1863. 

Hannibal   Randall,     "        Co.  D,  Aug.  22,  1863  ;   died  place  unknown. 

John  N.  Smith,  Co.  B,  21st  Mass.,  died  during  war. 

Harvey  F.  Bellamy,  Co.  B,  21st  Mass. 

Russell  P.  Fellows  enlisted  at  Bristol  in  Co.  K,  i6th  regiment  early  in  the  war,  was  taken 

prisoner  April  20,  1864. 
Harvey  Fellows   enlisted  in  Co.  C,  25th  regiment,  was  taken  prisoner  but  was  exchanged. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THINGS  THAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  LEFT  OUT. 

[MUSEMENTS  have  been  sought  by  young  and  old  in 
all  generations  and  nations  ;  the  only  difference  being 
simply  as  to  the  kind  indulged  in.  Among  the  sports 
engaged  in  for  many  years  in  Torrington,  were  hunting 
matches ;  in  which  the  animals  and  birds  killed  were  counted  at  a 
certain  rate  and  the  side  which  counted  the  less  number  were  ob- 
ligated to  pay  for  a  good  dinner,  and  treat  all  round.  On  one  occa- 
sion there  was  a  hunt  and  the  count  was  to  be  on  the  heads  of  the 
animals  killed.  Miles  Beach  being  on  one  side,  went  into  the  corn- 
field and  caught  one  or  two  hundred  mice  and  brought  the  heads, 
claiming  that  a  head  was  a  head,  and  should  be  counted.  In  this 
transaction,  whether  he  was  much  of  a  sportsman  or  not,  he  de- 
monstrated that  he  was  a  good  mouser. 

On  another  occasion  of  a  hunt,  the  tails  of  the  animals  were  to  be 
counted.  One  man  shot  at  a  squirrel,  cut  off  his  tail  and  carried  it 
to  the  rendezvous,  where  it  counted  all  the  same,  while  the  squirrel 
went  on  his  way  in  new  fashion. 

Wild  Cats. 

These  animals  seem  to  have  exercised  the  minds  of  either  the 
young  men  or  the  old  men  or  the  children,  to  an  extent  quite  sur- 
prising. During  some  years  before  1800,  the  town  voted  fifty  cents 
bounty  for  a  wild  cat's  head,  and  at  that  rate  the  treasurer  of  the 
town  paid  for  a  considerable  number  of  them,  but,  either  to  keep  ^ 
some  lazy  fellows  hunting,  so  as  to  keep  them  from  worse  employ- 
ment, or  to  make  believe  there  were  wild  cats,  or  to  put  the  real 
wild  cats  out  of  the  way,  so  that  the  young  fellows  would  not  be 
scared  in  going  home  nights  after  seeing  the  girls,  the  town  offered 
in  1^02,  one  dollar  a  head  bounty,  and  in  1806,  it  offered  two  dol- 
lars a  head. 

A  little  above  Daytonville,  on  the  road  to  Newfield,  east  of  the 
road  is  a  strange  looking  hollow  called  Wild  Cat  hollow,  and  it  is  well 
named   if  the  name   indicates  a  place   where   wild  cats  could   hide. 


244  History  of  Torrington. 

The   formation   is   by  the   upheaval  of  the   rocks,  and    large   stones 
thrown  in  according  to  no  rule  of  masonry. 

A  Prosecution  for  Profanity. 

"  To  Ebenezer  Norton,  Esq.,  his  majesty's  justice  of  the  peace,  for  Litchfield 

county  in  Conn. 

Benjamin  Whiting,  grand  juror  for  said  county  of  Litchfield  for  the  time 
being,  and  other  informing  officers  for  said  town  and  county,  on  their  oath,  in 
the  name  and  behalf  of  our  sovereign  lord  the  now  king  ;  complaint  and  infor- 
mation make  against  Matthew  Grant  of  Torrington  in  said  county  for  breach 
of  law,  for  that  he,  the  said  Matthew,  being  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Epaphras 
Sheldon  Esq.,  and  at  Mr.  Ebenezer  Goes,  in  Torrington,  on  or  about  the  21st 
day  of  January  last,  past,  and  several  of  his  majesty's  subjects  being  present, 
the  said  Matthew  did  at  the  aforesaid  place,  in  a  very  tumultuous  and  angry 
way  and  manner,  did  with  a  loud  voice  sware,  bv  God  vainly,  rashly  and  in  a 
passion  and  profanely,  and  used  those  vain  words  following,  viz :  *  The  south 
end  of  Torrington  is  as  bad  as  hell,  and  that  the  Wilsons  would  all  go  to  hell, 
and  that  they  would  go  to  the  devil,'  and  many  other  rash  and  profane  words, 
did  then  and  there  express  in  a  very  wicked  way  and  manner  ;  all  which  the 
complainers  say,  was  contrary  to  the  peace  of  our  sovereign  lord  the  king,  and 
the  law  of  this  colony  ;  and  pray  that  the  said  Matthew  Grant  may  be  pro- 
ceeded with  as  the  law  directs,  made  and  provided  in  such  cases. 

Dated  at  Torrington  this  5th  day  of  March,  1773. 
Joseph  Allen,        ^  '  Benj.  Whiting,    )  ^^^^^ 

Joseph  Tanter,      V  Evidence  for  the  king.  Noah   Wilson,    >■       . 

Benjamin  Beach,   )  Isaac  Goodwin,   )       ^    ^' 

Ephraim  Bancroft,  ]  Constables. 
Jabez  Gillett,  j       of  Torrington." 

On  the  back  of  this  paper  is  written  the  order  for  Mr.  Grant's 
arrest,  dated  September  23,  1773,  or  six  months  after  the  complaint 
was  made,  by  which  time  the  hot  excitement  had  probably  cooled 
down  a  little. 

Items  taken  from  Mr.  William  Whiting's  account  book  : 

"  Memorandum.  Be  it  remembered  that  in  August,  in  the  old  of  the 
moon,  and  the  sign  in  the  heart,  is  the  time  to  cut  bushes  to  kill  them  and  not 
fail." 

"  Memorandum  of  the  day  that  Mr.  Nathan  Gillett  set  out  for  New  Con- 
necticut [Ohio]  to  the  town  of  Morgan."     [Year   1801.] 

In  those  days  when  a  family  removed  to  the  then  far  west  it  was 
a  topic  of  general  conversation,  and  prayers  were  offered  for  them 
in  church,  and  many  persons  noted  the  day  the  family  started,  and 
for  fifty  years  could  tell  the  day,  without  having  made  any  memo- 
randum. But  about  1815  to  20,  such  removals  became  so  common 
that  memory  failed  to  note  the  day  every  one  started.      One  woman 


Things  not  Left  Out.  245 

now  living,  remembers  seeing  the  emigrant  wagons  on  Litchfield 
turnpike,  day  after  day,  moving  on  slowly  toward  Litchfield  and  the 
west,  there  being  some  times  half  a  dozen  of  these  wagons  in  com- 
pany, covered  with  white  canvas ;  old  fashioned  lumber  wagons, 
with  no  springs ;  some  drawn  by  horses,  some  by  oxen,  some 
by  cows.  Hundreds  of  families  were  on  the  road  from  six  to  eight 
weeks  in  soing  from  Connecticut  to  Ohio. 

"  Memorable  day  this  8th  dav  of  May  1803.  There  was  a  snow  midleg 
deep.  Peach  trees  were  all  in  bloom.  It  froze  very  much  two  nights. 
Young  men  sav  it  will  kill  the  fruit,  old  men  say  it  will  not,  and  now  we 
wait  for  time  to  bring  forth." 

As  to  the  result  we  are  not  informed,  which  is  much  to  be  re- 
gretted. 

"  List  for  the  year  A.  D.  1797-  Six  acres  plough  land  ;  fifty-five  acres  of 
cleared  pasture,  twentv-seven  acres  of  bush  pasture  ;  forty  acres  of  wood  land." 

This  is  very  much  in  proportion,  as  many  farms  are  at  the  present 
day,  after  the  changes  of  eighty  years. 

"  February  20th,  A.  D.  1802.  This  day  Ira  Loomis  took  a  cow  for  three 
years,  and  at  the  end  of  three  years  is  to  return  the  cow  and   the  oldest  calf" 

Squabble  Hill. 

At  the  foot  of  a  certain  hill  lived  a  family  long  ago,  in  a  house, 
now  all  gone,  which  family  had  so  much  trouble  within  itself,  so 
many  squabbles,  that  the  hill  has  been  known  ever  since  by  the 
name  of  Squabble  hill,  and  as  in  all  such   cases    is  a   steep    hill    to 

climb. 

Laconic  Correspondence. 

Mr.  John  Alvord,  possessed  a  somewhat  remarkable  character, 
not  for  industry  and  wealth,  but  as  having  read  up,  surprisingly,  the 
history  of  the  ancient  philosophers,  and  as  having  a  great  admiration 
for  those  ancient  worthies.  While  living  in  Winsted  the  following 
correspondence  transpired  between  him  and  Doctor  Woodward  of 
this  town  : 

"  Mr.  John  Alvord, 

Sir  :  In  looking  over  my  old  notes,  I  find  one  signed,  John  Alvord,  dated 
Jan.,  1808  ;  ten  years  ago  last  January.  You  sir,  are  one  of  the  philosophers 
and  wise  men  of  the  day.  1  ask  if  it  is  not  time  to  pay  it.  If  you  conclude 
it  is  not,  I  muse  be  compelled  to  submit  the  matter  to  other  wise  men. 

Yours, 

Sam  Woodward." 


246  History  of  Torrington. 

"Dr.  SamL  Woodward, 

Sir  :  I  this  day  reed,  a  line  from  you,  stating  that  you  held  a  note  against 
me,  etc.  You  was  also  pleased  to  rank  me  with  the  '  philosophers  and  wise 
men'  of  the  day.  I  esteem  it  a  high  honor  to  be  ranked  with  the  philosophers 
and  wise  men  even  of  the  present  day,  which  fall  far  short  of  the  philosophy 
of  ancient  times.  We  do  not  expect  to  wear  the  ring  of  Guyges,  or  the  cap 
of  Fortunatus  at  the  present  day.  Philosophy  is  good,  and  wisdom  is  profita- 
ble to  direct,  but  neither  will  pay  debts  without  money.  I  have  three  or  four 
times  this  summer  been  invited  into  the  company  of  those  wise  men  you  speak 
of,  which  has  drained  me  of  every  cent  in  money  I  had,  and  almost  every 
resource,  and  what  to  do  in  the  present  case  I  cannot  tell. 

If  sir,  you  are  determined  '  to  submit  the  matter  to  the  wise  men'  you  spoke 
of,  I  think  there  is  no  need  of  crossing  the  Styx  in  search  of  such  ancient 
worthies  as  Minos,  Aechus  and  Rhadamaiithus,  they  were  judges  of  higher 
matters.  But  there  are  a  number  of  the  sons  of  your  old  friend  and  honored 
master,  Aesculapius,  who  I  think  may  be  ranked  with  the  wisest  of  men  at  the 
present  day.  There  is  one  resides  in  this  place.  As  you  pass  by  the  forge  of 
Vulcan,  you  go  a  little  beyond  the  leather  mill,  and  just  at  the  left  hand  of  A. 
B.  C.  college,  resides  one  who  /  think  mav  be  ranked  with  the  wisest  of  men 
at  the  present  day.  If  sir,  you  will  leave  your  note  with  him,  or  any  of  his 
brethren  in  office,  I  will  pay  it  as  quick  as  I  can,  and  confess  judgment  if  you 
desire  it.  Yours, 

John  Alvord." 

The  Whipping  Post. 

This  method  of  penalty  was  continued  to  a  later  day  in  Torring- 
ton, than  in  some  other  towns,  but  was  resorted  to  largely,  in  cases 
of  stealing.  Mr.  Israel  Coe,  as  constable,  whipped  two  men  about 
the  years  18 17  and  18  ;  one  for  stealing  a  piece  of  broadcloth  at  the 
woolen  mill,  the  other  for  stealing  a  silver  spoon  at  Capt.  Samuel 
Bradley's. 

"  At  a  justice  court  holden  at  Torrington  in  the  county  of  Litchfield,  on  the 
15th  day  of  January,  1830,  in  presence  of  R.  C.  Abernethy,  justice  of  the 
peace  for  said  county  holding  the  same.  Nelson  Fyler  of  said  Torrington  was 
brought  before  said  court  by  virtue  of  a  warrant  issued  by  the  said  R.  C. 
Abernethy,  *  *  on  complaint  of  Luther  Cook,  grand  juror  of  said  Torrington, 
charging  the  said  Nelson  Fyler  that  on  the  14th  day  of  Januaiy,  1830,  at  Tor- 
rington aforesaid,  did  feloniously  take,  steal  and  carry  away  one  certain  gold 
finger  ring  with  a  stone  set  therein  of  the  value  of  five  dollars,  the  proper  estate 
of  Ransom  Hine  of  said  Torrington,  against  the  peace  and  contrary  to  the 
form  of  the  statute  in  such  case  made  and  provided,  and  the  s.iid  Nelson  Fyler 
being  put  to  plead,  for  plea  says  he  is  not  guilty  in  manner  and  form  as  in  such 
complaint  is  alleged.  And  this  court  having  heard  the  evidence,  as  well  on 
the  part  of  the  state  as  of  the  said  Nelson  Fyler,  find  that  the  said  Nelson  Fyler, 
is  guilty  in  manner  and  in  form  as  in  said  complaint  is  alleged,  and  also  find 
that  the  said  ring  was,  when  stolen,  of  the  value  of  two  dollars  fifty  cents.  It 
is  therefore  considered  and  adjudged  that  the  said  Nelson  Fyler  pay  a  fine  of 
five  dollars  to  the  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Torrington,  together  with  the  costs 


Things   not'^Left  Out.  247 

of  the  prosecution,  taxed  at  nine  dollars  and  tliirty  cents,  and  also  pay  to  the 
said  Ransom  Hine,  seven  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  being  treble  the  value  of  said 
ring  stolen,  as  aforesaid,  and  the  said  Nelson  Fyler  neglecting  and  refusing  to 
pay  said  fine  and  costs,  shall  be  punished  by  whipping  four  stripes  on  his  naked 
body  and  pay  the  cosis  of  prosecution,  and  stand  committed  till  this  judgment 
be  complied  with  Russell  C.  Abernethy,  Justice  of  the  Peace." 

The  warrant  for  execution  granted  and  delivered  to  William 
Leach  constable  the  same  day ;  but  tradition  says  the  prisoner  was 
whipped,  but  on  his  way  to  prison  escaped  from  the  constable. 

This  is  said  to  have  been  the  last  case  of  whipping  in  the  town. 

Wasps. 

Thomas  Marshall,  living  near  Winchester  in  Newfield,  while 
gathering  hay  in  the  field  usually  worked  without  his  pantaloons, 
keeping  on  only  one  garment,  the  old  fashioned  frock.  In  raking 
hay  the  old  man  frequently  scolded  his  sons  for  leaving  the  hay,  and 
would  gather  such  as  they  left.  One  day  the  boys  discovered  a 
wasp's  nest,  and  threw  some  hay  on  it  and  left  it.  Mr.  Marshall  pass- 
ing near  it  saw  it,  and  going  to  it  put  both  arms  around  it  and  began 
to  walk  away.  The  wasps  made  war  on  his  legs  with  great  vigor 
and  no  amount  of  fleetness,  or  persuasive  influences  could  dispell 
them  until  they  had  nearly  killed  him. 

This  was  not  the  end  of  the  matter,  for  he  proclaimed  that  if  he 
could  find  who  did  it  he  would  whip,  him  severely.  After  some 
time  he  obtained  this  information,  but  finally  gave  the  boy  his  choice 
to  take  a  severe  whipping  or  pay  a  fine  of  five  dollars  by  doing  the 
churning  of  their  large  dairy,  at  ten  cents  a  churning,  until  the  whole 
should  be  paid.  The  son  knowing  too  well  already,  his  father's 
ability  to  use  the  whip,  chose  to  do  the  churning  on  the  terms  pre- 
scribed, although  it  took  him  nearly  six  months  to  pay  the  bill. 

Honest    Oxen. 

Samuel  Beach  was  a  peculiar  man,  never  answering  a  straight  for- 
ward question,  but  talked  shy  in  regard  to  everything.  He  lived 
west  of  Wolcottville,  half  a  mile.  On  a  certain  occasion,  he  sold  a 
yoke  of  oxen  to  Mr.  Jerome  of  New  Hartford,  as  honest  and  orderly 
oxen,  and  Mr.  Jerome  paying  him  for  them,  left  them  until  he 
should  come  for  them.  After  he  had  sold  them  Mathew  Grant 
came  along,  and  Mr.  Beach  told  him  he  had  sold  his  oxen.  "  How 
much  did  you  get  ?"     In  reply  Mr.    Beach  told    him,    Mr.    Grant 


248  History  of  Torrington. 

said,  "you  sold  them  too  cheap,  I  would  have  given  ten  dollars  more." 
"  I'll  be  boun  for  it,"  said  uncle  Sam,  that's  too  bad.  Well  if  Mr. 
Jerome  don't  take  them  you  may  have  them."  Upon  this  Mr. 
Beach  made  two  great  pokes  and  put  them  on  the  oxen.  When 
Mr.  Jerome  came  for  them  he  inquired  :  "  How  is  this  Mr.  Beach, 
you  sold  the  oxen  as  orderly."  ''Well,"  said  uncle  Sam,  '■'I'll  be 
boun  for  it,  they  wear  masa  great  pokes,  masa  great  pokes  ;  and  if  you 
don't  want  them  you  can  have  the  money."  Mr.  Jerome  took  his 
money,  and  Mr.  Grant  had  the  cattle. 

This  same  Mr.  Beach  sold  some  pork  in  Goshen,  agreeing  that 
the  hogs  when  dressed  should  weigh  two  hundred  pounds.  When 
he  delivered  them  they  weighed  a  little  over  a  hundred  each,  and  he 
was  asked,  "  how  is  this  Mr.  Beach,  your  pigs  were  to  weigh  two  hun- 
dred a  piece."  "  I  said,  take  one  with  another,  they  would  weigh 
two  hundred." 

Under  no  questioning  or  remarks  could  any  one  get  a  straight  an- 
swer from  him,  as  efforts  were  made  upon  bets  to  that  effect.  The 
summer  of  18 16,  was  very  cold  and  the  hay  crop  was  very  light, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1817,  there  was  much  anxiety  about  getting  the 
stock  through  until  grass  should  grow.  In  the  midst  of  this  anxiety 
uncle  Sam  Beach  was  taken  quite  ill,  and  sent  for  Doctor  "Ban" 
who  after  examining  him  said  ;  "  Well,  uncle  Sam,  I  can  do  you  no 
good,  you  will  have  to  go  now."  His  quick  reply  was;  "  I'll  be 
boun  for  it,  I've  got  hay  enough  to  carry  my  cattle  through." 

A  minister  stayed  at  his  house  one  night  and  in  the  morning  asked 
him,  if  he  had  any  request  for  which  he  desired  prayers.  Yes,  said 
uncle  Sam,  "  pray  that  I  may  get  the  Castle  lot ;"  a  lot  of  land  he 
had  long  desired  to  get. 

Support  the  Church  or  go  to  Jail. 

"  To  Phineas  North  of  Torrington  in  the  county  of  Litchfield  collector  of 
society  taxes  in  the  first  society  in  said  Torrington  Greeting. 
By  authority  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  you  are  hereby  commanded  forth- 
with to  levy  and  collect  of  the  persons  named  in  the  annexed  list  or  rate  bill 
herewith  committed  to  you,  each  one  his  several  proportion  as  herein  set  down 
ot  the  sum  total  of  such  list,  being  a  tax  of  assessment  granted  and  agreed  upon 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  said  first  society  of  Torrington,  regularly  assembled 
on  the  15th  day  of  August  A.  D.,  1791,  being  a  tax  of  one  cent  and  five  mills 
on  the  dollar,  on  the  list  of  said  society  in  the  year  1790  ;  the  other  being  a 
tax  granted  and  agreed  upon  by  the  said  inhabitants  regularly  assembled  on  the 
7th  day  of  November,  A.  D.,  1791,  being  a  tax  of  three  pence  on  the  pound 
on  said  list  of  1 790.  Said  taxes  were  granted  and  agreed  upon  for  the  purpose 
of  defraying  the  necessary  charges  arising  in  said  society^  and  to  deliver  the  sums 


Things  not   Left  Out.  249 

you  shall  so  levy  and  collect  unto  the  committee  of  said  first  society  of  Tor- 
rington  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  March  next,  and  if  any  person  or  persons 
shall  neglect  or  refuse  to  make  payment  of  the  sum  or  sums  whereat  he  or  they 
are  respectively  assessed  and  set  in  said  list  or  rate  bill,  you  are  to  distrain  the 
goods  or  chattels  of  such  person  or  persons  and  the  same  dispose  of  as  the  law 
directs,  returning  the  overplus  (if  any  be)  to  the  owner  or  owners,  and  for 
want  of  goods  and  chattels  whereon  to  make  distraint  you  are  to  take  the  body 
or  bodies  of  the  persons  so  refusing  and  him  or  them  commit  unto  the  keeper  of 
the  gaol  of  said  Litchfield  county  within  the  said  prison  who  is  hereby  com- 
manded to  receive  and  safely  keep  him  or  them  until  he  or  they  pay  and  satisfy 
the  said  sum  or  sums  assessed  on  him  or  them  as  aforesaid,  together  with  your 
own  fees  unless  the  said  assessment  or  some  part  thereof  be  legally  abated. 
Dated  at  Torrington  the  25th  day  of  January,  A.  D.,  1792. 

Elisha  Smith,  'Justice  of  the  Peace." 


A  Sleigh  Ride  in  the  Summer. 

Joshua  Leach,  being  a  little  eccentric,  agreed  to  work  through  hay- 
ing for  Raphael  Marshall,  at  a  certain  price,  on  condition  that  Mr. 
Marshall  should  take  him  in  his  sleigh  to  the  meeting  house  green, 
a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  when  they  were  done  haying  ;  to  which 
he  agreed.  Accordingly  Mr.  Marshall  put  his  fine  horses  before  a 
double  sleigh,  and  several  strings  of  bells  on  his  horses,  and  sat  on 
the  front  seat  bundled  in  over  coat,  mittens  and  buffaloes,  and  Mr. 
Leach  sat  on  the  back  seat  with  overcoat  and  mittens  on,  and  bun- 
dled in  buffalo  skins.  It  being  a  warm  day,  many  people  came  to 
see  the  ride,  and  there  was  much  amusement  on  the  occasion,  and 
since  that  day  it  has  been  repeated  with  much  interest  as  a  ridiculous 
performance  done  for  amusement. 

Weddings. 

Weddings  were  often  occasions  for  noisy,  rude,  and  tumultuous 
engagements,  and  sometimes  the  proceedings  became  destructive  to 
property,  and  disgraceful  to  civilization  and  a  Christian  community, 
but  generally  when  the  proceedings  were  extreme,  the  matter  was 
overlooked  because  there  were  so  many  respectable  or  influential  men 
engaged  in  it.  On  such  occasions,  men,  younger  and  older,  would 
collect  about  the  house  in  the  night  at  nine,  ten  and  twelve  o'clock, 
and  by  blowing  of  horns,  rattling  of  pans,  and  firing  of  guns,  make 
such  a  noise  as  to  be  heard  two  and  three  miles,  and  such  as  to  make 
night  hideous,  and  the  home  wretched  with  fear  ;  and  such  kind  of 
enjoyment  was  sometimes  continued  until  the  company  were  treated 
to  a  round  or  two,  or  three  of  brandy,  and  until  window  lights  were 

32 


250  History  of  Torrington. 

broken,  and  the  people  of  the  house  glad  to  sacrifice  almost  anything 
out  of  fear,  to  be  relieved  from  the  presence  of  such  a  company. 

When  Ezekiel  Appley  was  married  several  dozen  men  gathered 
about  the  house  with  usual  noises.  The  provisions  for  the  wedding 
guests  were  on  the  table  in  the  back  kitchen  until  the  ceremony 
should  be  over  when  they  were  to  be  placed  on  the  table  in  the  front 
room.  During  the  marriage  ceremony  some  of  the  men  crept  in  at 
the  window  and  passed  all  the  provisions  out,  and  the  men  out  doors 
carried  them  into  the  woods  at  some  distance  and  there  ate  them, 
leaving  not  so  much  as  a  crumb  for  the  guests  in  the  house.  This 
they  called  sport,  and  a  good  joke.  And  it  is  customary  to  speak  of 
those  men  who  did  such  things  as  having  been  brought  up  so  well 
and  as  having  such  good  manners  ! 

When  Asa  Loomis  of  Torringford  was  married  in  June  1778,  the 
young  men  banded  together  to  steal  the  bride  and  carry  her  away 
and  keep  her  until  the  bridegroom  should  pay  for  a  supper  and  brandy 
all.  round.  The  day  of  the  marriage  Mr.  Loomis  was  to  take  his 
bride  home,  on  horseback,  the  usual  method  of  traveling.  After 
starting  with  his.  bride,  he  was  overtaken,  by  one  after  another,  of 
young  men  on  horseback,  until  a  dozen  or  two  had  collected  about 
him  as  if  to  accompany  him  on  his  journey.  On  a  given  signal,  the 
horses  were  put  into  the  utmost  confusion  in  front  of,  and  about  the 
one  the  bridal  pair  were  riding.  Just  then  Trumbull  Ives,  having 
been  appointed,  seized  the  bride,  drew  her  to  the  saddle  of  his  own 
horse,  and  rode  away  with  all  possible  speed.  The  bridegroom  was 
a  little  too  expert,  in  tangles,  and  escaped  the  net  laid  for  him  and 
gave  chase  for  his  bride,  while  the  multitude  followed  with  the  pur- 
pose of  aiding  the  man  with  the  bride  to  make  his  escape  ;  but  their 
plans  failed  in  part,  for  the  bride  was  not  taken  out  of  Torringford, 
but  to  the  tavern,  where  supper  and  liquors  were  ordered  and  the 
bride  detained  until  the  bridegroom  paid  the  bill.  This  was  not  the 
end  of  the  matter  ;  Mr.  Loomis  sued  the  whole  company,  a  long  law- 
suit followed  ;  all  the  individuals  were  fined,  and  it  was  many  years 
before  all  the  fines  were  paid  and  the  matter  ended. 

Jokes. 

Many  of  the  early  settlers  possessed  intellectual  qualities  corres- 
ponding to  their  manly  forms  and  vigor  of  physical  constitutions,  and 
for  want  of  literary  attainments  and  occupation  of  the  mind,  their 
intellectual  vigor  took  the  form  of  oddities,  jokes  and  daring  feats  of 


Things  not  Left  Out.  251 

physical  endurance.  They  prided  themselves  in  their  witty  sayings, 
in  their  muscular  toughness,  and  in  how  much  work  they  and  their 
wives  and  children  could  do  and  not  break  down. 

This  spirit  of  glory,  made  them  venturesome  in  the  storm,  in  the 
cold  and  heat,  in  places  and  times  of  danger,  and  very  often  they 
subjected  themselves  to  needless  hazard  and  endurance  for  the 
purpose  of  gaining  renown,  and  distinction.  They  would  not  indulge 
pride  in  dress,  that  to  their  minds  would  be  a  sin,  but  would  encourage 
a  double  or  treble  proportion  in  human  muscle  and  think  it  quite 
innocent.  It  is  said  that  one  mother  wove  an  immense  number  of 
yards  of  tow  and  linen  cloth,  the  summer  before  her  son  was  born, 
and  the  wonderful  exhibition  of  this  power  of  endurance,  has  been 
spoken  of  until  this  day,  with  honor  to  the  woman,  although  it  nearly 
cost  her  her  life,  and  her  husband  thought  he  might  well  glory  in  the 
marvelous  strength  of  his  dearly  beloved  ;  all  the  dearer  because  she 
could  weave  a  thousand  yards  a  year  and  receive  the  money  for  it. 
This  was  not  a  peculiar  case,  only  the  woman  was  peculiarly  smart. 

Another  illustration  is  given  by  the  Rev.  Grant  Powers  in  his  Cen- 
tennial Address  in  Goshen  in  1838.  "  There  arose  a  spinning  match 
among  the  young  married  ladies,  at  the  house  of  Nehemiah  Lewis. 
The  trial  was  at  the  foot-wheel,  in  spinning  linen.  The  conditions 
were  previously  defined,  and  agreed  to,  viz  :  They  might  spin  during 
the  whole  twenty-four  hours  if  they  chose.  They  were  to  have  their 
distaffs  prepared  for  them,  and  their  yarn  reeled  by  others.  Upon 
the  first  trial,  at  Lewis's  house  many  did  well.  The  wife  of  Stephen 
Tuttle  spun  five  run,  which  was  equal  to  two  and  a  half  days'  labor, 
when  on  hire.  Several  others  spun  four  run  each  ;  but  Mrs.  Tuttle 
came  off  victor.  But  this  aroused  the  ambition  of  some  of  the 
unmarried  ladies,  and  Lydia  Beach,  the  daughter  of  Dea.  Edmund 
Beach  of  East  street,  was  the  first  to  come  forward,  and  take  up  the 
gauntlet.  She  spun  from  early  dawn  to  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening. 
She  had  her  distaffs  prepared,  her  yarn  reeled,  and  her  food  put  into 
her  mouth.  She  spun  in  this  time,  seven  run  ;  three  and  a  half  days' 
labor,  and  took  the  wreath  from  the  brow  of  Mrs.  Tuttle.  Upon 
hearing  of  the  exploit  of  Miss  Beach,  the  wife  of  Capt.  Isaac  Pratt, 
of  the  south  part  of  the  town,  came  upon  the  arena.  Between  early 
dawn  and  the  setting  of  the  sun,  she  had  actually  spun  six  run,  but 
at  this  moment,  her  husband  interfered,  and  peremptorily  forbade  her 
proceeding  further.  She  sat  down,  and  wept  like  a  child,  when  she 
ought  to  have  rejoiced,  that  she  had  such  a  husband,  in  whose  eyes 


252  History  of  Torrington. 

her  future  health  and  happiness  were  more  precious  than  the  brief 
applause  which  might  arise  from  success  in  that  contest. 

"  The  hand  of  Miss  Lydia  Beach  was  sought  in  marriage  by  the 
young  and  aspiring  Jesse  Buell,  son  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Buell,  and  she 
was  led  to  the  hymenial  altar,  while  her  garland  was  yet  fresh  upon 
her  brow  ;  but  the  doting  husband  was  destined  to  see  it  wither  down 
to  the  grave,  for  Lydia  never  enjoyed  health  from  the  hour  of  her 
triumph." 

The  testimony  concerning  this  breaking  down  of  young  people 
by  hard  work,  is  ample  and  fully  verified  by  the  oldest  people  now 
living,  and  much  of  it  was  through  pride,  or  ambition  to  gain  renown 
by  physical  endurance. 

Two  young  men  in  Torringford  looking  out  of  doors  about  nine 
o'clock  in  the  evening  in  the  winter,  when  the  snow  was  nearly  two 
feet  deep  and  the  weather  severely  cold,  proposed  to  go  to  Harwinton 
meeting-house  and  back,  barefooted,  and  they  performed  the  journey, 
a  distance  of  three  or  four  miles,  and  then  retired  for  sleep. 

Dear  Postage. 

It  is  said  that  when  postage  on  a  letter  was  twenty-five  cents,  to 
be  paid  by  the  receiver,  a  man  traveling  through  Wolcottville  stopped 
at  a  tavern,  fed  his  horse  and  procured  dinner.  The  dinner  did  not 
suit  him,  consisting  as  he  thought  of  too  large  a  proportion  of  pork 
and  beans.  Some  two  weeks  after  the  landlord  received  a  letter, 
paying  for  it  twenty-five  cents,  and  opening  it  found  only  the  words  : 
'^  pork  and  beans."  Some  two  weeks  after  he  received  another,  for 
which  he  paid  an  equal  sum,  while  it  contained  the  same  words. 
After  about  two  weeks  more  a  third  came  in  the  same  handwriting, 
whereupon  he  concluded  to  let  Uncle  Sam  keep  his  "pork  and  beans." 

There  having  been  formal  complaint  entered  against  the  signer  of 
the  following  paper,  he  saw  fit  to  make  the  humble  and  gracious 
reply  as  follows  : 

"  To  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Torrington. 

As  a  complaint  is  against  me,  and  as  I  understand  that  there  is  more  en- 
tered for  being  a  contentious  person,  I  reply. 

As  it  respects  intemperance  I  do  not  wish  to  palliate  or  deny  that  I  have 
given  occasion  to  it.  As  to  the  other  charge,  I  am  innocent  of  the  crime  with 
which  I  am  charged.  I  ask  brethren  and  sisters  to  cast  a  mande  of  charity  over 
my  failings  ;  and  I  ask  your  forgiveness. 

In  return  I  pledge  you  my  continued  prayers. 

Wm.  Marsh." 


Things  not  Left  Out.  253 


Estimate  of  Money. 

A  man  called  Old  Whitney  was  at  the  raising  of  the  Baptist  church 
in  Newfield,  and  when  the  men  were  putting  up  the  timbers  in  the 
top  of  the  frame  a  pike  pole  fell  with  the  end  having  the  pointed  iron 
in  it,  first,  and  this  iron  grazed  Whitney's  nose  so  as  to  split  it ;  mak- 
ing quite  a  wound  in  the  end  of  it.  Whitney  looked  up  and  cried 
out,  in  a  somewhat  excited  manner  :  "  You  can't  be  too  damn  care- 
ful up  there,  I  would  not  run  such  a  risk  again  iov  five  dollars." 

Levi  Holmes  was  a  blacksmith  at  Newfield  four  corners.  He 
was  six  feet  tall,  large  frame,  and  was  a  powerful  man.  A  stranger 
passing  his  shop  one  day  inquired  the  way  to  Goshen.  Mr.  Holmes 
gave  him  the  directions  very  definitely  as  to  the  different  roads  to  be 
taken,  so  that  he  could  go  without  further  directions.  After  talking 
a  little,  the  man  started  down  the  road  towards  Winsted.  After 
getting  on  some  distance,  Mr.  Holmes  started  after  him,  and  step- 
ping into  the  road  before  the  man  said  :  "  You  inquired  the  road  to 
Goshen."  "  Yes,"  said  the  man,  "  I  wanted  to  know  which  way  went 
to  Goshen,  that's  all."  "Well,"  said  Holmes,"  you  inquired  the  way 
to  Goshen,  and  now  you  shall  go  to  Goshen,  or  I'll  drop  you."  The 
man  considered  the  road  to  Goshen  the  safest  just  then. 

Ben  Eggleston,  as  he  was  called,  was  a  character  in  Newfield.  On 
one  occasion  he  went  to  the  saw  mill  a  little  below  this  same  bridge, 
in  the  evening  while  the  Marshall  boys  were  sawing  lumber,  and  as 
he  came  into  the  mill,  which  had  a  floor  of  only  loose  boards  with 
large  spaces  between,  the  old  man  began  to  repeat  with  emphasis  to 
the  boys ;  "  Be  careful  boys,  be  careful ;  dangerous  place  here, 
dangerous  place."  Scarcely  had  he  uttered  the  words  of  caution  to 
others  before  down  he  went,  through  the  floor  into  the  water,  close 
by  the  water  wheel.  One  of  the  men  called  to  the  other,  "shut  the 
gate  quick,  or  uncle  Ben  will  never  make  any  more  hob  nails." 
The  gate  was  shut  and  the  men  took  the  lantern  and  went  down  to 
see  what  the  result  was  and  as  they  came  near  the  wheel  uncle  Ben 
was  just  scrabbling  up  the  bank,  dripping  with  water  ;  and  in  a  very 
confidential  resolute  tone  said :  "  Say  nothing  boys  ;  say  nothing 
boys !  " 

He  went  to  hear  a  Universalist  minister  preach  in  Newfield,  and 
took  his  seat  directly  in  front  of  the  preacher,  and  while  the  minister 
was  preaching,  he  kept  moving  nearer  and  nearer,  and  looking  him 
directly  in  the  face.     When  the  minister  had  become  quite  engaged 


254  History  of  Torrington. 

in  setting  forth  iiis 'doctrine  uncle  Ben  addressed  him  in  a  very  serious 
manner:   "  Do  you  believe  what  you  preach?  " 

At  another  time  a  Baptist  minister  was  preaching,  and  became  very 
much  in  earnest  portraying  the  wickedness  of  the  people,  when  uncle 
Ben  remarked  :  "  Lay  it  on  heavy,  we  are  a  wicked  people  here." 

Ethan  Eggleston,  son  of  uncle  Ben,  was  a  great  hunter  and  not 
much  of  a  worker.  He  would  stand  along  the  brook  and  watch  a 
muskrat  hole  all  day  as  patiently  as  any  monument,  and  with  as  little 
motion,  to  get  a  shot  at  the  animal,  and  he  was  a  dead  shot,  too. 

On  a  certain  day  he  did  not  get  up  as  usual,  but  his  sisters  know- 
ing the  rule  that  he  must  not  be  disturbed,  let  him  lie  until  nearly 
twelve  o'clock,  when  one  of  them  ventured  to  open  the  door  to  his 
room,  when  lo,  there  he  was  lying  at  full  lengtff  on  the  bed,  with  his 
old  musket  in  one  hand  and  a  horse  pistol  in  the  other,  both  aimed 
at  a  rat  hole  in  the  corner  of  the  room  where  he  had  seen  a  rat  early 
in  the  morning.      But  few  men  possess  such  patience  and  bravery  ! 

Marriage  a  Hundred  Years  ago, 

Mr.  Increase  Grant,  also  called  deacon,  lived  in  the  edge  of  Litch- 
field, and  became  a  member  of  the  Torrington  church  about  1786, 
and  not  far  from  that  time  (perhaps  a  few  years  sooner)  married  Mind- 
well  (Lyman),  widow  of  Jacob  Strong.  A  jointure  was  signed  by 
them  before  marriage  by  which  she  was  to  acquire  none  of  his  pro- 
perty, and  he  none  of  hers  ;  only  he  was  to  have  the  use  of  her's  and 
she  was  to  have  her  living  ;  which  at  the  present  date  seems  to  have 
been  a  sharp  bargain  on  his  part.  After  a  few  years  she  left  him  and 
went  to  her  home,  and  after  a  time,  they  both  being  members  of  the 
same  church,  the  matter  became  a  topic  of  much  discussion,  and 
finally  a  charge  was  brought  against  her,  because  she  did  not  live 
with  her  husband,  for  this  and  nothing  else. 

Upon  this  Samuel  Everitt,  son-in-law  to  Mindwell,  testified  under 
oath,  that  while  Mr.  Grant  lived  with  his  wife  in  her  house,  they 
seemed  to  live  in  harmony,  but  soon  after  they  removed  to  his 
house,  Mr.  Grant  told  him  that  he  was  uneasy  with  his  wife,  on 
account  of  her  being  too  free  to  treat  her  grand  children  when  they 
came  to  his  house,  with  victuals  and  drink.  This  complaint  he 
made  several  times  before  he  heard  any  complaint  from  his  mother- 
in-law.  Upon  this  Mr.  Everitt  purchased  flour  and  put  it  in  her 
house,  agreeing  to  keep  her  in  flour  as  she  might  need  to  make  her 
grand  children  cakes  and  the  like,  in  hope  that  that  would  end  the 


Things  not  Left  Out.  255 

difficulty.  Living  in  Colebrook,  he  had  no  opportunity  to  know  how 
matters  went,  until  he  heard  his  mother-in-law  was  in  a  very  low 
state  of  health,  alone  at  her  own  house,  where  he  made  her  a  visit, 
and  by  the  use  cf  medicines  and  care  several  days  she  revived  so  as 
to  be  able  to  go  with  him  to  see  Mr.  Grant.  The  interview  was 
peculiar  ;  he  seemed  anxious  only  to  get  rid  of  her,  and  wanted  Mr. 
Everitt  to  take  her  to  his  house  in  Colebrook  (far  away)  but  she 
seemed  anxious  to  remain  near  him  "  where  she  could  attend  him  if  he 
should  be  sick,  and  where  he  could  do  something  for  her  if  she 
should  be  sick." 

Finding  how  the  matter  stood  Mr.  Everitt  bound  himself  in  writ- 
ing to  see  his  mother-in-law  taken  care  of,  and  Mr.  Grant  bound 
himself  to  pay  a  certain  sum  towards  her  support.  It  was  after  this, 
and  while  her  health  was  very  poor  that  the  complaint  was  made 
against  her  before  the  church.  He  was  a  member  of  the  same 
church,  but  no  complaint  was  entered  against  him. 

The  church  took  action  in  the  matter  and  withdrew  fellowship 
from  her,  which  only  made  the  matter  worse,  because  some  good 
people  could  not  see  that  she  had  done  wrong.  The  church  then 
asked  advice  of  the  Rev.  Ami  R.  Robbins  of  Norfolk  and  Rev. 
Samuel  J.  Mills  of  Torringford  as  a  committee,  or  council,  and  their 
report  was  rendered  September  18,  1794,  and  as  this  report  reveals 
a  number  of  prevailing  religious  notions  of  that  day,  it  is  here  given 
in  full.  And  it  is  important  to  remember  that  probably  there  could 
not  have  been  selected,  two  men  of  larger  benevolence  and  good  will 
towards  the  erring  or  unfortunate  than  these,  and  therefore  the  report 
is  as  liberal  as  the  times  would  possibly  allow. 

"To  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Torrington. 

Beloved  Brethren  :  We  the  subscribers,  being  invited  by  you  to  hear  and 
advise  in  a  maiter  of  discipline,  respecting  Mrs.  M.  Grant,  a  sister  in  your 
church  ;  after  duly  attending  to  the  case,  find  it  peculiarly  complicated  and 
difficult.  We  think  you  do  well  to  seek  for  counsel  and  assistance  in  a  matter 
so  uncommon  and  delicate.  We  feel  in  some  measure,  embarrassed  what  ad- 
vice to  give.  But  according  to  the  light  we  at  present  have,  and  unless  we 
should  obtain  further  knowledge  and  light  in  the  affair,  it  appears  to  us  that  the 
said  Mrs.  Grant,  notwithstanding  her  peculiar  trials,  cannot  be  fully  justified  ; 
but  has  departed  from  that  meekness  and  Christian  spirit  which  becomes  the 
followers  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus;  particularly  in  indulging  angry  and  pas- 
sionate conduct  and  expressions,  tending  to  irritate  and  provoke  her  husband, 
and  that  however  unjustifiable  his  conduct  may  be,  yet  that  does  not  wholly  ex- 
culpate her.  We  think  that  it  would  be  proper,  and  suitable  for  her  to  make 
suitable  reflections  ;  acknowledge  she  hath  given  occasion  to  her  brethren  and 
sisters  of  the  church,  of  stumbling  and  to  be  dissatisfied.     And  upon  her  man- 


256  History  of  Torrington. 

ifesting  a  becoming  spirit,  and  desiring  to  walk  with  this  church,  in  fellowship, 
we  think  they  may  and  ought  to  restore  her  with  meekness  and  love.  But  if 
she  should  refuse  to  make  such  reflections,  and  in  all  respects  justify  her  con- 
duct, we  think  the  church  cannot  consistently  receive  her;  and  considering  the 
matter  so  peculiar  and  extensive  in  its  operations  we  feel  rather  incompetent, 
without  further  light,  to  advise  any  further,  but  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  church,  to  call  in  the  aid  and  assistance  of  an  ecclesiastical  council, 
for  '  in  the  multitude  of  councillors  is  safety,'  and  thereby  endeavor  to  obtain 
further  advice  and  direction  as  to  their  duty  in  this  unusual  and  difficult  affair. 

a.  r.  robbins. 

Samuel  John  Mills." 

At  this  stage  of  the  case,  Rev.  Mr.  Gillett,  as  her  pastor,  asked 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  to  see  Mrs.  Grant  and  learn  what  course  to 
pursue,  and  give  him  advice.  Mr.  Mills's  letter  is  preserved,  and  is 
a  good  representation  of  the  ideas  of  those  days  concerning  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  church  relations,  and  is,  therefore,  here  given: 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Brother  :  I  have  had  opportunity  with  Mrs.  Grant  and 
find  that  her  leaving  the  deacon  at  the  time  she  did  was  conceived  by  her  to  be 
real  duty  ;  that  her  recovery  turned  upon  it  under  providence  That  had  she 
not  done  it,  she  would  [have]  been  wanting  to  herself  and  criminally  negligent. 
That  she  did  not  then  foresee  the  consequences  that  such  a  step  which  then 
she  thought  to  be  duty,  and  still  thinks  so,  was  to  issue  in  a  total  separation. 
She  supposed  her  retiring  for  a  short  time  was  no  breach  of  the  marriage  cove- 
nant ;  that  she  might  still  perform  the  duties  of  a  wife,  after  all,  and  he  the 
duties  of  a  husband  ;  that  the  fault  is  not  on  her  side,  that  things  are  now  cir- 
cumstanced as  they  are.  She  feels  not  however  that  she  is  free  from  fault.  She 
is  sorry  that  she  threatened  to  sue  the  peace  against  him,  and  is  willing  to 
humble  herself  for  it.  She  supposes  no  provocation  ever  so  great  would  justify 
it.  She  is  greatly  grieved  at  being  the  occasion  of  grieving  the  church  and 
giving  an  handle  to  any  whereby  to  reproach  the  cause  of  Christ.  She  begs 
the  compassion  of  God's  church  and  people,  and  stands  ready  publicly  to  re- 
flect on  herself  so  far  as  she  can  be  convinced  she  ought  to  do  it.  I  feel 
unable  to  direct  or  advise  further  in  the  matter  than  I  already  have.  The 
cause  of  religion,  the  honor  of  the  Christian  church  you  are  very  sensible  is  of 
more  consequence  than  the  honor  or  peace  of  any  individual.  If  such  a  settle- 
ment can  be  made  as  may  secure  religion  from  suffering,  it  must  be  an  object 
to  be  desired.  If  such  settlement  cannot  be  made,  which  on  the  whole  may 
give  tolerable  satisfaction,  then  further  measures  must  be  pursued. 

Sensible  of  the  embarrassments  you,  and  the  church  labor  under,  and  desirous 
to  contribnte  my  mite  I  use  this  freedom. 

This  from  your  affectionate  Brother, 
To  Rev.  Mr.  Gillett,  Saml.  J.  Mllls. 

To  be  communicated  if  you 
think  expedient. 
Torringford,  Sept.  20,  1794." 

In  the  effort  to  have  this  matter  settled  Rev.  Father  Mills  wrote 
a  sort  of  confession,  which   is  preserved  in   his  hand   writing,  which 


Things  not   Left  Out.  257 

he  thought  might  be  something  like  what  might  answer  under 
the  circumstances.  This  Mrs.  Grant  accepted,  and  also  added  in 
her  own  hand  writing  more  than  was  suggested. 

"  I,  the  subscriber,  Mindvvell  Grant,  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ  in 
Torrington,  sensible  that  the  church  are  dissatisfied  with  me  on  account  of  the 
separation  that  has  taken  place  between  Dea.  Grant  and  myself,  and  that  they 
are  apprehensive  that  I  have  not  been  innocent  as  to  measures  which  have  led 
on  to  this  unhappy  event,  whereby  religion  is  wounded,  and  the  peace  of  the 
church  disturbed  ;  take  this  opportunity  publicly  to  acknowledge  myself  a  poor, 
imperfect  creature,  and  to  own  that  under  my  weak  state  of  body,  and  weakness 
of  mind,  with  which  I  w  as  attended  at  one  time  and  another,  I  no  doubt  mani- 
fested on  certain  occasions  an  unsuitable  temper  ot  mind  ;  said  and  did  things 
which  under  other  circumstances  I  should  not  have  said  or  done.  I  am  far 
from  justifying  myself  in  all  my  conduct,  or  supposing  that  I  can  be  excused 
from  blame.  Particularly  would  I  reflect  on  myself  for  that  expression  in  re- 
gard to  swearing  the  peace  against  Deacon  Grant  ;  and  for  whatever  else  I 
have  said  or  done,  whereby  1  have  given  just  occasion  for  offense  to  any." 

The  following  was  added  in  her  own  hand. 

**  I  ask  the  forgiveness  of  God  and  this  church,  and  of  all  others  who  are  ag- 
grieved, and  request  the  prayers  of  my  Christian  brethren  and  sisters  to  God, 
that  I  henceforth  conduct  as  a  true  and  faithful  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
adorn  the  solemn  vocation  by  which  I  have  been  called. 

MiNDWELL  Grant. 
N.  B.   I  stand  ready  also  to  return  again  to  my  husband  as  soon  as  a  suitable 
door  opens  for  that  purpose.  M.  Grant.'' 

"The  above  confession  made  and  accepted  Sept.  28,  1794. 

Test.  Alex.  Gillet,  Pastor.*' 

Whether  right  or  wrong,  the  time  has  gone  by  when  a  wife  may 
not  swear  the  peace  against  her  husband  however  dangerous  a  char- 
acter he  may  be,  without  incurring  the  censure  of  the  church  and 
good  people;  and  the  time  is  also  gone  when  the  church  is  held  re- 
sponsible for  not  settling  every  little  or  great  difficulty,  that  it  is  im- 
possible for  human  beings  to  settle;  but  what  seems  very  strange  is 
that  it  does  nor  seem  to  have  occurred  to  any  of  the  people  at  that 
time,  that  there  was  a  duty  for  the  church  to  stand  by  a  defenceless 
and  helpless  victim,  if  such  might  have  been  the  case,  and  take  re- 
proach, if  reproach  should  come  by  defending  the  right.  If  this 
woman's  life  was  endangered,  which  is  not  questioned  in  any  of  these 
papers,  then  the  church  should  have  protected  her  to  the  extent  of 
its  ability  in  a  civilized  country.  It  is  not  stated  that  Deacon  Grant 
was  a  brutal  man,  but  a  paper  is  preserved  with  a  number  of  names 
of  citizens  attached,  attesting  to  his  good  character,  but  life  may  be 
endangered    by    neglect,   which   when    known    to   the   person,   in  a 

33 


258  History  of  Torrington. 

Christian  view  is  equally  criminal  with  overt  acts,  and  it  is  very  evi- 
dent that  she  thought  her  life  in  danger,  and  Father  Mills  does  not 
seem  to  have  doubted  it. 

/There  was  a  disposition  in  those  days  in  men  to  lord  it  over  their 
'wives  and  families  and  many  a  woman  has  had  double  work,  and 
stinted  allowance  of  food  dealt  out  to  her  by  her  lord  who  growled 
about  the  house  like  a  bear  j  and  perhaps  the  matter  was  so  common 
that  it  was  judged  to  be  right. 

A  certain  man  in  this  town,  well  known  as  having  but  little  energy 
to  provide  for  his  family  while  his  wife  worked  like  a  slave,  was  often 
/Complaining  of  his  dispepsia  and  feeble  state  of  health,  and  his  frequent 
(remark  to  his  wife  was  in  the  morning  after  breakfast :  "  Now  Betsey 
you  need  not  cook  but  a  small  piece  of  pork  for  dinner,  for  I  am 
feeling  very  poorly  and  cannot  eat  much,"  and  then  at  dinner  he 
would  eat  all  the  pork  himself,  leaving  his  wife  and  children  to  do 
the  best  they  could  on  potatoes  and  broth.  According  to  the  very 
best  authorities,  tyranny  in  the  family,  by  the  lord  thereof,  was  a 
common  vice  for  ages  in  New  England  as  well  as  in  Old  England. 
The  claim  that  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife  in  government, 

Cis  generally  met  at  the  present  day  with  silent  disgust,  while  the  idea 
that  he  is  the  head  to  provide  for,  to  care  for,  to  protect  and  defend, 
"is  commonly  accepted  and  honored. 

Another  case  in  this  town  affords  some  illustration  of  the  old  ideas 
of  matrimony  and  the  arbitrary  conduct  of  the  husband. 

Thomas  Marshall,  the  first  of  the  name  in  the  town,  married 
Elizabeth  Tudor  Oct.  9,  1725  ;  she  being  of  French  descent  and  of 
a  wealthy  family,  brought  quite  a  sum  of  money  to  Mr.  Marshall, 
when  he  was  married.  They  lived  very  unhappily  many  years,  and 
in  1762,  agreed  to  a  separation,  Mr.  Marshall  giving  a  certain  bond 
to  Dea.  John  Whiting,  binding  himself  to  pay  to  his  wife,  "  twenty- 
six  shillings  quarterly"  for  her  support. 

In  1766,  she  brought  a  complaint  of  non-fulfillment  of  this  bond, 
and  a  petition,  to  the  assembly,  to  authorize  the  collection  of  the 
money  inasmuch  as  he  had  paid  only  five  pounds  and  three  shillings 
in  the  four  years.  The  legislature  ordered  that  the  specified  sums 
should  be  paid  to  her  and  that  Mr.  John  Whiting  should  prosecute 
to  obtain  said  sums  if  they  were  not  paid  ;  the  arrearages  amounting 
at  that  time  to  over  fourteen  pounds. 

In  1767,  another  petition  was  prepared  by  Epaphras  Sheldon  in  her 
behalf,  a  copy  of  which,  being  sent  to  John  Whiting,  according  to 


Things  not  Left  Out.  259 

law,  is  preserved,  and  which  shows  that  only  four  pounds  had  been 
paid  during  the  previous  year;  and  asking  that  some  other  man  be 
appointed  in  the  place  of  John  Whiting  as  he  wholly  neglected  the 
matter.  In  this  matter  Dea.  John  Cook  and  Epaphras  Sheldon  were 
witnesses  before  the  assembly,  and  among  other  things  Mrs.  Marshall 
testified  :  "  A  nice  little  sum  I  brought  him  when  I  was  married." 

When  Mr.  Marshall  found  that  the  matter  was  likely  to  go  into 
other  hands  for  collection  than  Mr.  Whiting's  he  changed  his  course 
entirely,  and  certified  to  the  legislature  that  he  would  not  pay  the 
money  only  on  condition  that  his  wife  should  return  to  her  home 
and  duty  ;  and  upon  his  manifesting  a  willingness  to  have  her  return, 
the  legislature  rescinded  their  former  decree,  and  let  the  woman  do 
whichever  she  might  choose,  go  home  or  starve  in  old  age. 

Here,  this  woman  was,  really,  sent  out  of  her  home,  and  kept  out, 
by  the  husband,  who  enjoyed  all  the  comforts  of  that  home,  much 
of  which  had  been  secured  by  her  money,  and  during  five  years  or 
more  she  worked  in  various  ways  to  obtain  a  living,  she  being  nearly 
seventy  years  of  age,  and  then  was  left  by  the  legislature  to  go  back 
to  the  place  where  she  proved  she  had  been  most  shamefully  treated. 

But  what  could  she  do,  the4aws  then,  and  they  are  but  little  better 
now,  protected  the  husband  in  most  arbitrary  assumptions  and  ^ 
tyrannical  rule  in  the  home,  and  the  public  sense  was  against  any  / 
claims  of  a  wife  except  submission  to  the  rule  of  her  husband.  Un- 
der such  circumstances  it  is  not  surprising  that  many  women  of  the 
finest  and  best  mental  qualities  rejected  the  relations  of  married  life 
and  thereby  retained  their  money  and  independency. 

Government  in  the  Family. 

It  is  customary  to  make  invidious  comparisons  between  the  gov-  ' 
ernment  of  the  family  in  the  olden  time  and  at  the  present  day,  and 
conclude  that  the  world  is  growing  worse,  at  least  in  this  respect, 
instead  of  better.  The  manners  taught  children  in  the  public  schools 
are  frequently  repeated  as  testimony  to  the  superior  training  of  those 
days  over  the  present.  Now,  it  was  a  very  proper  thing,  and  for- 
tunate that  those  who  received  no  training  at  home,  but  "sit  in  the 
corner  and  keep  still,"  and  "be  seen  and  not  heard"  and  whose 
"  wills  had  been  broken,"  so  they  were  mere  mummies,  and  who  had 
been  taught  to  "  keep  their  mouth  shut  "  except  when  they  said, 
"  what  ?    yes  !   no  !   Mam  I  Dad  !    old  man  !  old  woman  I"  besides 


26o  History  of  Torrington. 

the  nick-names  all  round,  should  be  taught  so  much  as  to  take  their 
hats  off  when  meeting  people  on  the  highway. 

It  is  well  known  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  men  were  so  timid 
and  bashful,  for  want  of  a  little  training  in  manners,  and  how  to  be- 
have in  good  society  that  they  sought  to  keep  out  of  such  society, 
and  to  find  a  lower  kind,  where  they  would  not  be  laughed  at,  and 
where  oddities  and  doggerel  words  and  language  brought  a  premium. 

One  of  the  great  lawyers  of  this  nation,  tells  the  story  that  he  was 
taught  when  a  boy  in  the  yankee  part  of  the  nation,  that  he  wasn't 
any  body  ;  he  should  be  "  seen  and  not  heard,"  and  sit  in  the  chim- 
ney corner  ;  that  when  through  college  and  his  law  studies,  he  was 
so  diffident  from  the  effects  of  this  teaching  that  he  could  scarcely 
muster  courage  to  commence  his  professional  business,  and  that  he 
had  suffered  untold  distress,  thousands  of  times,  even  through  all  his 
life  from  this  same  cause  ;  and  yet  his  name  has  gone  all  through  the 
land,  in  honor,  as  a  lawyer. 

One  of  the  Christian  laymen,  who  became  celebrated  in  New 
Haven  county,  from  1800  to  1830,  wrote  in  his  journal,  that  he 
"  had  been  kept  under  so  at  home  that  when  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  he  did  not  dare  to  speak  to  any  body  of  his  very  great  desire  to 
obtain  a  liberal  education,"  that  if  he  could  have  done  so,  some  way 
would  probably  have  opened  for  that  end,  and  he  should  not  have 
suffered  as  he  did  all  his  life,  the  mortification  of  the  want  of  such 
education. 

Much  of  the  civilities  between  young  women  and  young  men 
(they  did  not  have  young  ladies  and  young  gentlemen,  but"  gals  and 
boys"),  were  of  the  rudest  kind,  and  such  as  they  picked  up  of  them- 
selves, and  as  a  whole  were  rather  demoralizing  than  elevating, 
as  the  consequences  fully  reveal,  much  of  which  is  far  beyond  the 
delicacy  to  be  retained  in  a  book.  A  young  man  in  Torringford, 
about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  invited  a  young  lady  to  go  with 
him  to  a  party  ;  she  declined  the  invitation,  and  some  years  passed 
until  she  and  the  same  young  man  met  at  an  evening  party,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  entertainment  the  young  lady  had  no  way  to  return 
home,  and  the  young  man  offered  to  take  her  home  on  his  horse, 
which  offer  she  accepted.  When  they  had  journeyed  about  half  the 
distance,  the  young  man  dropped  his  riding  whip,  and  proposed  to 
alight  and  get  it,  the  young  lady  said  she  could  obtain  it  with  less 
trouble  than  he,  and  jumped  from  the  horse  with  much  politeness  to 
pick  it  up  and  remount,  but  as  soon  as  she    was  safely  landed,    the 


Things  not  Left  Out.  261 

young  man  threw  the  pillion  she  rode  on  to  her,  and  putting  his 
horse  on  a  run  left  her  to  travel  home  in  the  snow,  some  mile  or 
two,   thus   settling  the   account  of  the   mitten    some  years  before. 

It  might  be  that  this  transaction  occurred  before  the  young  people 
were  taught  such  excellent  manners  in  public  schools. 

We  have  heard  so  much  about  the  well  trained  and  well  governed 
young  men  of  seventy  years  ago  that  we  are  poorly  prepared  to  learn 
that  it  was  some  forty  or  more  of  those  same  model  young  men  who 
crept  in  the  window  at  Ezekiel  Appley's  wedding,  and  stole  all  the 
provisions  prepared  for  the  occasion,  and  took  all  into  the  woods  and 
ate  it  ;  having,  to  be  sure,  the  very  great  politeness  of  returning  the 
dishes  the  next  day  ;  and  the  family  were  thankful  that  they  did  no 
further  damage.  And  it  was  some  thirty  of  these  model  fellows  in 
Torringford,  who  stole  Asa  Loomis's  bride  and  attempted  to  escape 
from  the  town  with  her  but  failed,  and  went  to  the  tavern,  and  had  a 
grand  supper  and  liquors  and  refused  to  give  up  the  bride  until  the 
bridegroom  should  pay  the  bill.  How  is  it  now  ?  On  the  third  day 
of  October  1877,  a  marriage  occurred  in  Wolcottville,  and  was  held 
in  the  church,  and  by  voluntary  good  will  an  elegant  audience  was 
in  waiting  ;  the  organ  played  its  sweet  music  (instead  of  horsefiddles, 
old  muskets  and  the  like,  of  olden  time)  ;  the  house  was  decorated 
in  magnificent  style  with  the  flowers  of  numberless  gardens  and 
conservatories  from  far  and  near,  making  the  occasion  one  of  beauty, 
joy  and  happiness.  On  the  eleventh  day  of  the  same  month  another 
wedding  occurred  in  the  Episcopal  church,  the  first  being  in  the 
Congregational,  and  the  house  was  decorated  in  most  beautiful  style, 
by  the  voluntary  good  will  of  a  score  of  young  people,  and  the 
presents  to  the  bride  were  such  as  to  make  the  occasion  a  joy  as  long 
as  her  remembrance  continues.  And  these  are  not  isolated  cases, 
but  the  like  of  which  occurs  frequently  in  very  humble  cottages,  in 
the  most  rural  parts  of  the  country,  only  on  a  less  extensive  scale. 

But   it  is  said   the   children   do   not   conduct   as   they  used    to  do. 
Indeed  they  do  not. 

There  lived  a  family  in  this  town  about  sixty  years  ago,  that  was  a  \ 
family  of  good  standing,  of  considerable  property  and  energy  of 
character,  and  the  children  have  performed  very  honorable  parts  in 
life  since.  The  story  is  told  as  a  real  fact  that  on  a  certain  morning, 
while  the  father  was  on  his  knees  praying,  the  old  bunting  ram  came  to  / 
the  door,  which  was  standing  open,  and  the  boys  seeing  him,  made 
certain  motions  to  him  which  always  provoked  his  fury,  and  the  animal 


262  History  of  Torrington. 

made  for  the  old  man  and  hit  him  a  solid  bunt.  This  took  the  old  gentle- 
man rather  by  surprise,  and  he  sprang  from  his  knees  as  if  electrified, 
and  remarked,  "damn  that  ram,"  then  kneeling  again,  finished  his 
morning  prayers.  It  would  be  no  risk  to  venture  a  thousand  dollars 
that  no  family  could  now  be  found  in  the  town,  that  would  treat  a 
father,  and  religion,  with  such  disrespect. 

At  Torrington  center,  or  green,  fifty  years  ago,  some  of  these 
model  boys  who  could  take  off  their  hats  in  the  highway,  and  keep 
still  in  the  house  in  the  presence  of  company,  used  to  exhibit  some 
of  the  perfection  of  those  days  around  the  old  academy  (new  then) 
during  singing  school  nights,  where  year  after  year  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  conduct  the  school.  During  one  season,  after  a  variety 
of  enterprising,  ingenious  tricks  for  disturbance,  they  one  evening 
arranged  to  give  the  singers  pretty  thorough  attention.  Hence 
during  the  day  the  windows  were  all  nailed  down  with  a  purpose. 
When  the  audience  was  well  in  the  exercises  of  the  evening  some 
very  long  goosequills  filled  with  wet  and  dry  powder  for  the  purpose, 
were  placed  under  the  doer  and  set  afire.  They  went  into  the  house, 
and  around  the  house,  everywhere  filling  the  house  with  powder 
smoke  and  perfumes  ;  and  they  kept  coming,  one  after  another,  as  if 
intelligent  and  yet  knov/ing  nothing,  but  to  dash  on,  here  and  there 
and  everywhere,  and  at  the  same  time  red  pepper  was  thrown  down 
the  stove  pipe  hole  on  the  stove,  which  created  much  suff^ering  in  the 
efix)rt  to  breathe.  A  rush  was  made,  for  the  door,  but  it  was  braced 
shut  by  great  benches  and  logs  outside,  which  it  was  impossible  to 
remove  from  the  inside.  Then  gasping  for  breath  they  flew  to  the 
windows  only  to  find  them  nailed  down,  and  no  refuge  was  left  but 
to  smash  the  window  glass  and  get  breath. 

In  Goshen  the  same  thing  was  done  in  the  presence  of  the  select- 
men of  the  town,  the  society's  committee,  the  constables  and  justices 
of  the  peace,  who  were  all  assembled  to  protect  the  singing  school, 
and  yet  it  was  broken  up  and  no  body  could  be  found  who  did  it. 

If  anything  half  so  annoying  were  to  take  place  to-day,  the  state 
militia  would  be  called  out  at  once  if  needed  to  put  an  end  to  it. 
,^  The  difference  between  the  past  and  the  present  methods  of  family 
government  seems  to  be,  less,  much  less  of  the  rod  ;  more  love  for 
children  and  parenti,^  and  hence,  more  respectful  and  heartfelt  obe- 
dience, instead  of  slavish  dread  of  the  lash,  and  hence  many  more 
young  people  now  become  devoted  to  religious  life,  benevolent  en- 
terprises, and  moral  culture.      The  oft  repeated  complaint  about  the 


Things  not  Left  Out. 


263 


degeneracy  of  family  government  in  the  present  age  is  a  scare-crow 
humbug  of  the  stupidest  kind. 

Deacon  Guy  Wolcott's  sons  were  among  the  most  intelligent, 
enterprising,  and  industrious  in  the  town,  but  were  celebrated  for 
being  the  most  sedate  and  quiet  at  home,  while  abroad,  or  out  in 
company,  they  were  as  full  of  sport  and  enjoyment  as  any  body.  At 
home  they  were  not  allowed  to  have  such  enjoyment,  being  trained 
in  the  strictest  manner,  and  therefore  they  made  up  lost  time  when 
they  escaped  the  watch  of  the  parental  eye,  and  where  was  there  a 
family  of  any  snap  in  them,  but  that  did  the  same  under  like  circum- 
stances. And  there  was  another  deacon's  family  still  more  unfortu- 
nate than  Guy  Wolcott's. 

In  early  times  when  there  were  few  carts  in  the  town  Priest  Mills 
went  to  Dea.  Gaylord's  to  borrow  a  cart,  and  making  his  request 
known,  the  deacon  said,  he  would  consent  if  Miah  [his  son  Nehe- 
miah]  would,  but  he  guessed  it  wanted  a  band.  Nehemiah  said  he 
would  consent,  if  Jo  would,  but  he  guessed  it  wanted  a  gripe.,  and 
Joseph  said  he  would  consent  if  his  father  would,  but  he  guessed  it 
wanted  a  spike.  Mr.  Mills  went  home  without  the  cart,  and  meet- 
ing a  neighbor  said  :  "  I've  been  to  Deacon  Band's,  Miah  Gripe's, 
and  Jo  Spike's  to  get  a  cart,  but  I  could  not  get  one."  Ever  after 
that  the  deacon  and  his  sons  were  called  Deacon  Band,  Miah  Gripe 
and  Jo  Spike.  But  it  is  hazardous  to  enter  upon  the  list  of  nick- 
names, for  they  are  so  many,  and  some  of  them  of  such  a  character 
as  to  ruin  the  reputation  of  any  book,  to  say  nothing  about  the  re- 
putation of  the  town,  that  the  most  discreet  part  of  the  battle  is  to 
retire  from  the  field  of  observation,  and  suffer  oblivion,  if  the  old 
fellow  would  but  do  it,  to  hide  forever,  the  stars  of  speech,  that  have 
been  the  sport  of  generations,  now  all  gone. 

In  nothing  was  the  people  of  this  town  peculiar,  so  far  as  is  known, 
for  they  followed  in  the  spirit  of  education,  customs,  manners, 
speeches,  and  the  various  uses  of  language  and  citizenship  in  a  free 
country,  as  the  people  of  other  parts  of  the  state,  and  New  England  ; 
and  as  city  fashions  and  manners  and  customs  are  the  style  at  the 
present  time,  the  next  historian  of  the  town  may  have  the  pleasure 
of  recording  the  peculiarities  of  city  life  for  the  amusement  and  know- 
ledge of  country  people. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


LISTS   OF   NAMES, 


Representatives  in  the  State  Legislature. 


1762, 

May. 

Oct. 

1763, 

May. 

Oct. 

1764,  May. 

Oct. 

1765, 

May. 

Oct. 

1766, 

May. 

Oct. 

1767, 

Jan. 

May. 

Oct. 

1768, 

May. 

Oct. 

1769, 

Jan. 

May. 

Oct. 

1770, 

May. 

Oct. 

1771, 

May. 

Oct. 

1772 

May. 

Oct. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Coe. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

None  from  Torrington  rec. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Coe. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Coe. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John   Cook. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Coe. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.   Noah  Wilson. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Noah  Wilson. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Noah  Wilson. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Noah  Wilson. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Noah  Wilson. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Noah  Marshall. 

Mr    Ephraim  Bancroft. 

Capt.  Amos  Wilson. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Ephraim  Bancroft. 


1773,  May.       Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 
Oct.         Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

1774,  Jan.         Mr.  John  Cook. 

Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 
May.       Mr.  John  Cook. 

One  vacancy. 
Oct.        Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  Marshall. 

1775,  March.  Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  Marshall. 
April.      Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  Marshall. 
May.       Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  Marshall. 
July.        Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

One  vacancy. 
Oct.        Mr.  John  Cook. 

One   vacancy. 
Dec.        None  from  Torrington. 

1776,  May.       Mr.  Ephraim  Bancroft. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 
June.      No  representatives  recorded. 
Oct.        Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

Mr.  Ephraim  Bancroft. 
Nov.       Mr.  Ephraim  Bancroft. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 
Dec.        Mr.  Ephraim  Bancroft. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

1777,  May.       Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Capt.  Sliubael  Griswold. 
Aug.       Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Cape.  Shubael  Griswold. 
Oct.        Mr.  Abner  Marshall. 

Mr.  John  Cook. 

1778,  Jan.         Mr.  Abner   Marshall. 

One  vacancy. 
Feb.        Mr.  Abner  Marshall. 

One  vacancy. 
May.       Mr.  Abner  Marshall. 

Mr.  Aaron   Austin. 
Oct.        Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

Mr.  Aaron  Austin. 
Dec.        Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

Mr.  Aaron  Austin. 

1779,  Apr.        None  given  from  Torrington. 


Lists  of  Names. 


265 


1779 

.  May. 

Oct. 

1780 

,  Jan. 

Apl. 

May. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

I78I, 

Feb. 

May. 
Oct. 

1782, 

Jan. 

May. 

Oct. 

1783, 

Jan. 
May. 

Oct. 

1784,  Jan. 

May. 
Oct. 

1785, 

May. 

Oct. 

1786, 

May. 

Oct. 

1787, 

May. 

Oct. 

1788, 

May. 

Oct. 

1789, 

Jan. 

May. 

Oct. 

1790, 

May. 

Oct. 

Dec. 

Mr.  Noah  North.  1790,  Dec. 

Mr.  Abner  Marshall.  1791,  May. 

Col.  Lpaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  North.  Oct. 

Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  North.  1792,  May. 

Col.  Elipiiaz  Sheldon. 

Mr.  Noah  North.  Oct. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

Mr.  Nojh  North.  '793,  May. 

Mr.  Noah  North. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold.  Oct. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

One  vacancy.  '794'  May. 

Mr.  Noah  North. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold.  Oct. 

No  representatives  recorded. 

Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon.  '795i  May. 

One  vacancy. 

Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon.  Oct. 

Mr.  Abner  Marshall. 

Mr.  Abner  Marshall.  '796,  May. 

Mr.  Aaron  Austin. 

Mr.  David  Grant.  Oct. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 

No  representatives  recorded.         '797,  May. 

Mr.  Noah  North. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno.  Oct. 

Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Doct.  Samuel  Woodward.  1798,  May. 

Col.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 

Doct.  Samuel  Woodward.  Oct. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 

Mr    Noah  North.  '899,  May. 

Capt.  Jabez  Gillett. 

Mr.  Daniel    Grant.  Oct. 

Mr.  David  Soper. 

Gen.  Epaphras  Sheldon.  1800,  May. 

Mr.  Samuel  Woodward. 

Capt.  Amos  Wilson.  Oct. 

Doct.  Samuel  Woodward. 

Mr.  Elisha  Smith.  1801.  May, 

Doct.  Samuel  Woodward. 

Mr.  Noah  North.  Oct. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 

Capt.  Amos  Wilson.  1802,  May. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

Gen'l  Epaphras  Sheldon.  Oct. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 

Mr.  Elisha  Smith.  '803,  May. 

Mr.  Eliphalet   Eno. 

Mr.  Elisha  Smith.  Oct. 

Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 

Mr    Elisha  Smith.  1804,  May. 

Capt.  Shubael  Griswold. 

Mr.  Elisha  Smith.  Oct. 

Doct.  Samuel  Woodward. 

Mr.  Elisha  Smith.  1805,  May. 

Doct.  Samuel  Woodward. 

Mr.  Elisha   Smith.  Oct. 

Mr.  Eliphalet   Eno. 

Mr.  Elisha  Smith.  1806,  May. 

34 


Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 
Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 
Mr.  Shubael  Griswold. 
Mr.  Epaphras   Sheldon. 
Mr.  Eliphalet   Eno. 
Doct.  Elkanah  Hodges. 
Mr.  Eliphalet  Eno. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battle. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Shubael  Griswold. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Shubael  Griswold. 
Mr.  Seth   Wetmore. 
Mr.  William  Battle. 
Mr.  Seth  Wetmore. 
One  vacancy. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battle. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battle. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr    Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Wait  Beach. 
Mr.  Ebenezer  Miller. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Nathaniel  Austin. 
Mr.  Wait   Beach. 
Mr.  John  Gillett. 
Mr.  Phineas  North. 
Mr.  William  Battle. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battell. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battell. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battell. 
Mr.  Phineas  North. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  Jabez  Gillett. 
Mr.  Phine.is  North. 
Mr.  William    Battell,  Jr. 
Mr.  Elisha  Smith. 
Mr.  William  Battell,  Jr. 
Phineas  North. 
William  Battell. 
Elisha  Hinsdale. 
William  Battell. 
Elisha  Hinsdale. 


266 


H 


ISTORY    OF 


ORRINGTON. 


1806, 

May. 
Oct. 

1807, 

May. 

Oct. 

1808, 

May. 

Oct. 

1809, 

May. 

Oct. 

I8I0, 

May. 

Oct. 

I8II, 

May. 

Oct. 

I8I2, 

May. 

Aug. 

Oct. 

I8I3, 

May. 

Oct. 

1814, 

May. 

Oct. 

1815, 

Ja.n. 

May. 

Oct. 

I8I6, 

May. 

Oct. 

I8I7, 

May. 

Oct. 

I8I8, 

May. 

Oct. 

I8I9. 

1820. 

I82I. 

1822. 

William  Battell,  Jr. 
Elisha  Hinsdale. 
William  Battell,  Jr. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Normjn  Griswold. 
Elisha  Smith. 
William  Battell. 
Elisha  Smith. 
William  Battell. 
Elisha  Smith. 
William  Battell. 
Elisha  Smith. 
William  Battell. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett,  Jun. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Norman  Griswold. 
Elisha  Smith. 
William  Batell. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Erastus  Hodges. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Erastus  Hodges. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Wm.  Battell. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Abel  Hinsdale. 
Uriel  Tuttle. 
Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
William    Battell. 
Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
William  Battell. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Abel  Kinsdale. 
William  Battell. 
Elihu  Cook. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Elihu  Cook. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Abel  Hinsdale. 
Matthew  Grant. 


1822.  Samuel  Woodward. 

1823.  Levi  Munsell. 
[ohn  Gillett,  Jr. 

1824.  Levi  Munsell. 
Isaac  H.  Dibble. 

1825.  Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
Isaac  H.  Dibble. 

1826.  Erastus  Hodges. 
Uriel  Tuttle. 

1827.  Erastus  Hodges. 
William  Battell. 

1828.  Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
William  Battell. 

1829.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Horace  Gillett. 

1830.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Horace  Gillett. 

1831.  Asaph  Gillett. 
Griswold  Woodward. 

1832.  Erastus  Hodges. 
William  Battell. 

1833.  Martin  Webster. 
Levi  Munsell. 

1834.  Noah  Drake. 
Cicero  Hayden. 

1835.  Ralph  Deming. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1836.  Zaccheus  W.  Bissell. 
Giles  Whiting. 

1837.  Giles  Whiting. 
John  Gillett. 

1838.  Lorrain  Thrall. 
Israel  Holmes. 

1839.  Elkanah  H.  Hodges. 
Anson  Colt,  Jr. 

1840.  Luman  Munsell. 
Anson  Colt,  Jr. 

1 841.  Uri  Taylor. 
Luman  Munsf;ll. 

1842      Uri  Taylor. 

No  other  recorded. 

1843.  Griswold  Woodward. 
Asaph  Gillett. 

1844.  Asaph  Gillett. 
Griswold   Woodward. 

1845.  Lyman  W.  Coe. 
Dennis  Coe. 

1846.  Lorrain  Hindsale. 
Nelson  Roberts. 

1847.  Lorrain  Hindsale. 
Nelson  Roberts. 

1848.  Jannah  B.  Phelps. 
Frederick  P.  Whiting. 

1849.  Jannah  B.  Phelps. 
Homer  F.  Thrall. 

1850.  Albert  Bradley. 
Henry  S.  Baibour. 

1851.  Lewis  Whiting. 
John  W.  Cooke. 

1852.  Edmund  A.  Wooding. 
Leverett  Tuttle. 

1853.  Noah  Drake. 


Lists  of  Names. 


267 


1853.  L.  Thompson. 

1854.  Noah  Drake. 
Henry  Hopkins. 

1855.  N.  Roberts. 

C.  A.  Winship. 

1856.  George  P.  Bissell. 
Lewis  A.  Thrall. 

1857.  George  P.  Pissell. 
Lewis  A.  Thrall. 

1858.  Thomas  A.  Miller. 
Samuel  J.  Stocking. 

1859.  Thomas  A.  Miller. 
Andrew  Roberts. 

i860.    Harlow  Fyler. 

Francis  N.  Holley. 

1861.  Harvey  L.  Rood. 
George  L.  Whiting. 

1862.  B.  R.  Agard. 
Roderick  Bissell. 

1863.  Alonzo  Whiting. 
Henry  G.  Colt. 

1864.  Lauren  Wetmore. 
James  Ashborn. 

1865.  Henry  S.  Barbour. 
Elijah  Woodward. 


1866.  O.  R.  Fyler. 
W.  H.  Barber. 

1867.  Roger  C.  Barber. 
Elisha  Turner. 

1868.  Joseph  F.  Calhoun. 
Thomas  A.  Starks. 

1869.  Charles  Hotchkiss. 
Edward    B.  Birge. 

1870.  J.  W.  Phelps. 
Luther  Bronson. 

1871.  E.  C.  Hotchkiss. 
John  M.  Burr. 

1872.  F.  J.  Seymour. 
Wait  B.  Wilson. 

1873.  Charles  McNeil. 
James  Alldis. 

1874.  Charles   McNeil. 
Charles  F.  Church. 

1875.  Charles  F.  Brooker. 
Edward  C.  Hotchkiss. 

1876.  Charles  McNeil. 
John  W.  Gamwell. 

1877.  Levi  Hodges. 
Achille  F.  Migeon. 


Town  Clerks. 


Dea.  John   Cook,  1740  to  1779,  38  yrs. 

Gen.  Epaph.  Sheldon,  1779  ^°  '79S>  '5  '' 

Esqr.  Elisha  Smith,        1795  to  1813,  18  " 


[ohn  Gillett, 


!i3  to  1823, 


Russell  C.  Abernethy,  1823  to  1827,  4  " 

John  Gillett,  i827toi83i,  4" 

Russell  C.  Abernethy,  i83itoi8  35,  4" 

John  Gillett,  1835  to  1837,  2  " 


Russell  C.  Abernethy,  1837  to  1838 

John  Gillett,  1838  to  1844, 

Francis  N.  Holley, 

Giles  A.  Gaylord, 

Henry  S.  Barbour, 

Gideon  H.  Welch, 

Fred.  F.  Fuessenich, 


1844  to  1850, 

1850  to  1851,  I 

1851  to  1870,  19 
1870  to  1877,  7 
1877. 


I  yrs. 

6  " 

6  " 


1777.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 
Amos  Wilson. 
Ephraim  Bancroft. 
Shubael  Griswold. 
Elijah  Gaylord. 

1778.  Noah  Wilson. 
Shubael  Griswold. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Noah  North. 
Jabez  Gillett. 

1779.  Ephraim  Bancroft. 
John  Strong. 
Noah  North. 

1780.  Epaphras  Sheldon. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Daniel  Hudson. 
Noah  North. 
David  Soper. 


Selectmen.' 

1781. 


1782. 


1783. 


1784. 


Epaphras  Sheldon. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Amos  Wilson. 
Jesse  Coolc. 
Jabez  Gillett. 
Amos  Wilson. 
Jabez  Gillett. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Shubael  Griswold. 
Daniel  Grant. 
Amos  Wilson. 
David  Soper. 
Noah  North. 
Jabez  Gillett. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Elisha  Smith. 
David  Soper. 
Daniel  Grant. 


■'1'  In  consequence  of  the  loss  of  the  First  Book  of  Records  of  the  town  meetings,  the 
list  before  1777,  could  not  be  given.  The  record  of  town  clerks  before  that  date  was  ob- 
tained from  the  town  treasurer's  book. 


268 


History   of   Torringtok. 


1784.  Austin  Haydon. 
Abijah  Wilson. 

1785.  Amos  Wilson. 
Austin  Haydon. 
Elisha  Smith. 
David  Soper. 
Thomas  IVIarshall. 

1786.  Elisha  Smith. 
David  Soper. 
Austin  Haydon. 
Thomas  Marshall. 
Eikanah  Hodges. 

1787.  Eikanah  Hodges. 
Zachariah  Mather. 
Abijah  Wilson. 
Samuel  Austin, 
Stephen  Fyler. 

1788.  Abijah  Wilson. 
Zachariah  Mather. 
Caleb  Lyman. 
David  Soper. 
Stephen  Fyler. 

1789.  Wait  Beach. 
Jabez  Gillett. 
Asahel  Miller. 

1790.  Wait  Beach. 
Daniel  Dibble. 
George  Miller. 

1791.  Eikanah  Hodges. 
William   Battell. 
Seth  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett. 
Ebenezer  Lyman. 

1792.  Eikanah  Hodges. 
William  Battell. 
Seth  Wetmore. 
John  Gillett. 
Ebenezer  Lyman. 

1793.  Eikanah  Hodges. 
William  Battell. 
Seth   Wetmore. 
]ohn  Gillett. 
Ebenezer  Lyman. 

1794.  Elisha  Smith. 
Nathaniel  Austin. 
Seth  Wetmore. 
Joseph  Gaylord. 
Fhineas  North. 

1795.  Seth  Wetmore. 
Joseph  Gaylord. 
Nathaniel  Austin. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Phineas  North. 

1796.  Elisha  Smith. 
Daniel  Dibble. 
Phineas   North. 
Joseph  Gaylord. 
Stephen  Fyler. 

1797.  Elisha  Smith. 
Daniel  Dibble. 
Stephen  Fyler. 
Jabez  Gillett. 


1797. 
1798. 


1799. 


1802. 
1803. 
1804. 
1805. 
1806. 
1807. 
1808. 
1809. 
1810. 
1811. 
1812. 
1813. 
1814. 
1815. 
1816. 
1817. 


Joseph  Phelps. 
Guy  Wolcott. 
Nathaniel  Austin 
Phineas  North. 
Michael  Loomis. 
Noah  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Noah  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Noah  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
fohn  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
John  Gillett. 
Phineas  North. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Phineas  North. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Phineas  North. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
William  Whiting. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
William  Whiting. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
William  Whiting. 
Matthew  Grant. 
Norman  Griswold. 
Elihu  Cook. 
Matthew  Grant. 
Norman  Griswold. 
Elihu  Cook. 
Matthew  Grant. 
Norman  Griswold. 
Elihu  Cook. 
Elihu  Cook. 
Norman  Griswold. 
Matthew  Grant. 
Elihu  Cook. 
Daniel  G.  Humphrey. 


Lists  of  Names. 


269 


1817.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1818.  Elihu  Cook. 

Daniel  G.  Humphrey. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1819.  Elihu  Cook. 

Daniel  G.  Humphrey. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1820.  Isaac  H.  Dibble. 
Aaron  Smith. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 

1821.  Benjamin  Phelps. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 
Asaph  Gillett. 
Isaac  H.  Dibble. 

1822.  Asaph  Gillett. 
Isaac  H.  Dibble. 
Benjamin  Phelps. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 

1823.  Asaph  Gillett. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 
Benjamin  Phelps. 
Uriel  Tuttle. 

1824.  Benjamin  Phelps. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 
Levi  Munsell: 
Uriel  Tuttle. 
Levi  Munsell. 

1825.  Benjamin  Phelps. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 
Uriel  Tuttle. 

1826.  Levi  Munsell. 
Uriel  Tuttle. 
Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
Uri  Taylor. 

1827.  Russell  Abernethy. 
Uri  Taylor. 
Griswold  Woodward. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1828.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Uri  Taylor. 
Martin  Webster. 
Griswold  Woodward. 

1829.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Demas  Coe. 
Martin  Webster. 
Griswold  Woodward. 

1830.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Martin  Webster. 
George  Bissell. 
Giiswold  Woodward. 

1831.  Erastus  Hodges. 
Martin  Webster. 
Levi  Munsell. 
Demas  Coe. 

1832.  Horace  Gillett. 
Erastus  Hodges. 
Demas  Coe. 
Levi  Munsell. 

1833.  Erastus  Hodges. 
Horace  Gillett. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Demas  Coe. 


1834.  Trumbull  Ives. 
Russell  C.  Abernethy. 
Griswold   Woodward. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1835.  Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Trumbull  Ives. 
Edmund  A.  Wooding. 
Cicero  Hayden. 

1836      Griswold    Woodward. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Cicero  Hayden. 
Edmund  A.  Wooding. 

1837.  Griswold   Woodward. 
Lorrain  Thrall. 
Milo  Burr. 

Marcus  Munsell. 

1838.  Lorrain  Thrall. 
Uri  Taylor. 
Marcus  Munsell. 
Jannah  B.  Phelps. 

1839.  Frederick  P.  Whiting. 
Uri  Taylor. 

Noah  Drake,  Jr. 
Jannah  B.  Phelps. 

1840.  Uri  Taylor, 
Frederick  P.  Whiting. 
Jannah  B.  Phelps. 
Noah  Drake,  Jr. 

1 841.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
Uri  Whiting. 

1842.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
Uri  Whiting. 

1843.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
Uri  Whiting. 

1844.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
Nelson  Alvord. 
Asaph  Gillett. 

1845.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
Asaph  Gillett. 
Nelson  Alvord. 

1846.  Barzillai  Hudson, 
Nelson  Alvord. 
Frederick  P.  Whiting. 

1847.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
George  P.  Bissell. 
Frederick  P.  Whiting. 

1848.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
George  P.  Bissell. 
Frederick  P.  Whiting. 

1849.  George  P.  Bissell. 
Anson  Colt. 

1850.  Frederick   P.  Hills. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 

1851.  Barzillai  Hudson. 
Frederick  P.  Hills. 
Harmon  Cook 

1852.  Frederick  P.  Hills. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 
Harmon  Cook. 

1853.  Frederick  P.  Hills. 
Barzillai  Hudson. 
Harmon  Cook. 


s  \ 


270 
1854. 

1855. 

1856. 

1857. 

1858. 

1859. 

i860. 
I86I. 
1862. 
1863. 
1864. 
1865. 


MiSTORY    OF    TORRINGTON. 


Barzillai  Hudson. 
Frederick    P.  Hills. 
Ephraim  Fellows. 
Harmon  Cook. 
Horace  Loomis. 
Elijah  Woodward. 
Harmon  Cook. 
Horace  Loomis. 
Elijah  Woodward. 
Frederick  P.  Hills. 
George  P.  Bissell. 
Elijah  Woodward. 
Harmon  Cook. 
Levi  Hodges. 
Clark  B.  Downs. 
Harmon  Cook. 
Levi  Hodges. 
Charles   Hotchkiss. 
Levi  Hodges. 
Harvey  L.  Rood. 
Harmon  Cook. 
Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
Harvey  L.  Rood. 
Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
Harvey  L.  Rood. 
Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
Harvey  L.  Rood. 
Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
Harvey  L.  Rood. 
Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
Harvey  L.  Rood. 


1866.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Roger  C.  Barber. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 

1867.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Roger  C.  Barber. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 

1868.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
James  G.  Woodward. 

1869.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Julius   Wooding. 
John  M.  Burr. 

1870.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
[ulius  Wooding. 
John  M.   Burr. 

1871.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
John  M.  Burr. 
Lyman  R.  Pond. 

1872.  Lyman  W.  Coe. 
Edward  B.  Birge. 
Julius  Wooding. 

1873.  Samuel  Brooker. 
Wait  B.  Wilson. 
Edward  B.  Birge. 

1874.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Joseph  Newbury. 
John  W.  Gamwell. 

1875.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Joseph  A.  Newbury. 
|ohn  W.  Garnwell. 

1876.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Joseph  A.  Newbury. 
John  W.  Gamwell. 

1877.  Bradley  R.  Agard. 
Elijah  Woodward. 
Joseph  A.  Newbury. 


\ 


Freemen. 
"  A  list  of  the  names  of  persons   admitted  to   be    freemen  of  the 
state  of  Connecticut,  in  the  town  of  Torrington,  with  the  time  when 
they  were  respectively  sworn,  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
of  the  United  states"  (town  record). 


1777.    Epaphras  Sheldon. 
Ashbel  North. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Noah  Gleason. 
Elisha  Smith. 
Bushniel   Benedict. 
Epaphras  Sheldon,  Jr. 
Benjamin  Bissell. 
Joel  Loomis. 
Ebenczer  Lyman. 
Amos  Wihon. 
John  Cook,  Esq. 
[oseph  Drake. 
John  Cook,  Jr 
Shubael  Cook. 
Jabez  Gillett. 


1777.    Matthew  Grant. 
Noah    Fowler. 
Benjamin  Whiting. 
Abel  Beach. 
Levi  Thrall. 
Shubael  Griswold. 
Jotham  Ives, 
[ohn  Birge. 
Simeon  Richards. 
Jonathan  Coe. 
Abner  Marshall 
Benjamin  Phelps. 
Ebenezer  North. 
Samuel  Beach. 
Ebenezer  North ,  Jr. 
Ebenezer  Coe. 


Lists  of   Names. 


271 


1777.  Elijah  Barber. 
John  Wetmore. 
Moses  Loom's. 
John  Whiting. 
Benjamin  Beach. 
Joseph  Beach. 
Abraham  Loomis. 
Abel  Beach,  Jr. 
Abijah  Wilson. 
John  Curtiss. 
Salmon  Agard. 
Asahel  Strong. 
Ephraim  Bancroft,  Jr. 
Elkanah  Hodges. 
Issachar  Loomis. 
Epaphras  Loomis. 
Nathan  Kelsey. 

Eli  Loomis. 
Peter  Parker. 
David  Soper. 
John  Strong. 
Caleb  Lyman. 
Ephraim  Bancroft. 
Daniel  Hudson. 
Asahel  Wilcox. 
John  Burr,  Jr. 
Noah  Wilson. 
James  Bacon. 
Noah  North. 
Timothy  Loomis. 
Noah  Wilson,  Jr. 
Joseph  Allyn. 

1778.  Daniel  Dibble. 
Asaph  Atwater. 
Asa  Foot. 
David  Norton. 

1779.  Jonathan   Kelsey. 
Michael  Loomis. 
Roger  Wilson. 
William  Wilson. 
Noah  Beach. 
Fitch  Loomis. 
Thomas  Matthews. 
Daniel  Winchel. 
Samuel  Cummins. 
Elisha  Bissell. 
Seth  Coe. 

Joseph  Frisbie. 
Simeon  Birge. 
Joseph  Loomis. 
Silas  Fyler. 
Pardon  Thrall. 
George  Frazier 
Ambrose  Marshall. 
John  Stancliff. 
David  Goff. 
Ephraim  Loomis. 
Thomas  Ellsworth. 
Andrew  Austin. 
Urijah   Cook. 
Richard  Leach. 
Elisha  Frances. 


1779. 


1780. 


1781. 


1782. 


1783. 


1784. 


1785. 


1786. 


1787. 


1788. 


1789. 
1790. 
1791- 


Caleb  Leach. 
Asahel  North. 
Aaron  Marshall. 
Isaiah  I'uttle. 
Bela  Camp. 
Thomas  Marshall. 
John  Richards. 
William  Grant,  Jr. 
Samuel  Cummins. 
George  Baldwin. 
Elijah  Hurlbut. 
Stephen  Taylor. 
Asa  Loomis. 
Richard  Loomis. 
Oliver  Bissell. 
William    Phelps. 
Seth  Wetmore. 
Eliphalet  Austin. 
Asahel  Miller. 
Jedidiah  Cummins. 
Samuel  Woodward. 
Simeon  Moore. 
Moses  Loomis. 
Elihu  Cook. 
Joseph  Phelps. 
Richard  Leach,  Jr. 
Daniel  Deming. 
Benoni  Hills,  Jr. 
Joseph  Taylor. 
Joseph  Holmes. 
William  Whiting 
Daniel  Thrall. 
Penfield  Goodsell. 
Benoni  Leach. 
Norman  Griswold. 
William  Pierpont. 
John  Fyler. 
Samuel  Wetmore. 
Ebenezer  Miller,  Jr. 
Nathan  Kelsey,  Jr. 
Guy  Wolcott. 
Harvey  Whiting. 
Elijah  Bissell. 
Joel  Loomis. 
Epaphras  Loomis. 
John  Strong,  Jr. 
Return  Bissell. 
Raphael  Marshall. 
Rozel  Wilson. 
Ashbel  Bronson. 
Seth   Holmes. 
Jonathan  Phelps. 
Lemuel  Loomis. 
Elihu  Barber. 
Eli  Barber. 
Noadiah  Bancroft. 
Phineas  North. 
David  Leavenworth. 
Jabez  Beardsley. 
Charles  Dix. 
Abner  Coe. 
William  Shatiuck, 


Ill 


History  of  Torrington, 


1794.  Nehemiah  Gaylord. 
John  Brooker. 
Roger  Marshall. 
Remembrance  North. 
Stephen  Hart. 

1795.  Russell  Burr. 
Thaddeus  Griswold. 
Lyman  Wetmore. 
David  Williams. 
Oliver  Coe. 
Harvey  Palmer. 

Eli  Loomis. 

1796.  Daniel  Potter. 
Alexander  Loomis. 
Miles  Beach. 
Pomeroy  Wetmore. 
Ira  Loomis. 
Joseph  Allyn,  Jr. 
Giles  Whiting. 
James  Yale. 
Roger  Loomis. 
Barzillai  Blake. 
Ebenezer  Stoddard. 
Roger   Foot. 
Samuel  Foot. 
Augustus  Humphrey. 
John  Barber. 

1797.  William  Battell. 
Daniel  C.   Hudson. 
Caleb  Johnson. 

1798.  Anson  Stone. 
Elijah  Strong. 
Timothy   Humiston. 
George  Miller. 
Ambrose   Potter. 
Nathaniel  Hayden. 
Henry  Miller. 
Seymour  Bradley. 
Philo  Eggleston. 
Jesse  Blake. 
Rozel  Loomis. 

1799.  Luke  Hayden. 
Zacheus  P.  Gillett. 

1800.  Hezekiah   Durand  . 
John  Gillett,  Jr. 
Aaron   Loomis. 
William   Bostwick. 
Oliver  Allyn. 
Cyrus  Loomis. 
Seth  Treadway. 
Epiiraim  Loomis,  Jr. 
Solomon   Loomis. 
Bildad  Loomis. 
Elias  Loomis. 
Samuel  Rowley,  Jr. 
William  Reynolds. 
Benjamin  Phelps. 
Pomeroy  Leach. 

1801.  Job  Coe. 
Curtiss  Eggleston. 
Benjamin  Agard. 
Isaac  Edgerton. 


1801.  Abel  Beach,  Jr. 
Wait  Loomis. 
Elisha  Bissell. 
Moses  Richards. 
Elijah  Gaylord. 
Horace   Gillett. 

1802.  Daniel  Richards. 
David  Eggleston. 
David    Miller. 
Jeremiah   F.  Miller. 
Allen  Burr. 
Timo'hy  Loomis,  Jr. 
Uriel  Tuttle. 
Thomas  White. 
Amasa  Ives. 
Elijah   Goodwin. 

Ira  Grant. 
Nathan  Gillett,  Jr. 

1803.  Salmon  Burr. 
Chester  Loomis, 
Orange  Soper. 
Jedediah  Eggleston. 
Amos  Wilson,  Jr. 
Samuel  Beach,  Jr. 
Isaac  Bellows. 
Willard  Hodges. 
Erastus  Hodges. 
Erastus  Ives. 
Norman  Fowler. 
Beniamin  Lindsley. 

1804.  Levi  Munsell. 
Artemas  Phillow. 
Asaph  Gillett. 
Bela  Hinman. 
Moses  Rood,  Jr. 
Thomas  Hurlbut. 
Shelburn  Ives. 
Hezekiah  Eno. 
James  Eggleston. 

1805.  Elisha  Loomis. 
Anderson  Cone. 
John  Rood. 
Abel  Roberts. 
James  Rowley. 
Ebenezer  Rood,  Jr. 

1806.  Isaac  H.  Dibble. 
Aaron  Rood. 
Elihu  Moore. 
Luman  Loomis. 
Moses   Drake. 
Lazarus  Ball. 
Robert  Hurlbut. 
Ormel   Leach. 
Elijah  Pond. 
Ethan  Eggleston. 
Ezekiel  Apply. 

1807.  Levi  Beach. 
Aaron  Smith. 
Rolland   Wilson. 
Harmon  Wilson. 
John  Beach,  Jr. 
Charles  Richards. 


Lists   of  Names. 


273 


1807.  Jannah  Phelps. 
Julius  Beach. 
William  Wilson. 
Gilbert  AUyn. 
Ebenezer   Turrell. 
Benjamin  Cowles. 

1808.  Nathaniel  Gaylord. 
Luther  Cook. 
Peter  M.  Bissell. 
Anan  Beach. 
Miles  Spencer. 
Asa  Shattuck. 

1809.  Elisha   Bissell. 
David  Shattuck. 
Selah  Whiting. 

1810.  John  Cook,  Jr. 
Aranda  Birge. 
Bassett  Dunbar. 
Russell  Dayton. 
Uri  Whiting. 
Hezekiah   Hayden. 

1811.  George  Lyman. 
Leverett  Birge. 

1812.  Nathaniel  Smith. 
Uri  Taylor. 
George  Bissell. 
Abiel  Taylor. 
Lemuel  North. 

1813.  Joel  Atkins. 
Catlin  Bissell. 
Pelatiah    Bissell. 
David  Birge. 
Clement  Carr. 
Cicero  Hayden. 
Alvan  Loomis. 
Allyn  Loomis. 
Noah  North. 
Levi  Shepard. 

1814.  Charles  Andrus. 
Elijah  Woodward. 
Griswold  Woodward. 

1815.  Homer  F.  Thrall. 
Ariel  North. 
George  W.  Thrall. 
Willard  North. 
Linus  Sage. 
Alpheus  Hodges. 
Norris  Coe. 
Demas  Coe. 
Norman  Wilson. 
Daniel  Tuttle. 
Giles  Gaylord. 
Chester  Birge. 
Asa  Loomis. 

1816.  Abijah  Osbon. 
James  Wolcott. 
Henry  E.  Hodges. 
Rodney   Brace. 
Joseph  Miller. 
Abijah  Munn. 
Samuel  Seymour. 
Samuel   Fyler. 

35 


18 1 6.  Fitch  Bissell. 
Lewis  Austin. 
Stephen  Fyler,  Jr. 
Prescott  Pond. 
Ambrose  Fyler. 
William  H.  Whiting. 
Cyrus  Bissell. 
Anson  Loomis. 

Elias  Gillett. 
George  Roberts. 
Reuben  Fyler. 

1817.  Warren  Loomis. 
Alanson  H.  Kimberly. 
Harlow  Fyler. 

Jubal  Fyler. 

Orlen  Loomis. 

Hiram  Loomis. 

George  Chase. 

Elisha  Apley. 

Lewis  Murray. 

Henry  Roberts. 

Harlem  Brace. 

Henry  Dayton. 

Anson  Colt,  Jr. 

Truman  Brace. 

Riley  Griswold. 

Arthur  Loomis. 

Allyn  Miller. 

Edwin  Bissell. 

Pelatiah  Cadwell,  Jr. 

Elizur  Wolcott. 
Elijah  M.  Gaylord. 

David  Winchell. 
Moses  Bancroft. 
Thomas  Hurlbut. 

Hezekiah  Drake. 
Rufus  Drake. 
Israel  Coe. 
Horace  Loomis. 
Julius  Watkins. 
1818.    Michael  Loomis,  Jr. 
Leverett  Tuttle. 
Newton  Rossiter. 
Daniel  C.  Humphrey,  Jr. 
Riley  Lyman. 
Horace  Bancroft. 
Trumbull  Ives. 
Joseph  Tolls. 
Hiram  Winchell. 
Ira   Parker. 
Stephen  Griswold. 
Henry  Gaylord. 
Chester  Clark. 
Samuel  Addis. 
Ebenezer  Winchell. 
Phelps  McCoe. 
Horace  Mather. 
Chester  Bancroft. 
Joseph  Holcomb. 
Reuben   Loomis. 
Riley  Cook. 
Martin  Webster. 


274 


History  of  Torrington. 


1818.  John  Ellsworth. 
James  Leach. 
Samuel  Thrall. 
Luman  Hinman. 
Marvin  Barber. 
Augustus  Grant. 
Joseph  Eggleston. 
Myron  Leach. 
Rial  Burr. 

Milo  Burr. 
Jeremiah  Bown. 
William  Leach. 
Porter   Bissell. 
Henry  F.  Osborn. 
Ira   Mason. 
John  Cook,  4th. 
Joseph  Lewis. 
Austin  Moses. 
Alfred  French. 
Henry  Wattles. 
Rufus  Moses. 
Horace  Loomis. 
Dudley  Sulivan. 
Erastus  Bancroft. 
John  Cook,  3d. 
Chester  Johnson. 
Ira  Hoyt. 

Christopher  Pierce. 
Amasa  Scoville. 
Randal  Covey. 
Abijah  Coe. 
Elijah   Pond,  Jr. 
Silas  White. 
Ransley  Birge. 
Samuel  H.  Foot. 
Matthew  Grant. 
Samuel  Deliber. 
Warren  Bancroft. 
Eaton  Ellsworth. 
Nathan  Thrall. 
Sylvanus  Cook. 
Julius  Scoville. 
Sylvester  Coe. 
Curtis  Tuttle. 
Levi  Holmes. 
Benjamin  Curtiss. 
John  Taylor. 
Luman  Carr. 
Ambrose  Thorp. 
Roderick  Bissell. 
Spencer  Garrett. 
Samuel  Bartlett. 
Truman  Seymour. 

1 819.  Amos   Northrop. 
Heman  Childs. 
Asa  Hull. 
Curtiss  Tomlinson. 
Sanford  Palmer. 
William  H.   Hurlbut. 
Elihu  Barber,  Jr. 
Israel  Gross. 

James  Grant. 


18 1 9.  Pelatiah   Roberts. 
Grandison  Loomis. 
Timothy  Cotton. 
Levi  Dutton. 
Joshua  Leach. 

1820.  Truman  Merrill. 
Elisha  Loomis. 
Leonard  Bissell. 
Welcome  Clemence. 
Jeremiah  Page. 
Benjamin  Eggleston. 
James  H.  Seymour. 
Artemas  Rowley. 
Cyrus  North. 
James   Whiting. 
Charles  Woodward. 
George  O.  Jarvis. 

1821.  Horatio  Grant. 
Leverett  Scott. 
Asahel  Coe. 
Frederick  P.  Whiting. 
Dennis  Hart. 
Frederick  Rowe. 
Albro  Cowles. 
Roswell  Birge. 
Christopher  Perkins. 
Jabez  Gibbs. 
Chauncey  Shattuck. 
Joel  Wright. 
Reuben  Smith. 
Miles  Beach,  Jr. 
Leonard  Griswold. 
Rufus  Patchen. 
Lauren  Roberts. 
Daniel  Richards. 
Uriel  Johnson. 
Ralph  Dunbar. 
Abner  Loomis. 
Henry  Allyn,  2d. 
Luther   Birge. 
William  E.  Russell. 

1822.  Asahel  Howd. 
Joshua  Thrall. 
George  D.  Wadhams. 
Marcus  Munsill. 
Willard  Barber. 
Lucretius  Moore. 
Miles  Apley. 

Henry  Trowbridge. 
George  Beach. 
Abram  Loomis. 
Lorrain  North. 
Lemuel  Loomis,  Jr. 
Seth  Smith. 
Hiram  Phelps. 
David   White. 
Andrew  Kingsley. 

1823.  Marvin  Henderson. 
Norman  Coe. 
Truman  Baldwin. 
Eben  M.  Hills. 
Lorrain  Hinsdale. 


L 


ISTS    OF 


N 


AMES. 


275 


1823.  Alvan  Looinis. 
John  Grant. 
Henry  Deary. 
John  Ostrum. 

1824.  William  Greer. 
Jonah  Dayton. 
Lyman  Baldwin, 

De  Witt  C.  Dickinson. 
James  H.  Hubbard. 
Thomas  Cook. 
William  H.  Masters. 
Minard  Van  De  Bogert. 
Albert  Bradley. 
Noel   Merrill. 
Joel  Ball. 
Harry  Bissell. 
Ira  Johnson,  Jr. 
Abel  S.  Leach. 
Frederick  Spencer. 
Elizur  Johnson. 
Phineas  North. 
Chauncey  Allyn. 
Herman  Wilson. 
Hiram  J.  White. 
Lauren  Wetmore. 
Jedediah  Munn. 
Martin  Sage. 

1825.  Ralph  P.  Judd. 
Randall  Shattuck. 
Lyman  B.  Squires. 
Darius  Moore. 
Harvey  Goodwin. 
John  H.  Tuttle. 
Charles  Pierpont. 
Hiram  Burr. 
Amos  Ward. 
Charles  M.  Lines. 
Charles  Clark. 
William  Bissell. 
George  Boothe. 
Enoch    Sperry. 
Frederick  North. 

1826.  Harvey  Ford. 
Samuel  Scott. 
Ansel  Cook. 
David  Fletcher. 
Elijah  L  Cummins. 
Theodore  Leach. 
Heman  Wadhams. 
Elkanah  Barber. 
Wm.  W.  Munson. 
Gilman  Hinsdale. 
Edmund  Phillow. 
Henry  Thompson. 
Lewis  Miller. 
Converse  Clark. 
Thomas  More. 
Benjamin  Dealing. 
Addison  Palmer. 
Hiram  Barber. 
William  Baldwin. 
H.    Alvord. 


1827.  Lorrain  Moss. 
Garwood   H.  Beckwith. 
Abner  W.   Jenkins. 
Leonard  H.  Goodwin. 
George  P.   Bissell. 
Wells  Fyler. 
Alanson  Mitchel. 
Edward  Calkins. 
Joshua  Brad. 

Albert  Grant. 
Ira  Thrall. 
Eliphalet  Smith. 
Luke  Thrall. 
Norman  Leach. 
Eber  Coe. 
Nathaniel  Birge. 
Stephen  Smith. 
William  Phipany. 
Jairus  Case. 

1828.  Emery  Taylor. 
Luman  Munsell. 
Norman  Apley. 
Rufus  Burr. 
John  C.  Barber. 
Eber  Gibbs. 
Stirling  Woodruff. 
Otis  Burnham. 
Allyn  Roberts 
Edward  Denny. 
Harman  Cook. 
Harry  Miller. 
Hiram  A.  Pettibone. 
Samuel  Spencer. 
Tudor  Pease. 
Russell  Brooker. 
Thomas  A.  Miller. 
Henry  Colt. 

Elisha  S.  Abernethy. 
Levi  Loomis. 
Horace  C.  Gillett. 
James  Perry. 
Sebo  Beach. 

1829.  Aurora  Morey, 
Hiram  Rustin. 
Justus  Loomis. 
Rufus  Eggleston. 
Charles  Johnson. 
Orson  Barber 
Allyn  Burr. 
Willard  Birge. 
Bennett  Palmer. 
Ranson  P.  Ellsworth. 
Anson  Williams. 

1830.  Frederick  B.  Wadhams. 
Homer  Fowler. 
Sheldon  Barber. 
James  Harris. 

Nelson  Alvord. 
George  M.  Goodwin. 
Marcus  Eggleston. 
Asa  E.  Perkins. 
Simeon  Loomis. 


276 


History   of  Torrington. 


1830.  Giles  L.  Gaylord. 
Lorrain  Smith. 
Augustus  J.  Taylor. 
Horace  Rowley. 
Chester  Bristol. 
Lemuel  Munson. 
Linus  Johnson. 
Lewis  Whiting. 
Seth  S.  Treadway. 
William  R.  Gould. 
Riley  Dunbar. 

1831.  David  Evans. 
Lewis  Sperry. 
Anson  Hine. 
Sylvester  Hurlbut. 
Robert  Pelton. 
William  Durand. 
Silas  D.  Spaulding. 
Nelson  Allyn. 
Henry  Hungerford. 

1832.  Samuel  A.  Groves. 
Henry  Judd. 
James  F.  Harding. 
Miletus  Huxford. 
Charles  Smith. 
Hiram  Munsell. 
Hiram  Bronson. 
Caleb  Cone. 
William  B.  Spencer. 
Dennis  Dudley. 
John  Frisbie. 
Joseph  Allyn,  2d. 
Wait  B.  Wilson. 
Orrin  Hi  Hard. 
Edwin  Hodges. 
James  Raymond. 

1833.  Luther  Miller. 
Joel  Hall. 
Harvey  H.  Gross. 
Charles  Treadway. 
Henry  D.  Denison. 
Merritt  White. 
George  Watson. 
David  Davids. 
Joseph  A.  Newberry. 
Elkanah  Fox. 
Ebenezer  W.  Beach. 
Oliver  E.  Gross. 
Levi   Hurlbut. 
Elkanah  H.  Hodges. 
Lucius  Dunbar. 
Tullius  C.  Hayden. 
Russell  Tiffany. 

1834.  Ebenezer  Sexton. 
Oliver  Hamlin. 
Lucius  Leach. 
Alfred  G.  Morgan. 
Asa  G.  Adams. 
Aaron  S.  W.  Goodwin. 
Charles  S.  Church. 
Arvid  Dayton. 
George  L.  Whiting. 


1834.  Lewis  A.  Thrall. 
Shaylor  F>ler. 
David  Tallmadge,  Jr. 
Albert  Loomis. 
James  O'Brian. 
Prosper  Merrills. 
John  L    Bissell. 
Jesse  York. 
Horace  Thompson. 
Stephen  York. 
Harmon  Dayton. 
Dennis   Phillow. 
Abel  K.  Hinsdale. 
Richard  Sperry. 

1835.  William  Wedge. 
Henry  H.  Newell. 
Philo  A.  Loomis. 
Timothy  W.  Loomis. 
Charles  M.  Munson. 
Ephraim  Loomis. 
Benj.  F.  Waugh. 
Levi  T.  Munsell. 
Ransom  A.  Dunbar. 
Asa  R.  Hamlin. 
Milo  Winchell. 
Alonzo  Whiting. 
Starr  Holcomb. 
John  W.  Scoville. 
John  Clark. 

Julius  Daily. 

1836.  Elijah  Starkweather. 
Alpha  Rood. 
Edmund   Wooding. 
Eber  Rinck. 
Lucius  Bissell. 
David  W.  Pond. 
Joseph  Barrett. 
Hart  H.  Belding. 
Nelson  Caul. 
Lewis  Carrington. 
Nelson  Roberts. 
Calvin  Rood. 
Henry  A.  Peet. 
Collins  Holcomb. 
Joseph  C.  Hall. 
Frederick  Phelps. 
John  M.  Thompson, 
Alexander  McKenzie. 
Nathan  B.  Phelps. 
Lorrain  B.  Rood. 
Spencer  A.  Terrel. 
Jerome  A.  Johnson. 
George  W.  Gross. 
George  Canfield. 
Fitch  R.   Babcock. 
Linus  Scovill. 
George  Scovill. 
fames  Walling. 
Thomas  M.  Starks. 
Rufus  Cone. 
George  Leach. 
Alexander  A.  Gillett. 


Lists  of  Names. 


277 


1836.  Richard  W.  Griswold, 
Oliver  S.  Hills. 
Charles  H.  Judd. 
Joel  Scoville. 
Gilbert  Mason. 

Joel  Loomis. 
Ebenezer  Edmons. 

1837.  Frank  L.  Whiting. 
George  H.  Birge. 
Lorrain  Tibbals. 
Joseph  Scott. 
Samuel  Winchell. 
George  Dunbar. 
Larandus  Beach. 
Lyman  Andrews. 

1838.  William  F.  Hungerford 
Elias  E.  Oilman. 
Edward  Mott. 
William  H.  Pond. 
Charles  S.  Mason. 
Lucius  H.  Foot. 
Frederick  L.  Taylor. 
Stanley  Griswold. 
Henry  Jackson. 
Charles  Mansfield. 
Frederck  W.  Brown. 
Wolcott  Cook. 

Ansel   Cartright. 
■       William  B.  Wilson. 
Peleg  Elmore. 
Samuel  Bradley,  Jr. 
Levi  Hodges. 
Julius  J.  Phelps. 
William  H.  Leach. 
William  F.  Foot. 

1839.  William  W.  Waugh. 
Roswell  C.  Loomis. 
David   W.  Carrington. 
John  M.  Cook. 

Buel  Austin. 
George  H.  Mason. 
Lewis  Cook. 
Reuben  B.  Cook. 
Giles  M.  Smith. 
William  S.  Pond. 
Allyn  A.  Clark. 
Timothy  E.  Miller. 
Nelson  Hart. 
Caleb  Daniels. 
David  N.  Lyman. 

1840.  Harvey  L.  Rood. 
Horatio  Wilson. 
Henry  Hayden. 
Milton  Huxley. 
Emory  Morris. 
Daniel  Robertson. 
Luman  Chapman. 
Addison  Johnson. 
Emory  Loomis. 
William  F.  Strong. 
Smith  A.  Harris. 
James  H.  Perry. 


1840.  James  H.  Tuttle. 
Samuel  W.  Squires. 
John  F.  Balker. 
Charles  T.  Daniels. 
Elliot  C.  Tallmadge. 
Jonah  Allyn,  2d. 
Lester  K.  Gaines. 
George  P.  Cowles. 
George  W.  French. 
James  Scofield. 
George  W.  Pona. 
Aaron  Penniston. 
Herbert  F.   Combs. 
Aralzaman  Carr. 
Lyman  L.  Clark. 
Ira  Mott. 

Erastus  Lyman. 
George  Addis. 
Hyman  Buel.    . 
David  Combs. 
James  Grant. 
Charles  Cooper. 
James  Gardner. 
Patrick  Dellahant. 

1841.  Edwin  C.  Drake. 
George  F.  Seymour. 
Albert  M.  Westlake. 
Miles  Grant. 
Richard  Hennisee. 

1842.  Ransom  W.  Castle. 
James   Dunwell. 
Nathan  Tubbs. 
Bishop  Squires. 
George  Waugh. 
Charles  L.  Clark. 
Peter  Ranney. 
Joseph  L    Morris. 
Gerry  Winchell. 
Martin  Dunbar. 
William  W.  Webster. 
Lucius  Andrews. 
William  Chapman. 

1843.  Rollin  Fyler. 
Uri  C.  Burr. 
Charles  T.  Bancroft. 
Walter  M.  Hungerford. 
Joseph  Eaves. 

Frank  R.  Ensign. 
Warren  R.  Curtiss. 
Charles  F.  Scofield. 
George  H.  Bowne. 
William  B.  Jones. 
William  A.  Grant. 
Justus  Dayton. 
Matthew  H.  Grant. 
Daniel  A.  Grant. 
Crawford  Ladd. 
Chester  Cadwell. 
Ralph  Palmer. 
Benjamin  H.   Morse. 
George  Woodward. 
Joseph  Huntington. 


278 


History  of  Torrington. 


1843.  Larenson  Wilson. 
Horace  Cook. 
Cornelius  D.  Cook. 
Samuel  Day. 
Marshall  Grilley. 

1844.  Chester  R.  Adkins. 
Warren  Roberts. 
Charles  Dayton. 
Scott   Baker. 
Chailes   HoUis. 
Lucijs  B.  FoUett. 
William   D.   Aldrich. 
Tho;nas  Long. 
Lewis  W.  Thrall. 
Samuel   Sperry. 
Luther  L.  Leach. 
John  W.   Rood. 
Chester  Smith. 
Corridon  L.  Dutton. 
Francis  M.   Hale. 
George  W.  Church. 
Elijah  Woodward. 
Philander  P.    Humphrey. 
Rufus  Rood. 

Nelson  Alvord,  2d 
Stephen  Gladding. 
Samuel  Weeks. 
Samuel  Burr. 
Amos   Parsons. 
William  L.   Boughton. 
James  B    Tallmadge. 
Henry  B.  Baker. 
William  La  Fogg. 
Hiram  Lyman. 
Ira  Hoyt,  Jr. 
Theodore  llobbins. 
Edward    Hubbard. 
Daniel  Brown. 
Julius  R.  Pond. 
Lorrain   Curtiss. 
Homer  Johnson. 
Austin   N.    Hungerford. 
Albert  Sedgwick. 
Midian    N.  Griswold. 

1845.  Harvey  Dayton. 
Chester  Drake. 
Hiram  Cobb. 
John  R.  Sedgwick. 
Henry   Hurlbut. 
William   O'Rourke. 
Ariel  North. 

1846.  Charles  G.  Pond. 
William  Cooper. 
Asa  Wattles. 

Eli  B.  Barnes. 
George  O    Smith. 
Jerome  Webster. 
Elijah   Witherell. 
Frederick  J.   Seymour. 
Frederick  Perkins. 
James  C.    Hayden. 
Daniel  Burness. 


1846.  Frances  King. 
George  N.  Blakeslee. 
Newton  Morse. 
Giles  W.  Smith. 

Ira   Brasee. 
Andrew  E.   Hull. 
Gaylord  G.  Bissell. 
Hermon    Loomis. 
John  Youngs. 
Edward  Hill. 
Corydon  Shepard. 
William  R.  Loomis. 
Edward  Curtiss. 
Elias  H.  Rood. 

1847.  James  G.  Woodward. 
Samuel  T.  Seelye. 
Lorenzo  E.   Gore. 
Daniel  Kerby. 
Rufus  W.  Gillett. 
Ashbell  G.    Bradford. 
Cornelius   Winship. 
Henry  P.    Ostrum. 
Julius  F.   Blakeslee. 
Henry  L.  Smith. 
Albert   P.  Barber. 
Edward  H.   Tuttle. 
Charles   Gale. 
Anson  B.  Rice. 
Orrin  Potter. 
Lathrop  Messenger. 
Ambrose  Curtiss. 
Charles   Pilgrim. 
Charles   Catljn. 
Edward  Root. 
William  H.   Moore. 
McKenzie  Millard. 
Robert  Wright. 
Warham  Curtiss. 
Francis  Burr. 
James   Green. 
Harlem  W.   Brace. 

1848.  Joseph  F.  Calhoun. 
George  W.   Loomis. 
Sheldon  Beach. 
Charles  N.    North. 
Giles  D.  Aden. 
Cornelius  SkitF. 
Benjamin   Warner. 
Cyrus  Hubbard. 
David  Beach. 
George  A.    Hubbell. 
Henry  Davis. 
William  M.  Bennett. 
Lucius   Burr. 
James  Roberts. 
John  G.  Titus. 
Oliver  Titus. 
Charles   Grant. 
Russell  Perkins. 
Rodman  O.  Pilgrim. 
Lemuel  E.  Coe. 
Chauncey  Porter,  Jr. 


Lists  of  Names. 


279 


1848.  Alpheus  H.  Chickering. 
Mahlon  W.  Bancroft. 
Luke  Barber. 

John  N.  Whiting. 
Truman  Barber. 
Jolin  Bennett. 
John  C.  Gillett. 
Marcus  Dayton. 
Joseph  Rood. 
Dana  L.   Hungerford. 
Abiel  Taylor. 
Isaac  M.  Simons. 
Gillett  Burr. 
Warren  C.  Clark. 
George  Piatt. 
Lyman  R.  Pond. 
Martin  V.  Drake. 
Squire  Scoville. 
John  A.  McKinstry. 
Russell  Millard,  Jr. 
John  Parker. 
Jesse  B.  Rose. 

1849.  Albert  H.  Smith.  ^ 
Edward  Thorp. 
George  Hurlbut. 
Henry  P.  Johnson. 


1849.  ^^'  ^-  Cheeseborough. 
Stephen  Chase. 

1850.  Nathan  Benjamin. 
Jeremiah  W.  Phelps. 

Joseph  B.  Whiting. 
Edward  Rice. 
Lewis  S.  Smith. 
Harvey  E.  Bailey. 
Frederick  Bailey. 
Franklin  Abbott. 
William  Moses. 
Henry  Kimberly. 
James  Birge. 
Eli  Welden. 
Fayette  Smith. 
Charles  W.  Cook. 
Benjamin  N.  Beardslee. 
Alfred  Brown. 
Moses  Weed. 
John  Scoville. 
William  Busby. 
Norman  Goodwin. 
Willard  O.  Barber. 
Samuel  J.  Stocking. 
Alfred  Starr. 
Alexander  Francis. 


Marriages. 
Recorded  by  Rev.  Nathaniel  Roberts. 


Agard,  Abigail,  to  Joshua  Parsons  of  Farmington,  April  29,  1762. 

"  Elizabeth,  to  Benoni  Hills,  Oct.  28,  1773. 

"  Hezekiah,  of  Litchfield,  to  Abigail  Damon,  Dec.  17,  1751. 

"  Mary,  to  Oliver  Coe,  Oct.  7,   1762. 

Sarah,  to  Friend  Thrall,   Nov.  23,   1774. 

David,  to  Elizabeth  Wetmore,  Sept.  8,   1774. 

Ephraim,  to  Jemima  Loomis,  Nov.  2.  1775. 

Esther,  to  Roswell  Coe,  April  22,    1766. 

Elijah,  to  Mary  Hills,  July  10,  1766. 

Thomas,  of  Goshen,  to  Jerusha  Loomis,  Oct.  24,  1754. 
"  William,  Jr.,  to   widow  Brown,  June  16,  1768. 

Bartholomew,   Sarah,  to  Zacharia  Leach,  Sept.  4,    1769. 


Alvord, 

Bancroft, 
(( 

Barber, 
cc 


Beach, 


« 
<c 


Blake, 

Brace, 

Brown, 

Celsey, 

Coe, 


« 
« 


Abel,  Jr.,  to  Esther  Peck,  March  12,   1774. 
Benjamin,  to  Abiah  Loomis,  Aug.  31,  1763. 
Hannah,  widow,  to  Daniel  Webb,  Nov.  9,  1761. 
Joel  of  Winchester,  to  Abiah  Filley,  Oct.  18,  1757. 
Joseph,  Jr.,  to  Ede  Cook,  Jan.  4,  1776. 
Margaret,  to  Abijah  Wilson,  Oct.  5,   1767. 
Rebecca,  to  Samuel  Hurlbut,  Dec.  i,  1768. 
Wait,  of  Goshen,  to  Huldah  Loomis,  July  9,  1767. 
Joseph,  to  Marana  Grant,  Aug.  27,  1767. 
Ariel,  to  Deborah  Loomis,  Oct.  15,  1772. 
Widow,  to  William  Barber,  June  16,   1768. 
Sarah,  to  Joseph  Frisbie,  Oct.  8,  1767. 
Eunice,  to  Joseph  Hoskins,  Jr.,  Aug.  20,  1761. 
Jerusha,  to  John  Lucas,  of  Goshen,  Dec.  5,  1763. 
Mary,  to  Asahel  Wilcox,  Sept.  13,  1762. 
Oliver,  to  Mary  Agard,  Oct.  7,   1762. 
Robert,  to  Chloe  Thrall,  Dec.  26,  1764. 
Roswell.  to  Esther  Bancroft,  April  22,  1766. 
Thomas,  to  Lois  Cowles,  Oct.  23,  1755. 


28o 


History   of  Torrington. 


Cook, 
Cowles, 


Damon, 
Eno, 
Everitt, 
FiUey, 


Fowler, 
(( 

Frisbie, 
(< 

Gaylord, 

Gillet, 

Grant, 

« 
« 

HiUs, 
« 

Hosford, 
Hoskins, 
Hurlbut, 


Jewell, 

Judd, 

Kent, 

Leach, 

Lee, 

Lewis, 

Loomis, 


<( 
« 


« 

« 
« 

<( 

Lucas, 

Lyman, 
(< 

« 
« 
« 

Mather, 


Edee,  to  Joseph  Beach,  Jan.  4,  1776. 
Rachel,  to  David  Soper,  Jan.  26,  1764. 
Amasa,  to  Lucy  North,  Feb.  26,  1766. 
Eunice,  to  Job  Curtiss,  Jan.  31,  1769. 
Jerusha,  to  Ebenezer  North,  Feb.  16,  1769. 
Lois,  to  Thomas  Coe,   Oct.   23,  1755. 
Martha,  to  Thomas  Curtiss,  Jan.  7,  1762. 
Mindwell,  to  Timothy  Judd,  Jan.   15,  1767. 
Samuel,  to  Sibyl  North. 

Abigail,  to  Hezekiah  Agard,  of  Litchfield,  Dec.  17,  1751. 
Abigail,  to  Martin  North,  April  2,  1760. 
Samuel,  to  Mindwell  Strong,  May  27,  1762. 
Abiah,  widow,  to  Joel  Beach  of  Winchester,  Oct.  18,   1757- 
Mary,  to  John  Curtiss,  June  5,   1769. 

William,  to  Dinah  Preston,  of  Winchester,  Jan,  13,  1759. 
Mary,  to  Issachar  Loomis,  Dec.  10,  1765. 
Noah,  to  Rhoda  Tuttle,  Feb.  10,  1774. 
James,  of  Litchfield,  to  Mary  Gillet,  May  i,    1754. 
Joseph,  to  Sarah  Celsey,  Oct.  8,  1767. 
Suse,  to  Zechariah  Mather,  April  20,  1769. 
Mary,  to  James  Frisbie,  May  i,  1754. 
Martha,  to  David  Jewell,   Dec.  6,  1773. 
Marana,  to  Joseph  Blake,  Aug.   27,  1767. 
Sarah,  to  Abner  Loomis,  July  29,  1757. 
Zerviah,  to  Amos  Wilson,  Oct.  18,  O.  S.,  1722. 
Benoni,  to  Elizabeth  Agard,  Oct.  28,  1773. 
Mary,  to  Elijah  Barber,  July  10,  1779. 
Isaac,  of  Litchfield,  to  Mindwell  Loomis,  July  8,  1747. 
John,  of  Litchfield,  to  Mary  Loomis,  Dec.  10,  1765. 
Joseph,  Jr.,  to  Eunice  Coe,  Aug.  20,  1761. 
Samuel,  to  Rebecca  Beach,  Dec.  i,  1768. 
Phebe,  to  George  Miller,  June  29,  1775. 
David,  to  Martha  Grant,  Dec.  6,  1773. 
Timothy,  to  Mindwell  Cowles,  Jan.  15,  1767. 
Elizabeth,  to  Ebenezer  Moss,  June  10,  1760. 
Hezekiah,  to  Sarah  Bartholomew,  Sept.  14,  1769. 
Joseph,  of  Goshen,  to  Prudence  Curtiss,  Jan.  8,  1750. 
Nehemiih,  of  Goshen,  to  Esther  Lyman,  Dec.  30,  1767. 
Abiah,  to  Benjamin  Beach,  Aug.  31,  1763. 
Abner,  to  Sarah  Grant,  July  29,  1757. 
Deborah,  to  Ariel  Brace,  Oct.  15,  1772. 
Dorothy,  to  Eli  Loomis,  Nov.    18,  1762. 
Eli,  to  Dorothy  Loomis,  Nov.  18,  1762. 
Hannah,  to  Caleb  Lyman,  Sept.   28,  1768. 
Huldah,  to  Wait  Beach,  July  9,  1767. 
Isabel,  to  Benjamin  Phelps,  Oct.  16,  1755. 
Issachar,  to  Mary  Fowler,  Dec.  10,  1 7 65. 
Jemima,  to  Noah  North,  March  25,   1756. 
Jemima,  to  Ephraim  Bancroft,  Nov.  2,  1775. 
Jerusha,  to  Thomas  Barber,  of  Goshen,  Oct.  24,  1754. 
Lucy,  to  Elisha  Smith,  Nov.  23,  1773. 
Mary,  to  John  Hoskins,  Dec.  10,  1765. 
Mindwell,  to  Isaac  Hosford,  July  8,  1747. 
Sarah,  to  Josiah  Whiting,  Nov.  2,  1775. 
John,  of  Goshen,  to  Jerusha  Coe,  Dec.    5,  1765. 
Caleb,  to  H-annah  Loomis,  Sept.   28,  1768. 
Ebenezer,  to  Ann  Young,  Oct.  20,  1774. 
Esther,  to  Nehemiah  Lewis,  Dec.  30,  1767. 
Lydia,  to  Stephen  Tuttle,  March  23,  1768. 
Ruth,  to  Asahel  North,  Jan.  26,  1757. 
Sarah,  "  the  younger,  "  to  Joel  Wetmore,  Nov    23,  1763. 
Zachariah,  to  Suse  Gaylord,  April  20,  1769. 


Lists  of  Names. 


281 


Marsh, 
Marshall, 

Miller, 

North, 
<{ 

<( 

« 


Parsons, 

Peck, 

Phelps, 

Prciton, 

Roberts, 


« 

Sheffield, 

Smith, 

Soper, 
(( 

Stark, 

Strong, 
(( 

Taylor, 
Thrall, 


Tuttle, 
<< 

(( 

Webb, 
Wet  more, 
(< 

Whiting, 
>( 

Wilcox, 

Wilkinson, 

Wilson, 
« 

« 

Young, 


Ambrose,  of  Litchfield,  to  Elizabeth  Taylor,  Oct.  30,  1754. 

Thomas,  Jr.,  to  Desire  Tuttle,  Jan.  30,  1764. 

George,  to  Phebe  Hurlbut,  of  VVetiieiifield,  June  29,  1775. 

Ashbel,  to  Ruth  Lyman,  Jan.  26,  1757. 

Ebenezer,  Jr.,  to  Jerusha  Cawles,  Feb.  16,  1769. 

Lucy,  to  Amasa  Cowles,  Feb.  25,  1766. 

Martin,  to  Abigail  Eno,  April  2,  1760. 

Noah,  to  Jemima  Loomis,  March  25,  1756. 

Sibyl  to  Samuel  Cowles,  April  14,  1756. 

Joshua  ot  Farmington,  to  Abigail  Agard,  April  29,  1762. 

Esther,  to  Abel  Beach,  Jr  ,  March  12,  1774. 

Benjamin,  to  Isabel  Loomis,  Oct.  16,  1755. 

Dinah,  ot  Winchester,  to  Wm.  FiUey,  Jan.  13,  1759. 

Rev.  Nathaniel,  to  Margaret,  dau.  of  Rev.  J.  Marsn  of  Windsor,  Nov.   22, 

1743- 
Rev.  Nathaniel,  to  Esther  Loomis,   Nov.  7,  1848. 

Eunice,  to  Jesse  Wilkinson,  May  17,  1771. 

Mary,  to  Daniel  Thrall,  March  ii,  1773. 

Elisha,  to  Lucy  Loomis,  Nov.  25,  1775. 

David,  to  Rachel  Cook,  Jan.  26,  1764. 

Timothy,  to  Deborah  Stark,  June,  1766. 

Deborah,  to  Timothy  Soper,  June,  1766. 

Asahel,  Jr.,  to  Marv  Young,  Dec.  2,  I773. 

Mindwcll,  to  Samuel  Evert,  May  27,  1762. 

Elizabeth,  to  Ambrose  Marsh  of  Litchfield,  Oct.  30,  1754. 

Chloe,  to  Robert  Coe,  Dec.  26,  1764. 

Daniel,  to  Mary  Sheffield,  March  11,  1773. 

Elizabeth,  to  Joseph  Thrall,  March  23,  1758. 

Friend,  to  Sarah  Agard,  Nov.  23.  1774. 

Joseph,  to  Elizabeth  Thrall,  March  23,   1758. 

Levi  to  Mary  Whiting,  Nov.  15,  1770. 

Desire,  to  Thomas  Marshall,  Jr.,  Jan.  30,  1764. 

Rhoda,  to  Noah  Fowler,  Feb.  ic,  1774. 

Stephen,  of  Goshen,  to  Lydia  Lyman,  March  23,  1758. 

Daniel,  to  widow  Hannah  Beach,  Nov.  9,  1761. 

Joel,  to  Sarah  Lyman  the  younger,  Nov.  23,  1763. 

Elizabeth,  to  David  Alvord,  Sept.  8,  1774. 

Josiah,  to  Sarah  Loomis,  Nov.  2,   1775. 

Mary,  to  Levi  Thrjll,  Nov.  15,   1770. 

Asahel,  to  Mary  Coe,  Sept.  13,  1762. 

Jesse,  to  Eunice  R^pberts,  May  17,   1 771. 

Amos,  to  Zerviah  Grant,  Oct.   16,  O.  S.,  1732. 

Abijah,  to  iVIargaret  Beach,  Oct.  5,  1767. 

Noah,  Jr.,  to  Hannah  Young,  Nov.  24,  1763. 

Ann,  to  Ebenezer  Lyman,  Oct.  20,  1774. 

Hannah,  to  Noah   Wilson,  Nov.  24,  1763. 

Mary,  to  Asahel  Strong,  Dec.  2,  1773. 


By  Rev.  Alexander  Gillet. 


Agard, 

Apley, 

AUyn, 
« 

Bates, 

Baldwin, 

Barber, 

BeJch, 

Blake, 

Bronson, 

Bumpers, 

Clark, 


Benjamin,  to  Rhoda  Loomis,  April,  7,   1796. 
Ezekiel,  to  Sally  Rood,  Feb.  28,  1803. 
Joseph  Jr.,  to  Sabra  Loomis,  Mir.  18,  1801. 
Oliver,  to  Lucy  Loomis,  May  7,  1 801. 

,to  Polly  Kimberly  of  Winchester,  May  31,  1795. 
Samuel,  Goshen,  to  widow  Mary  Loomis,  June,  1792. 
Abijah,  to  Mary  Loomis,  March  19,  1795. 
Abel,  to  "  Rocksey  "  Taylor,  March  30,  1797. 
Jesse,  to  Merilla  Loomis,  Nov.  29,  1798. 

Salmon,  to  Mary  Wheaton,  both  of  Winchester,  Oct.  3,  1800. 
Gladding,  to  Sarah  Judd,  in  winter  of  1792. 
Two,  Jan.  21,  1799. 

3G 


282 


History  of  Torrington. 


Coe, 

Deming, 

Drake, 

Eggleston, 

Fay, 

Foot, 

Gillet, 
« 

Hall, 

Hills, 

Hodges, 

Hudson, 

Hurlbut, 

Johnson, 

Kimberly, 

Loomis, 
« 

« 
(t 
(( 

Lyman, 

Marshall, 

Miller, 

Munsell, 

Philluw, 

Richards, 

Smith, 

Scone, 

«'Stor" 

Strong, 

Thorp, 

Thrall, 

Watson, 

Weltun, 

■Wilson, 
<( 

Wright, 


Abijah,  to  Sibyl  Baldwin,  of  Goshen,  Oct.  i8,  1792. 
Job,  to  Lois  Richards,  Feb.  2.4.  1801. 
Ichabod  of  Bristol,  to  Rebecca  Loomis,  April  4,  1797. 
John  Eason,  to  Prudence  Miner,  Dec.  2.2,  1796. 
Edward,  to  widow  Dinah  Judd,  of  Winchester,  March,  1802. 
Thaddeus,  to  Esther  Lucas,  both  of  Winchester,  Oct.  17,  1793. 
Jared  of  Goshen,  to  Anne  Wilson,  June  19,  1797. 
Nathan,  Jr.,  to  Aingail  Wolcott,  May  26,  1803. 
Timothy  P.,  Rev.,  to  Sally  Hodges,  Nov.  29,  1808. 
Zacheus  Phelps,  to  Clara  Humphrey  of  Goshen,  Dec.  27,  179^- 
David  M.,  of  Wallingford,  to  M.ndwell  Beach,  Oct.  30,  1799. 
Sech,  to  Amy  Lucas,  both  of  Winchester,  Nov.  28,  1798. 
Erastus,  to  Laura  Loomis,  Jan.  5,  1809. 
Daniel  Coe,  to  Mary  Loomis,  Feb    16,  1797. 
Joseph,  of  Vt.,  to  Rhoda  Lyman,  Feb.  14.  1803. 
Caleb,  to  Polly  Beach,  Dec.  20,  1798. 
Jacob  Jr.,  of  Goshen,  to  Nancy  Pond,  June  11,  1797. 
Ale.Kander,  to  Submit  Spencer,  June,  1 792. 
Asa,  to  Margaret  Loomis,  May,  15,  1799- 
Isachar,  to  Hephziba  Loomis,  May  6,  1802. 
Ira,  to  Polly  Thrall,  July  25,  1793' 
Joel,  to  Prudence  West,    May  Z3,  1792. 
Wait,  to  Sarah  Stone,  Nov.,  1796. 
Ebenezer,  Jr.,  to  Clarissa  Loomis,  Nov.  4,  1802. 
Levi,  to  Polly  Gridley,  April  19,  1795. 
David,  to  Hannah,  Nov.  29,  1794. 
Levi,  to  Rachel  Marshall,  Dec.  8,  1799. 
Artemus,  to  Louisa  Loomis,  Dec.  11,  1800. 
Moses,  to  Naomi  Hurlbut,  Jan.  i,  1800. 
Theodore,  of  Goshen,  to  Rhoda  Wilson,  March,  18,  1795. 

,  of  Harwinton,  to  Sarah  Hurlbut,  Dec.  30,  1800. 
Anson,  to  Phebe  Miller,  April  26,  1796. 

Josiah,  to  Patty  Green,  of  Sharon  Mountain,  Sept.  29,  1793. 
Samuel,  Southington,  to  Jane  Loomis,  Oct.  14,  1792. 
Augustus,  to  Sibyl  Taylor,   Feb.  19,  1795. 
Thomas,  New  Hartford,  to  Mele  Wetmore,  Jan.  i,  1797. 
Jesse,  Jr.,  of  Goshen,  to  Olive  Wilson,  Jan.  6,  1801. 
Capt.  Amos,  to  widow  Hannah  Loomis,  March  20,   1793. 
Amos,  Jr.,  to  Sabrah  Griswold  of  Winchester,  Mar.  25,  1801. 
Timothy,  of  New  Hartford,  to  Triphena  Bancroft,  May  31,  1798. 


Marriages 

Sept. 

28, 

1820, 

Nov. 

16, 

li 

Oct. 

12, 

u 

Oct. 

18, 

n 

Oct. 

21, 

« 

<( 

^3, 

<l 

Dec. 

5. 

(( 

« 

« 

Feb. 

14, 

I82I, 

Feb. 

6, 

ii 

Mar. 

II, 

li 

Oct. 

3'> 

1820, 

Nov. 

20, 

i( 

« 

27, 

<l 

<( 

23, 

(C 

<( 

29, 

(( 

(1 

30. 

<( 

Dec. 

13, 

« 

Recorded  on  Town   Records. 

Webster  Martin  and  Permela  North,  by  Lyman  Beecher. 

Elkannah  Ingraham,  of  Norfolk,  and  Highla  Turrell. 

Gaylord  Hayes  and   Mary  Humphrey. 

Cyrus  Hubbard,  Harwinton,  and  Aurania  Eggleston. 

Rufus  Curtiss  and  Ursula  Fowler. 

Jeremiah  Bowne  and  Hannah  Ball. 

John  Hungerford,  Jr.  and  Charlotte  Austin. 

Cyrus  North  and  Lavinia  Holmes. 

Thomas  Sparks  and   Betsey  Granger. 

Chester  Barber,  Harwinton,  and  Marilla  Birge. 

Rufus  Patchin,  Derby,  and   Clarissa  McKenly. 

Daniel  G.  Humphreys  and    Eliza  Burr. 

Willard  North  and   Lucinda   Pelton. 

Orlean  Loomis  and  Ruba  North. 

Ira  Cole,  K.enr,  and  Lavina  Thrall. 

Hiram  Griswold,  Goshen,  and  Harriet  Whiting. 

Chauncev  B.  Mix,  Northfield,  and  LucindaFreeman. 

Amos  Wilson  and  Elizabeth  Birge, 


Lists  of  Names.  283 


Dec. 

13. 

1820, 

Feb. 

1821, 

Mar. 

29. 

(( 

Apr. 

27. 

(( 

May 

21, 

« 

Oct. 

14, 

(< 

<t 

^5, 

(< 

Nov. 

6, 

a 

<( 

18, 

<< 

Dec. 

6, 

(< 

Oct 

1 

<( 

Mar. 

19, 

1822. 

June 

5. 

a 

(( 

(( 

(( 

May 

9. 

« 

Nov. 

28, 

(1 

Aug. 

28, 

« 

Dec. 

25. 

(( 

Jan. 

I. 

1823, 

Jan. 

12, 

>( 

Apr. 

7, 

'( 

« 

27, 

(C 

June 

4. 

0 

June 

5. 

(< 

J"iy 

6, 

(< 

J"iy 

3> 

(C 

Aug. 

21, 

(C 

(( 

27, 

(< 

Sept. 

20, 

(( 

Oct. 

I, 

(( 

<( 

18, 

<( 

<( 

26, 

« 

Feb. 

i, 

1824. 

Dec. 

4, 

<( 

Mar. 

22, 

<( 

Apr. 

26, 

(( 

(( 

21, 

(( 

Feb. 

17. 

(( 

Mar. 

II. 

<c 

May 

10, 

<( 

C( 

II, 

<< 

Aug. 

31. 

(( 

Sept. 

^9, 

<( 

Oct. 

3» 

<( 

i< 

26, 

(( 

Sept. 

12, 

u 

Dec. 

22, 

(C 

Jan. 

I, 

1825, 

Jan. 

10, 

<f 

Oct. 

7, 

1824, 

Mar. 

17, 

1825, 

Oct. 

5, 

(C 

Nov. 

0 

-J 

<( 

Oct. 

16, 

(< 

Nov. 

i» 

<( 

May 

3,  : 

1826, 

May 

10, 

(< 

Dec. 

II, 

(( 

Sept. 

3, 

<t 

Sept. 

20, 

« 

Sept. 

24, 

C( 

Sept. 

28, 

(( 

« 


Uriel  Burr  and  Esther  Curtiss. 
William  Brown  and   Polly  Hubbard. 
Hiram  Loomis  and  Abigial   Ward. 
Chester  Johnson,  Harwinton,  and  Maria  Gates. 
James  Jones  and  K'ancy  Freeman. 

Minard  Van  De  Bogert  and  Hilpah  Tuttle,  Barkhamsted. 
Rial  Johnson,  Harwinton,  and  Flora  Willey. 
Norman  Griswold  and  Laura  Birge. 
Josiah  Miller  and  Harriet  Moore. 
Sylvester  Spencer  and  Lucind-.  Phelps. 
Darius  Willson   and  Clanissa   Treadway. 
Midian  Griswold   and  Lucy  North. 
Abel  S.  Leach  and  Caroline  Gillet. 
Thaddeus  Griswold  and  Margaret  T.  Gaylord. 
Samuel  Thrall  and  Harriet  Wilson. 
George  Beach  and  Mary  Deliber. 
John  Watkins  and  Nancy  Bissell. 
Pitts  Goodwin  and  Jerusha  Fvler. 

Salmon  Hunt,  Canaan,  and  Clarissa  Bradley  of  Torrington. 
John  Bonnelly  and  Candace  Haydon,  both   of 
Lyman  Leach,  Litchfield,  and  Julia  Allyn,  of 
John  Taylor  and  Fanny  Strong,  both  of  Torrington. 
John  Grant,  Torrington,  and  Cynthia  Pine,  of  Southold,  L.  L 
Lyman  Pond,  Litchfield,  and  Lucy  Spencer  of  Torrington. 
HarloAf  Fyler  and  Sibyl  Tolls,  both  of  Torrington. 
Oliver  Skinner,  Torrington,  and  Charity  Fox,  Hebron. 
Patrons  Perkins  and  Deborah  Brace,  both  of  Torrington. 
John  Smith,  Winchester,  and  Esther  French,         '* 
Daniel  Richards,  Litchfield,  and  Experience  Leach,  Torrington. 
John  R.  Pitkin  and  Sophia  Thrall,  Torrington. 
Reuben  Chasc-  and  Lucy  Curtiss,  *' 

George  Bissell  and  Sarah   Woodruff,  Torrington. 
John  GiUett,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Woodward, 
Giles  A.  Gaylord  and  Esther  Austin. 

William  Parmelee,  Goshen,  and  Ann  Eliza  White,  Torrington. 
Miles  Beach  and  Charlotte  Bancroft,  Torrington. 
Horace  Loomis  and    Permelia  Loomis,  " 

Henry  Aliyn  and   Ruba  Whiting,  Torrington. 
Emery  Taylor,  Bristol,  and  Harriet  Mather,  Torrington. 
Ephraim  W.  Wolcott  and  Rhoda  Leach,  Torrington. 
Roderick  Bissell  and  Fanny  Gaylord,  Torrington. 
Levi  Crampton,  Goshen,    and  Elizabeth  Munn,  Torrington. 
Charles  Pierpont  and  Candace  Leach,  Torrington. 
David  1.  Fuller  and  Maria  Porter,  Watertown. 
Hiram  Gibbs  and  Eliza  Bascom,  Torrington. 
Nathan  W.  Hammond  and  Harriet  Merrill,  Torrington. 
Jannah  Demming,  Barkhamsted,  and  Lydia  Thorp,  Torrington. 
Elkanah  Ingraham,  Colchester,  and  Louisa  Turrill. 
Sylvester  Coe,  Torrington,  and  Caroline  Brown,  Canton. 
Daniel  li.  Kimberly  and  Lydia   Brooks. 
Converse  Clark,  Saybrook,  and  Almira  Burr,  Torrington. 
Hiram  Winchell  and  Olive  Goodwin,  Torrington. 
Ephraim  Fellows,  Cornwall,  and  Sabra  Roberts,  Torrington. 
James  Smith,  Lexington,  N.  Y.,  and  Deidama  Cornish,  Simsbury. 
Gerry  Grant  and  Louisa  Whiting,  Torrington. 
1826,    John  H.  North,  Cornwall,  and  Esther  W.  Gaylord,  Torrington. 
Lewis  Murry  and  Mary  Leach,   Torrington. 
Henry  Roberts  and  Betsey  Tiffany,  Barkhamsted. 
Franklin  Hedge,  Torrington,  and  Mary  Chamberlain,  Middletown. 
Artemas  Rowley  and  Susan  Evans,  Torrington. 
Nathan  Cobb,  Torrington,  and  Eliza  Colyer,  Burlington. 
Frederick  Forbes  and  Sophia  demons,  Torrington. 


284 


History  of  Torrington. 


Nov.  12,  1826,    Russell  Brooker  and  Jennett  McKenzie,  Torrington. 

Thomas  Moses  and  Ann  M.  BIsscll. 

Joshua  Leach  and  Anna  Stodard,  Torrington. 

Chester  Bristol,  N.  J.,  and  Mindwell  Phelps,  Torrington. 

Ral[ih  Judd  and  Urania  Cadwell,  Torrington. 

Harvey  Ford,  Winchester,  and  Mary  Ann  Drake,  Torrington. 

John  Whiting,  Colebrook,  and  Rachel  Loomis,  Torrington. 

Lewis  Leffingwell,  Goshen,  and  Maria  Miller,  Torrington. 

Gilman  Hinsdale  and  Amanda  Ward,  Torrington. 

Ahnson  Loo-,  is,  Winchester  and  Sally  Richards,  Torrington. 

William  E.  Russell  and  Emily  Bradley,  Torrington. 

Rufus  Burr,  Winchester,  and  Anna  S.  Hudson,  Torrington. 

Harvey  Spier  and  Mary  A.  Taylor,  Torrington. 

Norman  Coe  and  Nancy  Whiting,  Torrington. 

Jonathan  Whiting,  Ma<;3  ,  and  Maria  Moore,  Torrington. 

Herman  Northrop,  Winsted,  and  Fanny  White,  Torrington. 

Ithiel  Emmons  and  Almira  Leach. 

David  Sammis  and  Harriet  E.  Gibbs,  both,  of  Goshen. 

Oliver  E.  Gross  and  Amanda  Root  Hazen,  Torrington. 

Horace  Loomis  and   RoxaUna  Loomis. 

Warren  Bancroft  and  Laura  Fierpont. 

Albro  W.  Cowles  and  El'za  Tallmadge. 

Jabez  Gibbs  and  Almira  Ball. 

James  Whiting  and  Amelia  Allvn,  Torrington. 

William  Leach  and  Julia  Foot,  Torrington. 

Jonathan  Willey  and  Lena  Haydon,  Torringron. 

Laurin  Wetmore  and  Fanny  Austin,  " 

Jeremiah  H.  Phelps,  N.  Y.,  and  Sarah  Leach,  Torrington. 
8,  1829,    Robert  Pelton  and  Alma  Eggleston,  Torrington. 

Thomas  A.  Miller  and  M  iry  C.  Hudson,  Torrington. 

Reuben  Hall,  Wallingford,  and  Keziah  Beach,  Torrington. 

John  Oitram  and  Eliza  J.  Colby,  Goshen. 

Frederick  B.  Wadhams  and  Cornelia  Phelps,  Torrington. 

George  D.  Wadhams  and  Lucy  S.  Abernethy,  " 

Timothy  Henisee,  Torrington,  and  Milly  Johnson,  Litchfield. 

Burton  Pond,  Bristol,  and  Charlotte  Colt,  Torrington. 

Abel  S.  Wetmore,  Winchester,  and  Lucy  Hill,  Torrington. 

Luther  Emmons,  Cornwall,  and  Mary  Willey,  " 

Stephen  Smith  and   Charlotte  Moses,  Torrington. 

Seth  Coe  and  Dorcas  Kies,  Middletown. 

Orson  Barber  and  Roxy  A.  Eggleston,  Torrington. 
Jan.    20,  1830,    Jesse  Pritchard,  Mass  ,  and  Eliza  Gdlett,  Torrington. 

Leverette  Tuttle  and  Chloe  Colt,  Torrington. 

Bennett  Palmer  and  Morilla  Eggleston,  Torrington. 

Asahel  Coe,  Walby,  and  Maria  Wetmore,  Torrington. 

Lorenzo  Bellamy  and  Eleanor  Freeman,  Torrington. 

Frederick  North  and  Harriet  Hoyt,  Torrington. 

James  Southwick  and  Lois  Curtiss. 

Justus  Colton,  Mass.,  and  Emiline  Phelps,  Torrington. 

Henry  Judd,  Litchfield  and    Hannah  Beach,  Torrington. 

Jay  Benham,  Waterburv,  and  Salina  Brace,  Torrington. 

Joseph  Catlin  Hall,  and  Almira  Ann  Willey. 

Ninus  Waterman  and  Charlotte  Freeman,  Torrington. 

Amos  Freeman,  Torrington,  and  Sarah  E    Pomens,  Mass. 

Hiram  Barber  and  Roxy  Ann  Burdick,  Torrington. 

Lewis  Beach,  Goshen,  and  Almira  White,  Torrington. 

Spencer  Turrel  and  Jenette  Canfield,  Torrington. 

Abiel  Canfield  and  Bede  Kenna,  Torrington. 

Nathaniel  Birge  and  Olive  Peck,  Torrington. 

Seth  S.  Treadway  and  Abigail  M.  North,  Torrington. 

Anson  Balcom  and  Margaret  McKenzie. 

Henry  A.  Perkins,  N.  Hartford,  and  Rachel  M.  Bissell,  Torrington. 


Nov. 

15. 

li 

Dec. 

13. 

(( 

May 

I, 

1825 

May 

10, 

<( 

June 

26, 

« 

Jan. 

3, 

1827 

Jan. 

I, 

(( 

Mar. 

i?, 

(( 

Mar. 

20, 

<( 

May 

24, 

<( 

May 

10, 

<( 

Apri 

30. 

(( 

Aug. 

26, 

<( 

Sept. 

19. 

(1 

Sept. 

24, 

1827 

Oct. 

14, 

<( 

(( 

21, 

(< 

Nov. 

12, 

(1 

Jan. 

28, 

1828 

Feb. 

17. 

(f 

Mar. 

5. 

ik 

<c 

17, 

<< 

Apr. 

16, 

(( 

Aug. 

19. 

(> 

Oct. 

2, 

<( 

Sept. 

12, 

« 

Nov. 

II. 

<( 

Apr. 

8, 

1829 

Apr. 

I, 

<( 

May 

19. 

(( 

Aug. 

10, 

<( 

Sept. 

9. 

a 

Dec. 

25. 

<t 

Sept. 

21, 

(( 

Oct. 

6. 

(< 

Nov. 

^4' 

<( 

Oct. 

'9. 

« 

(( 

14, 

(< 

Nov. 

15. 

ii 

Dec. 

8, 

a 

Jan. 

20, 

1830 

Feb. 

10, 

« 

Mar. 

30, 

(( 

June 

2, 

<< 

<< 

28, 

(( 

<( 

14, 

a 

Apr. 

28, 

<i 

Nov. 

I, 

<( 

<( 

10, 

{( 

ti 

20, 

<i 

Oct. 

14, 

(( 

Aug. 

18. 

(I 

Jan. 

9. 

<< 

Dec. 

6, 

« 

Feb. 

27, 

183I, 

Mar. 

10, 

« 

« 

31. 

(( 

May 

8, 

(( 

(( 

22, 

(( 

June 

3. 

(< 

<( 

14, 

i( 

Lists  of  Names.  285 


July 

II, 

183 

Aug. 

7, 

Sept. 

20, 

<( 

20, 

Oct. 

2, 

Oct. 

0 
-> 

Sept. 

25. 

Oct. 

30, 

T   A 

(31,    Lurandrus  Beach,  Dover  N.  H.,  and  Harriet  Burr,  Torrington. 

Justus  p.  Lewis,  O.,  and  Polly  Ellsworth,  Torrington. 

James  B.  Wiiite,  Winchester,  and  Sally  HuJburt,  Torrington. 

Charles  C.  Beers,  Goshen,  and  Emma  R.  Palmer,  Torrington. 

William  Hoyt,  Wateibury,  and  Lucy  Leach,  Torrington. 

William  Smith  and  Adelia  Bowton,  Waterbury 

David  F.  Daniels,  Pieston,  and  Laura  Sperry,  Torrington. 

Henry  S.  Abbey,  Buftalo,  and  Elizabeth  Smith,        " 

Sylvester  Hurlbut  and  Mary  Hills,  " 

"  15,  "  Joseph  Grey,  Haddam,  and  Emiline  H.  Morgan,  '• 
Sept.    25,      "         Joseph  Shires  and  Laura  Leffingwell,  *• 

Feb.    16,  1832,    Marain  Barber  and  Eliza  Whiting,  " 

Daniel  S.  Rogers  and  Desire  B.  Fowler,  " 

George  Goodwin  and  Sally  Weeks,  " 

Nelson  Allyn  and  Speedy  Birge,  " 

Albert  B.  Wilcox  and  Mary  Munson,  " 

Ebenezer  Goodwin,  N.  Hartford,  and  Hannah  Pond,  Torrington. 

Joseph  Shaw  and  Artemisia  Merrill,  Torrington. 

James  H.  Hurlbut  and  Elizabeth  Brown,  Torrington. 

Julius  Daily  and  Lois   Wilson,  Torrington. 

James  Wallen  and  Clarrissa  Johnson,  Torrington. 

Phineas  North  and  Louisa  Wetmore,  " 

John  W.  Scoville  and  Martha  Wilson,       " 

Wilson  Munson,  Bristol,  and  Lucretia  Palmer,  Torrington. 

Benhani  Barber,  Harwinton,  and  Mary  Wilson,  " 

W^ait  B.  Wilson  and  Caroline  Birge,  Torrington. 

Wagar  W.  Lyman,  N.  Y.,  and  Adah  Shattuck,  " 

Joseph  B.  Lewis,  Winsted,  and  Cardelia  CummJngs,   " 

John  Freeman  and  Lucina  Prince,  Torrington. 

Sheldon  Barber,  and  Sally  E.  Hodges,     " 

Elisha  Loomis  and  Ophelia  Leach,  " 

Hezekiah  H.  Brace  and  Mary  Ann  Loomis,  Torrington. 

Mansfield  Bunnell,  Plymouth,  and  Sophrona  A.  Miller,  Torrington. 

Jeremiah  D.  Root  and  Hannah  W.  Pond,  Torrington. 

Sylvanjs  H    Pease,  Somers,  and  Emaline  Roberts.  Torrington. 

William  B.  Wjlson  and  Austria  Tallmadye,  Torrington. 

Harleigh  Skinner,  Winchester,  and  Caroline  Root,  BristoL 

Ebenezer  Edmunds  and  Sarah  C.  North,  Torrington. 

Elias  Hatch,  Winchester,  and  Cornelia  Foot,     " 

Isaac  W.  Riggs,  Middlebury,  and  Ann  Hoyt,     " 

Albert  Hill,  Bristol,  and  Angeline  E.  Tiffany,   " 

Charles  S.  Church  and  Charlotte  A.  Taylor,      '' 

Ebenezer  W.  Beach  apd   Lucy  Walling,  " 

Hiram  Johnson,  Canaan,  and  Elizabeth  Apley,    " 

William  Olcott,  Harwinton,  and  Sarah  Ann   Mather,  Torrington. 

Milain  Packard,  Mass.,  and  Lucy  E.  Merriman,  Torrington. 

Samuel  Brooker  and  Julia  A.  Seymour,  Torrington. 

Lorrain  North  and  Harriet  Ford,  Torrington. 

Morgan  Dudly,  Winchester,  and  Almira  Wilson,  Torrington. 

Ansel  Cook  and  Sophronia  Eggleston,  Torrington. 

Merrill  White  and  Ro.\y  M.  Leach,  Torrington. 

Sterling  Woodruff  and  Minerva  1.  Bradly,  Torrington. 

Willard  Birge  and  Julia  Ann  Merrill,  Torrington. 

Addin  Ph-elps  and  Maria  Phelps,  Harwinton. 

Albro  M.  Humphreyville  and  Harriet  Andrews. 

Chauncey  Hayden,  Vt.,  and  Aurelia  Dibble,  Torrington. 

Albro  Gris'wold  and  Florilla  Cook,  Torrington. 

Riley  Dunbar    and  Rhoda  Huntington,  Torrington. 

Almonson  A.  Buckland,  E.  Windsor,  and  Sarah  Northrop,  Torrington. 

Henry  Newell  and  Almira  Palmer,  Torrington. 

Noah  Benedict  and  Harriet  A.  Curtiss,  Winchester. 

Francis  Magrannis,  Hartford,  and  Beulah  Phelps,  Harwinton. 


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286  History  of  Torrington. 

Nov.  22,  1835,  Samuel  Stocking,  Warerbury,  and  Oriel  Case,  Torrington. 

Apr.    13,      "  J"'^i  Snyder  and  Laura  Johnson,  Torrington. 

May      3,     "  Levi  H.  Edwards  and  Sally  Fairbanks,  Torrington. 

Apr.   22,      "  Peter  A.  Gibbs  and  /'\nn  E.  Gaylord,  Torrington. 

Aug.  22,      "  Edgar  Loomis  and  Harriet  Smith,  Tonington. 

Dec.   25,      "  Samuel  Forest  and  Ann  Pickering,  Torrington. 

"         "       "  Dennis  Chatfield,  Waterbury,  and  Mary  Jane  JVIatthews,  Torrington. 

Jan.     18,  1836,  William  Munn  and  Jane  E.  Long,  Torrington. 

"       13,     "  Edwin  Hodges  and  Jane  E.  Hickox,  Stratford. 

Feb.      2,     "  Willis  Crampton,  Farmington,  and  Pluma  Loomis,  Torrington. 

Sept.   13,  1835,  Gilbert  Mason,  N.  London,  and  Mary  A.  Dayton,  " 

May      3,  1836,  William  B.  De  Forest,  Waterown,  and  Mary  L.  Abernethy,  Torrington. 

''         4,     "  Joseph  H.  Barrett  and  Maria  Stocking,  Tonington. 

Apr.   25,     "  Samuel  Wellman,  Bethlehem,  and  Mary  McKenzie,  Torrington. 

May    22,     "  Herman  Cook  and  Angelina  Dare,  Torrington. 

June      5,     "  Eugene  Pardee,  Ohio,  and  Eleanor  A.  Taylor,  Torrington. 

Sept.  14,      "  Sextus  Barnes    and  Abagail  Olmstead,  Torrinuton. 

Nov.     2,      ''  James  H.  Seymour    and  Florilla  Hudson,  Torrington. 

Feb.    29,      '•  Augustus  E.  Bissell,  Ga.,  and  Millicent  W.  Watson,  Torrington. 

Nov.  23,     "  Sidney  Hayden,  Barkhamsted,  and  Florilla  E.  Miller,  Torringten. 

"         "       "  Jerome  B.  Woodruff,  Litchfield,  and  Melinda  B.  Whiting,  Torrington. 

Nov.  27,      "  Harmon  Daly  and  Mercy  Ball,  Torrington. 

Apr.    19,  1837,  Eber  N.  Gibbs    and  Abagail  W.   Hudson,  Torrington. 

June  14,      "  OrviUe  Perry,  N.  Haven,  and  Elizabeth  A.  Webster,  Torrington. 

July    13,      "  Daniel  Beckley    and  Lucy  Ann  Merrill,  Windsor. 

"      20,      "  Hiram  Rider  and  Irena  Austin. 

Oct.    14,      "  Dr.  Gustavus  G.  Field,  Guilford,  and  Laura  A.  Morse,  Torrington. 

"         I,      "  John  S.  Preston,  Harwinton,  and  Betsey  Gaylord,  Torrington. 

Nov.  12,      "  Newton  Potter  and  Caroline  Dayton. 

May    13,  1838,  Smith  Harris,  Winchester,  and  Huldah  Loomis,  Torrington. 

Oct.      3,  1837,  James  Gaunt,  and  Emma  Forrest. 

Mar.     4,  1838,  Charles  Benham  and  Lois  H.  Bran. 

May       I,      "  Martin  Brooker  and  Maria  Seymour,  Torrington. 

July        I,      "  Elias  E.  Oilman  and  Charlotte  L.  Hudson. 

Nov.   14,     "  Joseph  Fenn  and  Rhoda  Cook,  Harwinton. 

Mar.    10,  1839,  Seth  B.  St.  John  and  Emily  Cartright. 

April  28,      "  Henry  Freeman  and  Julia  A.  Phelps,  Torrington. 

"     28,      "  Caleb  F.  Daniels,  Norwich,  and  Sarah  R.  Tallmadge,  Torrington. 

May    20,      "  Joshua  B.  Trowbridge,  Danbury,  and  Amelia  Knapp,  Canaan. 

July     18,     "  Merritt  S.  White,  Canaan,  and  Eliza  A.  Masters,  Torrington. 

"        31,      "  Charles  N.  Henderson,  N.  Hartford,  and  Caroline  M.  Gillett,  Torrington. 

Sept.    16,      "  Gilbert  G.  Wheeler  and  Betsey  A.  Wheeler,  Torrington. 

Oct.       8,     "  Milo  R.  Crane,  Sandisfield,  and  Cordelia  S.  Waugh,  Torrington. 

"        29,      "  Moses  Drake  and  Ruby  Lcomis,  Torrington. 

Nov.    17,      "  Edward  Hill,  Charlotte,  and  Eliza  Combs,  Torrington. 

Mar.    18,  1840,  Truman  A.  Curtiss,  New  Hartford,  and  Laura  Woodward,  Torrington. 

May    20,     "  Thomas  A.  Starks  and  Flora  P.  Drake,  Torrington. 

Aug.    18,      "  Benoni  Bennett,  N.  Y.,  and  Ursula  A.  Cook,  New  York. 

Oct.     12,      "  Henry  R.  Seymour,  Colebrook,  and  Ann  P.  Gross,  Torrington. 

"        28,     "  Eli  Terry  and  Harriet  A.  Peck. 

Dec.       9,     "  James  Jones  and  Emily  Truman,  Torrington. 

Jan.       3,  1841,  Eli  Phelps  and  Mary  Bishop 

Mar.    II,     "  Frederick  Tibbals  and  Nancy  Holmes. 

July       7,      •'  Theron  Bronson  and  Maria  R.  Munsell. 

Aug.   22.      "  George  S.  Addis  and  Sarah  O.  Gross,  Torrington. 

Sept.    12,     "  Emory  Loomis  and  Laura  Lyman,  Torrington. 

June    30,      "  Norman  A.  Wilson,  Harwinton,  and  Harriet  L.  Griswold,  Torrington. 

July      4,      "  Hezekiah  .Johnson,  Harwinton,  and  Flora  Mott,  Torrington. 

Aug.    23,      "  Henry  P.  Coe  and  Mary  E.  Bissell,  Torrington. 

Sept.      2,      "  Stephen  C.  Warner,  Naugatuck,  and  Letitia  Combs,      " 

Oct.       I,      "  John  C.  Barber  and  Sarah  Miller,  Torrington. 

Oct.    20,      "  Joseph  Woostcr,  Goshen,  and  Adah  Roberts,  Torrington. 


Lists  of  Names. 


287 


Nov.     3,  1S41,  Lyman  W.  Coe  and  Eliza  Seymour,  Torrington. 

<'        "       "  Bradley  R.  Agard  and  Mary  Ann  Church,  Torrington. 

Nov.  28,  '■  Charles  S.  Mason,  and  Rosetta  Bissell,  Torrington. 

Dec.    27,  "  Norris  Buckley,  and  Marian  Hart. 

May      3,  1842,  Joseph  C.  Le  Gentt,  Winchester,  and  Elizabeth  Wilson,  Torrington. 

Sept.     5,  "  Francis  Caswell,  Plymouth,  and  Mary  Ann  Dunbar,  Torrington. 

"       22,  "  Julius  Scoville,  Litchfield,  and  Emily  Dayton,  Torrington. 

Nov.     3,  "  Luther  Bronson,  Winchester,  and  Flora  M.  Grant,  Torrington. 

•'      13,  '*  Zebulon  Merrill,  N.  Hartford,  and  Caroline  Loomis,        " 

"         4,  "  Ira  Huyt,  and  Helen  Roberts,  Torrington. 

Oct.    17,  "  Henry  S.  Champion,  Winsted,  and  Mary  A.  Gillett,  Torrington. 

Dec.      4,  "  Orson  Barber,  and  Martha  Stark,  Torrington. 

"       18,  "  Aaron  Burbank,  and  Abigail  Treadway,  Winsted. 

"       20,  "  Elmore  D.  Squires,  N.  Y.,  and  Lucinda  C.  Leach,  Torrington. 

Jan     22,  1843,  George  Leach,  Torrington,  and  Mary  J.  Rouse,  Litchfield. 

Feb.      3,  "  William  Durand,  and  Lorana  P.  Barber. 

June  12,  "  J'jhn  S.  Bincrott,  E.  Windsor,  and  Juliett  Hudson,  Torrington. 

"       28,  "  Norris  North,  and  Eliza  Coe,  Torrington. 

Aug.     I,  "  Charles  S.  Freeman,  and  Lucy  A.  Freeman,  Torrington. 

"       ao,  "  A.  P.  Kline,  N.  C  and  Susan  Church,  Torrington. 

Sept.  13,  "  Leroy  Milliman,  Winsted,  and  Harriet  Dunbar,  Torrington. 

"       II,  1842,  Edmund  Wooding,  Bristol,  and  Maria  A.  Brook?,  Torrington. 

"       13,  ''  Lucius  F.  Leach,  and  Adaline  M    Beardsley,  Torrington. 

Oct.      2,  "  Joseph  Gould,  Winchester,  and  Rhoda  P.  Coe,  Torrington. 

Mar.    19,  1843,  Virgil  Wilson,  Harwinton,  and  Mary  G.  Wheeler,  Torrington. 

Apr.      4,  ''  George  Piatt,  Sharon,  and  Ledelia  Curtiss,  Goshen. 

May    15,  "  George  P.  Roberts,  St.  Louis,  and  Annis  M.  Allyn,  Torrington. 

Apr.    17,  "  Mason  W.  Fyler,  Winsted,  and  Martha  W.  Munson,  Torrington.   • 

Sept.  27,  "  Benjamin  Peterson,  and  Laura  A.  Freeman,  Torrington. 

Oct.      2,  "  Chauncey  B.  Mix,  and  Abigail  Jackins,  Torrington. 

Nov.  22,  "  Orson  Brooks,  Waterbury,  and  Louisa  Johnson,  Torrington. 

Dec.   25,  "  Myron  Stone,  and  Polly  A.  Smith,  Litchfield. 

"       26,  "  George  H.  Carter,  Sharon,  and  Julia  Harrison,  Milton. 

Mar.     3.  1844.  Silas  Pardee,  Bristol,  and  Mary  Brockett,  Waterbury. 

Apr.    18,  "  Jonathan  Rossiter,  Harwinton,  and  Huldah  A.  Wetmore,  Torrington. 

July    14,  "  Squire  Scoville,  Litchfield,  and  Martha  M.  Dayton,  Torrington. 

Sept.  18,  "  George  P.  Cowles  and  Charlotte  L.  Abernethy,  Torrington. 

Oct.    29,  "  Julius  Rogers,  and  Sarah  Leach,  Torrington. 

"       23,  "  George  H.  Browne  and  Heloise  Bancroft,  Torrington. 

Nov.   26,  "  David  Richardson,  Prospect,  and  Anne  Fyler,  Torrington. 

Jan.      9,  1845,  Caleb  C.  Tracy,  Washington,  tnd  Car  line  Bowne,  Torrington. 

''         8,  "  Marshall  I.  Grilley  and  Amanda  W.  Leach,  Torrington. 

Feb.      9,  "  Theodore  Robb  ns,  Norfolk,  and  Clarissa  Hurlbut,  Torrington. 

Nov.     6,  1844,  Roderick  A.   White,  Truesbury,  and  Elizabeth   Hungertord,  Torrington. 

"       12,  "  Amos  Gilbert  and  Sarah  Hollis,  Torrington. 

Jan.      I,  1845,  David  Booth,  Naugatuck,  and  Emeline  Scott,  Litchfield. 

Mar.  30,  "  Hiram  W.   Hubbard  and  Betsey  Wheeler,  Torrington. 

Apr.     6,  "  George  R.  Waugh  and  Anne  Williams,  N    Britain. 

"      21,  "  Joseph  Allyn  and  Esther  M.  Westlake,  Torrington. 

"       22,  "  James  B.  Tallmadge,  and  Esther  G.  Burr,         " 

June     I,       '  Horace  Prime  and  Drusilla  Freeman,  Torr'ngton. 

July    15,  "  Lewis  S.  Svveetand  Eliza  A.  Hurlbut,  Torrington. 

Aug.  14,      '<  William  H.  Judd,  Norfolk,  and  Marrillia  W.  Cone,  Torrington. 

Sept.     8,  "  J^j''"  ^-  Gulliver  and  Frances  W.  Curtiss,  Torrington. 

"         8,  "  Henry  O.  Bjogue  and  Julia  M.  Weed,  Torrington. 

"      30,  "  Frederick  Giiiwold,  Litchfield,  and  Elizabeth  Loomis,  Torrington. 

Oct.   23,  "  Matthew  R.  Hart,  Goshen,  and  Adaline  Chase,   Winchester. 

Nov.     4,  "  Daniel  A.  Grant  and  Elmira  Eg^leston,  Torrington. 

"         9,  "  Horace  L.  Cook  and  Ruth  E.  Hoyt,  Torrington. 

Jan.      I,  1846,  Charles  F.  Scoville  and   Clarissa  Spencer,  Litchfield. 

"         i>     "  Frances  M.  Hale  and  Lydia  A.  Grant,  Torrington. 

"       II,     "  Benjamin  Crosk,  Torrington,  and  Adeline  Thompson,  Waterbury. 


288  History  of  Torrington. 

Jan.    1 8,  1846,  George  H.  Mason  and  Lucy  Bissell,  Torrington. 

"        18,  "  Hosea  Case  and  Angeline  Roberts,               " 

Apr.      6,  "  Samuel  C.  Hubbard  and  Merrilla  Wells. 

May   24,  "  James  S.  Bird,  Bethlehem,  and  Fanny  M.  Northrop,  Torrington. 

Aug    22,  1838,  Daniel  Robertson  and  Mary  Jane  Seymour,  Torrington. 

June  21,  1846,  Chester  Brooker  and  Piiebe  A.  Smith,  Litchfield. 

July      I,  "  Ezra  D.  Pratt,  Cornwall,  and  Aurilia  A.  Rood,  Torrington. 

Sept.   29,  "  George  B.  Morse  and  Jane  L.  Mix,  Torrington. 

Oct.    12,  "  Lewis  Bristol,  Biookheld,  and  Mary  A.  Long,  Torrington. 

"       12,  "  Lorenzo  E.  Gone  and  Clarinda  Wilcox,  Torrington. 

Nov.     3,  ♦'  Auguat^s  Menill,  New   Hartford,  and  Adeline  Wooding,  Torrington. 

Dec.      6,  "  Christopher  Senior,  New  Britain,  and  Elizabeth  Hollis,  Torrington. 

Dec.    23,  *'  Doct.  J.   W.  Phelps  and  Charlotte  A.  Hayden,  TorrL-igton. 

"       27,  "  Augustus  F.  Pope  and  Abba  L  Spencer,  Torrington. 

Jan.        7,  1847,     Enoch  Jahnson  and  Adaline  Palmer,  Torrington. 

"       12,  "  John  C.  Woodruff,  New  Hartford,  and  MariUa  Clark.  Winchester. 

Feb.    28,  "  Francis  Clark,  Winsted,  and  Mary  L  Perkins,  Winsted. 

Apr.      5,  "  Augustus  Adams,  Ohio,  and  Anna  Barber.  Torrini;ton. 

"         4,  "  Abner  M.  WiUon,  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  and  Mary  L.  Scoville,  Torrington. 

May  26,  "  Rufus  W.  Gillett  and  Charlott  M.  Smith,  Torrington. 

Sept.    19,  "  Cornelius  A.   Wiriship  and   Helen  A.  Kimberly,  Torrington. 

Aug.  22,  "  Charles  Pilguin  and  Elizabeth  M.  Smith,  Torrington. 

Sept.    19,  "  Edward  R.  Hubbard,  Winsted,  and  Tryphena  S.  Palmer,  Litchfield. 

Oct.      2,  "  Charles  F.  Bancroft  and  Emma  Eaves,  Torrington. 

"          3,  "  William  Harrison  and  Almira  Freeman,  Torrington. 

"        17,  "  James  Gilbert,  Waterbury,  and  Lucy  M.  Royce,  Norfolk. 

"       27,  "  Martin  V.  Drake  and  Sally  A.  Drake,  Torrington. 

(No  Date.  Erastus  Simons,  Colebrook,  and  Rosetta  M.  Simons,  Torrington. 

Dec.    24,  "  Burr  Manville,  Waterbury,  and  Jemima  I.  Forest,  Torrington.                                      1 

"       26,  '■  James  Asiiborn,  Litchfield,  and  Lucinda  Smith,  Torrington. 

Jan.    II,  1848,  Moses  M.  Weed,  Barkhamsted,  and  Deborah  S.  Maltby,  Torrington. 

'•        30,  "  Henry  Bernard,  Winchester,  and  Joan  C.  Stone,  Litchfield. 

Apr.      3,  "  Richard  Gingeil,  Norfolk,  and  Lucia  W.  Whiting,  Torrington.                                    ' 

"         9,  "  Burwell  Riggs,  Torrington,  and  Emeline  Kendall,  SufHeld.                                            4 

May      7,  "  Hiram  Lyman  and  Julia  M.  Ostrum,  Toriington. 

July      2,  "  George  Blakeslee,  Torrington,  and  Marian  Davis,  Newtown. 

"         4,  '■  NeLon  Alvord,  Torrington,  and  Adaline  Skiff,  New  York.                                            '. 

May      4,  "  A.  G.  Bradford  and   Maria  Scott. 

"        17,  "  Edward  Root  and  Jane  Barbour.                                                                                                  j 

July     12,  "  Lewis  G.  Burgess  and  Eliza  L.  Hurlbut,  Winchester.                                                       ' 

"       25,  "  Elcada  Plerpont  and  Polly  Carrington,  Torrington.                                                           '; 

Aug.  29,  *'  McKenzie  Millard  and  Ellen  E.  Munn,         " 

Oct.       I,  "  Burritt  Tuttle  and  Catharine  Bissell.                                                                                      ' 

"       17,  "  Harvey  L.  Rood  and  Susan  M.  Humphrey,  Guilford. 

Nov.     5,  "  James  Smith  and  Harriet  Maine,  Torrington.                                                                     ' 

"       19,  "  George  W.  Church  and  Eveline  B.  Lathrop    Sheffield.                                                        ' 

"       30,  "  Jonathan  Coe,  Winsted,  and  Betsey  Wetmore,  Torrington.                                             ; 

Dec.    31,  "  Selden  Beach,  N.  Y.,  and  Mary  A.  Dunbar,           " 

July      8,  1849,  Cyrus  Hubbard  and  Harriet  Taylor,   Torrington.                                                                    \ 

"        "  *'  Orson  Moss,  Litchfield,  and  Eliza  Beach,  Mass.                                                                 ■ 

Jan.    16,  "  Charles  Catlin  and  Anna  B.  Churchill,  Torrington. 

Feb.    27,  "  Harvey  Da) ton,  Torrington,  and  Anna  A.  Castle,  Harwinton.                                        ! 

May      9,  "  Andrew  A.  Hull,  Burlington,  and  Sirah  J.  Burr,  Torrington.                                        ; 

"       27,  "  John  L.  Wilcox  and  Chloe  L.  Strickland,  Warren.                                                              j 

"        "  "  Hiram  Pulver  and  Jane  A.  Kimberly,  Torrington.                                                            " 

Apr.    10,  '•  George  R.  Clark  and  Susan  R.  Grant,           "                                                                     ; 

"        19,  "  Merrill  Treat  and  Henrietta  M.  Taylor,        "                                                                         f 

May,  "  Horace  H.   Bunce  and  Anna  Curtiss,               "                                                                     * 

"       14,  "  William  L.  Merrill,  Waterbury,  and  Ellen  Cleveland,  Torrington.                                . 

"       22,  ''  Francis  D.  Farley,  Mass  ,  and  Rhoda  Rood,  Torrington.                                                j 

June  23,  "  Henry  L.  Smith  and  Amanda  Mitchell,                 "                                                            < 

Sept.   30,  "  Charles  Atwater,  Waterbury,  and  Amanda  Merrill,  Naugatuck.                                   ,1 


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Lists  of  Names.  289 

Lucius  Emmons,  Litchfield,  and  Almeda  1.  Leach,  Torrington. 
Robert  C.  Martin,  Goshen,  and  Laura  L.  Browne,  " 

Russell  L.  Pond  and  Francis  L.  Rouse,  Torringon. 
Doct.  R.  S.  Olmstead,  Brooklyn,  and  Charlotte  A.  Hungerford,  Tor. 
Thomas  Tibbals,  Norfolk,  and  Charlotte  Sperry,  Torrington. 
Henry  Hurlbut,  Torrington,  and  Helen  B.  Swan,  Springfield. 
Henry  D.  Robbins,  Norfolk,  and  Caroline  Cones,  Salsbury. 
Horace  \V.  Barber,  Harwinton,  and  Jannette  S.  Birge,  Torrington. 
John  A.  Wainwright,  Wisconsin,  and  Harriet  C.  Hayden,  Torrington. 
Alfred  Brown  anJ  Alicy  Leach,  Torrington. 
James  Wadhams  and  Ledelia  Piatt,   Torrington. 
Dr.  J.  B.  Whiting  and    Frances  A.  Hungerford,   Torrington.' 
Timothy  guintin  and  Mary  Thorne,  Torrington. 
Levi  Caton,  N.  Hartford,  and  Fidelia  Hart,  Torrington. 
William  Brown  and  Roxanna  Scott,  Goshen. 
Cornelius  SkitF,  Wmsted,  and  Ann  E.  Millard,  Torrington. 
John  H.  Adams  and  Catharine  Jajkins. 
Luther  L.  Leach  and  Huldah  M.  Hart,  Torrington. 
Penfitld  Burr  and  Ellen  C.  Birge,   Torrington 

Emery  E.  Taylor,  Glastonbury,  and  Sarah  J.  Dutton,  Torrington. 
Julius  F.   Blakeslee  and  Lucina  Pelton,  Torrington. 
Chester  Callcnder,  Salsbury,  and  Rosetta  Brunt,  Torrington. 
Lewis  R.  Butler,  Harwinton,  and  Pearly  A.  Brace,  Torrington. 
John  C.  Foote,  Goshen,  and  Jane  E.  Humphrey,  Torrington. 
Sanford  H.  Perkins,  N.  Britain,  and  Adaline  Barber,  Torrington. 
Bradley  Bellamy    and  Angeline  E.  ^Jitchell,   Torrington. 
George  W.  Elmer,  Winchester,  and  Julia  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Robcit  B.  Hughs  and  Adaline  M.  Hall,  Torrington. 
John  A.  White,  Seymour,  and  Annis  C.  Brown,  Harwinton. 
Luther  G.  Hinsdale  and  Julia  A    Wooding,  Torrington. 
Burwell  Carter,  Ansonia,   and  Achsa  Tailmadge,  Torrington. 
Franklin  Abbott,  Ansonia,  and  Angeline  E.  Cowles,  Torrington. 
Talden  Stump,  Winsted,  and  Almira  Gibbs,  Goshen. 
Warren  M    White,  New  York,  and  Flora  M.  Skiff,  Torrington. 
George  W.  Chapman,  Winchester,  and  Susan  R.  Starks,  Torrington. 
Morris  E.  Munger,  Winsted,  and  S.  A.  Hart,  N.  Hartford. 

Samuel  J.  Stocking  and  Mary  L.  Fellows,  Torrington.  , 

Lewis  Bue!l  and  Eunice  Wooding,  Toirington.  I 

David  Westover,  Litchfield,  and  Emily  M.  Pond,  Torrington.  | 

Edwin  Leach  and   ^  ienna  T.  Spencer,  Torrinjton.  J 

Joseph  W.  Loveland,  Plainville,  and  fosephine  J.  Beach.  ) 

Timjthy  Root,  Plainville.  and  Mary  J.  Goodwin,  Torrington. 
James  L.  Dean,  Torringtjn,  and   Alvira  McKee,  Waterbury. 
Cereno  J.  Wymin,  Nova  Scotia,  and  Elizabeth  J.  Coe,  Torrington. 
Amariah  S.  Austin,  Litchfield,  and  Mary  E.  Hine,  Plymouth. 

Henry  Kimberly,  Goshen,  and  Lucy  Hurlbut,  Torrington.  i 

Ralph  P.  Moore  and  Catharine  P.  North,  "  ' 

Norman  Buell,  Litchfield,  and  Hannah  Spencer,     "  I 

Albert  H.  Smith,  Salsbury,  and  Antha  Crampton,   ''  ' 

Charles  H.  Perkins  and  f'harlotte  Buell,  Harwinton. 

Alanson  A.  Woodruff,  Litchfield,  and   Charlotte    A.  Phillis,   Torrington. 
Cornelius  Reinders  and  Elizabeth  Whiting,  Torrington. 
Omar  C.  Stocking  and  Louisa  M.  Pierce,  " 

Nonidan  B-;nnett  and  Mary  J.  Hart,  " 

Lewis  H   Todd,  Plymouth,  and  Sarah  A.    Fellows,   Torrington.  ; 

Levi  O.  Smith,  New  Britain,  and   Martha   E.  Hollis,  Torrington.  1 

Francis  H.  Parker,  Massachusetts,  and  Sabra  Thrall,  " 

Orrin  H.  Cook,  Winsted,  and  Margaret  A.  Judd,  "  ! 

John  C.  Reese,  Philadelphia,  and  Hannah  Shipley,  "  ! 

[ohn  C.  Gilett,  and   (ane  M.  Winchell,  Torrington. 
Baldwin  Reed,  Sharon,  and  Mary  J.   Rrice,  Harwinton. 
Edward  Peters,  New  Hartford,  and  Maria  Casey,  New  Hartford.  i 


290 


History  of  Torrington. 


Dec.   10.  1853,    George  Hurlbut,  and  Edis  Hamilton,  Torrington. 

Jan.       1,1854,     Giles  D.  Allen  and  Mary  A    Williams,  " 

Oct.      9.  1853,     Albert  Riggs,  and  Frances  C.  Williams. 

Feb.    19,  1854,    John  L.  Beach,  Plymouth,  and  Mary  E.  Leach,  Torrington. 

Hicks  Seaman,  Colebrook,  and  Cbloe  A.  Mott,  " 

Elias  E.  Gilman,  Haitland,  and  Sarah  Coe,  " 

Samuel  Sperry  and  Lucinda  A.  Hart,  " 

Rodney  Brace  and  Arzeline  Case,  " 

Hudsjn  J.  Hazen,  Waterbury,  and  Elizabeth  M.  Kimberly. 

George  W.  Bullin,  Watertown,  and  Marietta  Weldon,  Torrington. 

Hudson  Burr  and  Lucy  Pelton,  Torrington. 

Alvin  E.  Barber  and  Julia  Birge,  Harwinton. 

George  Curtiss,  Northtield,  and  Emeline  P.  Whiting. 

Hugh  Lawton  and  .'Mice  Penvvorthy. 

Frederick  Cober  and  Catharine  Hartstone. 
21,  1855,    William  O.  Rourk  and  Mary  Cragan,  Torrington. 

Frederick  Grieder  and  Maria  C    Cun,  Torrington 

Andrew  M.  Belcher,  R.  L,  and  Mary  J.  Johnson,  Torrington. 

Henry  J.  Wilmot,  N.  Hartford  and  Lucia  E.   Hotchkiss,  Naugatuck. 

John  B.  Lyman,  N.  Hartford,  and  Laura  Curtiss,  Torrington. 

John  M.  Gardner,  Cornwall  and  Roxey  L.  Wh'.ting,  Torrington. 

Andrew  Mallahan  and  Elizabeth  O'Connel,  Torrington. 

William  M.  Bennett  and  Diantha  Smith,  Torrington. 

WiUard  O.  Barber  and  Mary  Ellen  Woodward,  Torrington. 

George   A.  Goudale,  N.  Britain,  and  Mary  A.  Caldwell,  Torrington. 

Patsey  Duggin  and  Mary  E.  Bennett,  Torrington. 

Nathan  W.  Tubbs  and  Harriett  M.  Webster,  Torrington. 

John  Murphy  and  Margaret  Hickey,  Torrington. 

Lyman  Mather  and  Roxey  Cone,  Torrington. 

Samuel  Hawkins  and  Louisa  E.  Blakeslee,  Torrington. 

Uri  L.  Whiting  and  Hannah  L.  Oviatt,  Torrington. 

Merritt  Bronson,  N.  Hartford,. and  Mary  Jane  Bissell,  Torrington. 

Charles  R.  Welton  and  Caroline  A.  Chandler,  Torrington. 

Willard  H.  Barber  and  Jane  C    Wilson,  Torrington. 

Walter  S.  Lewis  and  Mary  J.  Wooding,  Torrington. 

Warren  B.  Murray  and  Aurelia  A.  Blakeslee,  Torrington, 

Egbert  Van  Dusen  and  Martha  Reed,  Torrinaton. 

George   H.  Bowns  and  Sarah  E.  Birdsell,  Torrington. 

Joseph  Deming,  Colebrook,  and  Charlotte  J.  North,  Torrington. 

Theodore  D.  Beardsley,  Monroe,   and  Emma  J.  Whiting,  Torrington. 

Edward  C.  Hotchkiss  and  Amelia  C.  Briggs,  N.  Y. 

Oscar  E.  Shepard,  Mass.,  and  .Mary  Hurlbut,  Torrington. 

Harvey  R.  Fellows  and  Caroline  E.  Morris,  Torrington. 

J.  M.  Holmes,  Waterbury,  and  Helen  J.  North,  Torrington. 

Seth  B.  St.  John,  Sharon  and  Saloma,  M.  Lyman,  Torrington. 

Michael  Dwyer,  Torrington,  and  Mary  Grant,  Litcfiheld. 

Chauncey  Leach  and  Adeline  S.  Mott,  Torrington. 

Phineas  Mix,  Harwinton,  and  Mary  Session,  Torrington. 

Roger  C.  Barber  and  Elizabeth  Goodwin,  Torrington. 

Dr.  John  W.  Gamwell,  III.,  and  L.   Jennie  North,  Torrington. 

Thomas  J.  Hubbard  and  Esther  E.  Chase,  Torrington. 

Pliny  M.  White,  Winchester,  and  Lucy  A.  Hamilton,  Torrington. 
[57,    Frederick  Thompkins  and  Caroline  A.  Blackeslee,  " 

Patrick  Carrull  and  Ellen   Malay,  Torrington. 

Andrew  S.  Baldwin,  Kansas,  and  Mary  E.  Burr,  " 

Michael  Casey  and  Marcella  Nooney,  Torrington. 

Calvin  Aldrich  and  Fidelia  E.  Marble,  " 

Harliiw  S.  Johnson  and  Alma  Jane  Hamlin,  Torrington. 

Edward  J,  Langdon,  Berlin,  and  Mary  Ann  Rogers,  Hartford, 

John  B.  Babcock,  Goshen,  and  Maria  Gieen,  Salsbury. 

I'each  J.  Downs  and  FVancis  M.  Brown,  Torrington. 

William  Davis,  Jr.,  Goshen,  and  Sarah  E.  Thrall,  Torrington. 


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Lists  of  Names.  291 

David  C.  Munson,  Litchfield,  and  Sarah  A.  Holcomb,  Torrington. 
Alfred  B.  Smith,  Winchester,  and  Christina  J.  Christie,  Watertown. 
M  ircus  Brockway,  New  Britain,  and  Adeline  M    Pond,  Torrington. 
John  S.  Harris,  Naugatuck,  and  Mary  Morton,  Naugatuck. 
William  Moses  and  Rogenia  M.  Cone,  Torrington. 
Silas  D.  Crossman  and  Harriet  P.   Drake,  Goshen. 
Lewis  L.  Johnson  and  Mary  Malory,  Torrington. 
Patrick  Doyle  and  Catherine  Kirby,  " 

David  Strong,  Chatham,  and  Maria  C.  Colt,  Torringtou. 
Dana  L.  Hungerford  and  Caroline  Grace,  " 

Frederick  f.  Bailey  and  Catharine  A.  Snow,  " 

William  M.  Hyde  and  Eliza  M.  Ostrum,  " 

Richard  W.  Roberts  and  Mary  E.  Johnson,  " 

Jacob  Klonowski  and  Margaret  Ryan,  " 

John  M.  Wadhams,  Goshen,  and  Myrantha  D.  Gillett,  Torrington. 
Alonzo  Smith  and  Martha  Hai^ht,    Torrington. 
William  Ford    and  Susan  M.  Wilson,  Torrington. 
Oscar  Moses  Canton  and  Amelia  Moses,  Torrington. 
Edwin  F.  Townsend,  Wis.,  and  Mary  Jane  Wadhams,  Torrington. 
Rev.  Jonathan  A.  Wainwright,  N.  Y.,  and  Caroline  H.  Hayden,  Tor. 
Edwin  Welden,  Torrington,  and  Mary  Ann  Smith,  Bristol. 
Henry  H.  Barber,  Litciifield,  and  Hannah  E.  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Charles  M.  Johnson  and  Amelia  Griswold,  Torrington. 
Edward  M.  Balcom  and  Jane  Mason,  Torrington. 
Charles  O.  Baldwin,  Harwinton,  and  Sarah  Burr,  Torrington. 
Hobart  B.  Milier  and  Fannie  E.  A^ather,  Torrington. 
James  Ashborn  and  Maria  L.  Cook,  Torrington. 
Thomas  Do\Ie  and  Fanny  McKallan,  Litchhcld. 
Theron  S.  Carroll,  Bristol,  and  Eglrgene  Stevens,  Bristol. 
John  S.  Johnson  and  Harriet  L.  Freeman,  Torrington. 
Julius  Garrett,  N.  Hartford,  and  Sarah  E.  Wedge,  Litchfield. 
Dr    Jeremiah  W.  Phelps    and  Mindwell  M.  Beardslee,  Torrington. 
Martin  L.  Judd,  Torrington,  and  Harriet  F.  Sanger,  Mass. 
Charles  L.  Hill  and  Charlotte  M.  Slade,  Torrington. 
Wolcott  Little  and  Mary  C.  Hart,  Torrington. 
Bronson  B.  Turtle,  Naugatuck,  and  Mary  A.  Wilcox,  Litchfield. 
Sidney  G    Lant,  L.  L,  and  Mary  E.  Barber,  Torrington. 
Anson  F.  Balcom  and  Harriet  King,  Torrington. 
John  Kearney  and  Catharine  Tray,  Torrington.  '. 

George  D.  Bentley,  Goshen,  and  Sarah  L.  Blakeslee,  Torrington.  j 

William  O.  Mora  and  Margaret  Hagenv,  Torrington.  i 

Alexander  M.  Brooker,  Litciifield,  and  Sarah  J.  Leach,   Torrington.  i 

Noah  Benedict  and  Julia  Williams,   Torringtou.  ^ 

Thomas  Pusey,  and  Sarah  Long,    Torrington.  I 

George  W.   Pierce  and  Carrie  M.  Westlake,  Torrington. 

George  Brooks,  Goshen,  and  jMary  Main,  Torrington.  ' 

John  D.  Coe  and  Sarah  Ann   Berry,  Toriington. 
Fowler  S.  Fenn  and  Margaret  E.  Coe,  Plymouth. 

Selah  Steele,  Winchester  and  Eliza  Humphrey,  Torrington.  j 

Hiram  T.  Coby,  Plymouth,  and  Urena  Shevalier,  Goshen.  I 

Hurlbut  C.  Hayes  and  Ann  E.  Turner,  Torrington.  , 

George  D.  Read  and   Julia  A.  Sawyer,  "  j 

Salmon  Root,  F.  Haven,  and  Caroline  Matthews,  Plymouth.  j 

Freeman  Yale,  Canaan,  and  Julia  Taylor,  Torrington.  I 

Florimond  D.  Fyler  and  Abigail  A.  Steele,  *'  j 

Frederick  J.  Pierce,  Cornwall,  and  Mary  E.   Reed,  Torrington. 
Asahel  L    Lyon,  Bridgeport,  and  Louisa  Whiting,  " 

James  Beach,  Iowa,  and  Caroline  J.  Wilson,  " 

Garrett  Lynch,  Litchfield,  and  Catharine  Downs,  Litchfield. 
Stephen  L.  Wright  and  Sarah  Dingwell,  Plymouth. 
Joseph  M.  Watson,  N.  Y.  city,  and  Julia  A.  Wooding,  Torrington. 
Nathan  S.  Bronson,  New  Haven,  and  Charlotte  A.  Pond,         " 


292  History  of  Torrington. 

3,  1861,     Frederick  Renier,  Hartford,  and  Emeline  F.  Thrall,  Torrington. 
Charles  H.  Seymour  and  Mary  E.  Judd,  Torrington. 
Uriel  Burr  and  Fanny  Taylor,  Torrington. 
Carlton  C.  Fyler  and  Louisa  R.  Barber,  Torrington. 
Henry  H.  Riggs,   Harwinton,  and  Emma  J.  Smith,  Torrington. 
James  McDonald  and  Margaret  Dewire,  Torrington. 
Charles  McNeil,  Litchfield,  and  Seraphina  Warner,  " 

Andrew  Bowns,  Torrington,  and  Almira  Gillett,  Goshen. 
1862,    Ge-jrge  Murphey,  Norfolk,  and  Mary  A.  Wilson,  Torrington. 
Samuel  Terry,  Simsbury,  and  Annette  Goodwin,  " 

Leroy  W.  Wetmore  and  Lucy  Ann  Hill,  Torrington. 
Jay  E.  Johnson  and  Mary  A.  Starks,  " 

George  M.  Mason,  Torrington,  and  Mary  M.  Catlin,  Litchfield. 
Lewis  B.  Follett,  Ansonia,  and  Sarah  Smith,  Torrington. 
Samuel  Burr  and  Mary  Robe;tson,  Torrington. 
Henry  B.  S.  Humphrey  and  Henrietta  L.  Rogers,      " 
Milo  and  Emogene  E.  Webster,  Torrington, 

Carrell  F.  North  and  Amelia  F.  Smith,  " 

Wellington  A.  Rowse  and  Caroline  M.  Johnson,  Goshen. 
Robert  Wright,  Torrington,  and  Amelia  Sanders,  Canaan. 
Thomas  Hayes  and  Bridget,  Dewire,  Torrington. 
James  Humphrey,  Goshen,  and  Emily  T.  Pendleton,  Norfolk. 
James  F.  Beach,  Winchester,  and  Harriet  A.  Starks,  Torrington. 
Lorenzo  Cleaveland  and  Maria  B.  Churchill,  Torrington. 
James  Whelan  and  Ana  Fannin^',  Torrington. 
Willis  Bartholomew,  Mass.,  and  Triphena  Blausett,  Sheffield. 
Charles  Wm.  Lake  and  Emily  Sadley,  Torrington. 
Lewis  G.  Logan  and  Mary  M.  Hammond,  Torrington. 
Dexter  W.  Clark  and  Fanny  E.  Langdon,  Torrington. 
Charles  S.  Barber  and  Ellen  Jones,  Harwinton. 
Lewis  Riggs  and  Charlotte  S.  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Nelson  Hodges  and  Delia  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Riley  B.  Johnson  and  Louisa  Bronson,  Torrington. 
William  H.  Dayton  and  Clara  B.  Case,  Torrington. 
William  H.  McCarthy  and  Jennie  E.  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Nelson  Harrison  and  Sarah  A.  Jones,   Torrington. 
Homer  C.  Allen  and  Eliza  Geer,  Torrington. 
George  R.  Colt  and  Margaret  E.  Griswold,  Torrington. 
Edward  L.  Thrall  and  Julia  A.  Morris,  Torrington. 
Auj;u3tus  Pope  and  Mary  J.  Cook,  Torrington. 
William  S.  Marvin  and  Lucy  A.  Kelsey,  Torrington. 
Charles  N.  Balconi,  Torrington,  and  Nancy  Baughn,  Winchester. 
Milo  Cleveland,  Harwinton,  and  Cynthia  A.  Eggleston,  Torrington. 
Enos  N.  Marshall  and  Laura  J.  Loomis,  Torrington. 
Theron  D.  Luddington  and  Frances  J.  Palmer,  Goshen. 
Tlieodore  H.  Reed  and  Laura  E    Birge,  Torrington. 
Michael  Dooley,  N.  Hartford,  and  Catharine  Fitzgerald,  Torrington 
Patrick  Moran,  Litchfield  and  Bridget  Carr,  Torrington. 
Gregory  Connor  and  Ellen  Conway,  Torrington. 
Edward  A.  Atwater,  Cheshire,  and  Julia  L.  Hills,  Torrington. 
John  Ashborn  and  Lucella  H.  Gardner,  Torrington. 
John  L.  Bissell.  and  Mary  Messenger,  Torrington. 
Charles  L.  Fellows,  and  Julia  E.  Crippen,  Torrington. 
William  H.  Reed  and  Emma  E.  Mason,  " 

Henry  G.  Candee,  Naugatuck,  and  Sarah  M   Scovill,  Litchfield. 
Oliver  P.  Coe,  Litchfield,  and  Annie  Ashborn,  Torrington. 
James  C.  Cleveland  and  Sarah  Judd,  New  Hartford. 
Nelson  W.  Coe  and  Caroline  E.  Workman,  Torrington. 
Dwight  Burr  and  Margaret  E.  Hamlin,  " 

Levi  J.  Couch  and  Mary  J.  Robertson,  " 

Lucius  Clark,  Canaan,  and  Sarah  J.  Wright,      " 
John  W.  Cook  and  Cornelia  Beach,  Torrington. 


June 

3. 

1861, 

J"iy 

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Lists  of  Names.  293 


Nov.  3z,    1864,    Hobert  E.  French,  Seymour,  Mary  E.  Todd,  Torrlngton. 

Dec.  10,      "         Mathew  Ryan,  Litclifield,  and  Catharine  Troy,  " 

«'      28,     "  William  B.  Bryan,  Wasliington,  and  Loretta  Gear,   " 

"       29,      "  Albert  C.  Norton,  Waterbury,  and  Roxy  A.  North,  " 

Jan.      8,  1S65,     Patrick  Slater  and  Margaret  Bradshaw,  " 

Henry  F.  Bellamy  and  Julia  E.  Johnson,  " 

John  Moir,  Stamford,  and  Matilda  Hoffman,  " 

William  Condray  and  Lucy  Grant.  Salsbury. 

Andrew  T.  Finn,  Milford,  and  Theresa  Hjffman,  Torrlngton. 

David  W.  Smith  and  Hattie  M.  Todd,  " 

John  Terry  and  Susannh  A.  Adams,  " 

Ansel  E.  Wheeler  and  Hattie  Johnson,  '• 

Earnech  Forrest,  New  Britain,  and  Harriet  A.  Beardsley,  Torington. 

Edward  H.  Robinson,  Ruckville,  and  Alice  B.  Smith,  " 

Cornelius  Hammond  and  Ellen  Sweeney,  Torrlngton. 

John  H.  Wadhams,  Illinois,  and  Mary  G.  Felton,  Torrlngton. 

James  H.  Mott  and  Sarah  J.  Bronson,  " 

Michael  Hayes  and  Minifred  Cahalan,  Torrlngton. 

Maurice  Joy  and  Margaret  Whalon,  " 

Stephen  E.  Calkins,  New  Jersey,  and  Jane  A.  Birge,  Torrlngton. 

John  N.  Lyman,  Cornwall,  and  Lydia  C.  Messenger,  Torrlngton. 

George  W.  Weldon,  Winsted,  and  Sarah  J.   Hull,  Torrlngton. 

Benjamin  F.  Page  and  Frances  M.  Smith,  Litchfield. 

Lant and  Honora  Donovan,  Torrlngton. 

Alonzo  Barber,  Harwinton,  and  Mary  E.  Cleaveland,  Torrlngton. 

James  Moran,  Mass.,  and  Dorothy  A.  Vary,  Torrlngton. 

Orsamus  K.  Fyler  and  Mary  E.  V.iill,  Torrlngton. 
1866,     James  S.  Workman     and  Maria  L.  Clark,      " 

John  M.  Pitcairn,  New  York  city,  and  Frances  E.  Clark,  Litchfield. 

Nathan  B.  Phelps     and  Carrie  M.  Bancroft,  Torrlngton. 

Edward  F.  Leopold,  New  Haven,  and  Carrie  J.  Huke,  Torrlngton. 

Henry    N.  Princle,  Goshen,  and   Ellen  Dugan,  " 

John  T.  Ambler    and  Rachel  M.  Wedge,  Warren, 

John  A.  Moore,  Colebrook,  and  Irene   H.  North,  Torrlngton. 

Henry  H.  Smith,  Burlington,  and  Ellen  L.  Hart,  *' 

Jonas  G.  French    and  Fannie   M.   Nettleton,  Milford. 

Charles  W.  Smith    and  Emma  A.  Leach,  Torrington. 

George  B.  Colgrove  and  Mary  E.  Hurlbut,  Amherst. 

Henry  D.  Pierce,  Ohio,  and  Charlotte  D.  Stocking,  Torrington. 

Theron  S.  Waugh,  Morris,  and  Alice  S.  Welton,  Bethlem, 

David  Strong    and  Emerette  S.  Colt,   Chatham. 

Seymour  Eldridge,  Goshen,  and  Emmogene  Cjok,  Torrlngton. 

Edward  H.  Herring  and  Tamzen  C.  Welch,  Torrington. 

Eli  Hoyt  and  Frances  Cable,  Torrington. 

Edward  T.  Hopkins  and  Gertrude  E.  Waterman,  Torrington. 

Hiram  M.  Stark  and   Irene   Drake,  Torrington. 

David  Shoars,  Winchester,  and  Mary  Bailey,  Torrington. 

Cassimtr  H.  Bronson  and  F.  Augusta  Palmer,  " 

Lather  A.  Weldon  and  Mary  E.  Palmer,  " 

William  W.  Hart  and  Lydia   E.  Waugh,  " 

W.  H.  K.  Godfrey,  Waterbury,  and  Addie  E.  Coe,  Torrington. 

Frederick  Barber  and  Jennie  Resley,  Torrington. 

Abel  Griswold  and  Lucy  M.  Kimberly,  Hartford. 

Patrick  McElhone  and  Margaret  J.  Cleary,  Goshen. 

Henry  E.  Hotchkiss  and  Jennie  M.  Brady,  Torrington. 

Henry  P.  Hendey  and  Clara  A.   Feussenich,        " 

Sherman  J.  Cables  and  Jane  Johnson,  " 

Edwin  B.  Sanford,  Litchfield,  and  Charlotte  Downs,  Torrington. 

William  H.  Garner,  Derby,  and  Martha  Workman,  « 

S.  W.  Abbott  and  Louisa   Wadhams,  Litchfield. 

John  R.  Blakeslee,  Torrlngton,  and  Emma  E.  Hart,    Unionville. 

Henry  C.  Franklin,  Merlden,  and  H.  Louisa  Smith,  Torrington. 


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294  History  of  Torrington. 


R.  Allen  Hathaway,  Meriden,  and  Frances  J.  Parker,  Texas. 
Burton  W.    Hart  and  Kitchen  . 
Davis  Peck  and  Sarah  A.  Morris,  Burlington. 
Curtiss  V.   Wedge,  Litchfield,  and   Alice  E.  Johnson,  Torrington. 
William  H.  Farnham,  Morris,  and  Christine  G.  Robinson,  New    Britain. 
John  W.  Foley,  Mass.,  and  Winnifred  Killune,  Boston. 
Roswell  Thompson  and  Helen  A.  Scoville,  Harwinton. 
Henry  M.  Taylor,  Hartford,  and   Lizzie  Foster,  Winchester. 
Lewis  Goodwin,  Hartford,  and  Emma  S.  Cole,  Warren. 
Frederick  Freeman,  Torrington,  and  Julia  Sayles,   \^  inchester. 
Nathan  A.  French  and  Sarah   J.  Abbott,  Litchfield. 
John  G.  Brothwell  and  Addie   M.  Holcomb,  Torrington. 
William  Jeffrey,  England,  and  Hannah  Lawton,  Goshen. 
Jesse  B.  .'lose  and  Harriet  E.  Griswold,  Torrington. 
Tracy  B.  Thompson,  Bethlem  and  Addie  E.  Brewer,  Mass. 
Edward  C.  C  stle  and  Fannie  M.  Staples,  Conn. 
Lyman  Dunbar,  Torrington,  and  Catharine  King,  Mass. 
Melvin  H.  Granger  and  Addie  Abbott,  Conn. 
Patrick  A.  Smith  and  Mary  A.  Moran,  Hartford. 

Frederick  L.  Robertson,  Torrington,  and  Sarah  J.  Pritchard,  Waterbury, 
Sidney  S.  Boyd  and  Mary  Swift,  N.  Y. 
George  W.  Beardsley,  Mass.,  and  Charlotte  C.  Royce. 
Samuel  L  Reed  and  Delia  Kimberly,  Torrington. 
Edward  W.  Russ  and  Ella  J.  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Samuel  R.  Tucker  and  Marietta  Weldon,  N.  Britain. 
Rollin  Wilson  and  Augusta  Evans,  Torrington. 
Theodore  W.  Austin  and  Elizabeth  A.  Oviatc. 
George  F.  Waterhouse  and  Emeline  E.  Stearns. 
Eugene  Lynch  and  Margaret  Battus. 
Gei>rge  W.  Wheeler  and  Eliza  E.  Turk. 
J.  Wolcott  Wheeler  and  Jennie  E.  Cowles,  Torrington. 
Frederick  Devoe  and  Abbie  J.  Phelps,  Torrington. 
Nathan  R.  Tibbals  and  Mary  J.  Mott,  Torrington. 
Henry  H.  Rowley  and  Chloe  L.  Grant,  Torrington. 
Samuel  Carpenter  and  Mary  J.  Walling,  Torrington. 
Garrett  Reinders  and  Elizabeth  Smith,  Torrington. 
James  Burr  and  Eliza  King. 
James  Cullim  and  Johannah  Dewyre. 
Andrew  Alender  and  Elizabeth  Scott. 
John  A.  Beach  and  Mary  J.  Barber. 
,  1868,     George  H.  Fish  and  Carrie  A.  Sperry. 

Orlando  M.  Carr  and  Flora  R.  Grant,  Torrington. 
Robert  Palmer  and  Ellen  A    Bogart,  Torrington. 
John  W.  Reid  and  Ella  J.  Lobdell. 
Charles  Carter  and  Sarah  Sayles. 
Henry  Nobut  and  Elizabeth  Mason. 
David  M.  Grant  and  Paulina  Benedict. 
Lewis  S.  Barnes  and  Ella  C.  North,  Torrington. 
Richard  Harrison  and  Mary  Van  Allen,  Torrington. 
Patrick  Leahy  and  Honora  Gearey,  Torrington. 
Albert  M.  Scott  and  Sarah  E.  Van  De  Bogart,  Torrington. 
Hiram  Coleman  and  Fidelia  Hotchkiss,  Torrington. 
Timothy  Dalton  and  Bridget  Cleaiy. 
Charles  Judd  and  Marinda  Waugh. 
James  Gibson  and  Margaret  Wall. 
Patrick  O'Connor  and  Mary  A.  McDonald. 
Michael  Walsh  and  Ellen  Murphy. 

Ransom  P.  Ellsworth  and  Eliza  M.  Castle,  Torrington. 
Philip  Dewyre  and  Mary  Gary. 
Paul  Rogers  and  Mary  Beach,  Torrington. 
8,      "  Henry  Carter  and  Mary  J.  Jackson. 

18,     "         Wilber  Hayden  and  Augusta  L.  Abbott,  Harwinton. 


Jan. 

I, 

1867 

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Lists  of  Names.  _  295 


Oct.   18,  1868,     Patrick  Whealan  and  Mary  Fanning,  Torrington. 
James  McKenzie  and  Nellie  Feussenich. 
Adam  Dillon  and  Julia  Freeman,  Torrington. 
Elmar  R.  Alcott  and  Addie  Johnson,  Torrington. 
Warren  W.  Wilcox  and  Emily  S.  Kenecttle. 
George  Welden  and  Julia  Bentley. 
Charles  McKenzie  and  Lucy  J.  Cook,  Torrington. 
William  A.  Stone  and  Hattie  M.  Alderman,  Torrington. 
Dwight  Trask  and  Emma   Robbins. 
John  Hogan  and  Catharine  Carroll. 
Urwin  C.  Stone  and  Kjte  L.  Walling. 
1869,    Wilbur  W.  Birge  and  Julia  Waterman,  Torrington. 
Henry  C.  Church  and  Delia  Chase. 
Nathan  W.  Harden  and  Alice  A.  Munger. 
Andrew  E.  Workman  and  Helen  M.  Taylor. 
John  Mclnerney  and  Mary  Geary. 
William  H.  Tuttle  and  Jane  M.  Beaney. 
Eugene  Brown  and  Emily  Dayton. 
Wilber  A.  Guild  and  Jenette  J.  Kitchen. 
Henry  M.  Selden  and  Mrs.  F.  C.  Stone. 
Vincent  Belden  and  Susan  E.  Perkins. 
G.  W.  Vail  and  Ella  M.  Smith. 
James  M.  Chatfield  and  Christina  Robertson. 
Hugh  McDonald  and  Maria  Dewyre. 
Edward  Carroll  and   Aurelia  Carroll. 
Thomas  Butler  and  Catharine  Dewyre. 
Henry  F.  Pomeroy  and  Carrie  E.  Birge. 
George  P.  Bissell  and  Mary  Moses. 
Julius  Glusteker  and  Louisa  Friend. 
Edson  W.  Davis  and  Anna  M.  Griswold. 
Charles  Walton  and  Caroline  Van  Allen. 
Lewis  McCrary  and  EU.n   Aables. 
Francis  M.  Holly  and  Lucinda  R.  Hayden. 
1,  1870,    James  Leakey  and  Catharine  Bomberry. 
John  L.  Humphrey  and  Maria  L.  Grant. 
Hurlbut  L.  Hayes  and  Phebe  A.  Slater. 
Adam  Biggel  and  Anna  Hewett. 
Henry  C.  Franklin  and  Sarah  L.  Smith. 
Ernord  Benson  and  Margaret  Dewyre. 
Willis  Carter  and  Ellen  Sayles. 
Arthur  Hendee  and  Fannie  E.  Brimble. 
Andrew  G.  Kitchen  and  Eliza  Hart. 
G.  Seymour  Weeks  and  Eliza  H.  Glazier. 
James  McDermet  and  Bridget  ^Lihan. 
Andrew  J.  Ford  and  Mary  C.  Hubbell. 
Louis  Ruel  and  Harriett- S.  Palmer. 
Patrick  Halpine  and  Anne  Flahly. 
Joseph  Brothwell  and  Adelia  M.  Piatt. 
James  H.  Preston  and  Elizabeth  Van  Valkenburg. 
Lewis  Goodwin  and  Lurinda  Sperry. 
Frederick  L.  Wadhams  and  Sarah  M.  Goodwin. 
Seaman  R.  Fowl  r  and  Mary  J.  Hopkins. 
H.  Nelson  Barrows  and  Jane  Johnson. 
Thomas  E.  Sanford  and  Lorinda  R.  Smith. 
Erastus  Eggleston  and  Ellen  Drake. 
Chester  A.  Woolworth  and  Mary  E.  Athurton. 
Lawrence  Neary  and  Mary  Barns. 
Frederick  H.  Hart  and  Sarah  J.  Fancher. 
John  Egan  and  Margaret  McDonald. 
Lazerne  H.  Burt  and  Annie  E.  Bryant. 
Charles  Edward  Seymour  and  Harriet  E.  Reed. 
William  A.  Sherman  and  Louisa  Belden. 


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296 


History  of  Torrington. 


Nov.  13,  1870,    Patrick  Cahill  and  Catharine  Donahue. 
James  Hayes  and  Mary  Horan. 
Hubert  T.  Hart  and  Sarah  L.  Saunders. 
I,  1871,    Albert  W.  Camp  and  L.  Augusta  Fenn. 
Albert  F.  Bradley  and  Emma  J.  Stiles. 
Lewis  Riggs  and  Julia  A.  Thrall. 
Edward  S.  Andrus  and  Lucy  E.  Pond. 
William  F.  Bishop  and  Mary  E.  Pond. 
Peter  Keltenback  and  Charlotte  Gramm. 
William  E.  BucJily  and  Adaline  R.  Starks. 
William  Guerin,  and  Sarah  O'Conner. 
Albert  Allen,  and  Emeline  Marsh. 
Andrew  D.  Noony,  and  Susan  E.  Hayden, 
Joseph  Hirtile,  and  Theresa  iiohm. 
William  C.  Willard,  and  Alice  C.  Treat. 
Frederick  Wilcox,  and  Lucy  Hodges. 
William  Hurlburt  and  Mary  Burn. 
F.  H.  Kellogg  and  Jerusha  Kellogg. 
Henry  F.  Goodwin  and  Mary  Reader. 
George  Weldon  and  Alice  Burnett. 
M.  B    Pratt  and  Annie  A.  Lowe. 
Nelson  Beavier  and  Sarah  R.  Curtiss. 
Charles  Aldiis  and  Alice  F.  Matthews. 
Elihu  Dayton  and  Etta  Dayton. 
Patrick  Harty  and  Johanna  Shay. 
Charles  Kelly  and  Harriet  Preston. 
Cornelius  Donohue  and  Maria  Dewyre. 
Lucius  Emmons  and  Laura  H.  Tuttle. 
Christie  Siebert  and  Lizzie  Law. 
Clinton  E.  Lyman  and  Maria  E.  Wilcox. 
Thomas  J.  AUdis  and  Sarah  H.  Barbour. 
Edward  Smith  and  Eralzal  A.  Berry. 
James  Learbey  and  Catharine'Harmon. 
Samuel  Bishop  and  Phebe  McCabe. 
Henry  A.  Weir  and  Emma  O.  Stocking. 
Eaton  J.  Gross  and  Ella  A    Curtiss. 
James  A.  Stewart  and  Alice  Munger. 
Albert  Burr  and  Mary  F.  Van  Vaulkenburg. 
Charles  E.  Brown  and  Ella  J.  Brooker. 
Lucius  P.  Drake  and  Adelia  J.  Brace. 
Frederick  R.  Matthews  and  Sarah  A.  Workman. 
Patrick  Fieley  and  Ellen  Gearu. 
Frank  M.  Wheeler  and  Helen  A.  Langdon. 
Frank  A.  Stone  and  Martha  Gilbert. 
Edwin  E.  Rose  and  Maria  E.  Hamilton. 
John  T.  Farnham  and  Ellen  L.  Cook. 
John  Kelly  and  Bridget  Carey. 
James  Leahy  and  Catharine  Hannor. 
1873,    Joshua  Gaylord  and  Mary  E.  Williams. 

Charles  Goreshank  and  Amy  S.  Chamberlain. 
Garett  Rcinders  and  Margaret  McGhee. 
Timothy  Canty  and  Mary  J.  Slater. 
Mortimer  B.  Hefferman  and  Bridget  Carroll. 
Dwight  iNL  Allen  and  Eva  C.  Johnson. 
Herbert  C.  Humphrey  and  Miranda  Lattimer. 
William  Barford  and  Sarah  J.  Curtiss. 
William  Flemming  and   Jemima  C.  Taylor. 
William  S.  Bierce  and  Emerette  D.  Prindle. 
Thomas  Quinn  and  Anna  Dewyre. 
John  Mara  and  Hanora  Bray. 
John  Burns  and  Mary  McCarthy. 
George  H.  Atkins  and  Mary  E.  Glazier. 


(( 

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Lists  of  Names.  297 


June     4,  1873,    Henry  K.  Chatfield  and  Frances  D.  Southy. 
"         "       "  Horace  Burr  and  Sarah  J.  Andrews. 

Charles  Whitney  and  Marion  M.  Brooker. 
Alfred  H.  Wallace  and  Rosa  A.  Palmer. 
Edmund  E.  Fenn  and  Mary  E.  Ransom. 
Gideon  H.  Welch  and  Susan  C.  Agard. 
Edward  T.  Coe,  and  Lillie  A.  Wheeler. 
James  Howe,  and  Kate  Dewyre. 
George  W.  Lewis  and  Jennie  E.  Pond. 
John  M.  Hopson  and  Isabel  Smith. 
George  Peck  and  Alvira  Pierpont. 
Patrick  Darcy  and  Hannah  Murphy. 
Charles   G.  Root  and  Mary  F.  Griswold. 
Thomas  Kearnan  and  Bridget  Mara. 
Albert  F.  Brooker  and   Alice  M.  Cooper. 
Samuel  B.  Wheeler  and  Mary  E.  Baldwin. 
John  H.  Thomas  and  Mary  Khank. 
George  A.  Brimble  and  Grace  Snell. 
Henry  T.  Sharp  and  Emma  Robbins. 
Andrew  G.  Kitchen  and  Eliza  Hart. 
Charles  C.  Lester  and  Catharine  Perrin. 
Dr  Forest  Pittibone  and  Charlotte  V.  Matthews. 
John  Champion  and   Hannorah  Carey. 
Thomas  Looby  and  Alice  Mara. 
Edwin  Bierce  and  Laura  E.  Bennett. 
Oscar  E.  Gladwin  and  Mary  E.  Cook. 
John  Depree  and  Sarah  E.   Thomas. 
George  S.  Clark  and  Alvira  E.  Daines. 
Herbert  H.  Logan  and  Annie  M.  Newton. 
Maurice  Cook  and  Margaret  E.  Doyle. 
George  Capell  and  Martha  Wilson. 
Thomas  G.  Nichols  and  Ella  S.  Coe. 
George  A.  Burr  and  Mary  "A.  Grant. 
Francis  L.  Foote  and  Julia  M    Johnson. 
John  O.  Connell  and  Maria  Madden. 
John  W.  Gamwell  and  Frances  M.  Barber. 
Joseph  W.  Ryan  and  Catharine   Murphy. 
Henry  Kirley  and  Elizabeth  M.  Smith. 
Herman  F.  Hoffman  and  Clara  M.  Brown. 
John  Sharp  and  Ann  Fanning. 
Harvey  Barnes  and  Imogine   Catlin. 
Ale,xander  Kelsey  and  Ellen  Kerney. 
John  W.  Fox  and  Hattie  Fitzpatrick. 
Solon  B.  Johnson  and  Maitha  Allyn. 
Frank  W.  Butten  and  Emma  E.  Crippen. 
Julius  S.  Klein  and  Anna  M.  Birj. 
Clemence  E.  Hoffman  and  Alice  D.  Knowles. 
William  W.  Downer  and  Julia  J.  Evans. 
William  T.  Davey  and  Matilda  0.  Morse. 
Frank  L.  Oberhawser  and  Mary  Carny. 
Samuel  A.  Andrews  and  Mary  A.  Burr. 
James  A.  Brannan  and  jSIary  A.  Dewyre. 
James  Gleason  and  Anna  Carey. 
Cornelius  Maahan  and  Johanna  Fitzgerald. 
Richard  Fitzgerald  and  Julia  Bradshaw. 
George  W.  Hawver  and  Clara  J-.  Granger. 
Henry  J.  Allen  and   Mary  E.  Walling. 
Thomas  Batters  and  Mary  O.  Brien 
George  E.  Gilbert  and  Cornelia  H.  Sand. 
Dennis  Kelly  and  Bridget  Donovan. 
William  O'Donnell  and   Mary  Welch. 
Louis  Eitel  and  Louisa   Engert. 

38 


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ii 

298 


History  of  Torrington. 


Nov.  27,  1874,  Julius  L.  Jorra  and  Caroline  M.   Parsons. 

"       30,  "  Wallace  Blakeslee  and  Alice  C.  Glazier. 

"       30,  "  Albert  Korrman  and   Etta  Rank. 

Dec.      4,      •'  George  D.  Pond  and  Mary  A.  Dayley. 

"       14,  "  Myron  H.  Hill  and  Elizabeth  M.  Barrett. 

•'      21,  "  Amos  F.  Butler  and  Ella  A.  Cook. 

"      25,  "  Thomas  C.  Hendry  and  Josephine  E.  Feussenich. 


Baptisms. 


Baptisms  by  Rev.  Nathaniel    Roberts. 

Agard,  Hezekiah, 
Agard,  James, 


Mehitable,  October  25,  1752. 

Ann,  December  23,  1753. 

Salmon,  September  16,  1 744.  • 

Elizabeth,  April,  12,  1747. 

Chloe,  January  23,  1749. 

Sarah,  May  6,  1753. 

Joseph,  September  14,  1746. 

Mary,  December  31,  1858. 

Elizabeth,  July  4,  1762. 

Joseph,  May  19,  1765. 

Chauncey,  December  20,  1767. 

Jonah,  June  3,  1770. 

Henry,  June  6,  1773. 

Eunice,  September  1750. 

Israel,  July  19,  1752. 

David,  May  8,  1763. 

Daniel,  July  i,  1764. 

Hannah,  July  4,  1762. 

Esther,  May  23,  1764^ 

Anna,  January  6,  1766. 

Eldad,  June  18,  1769. 

Samuel,  July  13,   1755. 

Lucy,  December  29,  1765. 

Luman,  January  18,  1767. 

Olive,  January  22,  1769. 

Nathaniel,  August  29,  1742. 

Nathaniel,  February  19,    1744.  ' 

Elijah,  May  11,  1746. 

Timothy,  November  6,  1748. 

Chloe,  April  7,  1 751. 

Lois,  July  8,  1753. 

Keziah,  November  16,  1755. 

Susa,  February  19,  1758. 

Eli,  March  29,  1761. 

Ziba,  Jemima,  twins,  August  14,  1763. 
Barber,  Nathaniel,  Jr.  Uriah,  Oct.  22,  1769. 
Barnes,  Benjamin,         Miriam,  November  3,  1768. 

John,  Patience,  twins,  September  27,  1767 

Samuel,  December  5,  1742. 

Rebecca,  May  26,  1745. 

Mary,  September  6,  1747. 

John,  May  6,  1750. 

James,  December  3,  1752. 

Noah,  September  14,  1755. 

Martha,  January  21,  1759. 

Silas,  March  6,   1748. 

Levi,  December  23,  1764. 

Ezra,  November  2,  1766. 

Miriam,  April  22,  1770. 


Agard,  John, 
Allyn,  Henry, 
AUyn,  Joseph, 


Avered,  Israel, 
Austin,  David, 
Bacon,  James, 

Baldwin,  Samuel, 
Barber,    Elijah, 
Barber,  Nathaniel, 


Barnes,  f  Widow, 
Beach,  Abel, 


Beach,  Barnibas, 
Beach,  Benjamin, 


Lists  of  Names. 


299 


Beach,  Benjamin, 
Beach,  Joel, 

Beach,  Joseph, 


Beach,  John, 

Beach  Wait, 

Benedict,  Bushnell, 

Benedict,  Elisha, 

Benton,  Josiah, 
<(  (< 

Bissell,  Benjamin, 


Bissell,  Ezekiel, 
Birge,  David, 

Birge,  John, 


Blake,  Joseph, 


Buel,  Joseph, 
Burr,  Ariel, 
Burr,  John, 


Coe,  Asahel. 
Coe,  Ebenezer, 


Coe,  Jonathan, 

Coe,  Jonathan  Jr., 
Coe,  Oliver, 


Coe,  Reuben, 
Coe,  Robert, 
Coe,  Thomas, 


Coe,  William, 
Cook,  Aaron, 

Cook,  John, 


Benjamin,  April  30,  1775. 
Hezekiah,  October  16,  1768. 
Jeremiah,  June  7,  1772. 
Experience,  September  18,  1743. 
Dinah,  May  29,  1750. 
Dinah,  November  10,  1751. 
Abel,  April    30,  1775. 
Miles,  May  9,  1773. 
Anna,  June  13,  1773. 
Elisha,  August  24,  1760. 
Lucinda,  April  3,  1767. 
Statira,  January  28,   1770. 
Joseph,  ]\Iarch  23,  1752. 
Elisha,  March  10,    1754. 
Lorenzo,  April  22,  1756. 
Keziah,  May  8,  1763. 
Elizabeth,  June  3,  1754. 
Eunice,  April  22,  1756. 
IMary,  November  17,  1751. 
Isaac,  February  2,  1755. 
Simeon,  May  3,  1757. 
Hannah,  September  30,    1764. 
Levi,  August  2,  1772. 
Seth,  April  10,  1768. 
Jesse,  August  6,  1769. 
Sarah,  July  14,   1770. 
Barzillai,  February  28,  1773. 
Joseph,   July  29,    1753. 
Jared,  June  19,  1774. 
Tabitha,  August  4,  1754. 
Russell,  January  26,  1762. 
Chloe,  September  30,    1764. 
Luther,  December  23,  1764. 
Eunice,  May  2,  1742.  s_ 
Mary,  September  9,  1744.  ' 
Roswell,  September  28,  1746. 
Elizabeth,  September  18,  1743.1 
Jerusha,  April  6,  1746. 
Martha,  January  8,  1749. 
Eunice,  December  8,  1750. 
Lucretia,  June  22,  1755. 
Lovina,  April  10,  1768. 
Roger,  June  11,  1775. 
Abner,  June  19,   1763. 
Oliver,  December  23,  1764. 
Mary,  September  12,  1766. 
Justus,  January  10,  1768. 
Samuel,  August  24,  1755. 
Joel,  July  21,   1765. 
Zechariah,  December  11,  1757. 
xibigail,  January  15,  1759. 
Levi,  July  6,  1760. 
Lois,  June  6,  1762. 
Mary,  June  23,  1765. 
Eunice,  August  31,  1766. 

September  1 1,  1768. 
Seth,  May  7,  1758. 
Abigail,  September  31,   1769. 
Ruth,  September  I,  1774. 
John,  September  4,    1743.. 
Eunice,  March  9,  1746. 
Francis,  October  25,  1747. 


300 


History  of  Torrington. 


Cook,  John, 


Cook,  John,  Jr., 

Cook,  Joseph, 

Cook,  Shubel, 
Cotton,  Oliver, 
Cowles,  Samuel, 


Cowles,  Samuel,  Jr., 
Culver,   Ephraim, 
Curtiss,  Job, 

Curtiss,  John, 


Curtiss,  Solomon, 
Curtiss,  Zebulon, 


Damon,  John, 

Deming,  Samuel, 
Dibble,   Thomas, 
Dowd,  David, 
Durwin,  Samuel, 
Drake,  Joseph, 


Eggleston,  Benjamin, 
Eggleston,   Edward, 

Everts,  Samuel, 
Filley,  Abraham, 


Filley,  William, 
Fowler,  Joseph, 
Fowler,   Noah, 
Frisbie,  James, 
Frisbie,  Theodore, 
Gaylord,  Justice, 

Gaylord,  Nehemiah, 

Gaylord,  Timothy, 
Giles,  Warren, 


"  Hubael,"  May  28,    1749. 

Sarah,   November   4,  1750. 

Edie,  December  3,  1752. 

Urijah,  October  20,    1754- 

Susy,  November  14,  1756. 

Hannah,  April  23,    1758. 

Elihu,  May  5,   1761. 

Mary,  March  17,  1765. 

Deborah,  June  3,  1770. 

John,  February  2,   1772. 

Esther,  July  13,  1757. 

Anna,  May  14,   1759. 

Lucinda,  July  24,  1774. 

Esther,  January  15,  1775. 

Abigail,  June  17,  1753. 

Lois,  May    i,  1757. 

Zilpha,  June  20,  1762. 

Noah,  October  21,  1759.  , 

Ephraim,  February  20,    I743.^ 

Zebulon,  April  29,  1770. 

Ura,  September  18,  177  i. 

Jeremiah,  July  26,   1770. 

Huldah,  March  8,  1772. 

Junia,  Februaiy  28,  1774. 

Lorrain,    September  24,  1775- 

Solomon,  December,  1762. 

Job,  July  7,  1745. 

John,  April  17.  1748. 

Lydia,  March  8,    1752. 

Elizabeth,  June  12,  1743.^/ 

Samuel,  July  15,  I744.t/'' 

Samuel,  December  6,  1767. 

Huldah,  June  i,  1755. 

Lent,  November  22,  1753- 

Asa,  June  i,    1760. 

Ersula,  May  10,  17  52. 

Elizabeth,  February  17,  1754. 

Sarah,  June  27,  1756. 

Joseph,  December  6,  1758. 

John,  September  26,  1770. 

Linda,  February  16,  1772. 

Esther,  July  4,  1762. 

James,  June  17,  1764. 

Ezekiel,  June  18,   1769. 

Philo,  June  16,  1771. 

Mindwell,  May  8,  1763. 

Samuel,  June  4,  1769. 

Isaac,  June  6,   1762. 

Jesse,  September  9,  1764. 

Levi,  March  31,  1767. 

Rhoda,  April  29,  1769. 

Remembrance,  August  11,  1754. 

Noah,  September  3,  1750. 

Warren,  July  29,  1775. 

James,  January  26,    1762. 

Luman,  January  26,  1762. 

Justice,    "I       .        ,  ^  /• 

-V      .    '     V  twms  August  24,  1760 
Jemima,  J  o  -r;     / 

Nehemiah,  December,  1754. 

Naomi,  May  3,  1757. 

Ruth,  November  4,  1753. 

Zebulon,  July  3,  1774. 


Lists  of  Names. 


301 


Gillet,  Jabez, 
Gillet,  Samuel, 
Goodwin,  Isaac, 
Grant,  Matthew, 

Grant,  William, 


Grant,  William  Jr., 


Griswold,  Shubael, 
Higley,  Isaac, 
Hills,  B-^riahj 


Hills,  John, 


Hills,  Medad, 
Hills,  Beth, 

Hoskins,  Joseph, 


Hosford,  Isaac, 

Hosford,  William, 
Ives,  Benjamin, 
Hough,  Ebenezer, 
Judd,  James, 
Judd,  Timothy, 


Judd,  Timothy  Jr., 


Judd,  Zehiel, 
Kelsey,  Nathan, 
Leach,  Richard, 


Lee,  E , 

Lemberton,  Obed, 
Loomis,    Aaron, 


Ann,  May  8,  1763. 
Samuel,  August  25,  17^4. 
Huldah,  September    18,  1774. 
Matthew,  February  26,  1764. 
Phebe,  February  2,  1766. 
William,  January  10,  1742. >' 
Daniel,  February  5,  I744-- 
jNIerana,  July  6,  1746. 
Ira,  October  20,  1765. 
Triphena,  July  3,  1768. 
William,  October  4,  1772. 
Ira,  August  5,  1774. 
Phebe,  June  i,  1755.  y 

Susannah,  January  3,  1741-2.  ^ 
Mary,  .March  20,  1748. 
Benoni,  December  24,  1749. 
Lois,  February  2,  1752. 
Chauncey,  February  17,    1754- 
Bela,  August  22,   1756. 
Roger  Eno,  March  4,  1759. 
Zimri,  April  23,  1763. 
Huldah,  August  9,  1767. 
lohn,    "I       .        -  ,, 

Esther,r^'"='J""'='^'   '766. 
Lauren,  August  21,  1768. 
Huit,  September  9,  1753- 
Elisha,  June  11,    1766. 
Elisha,  September  31,  1769. 
Rachel,  April  12,  1762. 
Theoda,  May  20,  1764. 
Theoda,  June  29,  1766. 
Roswell,  September  31,  1769. 
Alexander,  July  3,    1774. 
Mindwell,  September  4,    1748. 
Aaron,  January  13,  1752. 
William,  September  12,    1742. 
Levi,  August  26,  1754. 
Anna,  December  8,  1750. 
Rebecca,  March  22,  1752. 
Ozias,  July  7,   1754. 
Salmon,  April  11,  1756. 
Selah,  March  10,  1758. 
Oliver,  June  28,    1761. 
Orange,  August  21,  1763. 
Selah,  April  21,  1764. 
Thomas  Curtiss,  February  7,  1768. 
Asa,  September  30,  1770. 
Elnathan,  July  3,  1768. 
Lois,  April  28,  1771. 
Mindwell,  May  22,  1774. 
Lois,  February  12,  1769. 
Nathan,   JSIay  16,  1762. 
Nathaniel,  May  20,  1744.- 
Abigail,  January  26,  1746. 
Joshua,  "1        .         T  o 

Caleb       [f"""5'  J""«  '^'  '748. 

Tabitha,  October  6,  1751. 
Jonas,  October  4,  1752. 
Richard,  September  29,  1754. 
Mary,  April  12,  1747. 
Nathaniel,  Feb.  3,  1754. 
Lemuel,  May  20,  1744.  v 


302 


History  of  Torrington. 


Loomis,  Aaron, 

Loomis,  Aaron,  Jr., 
Loomis,  Abner, 


Loomis,  Abraham,  Jr 


Loomis,  Abram, 

Loomis,  Ebenezer, 
Loomis,  Epaphras, 


Loomis,  Ephraim, 
Loomis,  Eli, 


Loomis,  Gideon, 
Loomis,  Ichabod, 

Loomis,  Isachar, 

Loomis,  Joel, 

Loomis,  Moses, 

Lyman,  Ebenezer,  Jr., 


Lyman,  Caleb, 
Lyon,  Jonathan, 
Mather,  Charles, 

Matthews,  Benjamin, 
Marshall,  Amasa, 
Marshall,  Noah, 


Marshall,  Thos.,  Jr. 


Huldah,  March  6,  1748. 
Deborah,  January  13,  1752. 
Lucy,  April  25,  1756. 
Aaron,  February  6,  1746. 
Hannah,  December  14,1746. 
Abner,  December  4,  1757. 
Richard,  January  15,  1759. 
Sylvia,  Jauuary  27,  1760. 
Triphena,  November  13,  1763. 
Louisa,  August  30,  1772. 
,  Benoni,  March  5,  1758. 
Mary,  December  30,  1759. 
Abraham,  August  5,  1764. 
Naomi,  September  10,  1769. 
Alexander,  July  i,  1770. 
Ebenezer,  June  6,  1756. 
Remembrance,  March  4,  1759. 
Jerusha,  March  8,  1761. 
Lorrain,  June  15,  1764. 
Wait,  November  24,  1765. 
Ava,  July  19,  1767. 
Mary,  March  6,  1775. 
Ephraim,  August  27,  1758. 
Lemuel,  November  4,  1764. 
Dorothy,  February  i,  1 7 67. 
Eli,  May  27,  1770. 
Margaret,  May  16,  1773. 
Cyrus,  September  24,  1775. 
Russell,  June   2,  1754. 
Joanna,  April  22,  1756. 
Elijah,  November  18,  1753. 
Thaddeus,  March  i,  1767. 
Sybil,  July  I,  1770. 
Joseph,  January  18,  1767. 
Mary,  June  30,  1769. 
Ira,  September  16,  1770. 
Elizabeth,  September-,        1753- 
Hephziba,  March   26,  1758, 
Joel,  October  5,  1760. 
Sarah,  June  6,  1756. 
Jemima,  July  16,  1758. 
Moses,  October  5,  1760. 
Sybil,  May  27,  1742.x, 
Esther,  August  1 1,  1745. 
Caleb,  May  15,  1748. 
Ebenezer,  June  3,  1750. 
Rhoda,  July  21,  1754. 
Medad,  March  18,  1770. 
Susannah,  October  23,  1757. 
Charles,  June  18,  1758. 
Charles,  May  8,  1763. 
Anna,  August  28,  1765-7. 
Eunice,  July  12,    1761. 
Noah,  November   10,  1754. 
Ambrose,  June  6,  1756. 
Elias,  February  28,  1758. 
John,  June  17,  1759. 
Roswell,  August  16,  1761. 
Sarah,  July  19,  1767. 
Raphael,  July  28,  1765. 
Reuben,  Dec.  14,  1766. 
Harvey,  July  10,  1768. 


Lists  of  Names. 


3^3 


Marshall,  Thos.,  Jr., 


Miller,   Aaron, 
Miller,   Ebenezer, 

Miller,  George, 


Moore,  Simeon, 


Mott,  Adam, 


Mott,  Jonathan, 
Meet,  Lent, 


North,  Ashbel, 
North,  Ebenezer, 


North,  Eben.,  Jr., 
North,  Martin, 


North,  Noah, 
Norton,  Samuel, 


Orvis,  Eleazer, 
Osbon,  Timothy, 


Parmely,  Lieut., 
Pettibone,  Isaac, 
Pettibone,  Lieut., 
Phelps,  Benjamin, 


Preston,  Ebenezer, 
Preston,  Samuel, 

Phelps,  Joshua, 
Roberts,  ]np\ 


Sarah,  July  I,  1770. 

Levi,  April  26,  1772. 

Roswell,  Jan.  9,  1774. 

Thankful,  April  27,  1755. 

Jonathan,  January  26,  1762. 

Elizabeth),  August  11,  1765. 

Phebe,  January  15,  1757. 

Joel,  February  28,  1758. 

Asahel  December  38,  1760. 

Ruth,  June  26,  1763. 

David,  June  23,   1765. 

Joseph,  May  31,  1767. 

Sarah,  October  i,  1769. 

Chloe,  August  28,  1757. 

Philander,  June  15,  1759. 

Simeon,  April  12,  1761. 

Eldad  Barber,  October  30,  1763. 

Azubel,    1-/^1  r         ^r, 

,      .    ,'     ytwms,  October  16,  1768. 
Lucmda,  J  '  '     ' 

Elizabeth,  March  30,  1761. 

Ira,  May  20,  1754. 

Lodema,  June  18,  1769. 

Simeon,  December  23,  1753. 

Samuel,  Sept.  31,  1769. 

Josiah,  "  " 

Mary,  «  " 

Roxellana,  November  25,  1759. 

Phineas,  August,  1762. 

Lemuel,  December  20,  1767. 

Asahel,  May  23,  1743.  *■' 

Ebenezer,  June  9,  1746. 

Achsah,  October  2,  1748. 

Sarah,  December  3,  1752. 

Prudence,  April  29,  1770. 

Martin,  September  13,  1761. 

Abigail,  May  23,  1764. 

Lucinda,  August  2,  1767. 

Noah,  August  15,  1757. 

Remembrance,  June  7,  1763. 

Samuel,  July  12,  1747. 

Abijah,  March  26,  1749. 

Levi,  May  28,  1754. 

Samuel,  August  24,  1755. 

Justin,  October  16,  1768. 

Susannah,  July  15,  1770. 

Highly,   June  14,  1772. 

Seba,  June  19,  1775. 

Seth,  April  3,  1768. 

Roswell,  August  24,  1760. 

John,  August  12,  1750. 

Jerusha,  May  16,  1757. 

Joseph,  March  30,  1759. 

Isabel,  June  21,  1761. 

Jonathan,  June  19,  1763. 

Jemima,  May  5,  1765. 

Daniel,  November  i6,  1766. 

Benjamin,  June  18,  1769. 

Rebecca,  Sept.   18,  1774. 

Martha,  July  11,  1773. 

Salmon,    «•      "       " 

Hannah,  May  6,  1753. 

Judah,  September  28,  1763 


304 


History  of  Torringtcn. 


Roberts,  Joel, 

Roberts,  Nath.,  Rev., 
Roger,  Zephaniah, 
Richards,  Joel, 
Sheldon,  Remem., 
Smith,  Ebenezer, 


Strong,  Asahel, 


Strong,  Jacob, 


Taintor,  Joseph, 

Taylor,  Zebulon, 

Thompson,  Samuel, 
Thrall,   Aaron, 

Thrall,  Daniel, 
Thrall,  Friend, 
Thrall,  Joel, 


Thrall,  Joseph, 


Thrall,  Reuben, 

Thrall,  Samuel, 
Tuttle,  Isaiah, 

Tuttle,  Timothy, 
Tuttla,  Stephen, 
Wetmore,  Joel, 


Wetmore,  John, 


Wetmore,  Noah, 
Whiting,  Benjamin, 


Esther,  July  17,  1768. 
John  Loomis,  April  25,  1774. 
Margaret,  June  21,  1752.. 
Isaac,  March  5,  1 87 1. 
Chloe,  April  28,  1765. 
Russell,  Feb.  23,  1772. 
Ebenezer,  August  4,  1763. 
Hannah,  Sept.  8,  1765. 
Jesse,  January  11,  1767. 
Joseph,  July  24,  1774. 
Miles,  Oct.  29,  1775. 
Asahel,  April  22,  1750. 
Hannah,  December  12,  1758. 
Dorcas,  March  2,  1758. 
Chloe,  December  25,  1763. 
David,  June  5,  1768 
Mindwell,  August  i,  1742.^ 
Experience,  August  13,  1743.'' 
Abagail,  Feb.  2,  1746. 
Experience,  April  i,  1750. 
Elizabeth,  September  14.  1755. 
Mary,  July  15,  1757. 
Benoni  (adopted)  June  4,  1770. 
Joseph,  April  26,  1772. 
Mary,  December  12,  1773. 
Zebulon,  June  17,  1744.  v 
Zebulon,  July  10,  1748. 
Sarah,  September  10,  1749. 

Roger,  March  11,  1767. 

Sabra,  March  7,  1769. 

Olive,  June  6,  1773. 

Rachel,  November  6,  1743.- 

Martha,  August  21,  1767. 

Lois,  September  5,  1773. 

Augustus,  March  13,  1774. 

Aaron,  June  6,  1742.  >. 

Chloe,  April  7,  1745. 

Reuben,  March  29,  1747. 

Levi,  June  18,  1749. 

Friend,  July  19,  1752. 

Noah,  May  5,  1754. 

Margaret,  February,  1756. 

Pardon,  June  16,  1759. 

Daniel,  June  5,  1763. 

Nathan,  April  29,  1769. 

Amy,  April  5,  1772. 

Joseph,  May  I,  1 774. 

Alexander,  March  27,  1768. 

Erastus,  July  3,  I774' 

Caroline,  July  13,  1755. 

Uriah,  July  31,  1774. 

Louisa,  December  10,  1775. 
Timothy,  July  13,  1755. 

Stephen,  August  9,  1772. 

Olive,  March  10,  1765. 

Ebenezer  Lyman,  December  28,  176b 
Melicent,  January  19,  1772. 
Elizabeth,  October  15,  1758. 
.Seth,  March  30,  1761. 

Samuel,  March  20,  1764. 
Junia,  March  30,  1 761. 
William,  September  9,  1759. 


Lists  of  Names. 


305 


Whiting,  Benjamin, 
Whiting,  John, 


Whiting,  Sarah, 
Wilcrx,  Asahel, 


Wilcoxon, 


Wilson,  Abigail, 
Wilson,  Abijah, 
Wilson,  Amos, 


Wilson,  Asahel, 
Wilson,  Ann, 
Wilson,  John, 
Wilson,  Noah, 


Wilson,  Noah  Jr., 


Young,  John, 


Esther,  September  18,  1763. 
Benjamin,  February  33,  1766. 
Sarah,  December  8,  1750. 
Josiah,  August  i6,  1752. 
Mary,  July  14,  1754. 
Rebecca,  February  2,  1757. 
John,  July  30,  1758. 
Harvey,  November  2,   1760. 
Jesse,  February  6,  1763. 
Seth,  September  29^  1765. 
Giles,  January  20,  1771. 
Roger,  March  28,  1773. 
Phila,  July  2,  1769. 
Mary.  June  4,  1769. 
Abiathar,  May  13,  1 77 1. 
Asahel,  May  2,  1773. 
Asenath,  September  17,  1775. 
David,  July  13,  1755. 
Zenas,  May  7,  1768. 
Solomon,  November  i,  1772. 
William,  November  4,  1753. 
Ruth,  December  22,  1754. 
Royce,  August  8,  1758. 
Roswell,  October  8,  1758. 
Roswell,  May  19,  1765. 
Sarah,  April  10,  1763. 
Climenia,  July  28,  1771. 
Huldah,  October  2,  1768. 
Edie,  January  6,   1745. 
Abijah,  January   5,  1747. 
Abiel,  January  8,  1749. 
Ann,  November  3,  1751. 
William,  September  15,  1754. 
Charlotte,  October  7,  1Z64. 
Two  daughters,  January  11,  1767. 
Edie,  February    12,    1768. 
Triphena,  February,  19,  1769. 
Dilenda,  June  16,  1771. 
Mary,  June  5,    1774. 
Hannah,  December  15,  1771. 
Elizabeth,  August  29,  1773. 


List  of  Post  Masters  and  Date  of  Appointment. 


Nathaniel  Smith,  April  i,  181 3. 
Nathaniel  Smith,  February  4,    1826. 
Nathaniel  Smith,  May  29,  1837. 


Torringford. 

Rufus  W.  Gillett,  December  20,  1854. 
Harvey  P.  Hopkins,  Jan.  12,  1857. 
Stanley  Griswold,  May  18,  1874. 


Harvey  Palmer,  March  26,  18 14. 
Harvey  Palmer,  Dec.  30,  1818. 
Harvey  Palmer,  May  9,  1837. 
Albro  W.  Cowles,  July  13,  1841. 
Warren  Goodwin,  Jan.    27,  1848. 
Cornelius  A.  Winship,  May    11,  1850. 
William  H.  Coe,  April  14,    1855. 


Torrington. 

Dudley  Davis,  Feb.  23,  1857. 
Lucius  Leach,  Jan.  10,  1859. 
Henry  Barnes,  March  i,  1869. 
Casimer  H.  Bronson,  April  29,  1869. 
Martin  B.  Pratt,  July  22,  1872. 
^'Royal  E.  Hayes,  March  30,  1874. 
Abner  H.  Wadhams,  Sept.  18,  1876. 


39 


3o6 


History  of  Torrington. 


JVohottmlU 


Samuel  Bradley,  May  13,  1837.  Joseph  F.  Calhoun,  May  16,  1861. 

Orrin  B.  Freeman,  May  22,  1841.  Orsamus  R.  Fyler,  June  12,  1866. 

Russell  C.  Abernethy,  Jan.  8,  1845.  Orsamus  R.  Fyler,  March  2,  1867. 

Henry  B.  Richards,  July  5,  1851.  Orsamus  R.  Fyler,  Feb.  6,  1873. 

Russell  C.  Abernethy,  July  5,  1853.  Orsamus  R.  Fyler,  Feb.  3,  1877. 

Burr-ville. 

Nelson  Roberts,  July  27,  1849.  John  M.  Burr,  June  20,  1861. 


BIOGRAPHIES. 


Gen.  Russell  Catlin  Abernethy, 

Son  of  Doctor  William  Abernethy  of  Harwinton,  was  born  Feb.  9, 
1780.  In  the  record  which  he  made  of  his  own  family  on  the  town 
records,  he  says  he  was  from  Washington,  Ct.,  when  he  came  to 
Torrington.  He  had  been  clerk  in  a  store  in  New  Preston  village 
where  he  learned  his  trade  as  a  merchant.  He  married  Orrel, 
daughter  of  Elisha  Smith,  Esq.,  Sept.  17,  1803,  and  about  the  same 
time  started  a  store  near  the  Meeting  house,  at  Torrington  green  ; 
Mr.  Hodges's  store  being  at  that  time  on  the  hill  north  of  the  green. 
He  continued  this  store  until  about  1830,  when  he  gave  up  the  mer- 
cantile business,  removed  to  Wolcottville  and  engaged  in  manufac- 
turing enterprises,  and  interested  himself  more  than  previously  in  the 
general  interests  of  the  town.  In  removing  from  l^orrington,  he 
took  down  his  dwelling  house  which  stood  a  little  north  of  the  green, 
and  transported  it  to  the  village,  locating  it  where  it  still  remains, 
across  the  street  from  the  Congregational  church,  north,  and  which 
is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  J.  F.  Calhoun.  As  near  as 
can  be  ascertained  he  was  justice  of  the  peace  about  thirty -five  years, 
continuing  in  the  office  until  1850,  when  having  arrived  at  the  age 
of  seventy  years  he  was  thereby  disqualified  for  holding  the  office 
longer,  and  in  that  office  maintained  the  honor  of  a  faithful  admin- 
istrator of  law,  and  an  honorable,  upright  citizen.  He  was  town 
clerk  a  number  of  years,  the  competition  for  that  office  seeming  to 
be  between  him  and  John  Gillett  about  twenty  years,  each  being 
elected  several  years,  and  then  the  other,  the  change  being  made  a 
number  of  times,  but  finally  Mr.  Gillett  won  the  race  by  several 
years.  General  Abernethy  was  quite  a  military  man,  being  well 
qualified  for  such  position  by  his  personal  appearance  and  character, 
and  the  town  had  more  pride  in  him  in  this  character  than  any  other, 
though  he  was  highly  respected  in  all  others.  His  personal  appear- 
ance was  very  symmetrical  ;  being  of  good  height,  full  form  and 
erect.      His  manners  were  always  those  of  a  gentleman,  inherited  by 


3o8  History  of  Torrington. 

family  descent,  and  cultivated  always,  as  being  the  proper  bearing  of 
a  citizen,  and  especially  a  public  man  of  business,  but  in  consequence 
of  this  courteousness  of  manner,  he  was  judged  by  a  certain  class, 
to  be  seeking  for  public  iavor  at  the  expense  of  principle  and  sub- 
stantial character,  and  thereby  did  him  most  decided  injustice.  Such 
judgment  is  founded  upon  the  supposition  that  a  man  of  true  princi- 
ple and  honorable  character  must  have  the  manners  of  a  boor,  flout- 
ing his  personal  prejudices  and  ill  temper  against  everything  and 
everybody,  like  a  spoiled  child  who  was  never  taught  to  curb  its 
own  resentment  or  ill  feeling.  Not  so  with  the  well  bred  man,  who 
considers  that  the  community  has  some  demands  on  him  in  render- 
ing it  cheerful,  animating,  and  elevating,  and  therein  such  fulfill  the 
law  of  the  great  teacher,  to  live  for  others,  not  alone  for  themselves. 
The  general's  manner  was  the  same  at  home  as  elsewhere,  and  there- 
fore exhibited  the  real  spirit  and  character  of  the  man,  and  he  had 
his  reward  in  part,  although  he  did  not  do  it  for  the  reward  ;  for,  pro- 
bably, but  few  men  in  the  town  at  the  time  received  as  much  cordial 
good  feeling',  from  the  community  as  he,  and  at  the  present  time,  he 
is  spoken  of  with  special  admiration  by  nearly  every  one. 

In  military  service  he  rose  to  be  major  general  of  the  state  militia, 
and  as  such,  was  the  delight  of  the  community  and  the  county.  His 
soldierly  bearing  on  horseback,  his  prompt,  energetic,  and  elegant 
manners  as  a  commanding  officer,  were  pleasing  and  animating  to 
those  who  served  under  him,  and  to  the  multitude  who  assembled  on 
training  days  to  witness  the  parades. 

It  is  evident  from  these  facts  that  there  is  an  inherent  sense  in 
most  persons,  that  good  manners  are  not  only  agreeable  but  of  much 
importance,  and  when  cultivated  as  a  duty,  and  an  ennobling  princi- 
ple, carry  with  them  a  power  for  good  so  invaluable,  that  every  citi- 
zen should  seek  to  promote  them  by  all  possible  ability  and  cultivation. 
This  is  the  more  evident  as  the  oldest  people  take  great  pleasure  in 
speaking  of  those  persons  who  manifested  these  qualities  most  pro- 
minently in  their  lives.  Mrs.  Genera!  Sheldon  and  Ulysses  P'yler, 
of  the  olde:"  people,  are  spoken  of  in  this  respect  with  much  enthu- 
siasm. There  were  doubtless  many  others,  but  those  who  knew 
them  well  are  also  departed.  General  Abernethy  manifested  more 
specially  the  ideal  old  time  gentleman  more  fully,  probably,  than 
any  other  of  as  recent  a  date  as  he,  and  such  examples  give  some 
idea  of  what  many  of  the  pilgrim  fathers  were  in  regard  to  this  noble 
quality. 


Biographies.  309 

Rev.  Hiram  P.  Arms,  D.D., 

Was  born  at  Windsor,  Ct.,  June  i,  1779;  a  descendant  in  the  fifth 
generation  of  William  Arms  of  Deerfield,  Mass.  He  was  fitted  for 
college  under  John  Adams,  LL.D.,  at  Philips  academy,  Mass.,  and 
after  graduation  in  1823,  studied  theology  under  the  instruction  of 
Profs.  N.  W.  Taylor,  D.D.,  E.  T.  Fitch,  D.D.,  and  J.  W.  Gibbs, 
LL.D.,  and  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  at 
Hebron,  Ct.,  June  30,  1830  ;  dismissed  October  10,  1832,  to  ac- 
cept a  call  to  Wolcottville,  where  he  was  installed  February  6,  1833. 
Here  he  labored  with  ordinary  success  three  years  and  was  dismissed 
July  6,  1836,  to  accept  a  call  to  the  First  church  in  Norwich  Town, 
Ct.,  where  he  was  installed  August  3,  1836.  Here  he  has  continued 
to  labor  to  the  present  time,  receiving  frequent  and  unmistakable 
evidences  of  affection  and  respect  from  his  people. 

On  February  20,  1873,  being  then  seventy-three  years  of  age,  he 
resigned  the  active  duties  of  his  pastorate,  but  continued  to  reside 
among  his  people  as  pastor  emeritus.  During  his  active  pastorate  he 
received  to  membership  in  the  church  five  hundred  and  sixty-nine 
members. 

On  resting  from  the  active  duties  of  the  ministry,  his  people  gene- 
rously gave  him  a  life  annuity  amounting  to  near  twelve  hundred 
dollars,  which  was  invested  in  the  Continental  Life  Insurance  com- 
pany, on  the  failure  of  which  his  people  continue  generously  to  pro- 
vide for  his  wants. 

He  has  been  twice  married  ;  first  to  Lucy  Ann  Wadhams  of  New 
Haven,  September  12,  1824.  She  died  July  3,  1837.  His  second 
wife  was  Abby  Jane  Baker  of  New  York,  to  whom  he  was  married 
September  12,  1858,  who  is  still  living. 

Seven  children  are  living  ;  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  married, 
and  he  is  honored  in  counting  in  his  own  family  twenty  grand  child- 
ren. The  evening  of  his  life  he  is  passing  pleasantly,  in  a  quiet  home, 
among  a  kind  and  affectionate  people,  and  this  evening,  it  is  believed, 
is  but  the  prelude  to  the  morning  that  shall  be. 

Rev.  John  D.  Baldwin 
Was  born  in  North  Stonington  September  28,  1806;  studied  at  New 
Haven,  but  was  not  a  graduate  ;   studied  theology  at  New   Haven  ; 
was  licensed  by  the  New   Haven   West  association  in    1833;  was 


3IO  History  of  Torrington. 

ordained  pastor  at  West  Woodstock,  September  3,  1834,  and  dis- 
missed July  25,  1837  ,•  was  pastor  of  North  Branford  from  Jan.  17, 
1838  to  July  3,  1844.  He  preached  in  Torringford  at  intervals  in 
1845,  ^"^  received  a  call  to  settle,  February  28,  1846,  which  he  de- 
clined. He  was  pastor  at  East  Putnam  from  April  2g,  1846,  to 
September  17,  1849,  when  a  bronchial  difficulty  compelled  him  to 
retire  from  the  ministry. 

He  represented  Killingly  in  the  legislature  of  1849,  and  as  chair- 
man of  the  committee  on  education  introduced  the  measure  which 
established  the  Normal  school,  and  was  one  of  the  three  commis- 
sioners who  located  and  organized  it.  In  1849  ^^  became  owner 
and  editor  of  the  Hartford  Republican;  in  1851,  became  editor  of 
the  Boston  Commonwealth^  afterwards  the  Telegraphy  and  held  his  posi- 
tion until  the  summer  of  1857.  Early  in  1859,  ^^  purchased  the 
Worcester  Daily  and  Weekly  Spy^  which  he  owned  many  years.  He 
was  elected  to  congress  from  Massachusetts  in  November  1862; 
was  twice  rechosen,  serving  six  years,  and  then  declined  re-election  ; 
but  returned  to  Worcester  and  engaged  still  as  a  journalist.  Two 
funeral  sermons  delivered  by  him  have  been  printed.  He  furnished 
articles  for  the  Christian  Spectator^  and  the  North  American  Review. 
A  volume  of  his  productions,  entitled  Raymond  Hill  and  Other  Poems^ 
was  published  by  Ticknor  and  Fields.  His  work,  Pre-Historic 
Nations^  was  published  first  in  London  and  then  in  New  York. 

Dr.  Erastus  Bancroft, 
Son  of  Noadiah  and  Jerusha  (Loomis)  Bancroft,  was  born  Oct. 
27,  1782.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Elijah  Lyman,  and  as  a 
student  was  not  considered  peculiarly  forward  or  ready  in  acquiring 
the  knowledge  of  medicine,  but  made  ordinary  progress.  He  com- 
menced practice  in  Wolcottville  in  18 17,  and  very  readily  secured 
much  confidence  in  his  practice,  and  though  Dr.  Jarvis  followed 
Dr.  E.  Lyman,  in  18 18,  Dr.  Bancroft  secured  so  much  of  the 
patronage  of  the  town,  that  there  seemed  to  be  but  little  need  of 
others,  and  Dr.  Jarvis  removed  to  a  larger  field.  Dr.  Bancroft 
proved  himself  a  skillful  and  successful  physician  ;  especially  so  in 
the  treatment  of  fevers.  He  was  a  man  of  much  common  sense, 
relying,  not  upon  old  formulas,  because  thev  were  old  or  because 
they  were  written,  but  would  have  his  own  thinking  in  spite  of  pre- 
judices, whims,  religion  or  the  "devil."  He  was  the  personification 
of  neatness,  always  dressed  in  his  ruffled  bosom  shirt  and  other  things 


Biographies.  311 

to  match.  When  he  rode  in  his  carriage  he  sat  erect,  and  stylish, 
as  if  ready  for  any  emergency.  He  was  not  large  in  person  but  very 
energetic,  active,  and  of  quick  decision  and  application.  He  occupied 
a  small  building  as  his  office  on  the  south  side  of  the  bridge  on  Main 
street,  east  of  the  street,  near  the  river  ;  the  building  has  been  re- 
moved and  the  office  of  Mr.  Ladd's  livery  stable  occupies  the  site. 

Dr.  Bancroft's  good  sense  took  the  form  of  skepticism  as  to  the 
prejudices,  v^^himsand  notions  of  the  people,  and  he  used,  sometimes, 
to  indulge  himself  in  laughing  at  them,  when  among  his  most  trusted 
friends.  He  repeated  a  number  of  times,  a  mistake  he  made  when 
he  began  to  practice,  which  he  said  was  the  making  of  his  fame,  as 
a  physician,  among  the  people.  He  had  made  a  prescription  for  a 
patient,  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  and  supposed  the  case  of  no 
danger  and  but  little  importance.  In  the  night  he  was  sent  for  in 
great  haste,  and  he  obeyed  the  summons  without  delay.  He  found 
the  patient  in  a  very  critical  condition,  and  recognized  at  once  that 
it  was  the  medicine  he  had  given  through  mistake  and  not  the  disease. 
He  applied  his  skill  with  great  earnestness,  remaining  with  the  patient 
some  twelve  hours  and  succeeded  in  the  restoration.  This  was  re- 
ported as  a  wonderful  cure,  "  and  so  it  was,"  said  the  doctor,  "  damn 
it,  I  liked  to  have  killed  her." 

Another  case  he  had  attended  some  years,  sometimes  giving  a 
little  medicine,  but  generally  concluding  that  all  the  trouble  was  in 
the  want  of  energy  of  the  person.  This  he  had  tried  many  times  to 
stimulate,  and  to  prevail  upon  the  woman  to  go  at  the  work  of  the 
house,  and  thus  forget,  and  dispel  the  imaginings  of  her  own  mind, 
but  all  was  to  no  purpose.  On  being  called  again,  he  examined  the 
case  carefully,  saw  nothing  only  as  before,  and  suddenly  took  a  pail 
of  water  and  threw  the  whole  of  it  on  the  woman,  and  rapidly  left, 
it  being  dangerous  to  stay  longer.  The  woman  speedily  recovered 
her  health. 

The  doctor  was  gentlemanly,  considerate,  and  attentive,  yet  abrupt, 
peculiar,  queer,  and  sometimes  severe  to  the  extent  of  justice.  From 
him  the  cynics  and  fault  finders  sometimes,  received  their  just  due  ; 
he  frequently  putting  in  the  words,  "  devil"  or  '*  damn  it,"  spoken 
very  rapidly  and  as  if  unknown  to  himself,  but  sometimes  very  ap- 
propriately, if  ever  allowable. 

A  description  of  the  doctor  is  given  in  a  book  called  The  Shady 
Side^  under  the  name  of  Dr.  Gale,  which  some  of  the  doctor's  oldest 
acquaintances   say  is  a   good  representation  of  him.     The   scene   is 


312  History  of  Torrington. 

laid  at  the  minister's  house  where  there  was  real  illness,  and  where  a 
number  of  persons  are  represented  as  calling  to  give  their  advice  and 
"  set  matters  right." 

"  Dr.  Gale  entered  as  the  deacon's  wife  departed.  Finding  his  patient  in 
tears,  he  turned  abruptly  back  to  the  kitchen,  and  ordered  Polly  to  '  call  the  par- 
son.' A  rough  man  was  Dr.  Gale  ;  tempestuous  often,  yet  sensible.  Christ- 
ian principles  he  did  not  profess,  but  humane  feeling  he  seldom  lacked. 

'  Parson  Vernon  !  '  said  he,  '  I  give  it  up.'  You  may  get  your  wife  home 
to  her  father's  as  soon  as  possible,  if  you  mean  to  have  her  well.  /  can't  cure 
her^^r^.  Your  religious  folks  haven't  a  grain  ol  sense  to  spare.  A  pretty  fool 
I  make  of  myself,  to  come  here  and  order  sedatives,  and  rely  on  quiet,  when 
some  old  woman,  who  was  made  without  nerves,  will  bolt  in,  and  upset  it  all!  ' 
And  the  doctor  went  off  in  a  bluster. 

Mrs.  Nobles  had  stopped  to  report  her  interview  to  Mrs.  Elton,  and  the 
two  ladies  stood  a'j  the  gale  as  the  doctor  returned  with  quickened  step.  They 
stopped  him  to  ask  if  there  was  any  thing  more  alarming  at  the  parsonage.  He 
growled  a  '  no  need  of  any  thing  more,'  which  they  construed  into  vexation 
with  his  patient.  Whereupon,  they  proceeded  to  lament  that  ministers  should 
take  for  their  wives,  such  feeble,  inefHcient  women  ;  and,  especially  that  Millville 
should  be  so  unfortunate  in  this  respect. 

The  doctor  was  in  no  gentle  mood,  and  he  gave  them  a  blast  which  they  were 
sorry  to  have  provoked.  'Feeble  women!'  said  he;  '  feeble  women  !  What 
makes  'em  so  !  They've  a  right  to  be  feeble,  with  a  vengeance!  Wonder  any 
of  'em  live  ten  years  ;  pulled  about  hither  and  thither,  and  kept  on  short  al- 
lowance !  You  expect  her  to  do  half  enough  to  earn  her  husband's  salary,  with 
your  confounded  societies  !  It's  contrive,  and  cut,  and  stitch  ;  and  then  you  set 
her  to  praying,  and  talking,  and  reforming  ;  and  she  must  be  dragged  out  here 
and  there  ;  and  at  home,  there's  no  peace  for  the  calls  and  the  tea-drinkings, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  fault  findings.  Mrs.  Vernon,  now,  is  not  inclined  to  be 
sickly.  Good,  fresh  constitution,  but  she's  worn  and  low,  and  you  don't  give 
her  any  chance  to  get  up." 

*  But,'  interposed  Mrs.  Nobles,  'you'll  allow,  doctor,  that  Mrs.  Vernon  is  very 
nervous  ?  ' 

'Nervous,'  said  he,  contemptuously,  'I  wish  the  women  knew  what  they 
mean  by  that.  ' 

Mrs.  Elton   ventured,  '  if  she  had   more  hopefulness  and  courage,  doctor.' 

'  You  don't  know  her,'  said  the  doctor,  less  fiercely.  '  She's  none  of  your 
milk-and-water  ladies.  She  has  all  the  hope  and  courage  there  is  in  the  house  ;' 
and  he  turned  away.  Looking  back,  however,  with  a  sudden  thought ;  another 
explosive  burst  of  words  followed.  '  If  I'd  been  a  minister  {tio  dtitiger),  but 
if  I  had,  I'd  ha'  lived  a  bachelor  all  my  days,  before  I'd  ha'  married  a  wife 
for  the  parish.  *  " 

Mrs.  Eliza  Curtiss  Bassett, 
Daughter  of  Dea.  Job  and  Eunice  (Cowles)  Curtiss,  married    Rev, 
Archibald  Bassett,  who  was  born  in  Derby,    March   21,  1772  ;   was 
graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1796  ;   was  ordained  pastor  at  Winches- 
ter, May  20,  1801,  and  dismissed,  Aug.   27,   1806  ;  was  pastor    at 


Biographies.  313 

Walton,  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.,  from  1807  to  1810,  and  resided 
there  preaching  in  the  region  and  helping  his  brethren  in  revivals,  as 
opportunities  were  afforded,  and  died,  April  29,  1859, aged  ^7  yell's- 
She  died  Jan.  19,  1868. 

Owen  Brown, 
Son  of  Capt.  John  and  Hannah  (Owen)  Brown,  married  Ruth, 
daughter  of  Gideon  Mills  at  Simsbury,  Feb.  11,  1793.  He  was  a 
tanner,  and  settled  in  his  business  in  Norfolk,  Ct.,  and  removed 
to^^rrington  in  the  spring  of  1799,  and  purchased  and  settled  on 
the  place  now  known  as  the  John  Brown  place.  The  dwelling 
house  was  built  in  1776,  and  is  still  standing,  but  unoccupied.  It 
was  a  well  built  and  thoroughly  finished  house,  at  the  time,  being 
ceiled  with  pine  lumber,  the  beams  projecting  below  the  ceiling,  but 
planed  smooth  or  cased,  so  that  the  whole  interior  was  in  its  day  a 
very  comfortable,  and  good  class  of  dwelling. 

The  house  is  located  in  the  western  part  of  the  town,  three  miles 
from  Wolcottville,  on  a  road  very  little  traveled  ;  six  miles  from 
Litchfield,  and  ten  from  Winsted.  The  farm  is  not  of  an  average 
good  quality,  for  the  town,  is  pleasantly  located,  but  very  secluded 
from  j)ubric  travel.  The  special  reason  why  Mr.  Brown  bought  it, 
seems  to  have  been  thjit^as  a  farm  it  was  cheaper  than  many  others, 
and  had  on  it  a  brook  that  he  thought  would  answer  for  tanning  pur- 
poses. On  this  brook,  west  of  the  house  some  distance,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  east  and  west  road  he  built  his  tannery  and  shoe  shop,  all 
of^which  are  now  gone.  Here  he  worked  at  his  trade  six  years,  ac- 
quiring considerable  reputation,  and  sustaining  high  honor  as  a  tanner 
and  business  man. 

Owen   Brown   was  the  fifth    in  descent   from    the   pilgrim,    Peter 

Brown  who    came    to   America    in   the    Mayflower    in    1620,   and 

inherited  the  puritan  character  in  its  genuine  traits  and   purest  forms. 

He  was  a  man  of  keenness  of  perception  and  remarkable   wit  and 
good  humor.      His  brother  John,  was  deacon  of  the  church  in  New\ 
Hartford  many  years  and  was  highly  esteemed  in  his  office,  and  as  a    j 
Christian  man.     Judge  Frederick  Brown,  another  brother,  was  a  man  ^ 
of  the  same  noble  character,  clearness  of  intellect,  and  was  judge  of 
the  court  a  number  of  years  in  Hudson,  Ohio. 

Owen  Brown  possessed  great  firmness  of  religious  character  and 
yet  great  kindness  of  heart.  He  never  was  absent  from  church  as 
illustrated  in  a  remark  as  he  was  about  to  leave  the  town  he  made  to 

40 


314  History  of  Torrington. 

Deacon  Hinsdale  ;  "  We  have  met  fifty-two  times  a  year,  but  may 
not  meet  many  more,"  He  removed  to  Hudson,  Ohio,  in  1805,  and 
after  being  there  a  year  or  two  came  back  on  business,  and  spent  the 
night  at  William  Whiting's,  a  near  neighbor.  In  the  morning  when 
ready  to  leave  he  said  :  "  Neighbor^Whiting,  we  have  loved  each  other 
i,s  brothers  and  I  want  our  families  to  know  each  other  when  we  are 
cold."  They  shook  hands  and  parted  in  tears.  Mr.  Brown  was  a 
great  reader,  and  thinker,  and  he  often  entertained  the  young  men 
while  sitting  in  his  shoe  shop,  by  requesting  them  to  read  such  pieces 
as  he  selected,  and  by  giving  them  statements  of  what  he  had  read. 
While  making  shoes,  he  often  prevailed  with  Oliver  Bancroft  to  read, 
^  and  it  was  this  reading  in  Mr.  Brown's  shop  that  led  him  to  the  love 
of  literature,  and  to  become  a  printer  at  Hartford  where  he  spent  an 
honorable  life. 

Mr.  Brown  was  a  very  upright,  honest  man  as  to  business  transac- 
tions. This,  many  had  occasion  to  know  as  his  occupation  led  him 
to  dealings  with  many  persons,  both  near  home  and  at  a  distance. 

From  Torrington  he  removed  to  Hudson,  Ohio,  where  he  reared 
his  children  ;  among  them  he  that  was  to  be  the  hero  of  the  nation, 
1  Capt.  John  Brown,  of  Kansas  and  Harper's  Ferry  fame.  In  Hudson, 
\Owen  Brown  lived  the  same  noble,  useful,  and  honorable  life. 

In  reply  to  a  question  by  the  author  of  this  book  the  Rev.  Doctor 
Fairchild,  president  of  Oberlin  college,  wrote  as  follows  : 

r  "  Owen  Brown,  father  of  Capt.  John,  was  a  trustee  of  Oberlin  college  from 

T- •~K,j  1835    to    I  844,  and    then   resigned  in   consequence  of  his  growing  infirmities. 

^ — •,  He  was  much  esteemed  by   his  associate  members  for  his  practical  wisdom  and 

staunch    integrity.      He  was  a  man    of  few    words    because  a    painful   habit  of 

stammering  made  it  ahnost  impossible  for   him    to  speak,  but   every    word  was 

valued. 

His  residence  was  at    Hudson,  the  seat  of  Western  Reserve   college.     One 

of  his  daughters,  Florilla,  afterwards  wife  of  Rev.  S.  G.  Advie,  graduated  here, 

and  went   with   her  husband  to   Osawatomic,  Kansas,  in  the  days  of  the -first 

settlement  of  Kansas,  and    died  there  in  1865.      A  son  of  Owen  Brown  was 

/  also  a  student   here,   several   years.      John   Brown    himself,    once   performed  a 

Q.  I    service  tor  the  college  in  surveying  and  reporting  on  lands  given  to  the  college 

mP  I   in  Western  Virginia  by  Gerrit  Smith. 


(©msf 


iBlB.©' 


MEMOIR  OF  JOHN  BROWN. 

Though  there  have  been  so  many  men  of  this  name  in  all  parts  of 
the  world  which  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  inhabit,  it  will  readily  be 
known  which  one  of  them  merits  the  great  space  given  him  in  these 
pages.  We  tell  the  story  of  a  man  who  made  his  plain  name  known 
all  over  the  world,  and  who  will  be  remembered,  when  it  may  be 
that  Torrington  and  all  its  history  shall  be  forgotten,  save  the  single 
fact,  that  a  hero  was  born  there. 

John  Brown,  of  Kansas  and  Virginia  (born  at  Torrington,  May 
9^1800,  died  at    Charlestown,  West    Va.,  Dec.    2,  1859),  was   the 
grandson  and  namesake  of  Captain  John  Brown  of  West  Simsbury, 
a  revolutionary  officer,  who  died  in  the  army  of  Washington.      He 
was  also  the  sixth  in  descent  from   Peter  Brown  who  came  over  in 
the  Mayflower  in  1620.   Of  the  English  ancestors  of  this  Peter  Brown, 
little  is  known.      He  was  unmarried  when  he  landed  at  Plymouth  in 
January,  1621,  but  within  the  next  thirteen  years  he  was  twice  mar- 
ried, and  died  (in  1633)  leaving  four  children.      This  we  learn  from 
that     most  unquestionable  authority,   the   History  of  Plymouth   Plant 
atlon    left   behind    him    in     manuscript,  by   William    Bradford,   who 
succeeded   Carver  in    1621,  as  governor  of  the  colony,  and    died  in 
1657.      Writing  about  1650,  Bradford  savs  :   "  Peter  Brown  married 
twice.      By  his  first  wife  he  had  two  children,  who  are  living,  and 
both  of  them  married,  and   one  of  them  hath  two  children;   by  his 
second  wife  he  had  two  more.      He  died  about  sixteen  years  since." 
It  is  supposed  that  his  first  wife  was  named  Martha,  and  that   Mary 
and   Priscilla  Brown  were  her  daughters,  and  the  two  who  are  men- 
tioned by  Bradford  as  married  in  1650.      In  1644  they  were  placed 
in  the  care  of  their  uncle  John  Brown,  a  leading  citizen  of  Duxbury, 
where  also  Peter  Brown  settled  a  few  years  after  landing  at  Plymouth. 
John  Brown  did  not  come  over  with  his  brother,  but  a  few  years  later, 
and  out-lived  him  many  years.      Peter  Brown  died  in  1633,  and   his 
inventory  of  estate  was  presented  on  the  14th  of  October  that  year. 
He  settled  ^£15  on  his  two  daughters  by  the  first  marriage,  Mary  and 
Priscilla,  and  left  the  remainder,  no  very  large  sum,  to  his  widow  and 
her  children.     Of  these  Peter  Brown,  born  in  1632,  was  the  younger. 


This  cccount  of  John  Brown   has  been  prepared    by   F.   B.   Sanborn,  Esq.,   of  Concord 
Mass.,  expressely  for  this  work. 


3i6  History  of  Torrington. 

He  was  the  ancestor  of  John  Brown,  and  removed  from  Duxbury  to 
Windsor,  Conn.,  at  some  time  between  1650  and  1658,  where  he 
married  Mary  the  daughter  of  Jonathan  Gillett. 

Peter  Brown  the  Pilgrim,  is  said  to  have  been  a  carpenter,  but 
from  what  part  of  England  he  came  is  not  known.  His  home  in 
Duxbury  was  but  a  few  miles  from  Plymouth,  and  not  far  from  the 
hill  where  Miles  Standish  built  his  house,  and  where  the  Standish 
monument  is  now  seen.  Brown  was,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  soldiers 
of  Standish,  in  his  miniature  campaigns  against  the  Indians.  He  was 
probably  one  of  the  Separatists  (often  called  Brownists  from  another 
person  of  that  name)  who  lived  for  some  years  in  Holland  with 
Brewster,  Bradford  and  thegood  minister  of  Leyden,  John  Robinson, 
of  whose  life  and  character  Bradford  gives  such  graphic  sketches. 
The  picture  drawn  of  the  Leyden  pastor  might  serve  very  well  for 
Captain  Brown  himself,  as  we  knew  him  in  his  Kansas  and  Virginia 
expeditions,  when  he  had  his  small  band  of  chosen  men  about  him, 
and  was  their  pastor  as  well  as  their  commander.  Bradford  says  of 
John  Robinson — and  so  might  it  have  been  said  two  hundred  and 
forty  years  later  of  John  Brown  : 

His  love  was  greate  towards  them,  and  his  care  was  all  ways  bente  for  their 
best  good,  both  for  soule  and  body;  for  besides  his  singular  abilities,  in  divine 
things  (wherein  he  excelled),  he  was  also  very  able  to  give  directions  in  civil! 
affairs  and  to  foresee  dangers  and  inconveniences;  by  which  means  he  was 
verv  helpful  to  their  outward  estates,  and  so  was  every  way  as  a  common  father 
unto  them.  And  none  did  more  offend  him  than  those  that  were  close  and 
cleaving  to  themselves,  and  retired  from  the  commone  good  ;  as  also  such  as 
would  be  stiff  and  rigid  in  matters  of  outward  order,  and  invey  against  the 
evills  of  others,  and  yet  be  remiss  in  themselves,  and  not  so  careful  to  express  a 
vertuous  conversation. 

Peter  Brown  the  Pilgrim  never  lived  in  Salem,  as  has  sometimes 
been  said,  nor  any  where  in  New  England,  save  in  Plymouth,  and 
afterwards  in  Duxbury.  His  son  Peter,  who  emigrated  to  Wind- 
sor, Conn.,  lived  to  be  nearly  sixty  years  old,  and  died  at  Windsor, 
March  9,  1692,  leaving  an  estate  of  X409  to  be  divided  among  his 
thirteen  children.  Of  these  children,  John  Brown,  born  at  Windsor, 
Jan.  8,  1668,  married  Elizabeth  Loomis  in  1691,  and  had  eleven 
children.  Among  these  were  John  Brown  (born  in  1700  and  died  in 
1790),  who  was  the  father  and  the  survivor  of  the  revolutionary, 
captain,  John  Brown,  of  West  Simsbury.  He  lived  and  died  in 
Windsor,  married  Mary  Eggleston,  and  Captain  John  Brown,  just 
mentioned,  the  grandfather  of  our  hero,  was  his  oldest  son,  born  Nov. 


Biographies.  317 

4,  1728.  He  married  Hannah  Owen,  of  Welsh  descent,  in  1758. 
Her  father  was  Elijah  Owen  of  Windsor,  and  her  first  ancestor  in 
this  country  was  John  Owen,  a  Welshman  who  married  in  Windsor 
in  1650,  just  before  young  Peter  Brown  came  there  from  Duxbury. 
A  few  years  afterwards  an  Amsterdam  tailor,  Peter  Miles  or  Mills, 
came  over  to  Connecticut  from  Holland,  settled  in  Bloomfield,  near 
Windsor,  and  became  the  ancestor  of  John  Brown's  grandmother, 
Ruth  Mills,  of  West  Simsbury.  Thus  three  streams  of  nationality, 
English,  Welsh  and  Dutch,  united  in  New  England  to  form  the 
parentage  of  John  Brown. 

He  vyas  jhe  oldest  son  of  Owen  Brown,  who  was  one  of  the 
eleven  children  of  John  Brown,  the  revolutionary  captain  and  of 
Hannah  Owen  his  wife.  This  large  family  was  brought  up  in  severe 
poverty  by  the  mother,  who  lived  to  see  most  of  her  children  well 
established  in  life.  One  of  them  became  a  judge  in  Ohio,  another, 
John  Brown  of  New  Hartford,  was  a  man  much  esteemed  in  that 
town,  and  for  many  years  deacon  of  the  church  there.  One  of  the 
daughters  was  the  mother  of  Dr.  Humphrey,  for  some  years  president 
of  Amherst  college.  Owen  Brown  was  bred  to  the  trade  of  tanner 
and  shoemaker,  the  same  which  he  taught  his  son  John.  He  followed 
this  trade  while  living  in  Torrington,  which  was  his  home  for  only 
five  or  six  years.  He  was  born  and  bred  in  Simsbury  (what  is  now 
CantjDn),,_was  married  there  to  Ruth  Mills,  daughter  of  the  old 
minister.  Rev.  Gideon  Mills,  on  the  iith  of  February,  1793  ;  then 
removed  to  Norfolk,  where  his  oldest  child  was  born,  July  5,  1798, 
and  from  there  came  to  Torrington  one  year  later.  He  lived  in  the 
old  house,  still  standing,  "a  mile  northwest  of  the  meeting  house," 
which  is  represented  in  the  accompanying  picture.  In  this  house 
John  Brown  was  born,  at  the  date  already  mentioned,  and  there  his 
brothers  Solomon  and  Oliver  Owen  Brown  were  born,  in  1802  and 
1804.  In  1805  Owen  Brown  migrated,  with  his  children  and  others 
of  his  family,  to  the  Western  Reserve  of  Ohio,  and  settled  in  the 
town  of  Hudson,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  principal  settlers.  In 
that  wilderness  John  Brown  spent  his  childhood  and  youth,  though 
his  early  recollections  extended  also  to  his  home  in  Connecticut. 
This  will  appear  from  a  very  curious  paper  written  by  him  two 
years  before  his  death,  in  which  he  mentions  many  incidents 
of  his  childish  years.  Although  it  has  several  times  been  printed, 
it  is  due  to  the    reader,  who  may    never  have  seen  it,  that  a   paper 


3i8 


History  of  Torrington. 


so  valuable  in  itself,  and  so  characteristic  of  the  writer,  should  here 
be  reprinted.     It  first  appeared  in  Redpath's  Life  of  Brown,  published 


BIRTH    PLACE     OF    JOHN    BROWN,    TORRINGTON,     MAY    9,     I  80O. 

in  Boston  in  i860,  having  been  placed  in  Mr.  Redpath's  hands  by 
Mrs.  George  L,  Stearns  of  Medford,  Mass.  The  lad  to  whom  it  was 
addressed  was  then  about  twelve  years  old,  and  the  letter  was  evi- 
dently written  for  his  amusement  and  instruction,  with  no  thought 
that  it  would  ever  become  public.  As  first  printed,  and  as  here  re- 
produced, it  is  spelled,  punctuated,  and  italicized  exactly  as  Captain 
Brown  wrote  it.  If  it  thus  indicates,  what  was  probably  true,  that 
Brown  could  spell  no  better  than  Claverhouse,  and  was  as  regardless 
of  "  stops  and  marks "  as  any  old  Roman  stone-cutter  or  Greek 
scribe,  it  also  shows  what  a  piquant  and  forcible  style  he  used,  both 
in  speech  and  on  paper.  It  was  after  hearing  this  paper  read  that 
Miss  Osgood,  of  Medford,  remarked,  "  If  Captain  Brown  had  not 
been  called,  in  the  providence  of  God,  to  a  very  different  work,  what 
charming  stories  he  could  have  written  for  young  children  !"  The 
original  manuscript  fills  six  pages  of  closely  written  letter-paper, 
without  division  into  paragraphs.  It  was  written  during  the  summer 
when  Hugh  Forbes  was  drilling  a  small  company  of  his  men  for  the 
Virginia  campaign,  in  the  western  part  of  Iowa. 


Biographies.  319 

Fragment  of  an  Autobiography. 

Red  Rock,  Iowa,  11;/^  Ji^h'  '^57- 
Mr.  Henry  L.  Stearns 

My  Dear  Young  Friend 

I  have  not  forgotten  my  promise  to  write  vou  ;  but  my  constant  care,  & 
anxiety  have  obliged  me  to  put  it  off  a  long  time.  I  do  not  flatter  myself  that  I 
C(2n  write  anv  thing  that  uill  very  much  interest  you:  but  have  concluded  to 
send  you  a  short  story  of  a  certain  boy  of  my  acquaintance  :  &  for  convenience 
and  shortness  of  name,  I  will  call  him  John.  His  story  will  be  mainly  a  narra- 
tion of  follies  and  errors  ;  which  it  is  to  be  hoped  you  mnj  avoid ;  but  there  is 
one  thing  connected  with  it,  which  will  be  calculated  to  encourage  any  young 
person  to  persevering  effort:  &  that  is  the  degree  of  success  in  accompliihing  his 
objects  which  to  a  great  extent  marked  the  course  of  this  boy  throughout  my 
entire  acquaintance  with  him  ;  notwithstanding  his  moderate  capacity  ;  &  still 
more  moderate  acquirements. 

John  was  born  May  9th  1800,  at  Torrington,  Litchfield  Co,  Connecticut  ; 
of  poor  but  respectable  parents  :  a  decendant  on  the  side  of  his  father  of  one  of 
the  company  of  the  Mayflower  who  landed  at  Plymouth  1620.  His  mother 
was  decended  from  a  man  who  came  at  an  early  period  to  New  England  from  , 
Amsterdam,  in  Holland.  Both  his  Father's  &  his  Mother's  Fathers  served  in  \ 
the  war  of  the  revolution  :  His  Father's  Father  ;  died  in  a  barn  at  New  York 
while  in  the  service,  in  1776 

I  cannot  tell  you  of  any  thing  in  the  first  Four  years  of  John's  life  worth 
mentioning  save  that  at  that  early  age  he  was  tempted  by  Three  large  Brass 
Pins  belonging  to  a  girl  who  lived  in  the  family  &  stole  them.  In  this  he  was 
detected  by  his  Mother;  &  after  having  a  full  day  to  think  of  the  wrong:  re- 
ceived from  her  a  thorough  whipping.  When  he  was  Five  years  old  his  Father 
moved  to  Ohio  ;  then  a  wilderness  filled  with  wild  beasts,  &  Indians.  During 
the  long  journey  which  was  performed  in  part  or  mostly  with  an  ox  team  ;  he 
was  called  on  by  turns  to  assist  a  boy  Five  years  older  (who  had  been  adopted 
by  his  Father  &  Mother)  &  learned  to  think  he  could  accomplish  smart  things 
iajij'iiing_jthe_Covvs  ;  and  riding  the  horses.  Sometimes  he  met  with  Rattle 
Snakes  which  were  very  large  ;  &  which  some  of  the  company  generally  managed 
to  kill.  After  getting  to  Ohio  in  1805  he  was  for  some  time  rather  afraid  of 
the  Indians,  &  of  their  Rifles;  but  this  soon  wore  off:  &  he  used  to  hang 
about  them  quite  as  much  as  was  consistent  with  good  manners  ;-&  learned  a 
trifle  of  their  tdk.  His  Father  learned  to  dress  Deer  Skins,  &  at  6  years  old 
John  was  installed  a  young  Buck  Skin  —  He  was  perhaps  rather  observing  as 
he  ever  after  remembered  the  entire  process  of  Deer  Skin  dressing  ;  so  that  he  \ 
could  at  any  time  dress  his  own  leather  such  as  Squirel,  Raccoon,  Cat,  Wolf  \ 
or  Dog  Skins  ;  &  also  learned  to  make  Whip  Lashes  :  which  brought  him  some 
change  at  times  ;  &  was  of  considerable  service  in  many  ways. —  At  Six  years  / 
old  John  began  to  be  quite  a  rambler  in  the  wild  new  country  finding  birds  & 
Squirels,  &  sometimes  a  wild  Turkey's  nest.  But  about  this  period  he  was 
placed  in  the  school  of  adversity  :  which  my  young  friend  was  a  most  neces- 
sary part  of  his  early  training.  You  may  laugh  when  you  come  to  read  about 
it;  but  these  v/trz  sore  trials  to  John  :  whose  earthly  treasures  were  very /ezo 
&  small.  These  were  the  beginning  of  a  severe  but  mueh  needed  course  of 
discipline  which  he  afterwards  was  to  pass  through  ;   &  which  it  is  to  be  hoped 


320  History  of  Torrington. 

has  learned  him  before  this  time  that  the  Heavenly  Fatlier  sees  it  best  to  take 
all  the  little  things  out  of  his  hands  which  he  has  ever  placed  in  them.  When 
John  was  in  his  Sixth  year  a  poor  Indian  boy  gave  him  a  Yellow  Marble  the 
first  he  had  ever  seen.  This  he  thought  a  great  deal  of;  &  kept  it  a  good 
while  ;  but  at  last  he  lost  it  beyond  recovery.  //  took  years  to  heal  the  wound; 
Sc  I  think  he  cried  at  times  about  it.  About  Five  months  after  this  he  caught  a 
young  Squirrel  tearing  off  his  tail  in  doing  it  ;  &  getting  severely  bitten  at  the 
same  time  himself.  He  however  held  to  the  little  bob  tail  Squirrel ;  &  finally 
got  him  perfectly  tamed,  so  that  he  almost  idolized  his  pet.  This  too  he  lost ; 
by  its  wandering  away  ;  or  by  getting  killed  :  &  for  a  year  or  Two  John  was 
in  mourning;  and  looking  at  all  the  Squirrels  he  could  see  to  try  &  discover 
Bob  tail,  if  possible.  I  must  not  neglect  to  tell  you  of  a  very  bad  l£  foolish 
habbit  to  which  fohn  was  somewhat  addicted.  I  mean  telling  lies  :  generally 
to  screen  himself  from  blame  ;  or  from  punishment.  He  could  not  well  endure 
to  be  reproached  ;  &  I  now  think  had  he  been  ofteijer  encouraged  to  be  entirely 
frank  ;  by  makingfrnnkness  a  kind  of  atonement  for  some  of  his  faults  ;  he  would 
not  have  been  so  often  guilty  of  this  fault ;  nor  have  been  obliged  to  struggle  so 
long  in  after  life  with  so  mean  a  habit.  John  was  never  quarelsonie  ;  but  was 
excessively  fond  of  the  hardest  Iff  roughest  kind  of  plays  ;  &  could  never  get 
enough  [of]  them. 

Indeed  when  for  a  short  time  he  was  sometimes  sent  to  School  the  opportu- 
nity it  afforded  to  wrestle   &  Snow   ball  &  run  &  jump   &  knock  off  old  seedy 
i  wool  hats  ;  offered  to  him  almost  the  only  compensation  for  the  confinement, 
&  restraints  of  school.      I  need  not  tell  you  that  with  such  a  feeling  &  bur  litde 
chance  of  going  to  school  at  all :  he  did  not  become  much  of  a  schollar.      He 
would   always   choose   to  stay  at    home    &  work   hard    rather   than    be  sent  to 
^      school ;  &  during  the  warm  season  might  generally  be  seen   barefooted  tff  bare- 
^-^     headed:  with  Buck  skin  Breeches   suspended  often  with    one  leather   strap  over 
his  shoulder  but  sometimes  with  Two.      To  be  sent  off  through  the  wilderness 
alone  to  very  considerable  distances  was  particularly  his  delight  ;   &  in   this  he 
was  often  indulged  so  that  by  the  time  he  was  Twelve  years  old  he  was  sent  off 
more  than  a  Hundred  Miles  with  companies  of  cattle  ;   &  he  would  have  thought 
his  character  much  injured   had  he  been  obliged  to  be   helped  in  any  such  job. 
This  was  a  bovish  kind  of  feeling  but  characteristic  however. 

At  Eight  years  old  John  was  left  a  Motherless  boy  which  loss  was  complete 
&  permanent,  for  notwithstanding  his  Father  again  married  to  a  sensible,  inteli- 
gent,  &  on  many  accounts  a  very  estimable  woman  :  yet  he  never  addopted  her 
in  feeling:  but  continued  to  pine  after  his  own  Mother  for  years.  This  op- 
perated  very  unfavourably  uppon  him  ;  as  he  was  both  naturally  fond  of 
females  ;  &  withall  extremely  diffident;  &  deprived  him  of  a  suitable  connect- 
ing link  between  the  different  sexes;  the  want  of  which  might  under  some 
circumstances  have  proved  his  ruin. 

When  the  war  broke  out  with  England,  his  Father  soon  commenced  fur- 
nishing the  troops  with  beef  cattle,  the  collecting  &  driving  of  which  afforded 
him  some  opportunity  for  the  chase  (on  foot)  of  wild  steers  &  other  cattle 
through  the  woods.  During  this  war  he  had  some  chance  to  form  his  own 
boyish  judgment  of  men  tif  measures:  &  to  become  somewhat  familiarly  ac- 
quainted witji  some  who  have  figured  before  the  country  since  that  time.  The 
effect  of  what  he  saw  during  the  war  was  to  so  far  disgust  him  with  military 
affairs  that  he  would  neither  train,  or  drill ;  but  paid  fines;  &  got  along  like  a 
Quaker  untill  his  age  finally  has  cleared  him  of  Military  duty. 


Biographies  321 

During  the  war  with  England  a  circumstance  occurred  that  in  the  end  made 
him  a  most  determined  Abolitionist:  &  ]ed_  him  to  declare,  or  Szvear : 
_Es_e£njiljML^^nihJ^\3yGV\' .  He'was  staying  for  a  short  time  with  a  very  gen- 
tlemanly, landlord-once  a  United  States  Marshall  who  held  a  slave  boy  near  his 
own  age  very  active,  intelligent  and  good  feeling;  &  to  whom  John  was  under 
considerable  obligation  for  numerous  little  acts  of  kindness.  The  muster  made 
a  great  ^et_oX  John  :  brought  him  to  table  with  his  first  company  ;  &  friends; 
called  their  attention  to  every  little  smart  thing  he  s^id  or  did :  &  to  tlie^Jact  of 
his  being  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  home  with  a  company  of  cattle  alone  ; 
while  the  negro  boy  (who  was  fully  if  not  more  than  his  equal)  was  badly 
cfothed,  goorlyjed;  ^  lodged  in  cold  weather ;  IS  beaten  before  his  eyes  with 
Iron  Shovels  o^"  any  other  thing  that  came  first  to  Jiand.  This  brought  [ohn 
to  reflect  on  the  wretched  ;  hopeless  condition,  o^  Fatherless  &  Motherless 
sjave  children  :  for  such  children  have  neither  Fathers  nor  Mothers  to  protect, 
&  provide  for  them.  He  sometimes  would  raise  the  question  is  God  their  ,J 
Father  ? 

.-\t  the  age  of  Ten  vears  an  old  friend  induced  him  to  read  a  little  history  ; 
&  offered  him  the  free  use  of  a  good  library  ;  by  ;  which  he  acquired  some 
taste  for  reading :  which  formed  the  principle  part  ot  his  early  education:  & 
diverted  him  in  a  great  measure  from  bad  company.  He  by  this  means  grew 
to  be  very  fond  of  the  company,  &  conversaiion  of  old  Sc  intelligent  persons, 
He_ji€-vcr  attempted -to  dance  in  his  life  ;  nor  did  he._ev_en  learn  to  know  one ':-^C\ 
of  a  pack  o^  cards  from  another.  He  Jearned  nothing  of  Grammer;  nor  did  ^-^ 
he  get  at  school  so  much  knowledge  ot  common  Arithmetic  aj  the  Four  ground 
rules.  This  will  give  you  some  idea  of  the  first  Fifteen  years  of  his  life;  dur- 
JngAvhich  timeTieliecame  very  strong  &  large  of  his  age  &  ambitious  to  per- 
form the  full  labour  of  a  man  ;  at  almost  any  kind  of  hard  work.  Byxeading 
the  lives  of  great,  wise  &  good  men  their  sayings,  andvvriTings  ;  he  grew  to 
.  adislike^of  vain  &  U-\vo\ous  conversation  iS  persons  ;  &  was  often  gi  early  obliged 
by  the  kind  manner  in  which  older  &  more  inteligent  persons  treated  him  at 
their  houses:  &  in  conversation;  which  was  a  great  relief  on  account  of  his 
extreme  bashfulness.  r  ^'^^^-j-'*^ 

He  very  early  in  life  became  ambitious  to  excel  in  doing  anything  he  under- 
took to  perform.      This  kind  of  feeling  I  would    recommend  to  all   young  per- 
sons both  jnale  iS  fejnale :  as  it  will  certainly   tend   to  secure  admission   to   the     ^ 
company  of  the^pnore  inteligent  ;   &    bearer  Dortion  of  every   community.      By  [■^ 
_alLine.ans  endeavor  to  excel  in  some  lauaatle  pursuit.  ' — 

I  had  like  to  have  forgotten  to  tell  you  of  one  of  John's  misfortunes  which 
set  rather  hard  on  him  while  a  young  bov.  He  had  bv  some  means  perhaps 
by  git't  of  his  father  become  the  owner  of  a  little  Ewe  Lamb  which  did  finely 
tiJUl  was^about  Two  TJiirds  grown  ;  &  then  sickened  &  died.  This  brought 
another  protracted  mourning  season :  not  that  he  felt  the  pecuniary  loss  so  much 
for  that  was  never  his  disposition;  hut-so— strong  &  earnest  were  his-atach 
OaeiLtfr. 

John  had  been  taught  from   earliest  childhood   to  "fear  God  and    keep   his"\ 
commandments  ; ''   &  though  quite  skeptical  he  had   always   by  turns  felt   much 
sexious_dou.bLas_Lo  his  future  well  being  ;   &  aboutthis  time  became  to  some  ex-    I 
tejit  a  convert  to  Christianity  &  ever  after  a  firm   believer  in    the  divine  authen-\  /~\ 
ticity  of  the  Bible.      With  this  book   he  became  \'ery   familiar,  &    possessed  a   )  7^ 
most  unusual  memory  of  its  entire  contents. 

Now  some  of  the   things  I  ha\e   been   telling  of;   were  just  such  as  I  would 
41 


322  History  of  Torrington.  | 

recommend  to  you  :   &  I  w'^  like  to  know  that  you  had  selected  these  out  ;   &  i 

adopted  them  as  part  oi  your  own  plan  of  life  ;   &  I  wish  you  to  have  sof/ie  de-  \ 

finite  plan  Many  seem  Vi  have  none  ;  &  others  never  stick  to  any  that  they  r~\  j 
do  form.  This  was  not  the  case  with  John.  He  followed  up  wiih'  t'enaatj^j^J  ' 
whatever  he  set  about  so  long  as  it  answered  his  general  purpose  :  &  hence  he^  -^ 
rarely  failed  in  some  good  decree  to  effect  the  things  he  undertook.  This  was  ''^^ 
_5CL-much— the  case  that  he  habitually  expected  to  succeed  in  his  undertaki-ngsX 
With  this  feeling  should  be  coupled ;  the  consciousness  that  our  plans  are  right  \ 
in  themselves.  1 

During  the  period  I  have  named  John  had   acquired  a  kind  of  ownership  to  j 

certain  animals  of  some  little  value  but  as  he   had  come  to  understand  that    the 
title  of  7uinors  might  be  a  little  imperfect:   he  had  recourse  to   various  means  in  1 

C-\)    prder  to  secure  a  more  independent ;  &  perfect  right  of  property.      One  of  those 
^^     means  was  to  exchange  with  his  Father  for  something  of  far  less  value.      Another  | 

was  trading  with  others  persons  tor  something  his   Father  had  never  owned. 
Older  persons  have  some  times  found  difficulty  with  titles. 

F'rom  fifteen  to  Twenty  years  old,  he   spent  most  of   his  time   working  at  the 
Tanner  &  Currier's  trade  keeping   Bachelors   hall  ;   &  he  ofiiciating  as  Cook  ; 
&  for  most  of  the  time  as  forman  of  the  establishment  under  his  father.      Dur- 
ing this  period    he    found    much   trouble  with   some  of  the  bad  habits    I    have  j 
mentioned  &  with  some  that  I  have  not  told  you  off:   his  concience  urging  him 
forward  with  great  power  in  this  matter:  bi^t  his  close  attention  to  liusiness_s^ 
success  in  its  management ;   together  with  the  way  he  got  along  with  a  conipany          j 
of  men,  &  boys;  made  him  quite  a  favorite  with  the  serious  &  more  inteligent         ' 
portion  of  older  persons.      This  was  so  much  the  case  ;   &  secured   for  him  so  j 
many  little  notices  from  those  he  esteemed  ;   that  his  vanity  was  very  much  fed          ] 
by  it:   &  he  came  forward  to  manhood  quite  full  of  self-conceit  ;   &  sclf-confi-          j 
dent;   notwithstanding  his  f;<r//*^/^?^  bashfulness.      A  younger  brother  used  some-          I 
times  to  remind  him  of  this  :   &  to  repeat  to  him  this  expression  which  you  may" 
somewhere  find,  "^■^.King  against  whom  there  is  no  rising  up."     The  habit  so          j 
early  formed  of  being  obeyed  rendered   him  in   after  life  too  much   disposed  to          I 
speak  in  an  imperious  &  dictating  way.      From  Fifteen  years  &  lapward  he  felt          j 
a  good  deal  of  anxiety  to  learn  ;   but  could   only   read  &   studdy  a  llllle  ;__bDth          | 
for  want  of  time;   &    on  account  of  inflammation  of  the  eyes.      He  however  '< 
managed  by  the  help  of  books  to  make   himself  tolerably  well  acquainted   with          • 
common  arithmetic  ;   &  Surveying  ;  which  he  practiced  more  or  less  after  he          j 
was  Twenty  years  old.                                                  ^^■aX  ' 

At  a  little  past  Twenty  years  led  by  his  own  inclination  &  protnptcd  also  by  ' 

his  Father,  he  married  a  remarkably  plain  ;  but  neat  industrious  &   economical  j 

girl;   of  excellent  character  ;   earnest   piety;   &  good   practical   common  sense  ;  ■ 

about  one  year  younger  than   himself.     This  woman  by   her  mild,  frank,  &  ■ 

more  than  all  else:  by   her  very  consistent  conduct;  acquired   &   ever  while  ■ 

she  lived  maintained  a  most  powerful  ;  Sc  good  influence  over  him.      Her  plain 
but  kind  admonitions  generally  had  the  right  effect  ;  without  arousing  his  haughty  j 

obstinate  temper.     John  began  early  in  life  to  discover  a  great  liking  to  fine  ! 

(Cattle,  Horses,  Sheep,  &  Swine  ;   &  as  soon  as  circumstances  would  enable  him  \ 

he  began  to  be  a  practical  Shepherd:  it  bdng  a  calling  for  which  in  early  life  j 

he  had  a  kind  of  enthusiastic  longing:  wiih   the  idea  that  as  a  business  it  bid 
fair  to  afford  him  the  means  of  carrying  out  his  greatest  or  principle  object.      I 
have  now  given  you  a  kind  of  general  idea  of  the  early  life  of  this  boy  ;  &  if         i 
I  believed  it  would  be  worth  the  trouble  ;  or  afford  much  interest  to  any  good  ' 


Biographies.  323 

feeling  person :   I  might  be  tempted  to  tell  you  something  of  his  course  in  after 
life  ;  or  manhood.      I  do  not  say  that  I  will  do  It. 

You  will  discover  that  in  using  up  my  half  sheets  to  save  paper  •  I  have  writ- 
ten Two  pages,  so  that  one  does  not  follow  the  other  as  it  should.  I  have  no 
time  to  write  it  over;  h  but  for  unavoidable  hindrances  in  traveling  I  can 
hardly  say  when  I  should  have  written  what  I  have.  With  an  honest  desire 
for  your  best  good,  I  subscribe  myself.  Your  Friend 

J.  Brown. 

P.  S.  I  had  like  to  have  forgotten  to  acknowledge  your  contribution  in  aid 
of  the  cause  in  which  I  serve.      God  Allmighty  bless  you  ;  my  son.         J.  B. 

Upon  this  Autobiography  a  few  remarks  may  be  made.  It  was 
sent  to  the  son  of  his  friend,  the  late  Major  Stearns  of  Medford, 
Mass.,  who,  as  chairman  of  the  Massachusetts  Kansas  committee, 
had  become  acquainted  with  John  Brown  in  1857,  ^"*^  '^^*^  done 
much  to  promote  the  objects  he  then  had  at  heart.  When  it  was 
written,  though  Brown  was  then  engaged  in  preparations  for  his  at- 
tack on  slavery  in  Virginia,  nothing  was  known  of  that  scheme  by 
Major  Stearns  or  by  any  of  Brown's  A4assachusetts  friends.  The 
contributions  made  by  Harry  Stearns  and  by  others  "in  aid  of  the 
cause  in  which  I  serve,"  were  given  to  help  the  oppressed  pioneers 
of  Kansas  whom  Brown  was  then  defending.  But  k^  seems  by  this 
account  of  John  Brown's  childhood  and  youth,  that  his  hostility  to 
slavery  began  before  1815,  when  he  was  in  the  habit  of  driving  cattle 
long  distances  in  Ohio,  for  army  supplies,  during  the  war  with  Eng- 
land which  began  in  i8i2.  One  of  the  first  important  events  of 
that  war  was  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Hull  of  Massachusetts,  with  his 
whole  force,  to  the  British  near  Detroit  in  18 12.  Owen  Brown,  as 
a  beef  contractor,  was  with  Hull's  army  at  or  just  before  the  surrender, 
accompanied  by  his  son  John.  The  boy,  then  but  twelve  years  old, 
circulated  among  the  American  soldiers  and  officers  and  overheard 
many  of  the  conversations  in  camp  concerning  Gen.  Hull  and  his 
position.  He  saw  much  of  Gen.  Cass,  then  a  captain  under  Hull, 
and  it  is  to  him,  no  doubt,  that  allusion  is  made  as  one  of  those 
"  who  have  figured  before  the  country  since  that  time."  Long  after- 
ward (in  1857),  ^^  ^'^^^  "^^  ^^'^^  ^^  overheard  such  mutinous  con- 
versation from  Cass,  McArthur,  and  other  officers  as  would  have 
branded  them  as  mutineers,  if  he  could  have  reported  it  to  the  Wash- 
ington authorities,  and  he  had  an  ill  opinion  of  Cass  ever  after,  on 
account  of  this  incident.  He  believed  that  Gen.  Hull  was  forced 
into  the  false  position  which  led  to  his  surrender  by  the  ill  conduct 
of  his  subordinate  officers. 


324  History  of  Torrington. 

The  town  of  Hudson,  and  the  region  about  it  was  the  part  of  Ohio 
familiar  to  John  Brown's  boyhood,  and  the  nature  of  his  life  at  that 
time  is  well  described  in  the  preceding  pages.  He  thus  entered  early 
upon  that  long  course  of  special  training  for  his  future  warfare.  A 
most  important  part  of  this  discipline  was  his  outdoor  habit  of  life, 
and  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  all  that  passes  in  wood  and  field, 
by  day  and  night.  This  life  in  the  open  air,  to  which  he  was  bred 
from  infancy,  gave  him  a  hunter's  digestion  and  the  keen  senses  of 
an  Indian  warrior.  He  was  remarkably  clear  sighted  and  quick  of 
ear,  and  so  acute  of  smell,  that  he  could  perceive  the  frying  of  dough- 
nuts at  a  distance  of  five  miles,  as  he  once  told  me.  The  life  of  a 
shepherd  —  an  open  air  calling  —  was  one,  as  he  says,  "  for  which  in 
early  life  he  had  a  kind  of  enthusiastic  longing."  When  he  became 
a  shepherd  in  after  years  his  eye  was  so  discriminating  that  if  a  strange 
sheep  got  into  his  flock  of  two  or  three  thousand,  he  could  select 
the  intruder  without  difficulty.  The  surveyor's  art,  in  which  he 
became  expert,  was  another  calling  that  kept  him  constantly  in  the 
\  open  air.  "  As  happens  usually  to  men  of  romantic  character,"  said 
Emerson  in  1859,  ''''  ^'^  fortunes  were  romantic.  A  shepherd  and 
herdsman,  he  learned  the  manners  of  animals,  and  knew  the  secret 
signals  by  which  animals  communicate.  He  made  his  hard  bed  on 
the  mountains  with  them  ;  he  learned  to  drive  his  flock  through 
thickets  all  but  impassable.  If  he  kept  sheep,  it  was  with  a  royal 
mind."  Or  as  Emerson  had  written  in  earlier  years  of  another  char- 
acter, equally  romantic  : 

"  He  trode  the  unplinted  forest  floor,  whereon 
The  all-seeing  sun  for  ages  has  not  shone; 
Where  feeds  the  moose  and  walks  the  surly  bear, 
And  up  the  tall  mast  runs  the  woodpecker, 
Through  these  green  tents,  by  eldest  nature  dressed. 
He  roamed,  content  alike  with  man  and  beast. 
Where  darkness  found  him  he  lay  glad  at  night, 
There  the  red  morning  touched  him  with  its  light. 
The  timid  it  concerns  to  ask  their  way. 
And  fear  what  foe  in  caves  and  swamps  can  stray. 
To  make  no  step  until  the  event  is  known. 
And  ills  to  come  as  evils  past  bemoan, 
Not  so  the  wise ;   no  coward  watch  he  keeps, 
To  spy  what  danger  on  his  pathway  creeps, 
Go  where  he  will,  the  wise  man  is  at  home, 
His  hearth  the  earth,    his  hall  the  azure  dome  ; 
Where  his  clear  spirit  leads  him,  there's  his  road. 
By  God's  own  light  illumined  and  foreshowed." 


Biographies.  325 

John  Brown  early  learned  to  submit  himself  to  God's  guidance  in 
all  things.  He  experienced  religion  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and 
^Ttfiat  time  joined  the  Congregational  church  in  Hudson.  Not  long 
after  his  mind  turned  towards  the  ministry  as  a  profession  and  he 
began  to  study  with  that  in  view. 

Precisely  when  this  took  place  I  have  not  learned,  but  it  was  the 
occasion  of  his  first  return  to  Connecticut  after  his  emigration  with 
his  father  in  1805.  Whether  he  then  revisited  Torrington  is  un- 
certain, but  upon  making  the  long  journey  to  New  England,  perhaps 
in  company  with  his  father,  he  went  to  take  the  advive  of  a  parish 
minister  who  had  married  an  aunt  or  cousin  of  Owen  Brown,  Rev. 
Jeremiah  Hallock,  then  settled  at  Canton,  Ct.  By  hirr,  John  Brown 
was  advised  to  fit  for  college  at  the  school  pf  his  brother,  Rev.  Moses 
Hallock  in  Plainfield,  Mass.  The  school  was  at  that  time  famous 
for  graduating  ministers  and  missionaries,  and  the  poet  Bryant  had 
been  a  student  there  some  years  before.  Plainfield  is  the  next  town 
to  Cummington,  where  Bryant  was  born,  and  is  not  very  far  from 
Amherst  college,  where  John  Brown's  uncle.  Rev.  Dr.  Heman  1 
Humphrey,  was  soon  after  made  president.  No  doubt  the  lad's  hope' 
was  to  fit  himself  at  Plainfield  and  then  enter  Amherst  college  — 
working  his  way  by  his  own  effx)rts,  as  so  many  young  men  have 
since  done.  But  he  was  attacked  with  inflammation  of  the  eyes, 
which  soon  became  so  serious  that  he  was  forced  to  give  up  study, 
and  go  back  to  his  father's  tan-yard  m  Hudson,  from  which  he  had 
set  forth  for  college.  The  time  spent  by  him  at  the  Plainfield  school 
was  short,  and  there  are  few  reminiscences  of  him  at  that  period,  but 
something  may  be  cited.  In  December,  1859,  Heman  Hallock,  the 
youngest  son  of  Rev.  Moses  Hallock,  wrote  to  his  brother  Gerard 
Hallock,  then  editor  of  the  New  York  'Journal  of  Commerce^  as 
follows  : 

"  Your  youngest  brother  does  remember  John  Brown,  who  studied  at  our 
house.  How  long  he  lived  there,  or  at  what  period,  I  do  not  know.  I  think 
it  must  have  been  at  the  time  of  my  visits  to  Plainfield,  when  I  was  or  had 
been  at  Amherst  academy,'  perhaps  in  1819  or  1820  I  have  the  name  'John 
Brown'  on  my  list  of  father's  students.  It  is  said  that  he  was  a  relative  of 
Uncle  Jeremiah  Hallock's  wife,  and  that  Uncle  J.  directed  him  to  Plainfield. 
He  was  a  tall,  sedate,  dignified  voung  man,  from  twenty-two  to  twenty-five 
years  old.'-      lie  had  been  a  tanner,  and  relinquished  a  prosperous  business  for 


'  Afterwards  Amherst  college. 

=  This  shows  that   he  appeared   older  than  his  years,  for  he  was  really  only   nineteen  and 
perhaps  not  so  much. 


326  History  of  Torrington. 

the  purpose  of  intellectual  improvement.  He  brought  with  him  a  piece  of 
sole  leather  about  a  foot  square,  which  he  had  himself  tanned,  for  seven  years, 
to  re-sole  his  boots.  He  had  also  a  piece  of  sheep  skin  which  he  had  tanned 
and  of  which  he  cut  some  strips,  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  wide,  for  other 
students  to  pull  upon.  Father  took  one  string  and,  winding  it  around  his 
fingers,  said  with  a  triumphant  turn  of  the  eye  and  mouth,  '  I  shall  snap  it.' 
The  very  marked  yet  kind  immovableness  of  thf;  young  man's  face,  on  seeing 
father's  defeat,  father's  own  look,  and  the  position  of  people  and  things  in  the 
old  kitchen,  somehow  gave  me  a  fixed  recollection  of  this  litde  incident." 

John  Brown  set  the  whole  nation  a  similar  task  to  do  in  later 
years.  The  cord  that  fastened  the  fortunes  of  the  slave  to  the  destiny 
of  the  country  was  placed  by  him  in  the  hands  of  the  whole  people. 
Detendexs  of  slavery  and  of  th^  "  Union  as  it  was,"  tried  to  snap  it, 
but  they  failed,  and  the  "  marked  but  kind  immovableness"  of  John 
Brown's  face  looked  down  upon  their  failure,  while  his  soul  went 
marching  on.  The  anecdote  was  characteristic  of  the  man,  as  are 
most  of  the  stories  current  about  him. 

Soon  after  Brown's  return  to  Hudson  frorn  Massachusetts,  he 
married  his  first  wife,  Dianthe  Lusk,  who  is  mentioned,  though  not 
by  name,  in  the  autobiography.  The  marriage  took  place  June  21, 
1820,  and  was  terminated  in  August,  1832,  when  the  wife  died  in 
childbirth.  There  were  six  other  children  of  this  marriage,  the 
eldest  of  whom,  John  Brown,  Jr.,  was  born  July  25,  1821  ;  Jason 
Brown  was  born  January  19,  1823,  Owen  Brown,  November  4, 
1824,  Ruth  (now  Mrs.  Henry  Thompson),  February  18,  1829,  and 
Frederick  Brown,  December  21,  1830.  The  last  named  son  was 
killed  at  the  fight  of  Osawatomie  in  Kansas,  August  30,  1856.  The 
others,  who  were  all  in  Kansas  then  with  their  father,  are  still  living, 
and  Owen  is  the  last  survivor  of  the  company  which  invaded  Virginia 
in  October,  1859.  By  a  second  marriage  with  Mary  Anne  Day, 
of  Meadville,  Penn.,  in  1833,  John  Brown  became  the  father  of 
thirteen  children,  seven  of  whom  died  in  childhood,  two  were  slain 
,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  foTir  survive.  These  are  Salmon  Brown, 
born  October  2,  1836;  Anne,  born  September  23,  1843;  Sarah 
born  September  11,  1846;  and  Ellen,  born  September  25,  1854. 
In  all,  therefore,  John  Brown  was  the  father  of  twenty  children,  of 
Xwhom  ten  grew  to  manhood,  and  eight  are  still  living. 

Having  begun  thus  early  to  "give  hostages  of  fortune,"  as  Lord 
Bacon  says,  John  Brown  devoted  himself  with  diligence  to  his  occu- 
pation, for  the  support  of  his  young  family.  He  was  a  tanner  and 
f\    \land-surveyor  at  Hudson   until  1826,  when  he  removed  to  Richmond, 


Biographies.  327 

near  Meadville,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  there  carried  on  the  same  voca-   \_ 
tions.      He  remained  there  until    1835,  then   removed  to  Franklin 
Mills,  Portage  county,  Ohio,  and  there  mingled   speculation  in  land 
with  his  tanning.      He  lest  heavily^in  the  panic  of  1837,  and  in  1839 
he  seems  to  have  given  up  tanning,  and  entered  upon  a  new  pursuit, 
that  of  wool-growing  and  wool-dealing.      In  that  year  he  drove  a  herd  lL.  \ 
^cattle  from  Ohio  to  Connecticut  and  returned  in  July,  1839,  with     -    ' 
a  few  sheep,  the  nucleus  of  his  great  flock.      In  1840  he  returned  to 
Hudson,  where  his  father,  Owen  Brown,  senior,  still  lived,  and  there 
engaged  largely  in  sheep-raising.      His  partner  at  first  was  Captain. 
Oviatt  of  Richfield,  a   neighboring   town,  and    in  1842,  Brown   re- 
moyed_to^Ri ch field,  4vii ere   he  lived   for  two   years,  and    where    his"; 
daughter  Anne  (who  was  with  him  just  before  the  attack  on  Harper's 
Ferry)  was  born.      Here,  too,  hejost  four  children  in  less  than  three , 
weeks — Sarah  aged  nine  j  Charles,  almost  six  ;  Peter,  not  quite  three 
and  Aus^iiTjayear  old.      Three  of  these  were  carried  out  of  his  house 
at   one  funeral,  and    were  buried    in   the   same  grave,  in    September, 
1843.      The  next  year  he  left  this  fatal  spot,  and  settled  in  Akron, 
not  far  off;  whence  he  removed,  in  1846  to  Springfield,  in  Massa- 
chusetts.    It  was  while  tending  his  flocks  in  Ohio,  with  his  sons  and      ^ — ^ 
daughters  about  him,  that  he  first  communicated  to  them  his  purpose  ^   V 
of  attacking  slavery  by  force.      From  that  time  forward,  a  period  of  j     «^~^ 
tw^ntjTyeafs,  he  devoted  himself,  not  exclusively  but  mainly,  to  that/^ 
iindertaking,  in  which  he  sacrificed  his  life.      At  this  point,  therefore,     '^ 
it  will  be  well  to  pause  a  moment  and  see  what  manner  of  man  John/     -v^^. 
Brown  had  shown  himself  to  be  in  the  ordinary  affairs  ofjife.  ^^^ 

He  was  industrious  in  whatever  he  undertook,  upright  and  scru- 
pulous in  his  business  transactions,  but  with  a  touch  of  eccentricity, 
which   showed  itself  particularly,  his  friends  thought,  in  his  deeds  of 
""charity.     While   living  in    Pennsylvania  he   declined  to   do   military, 
duty,  and  paid  his  fine  rather^han  encourage  war  by  learning  the  art,  ; 
resolving,  as  Thoreau  said  in  1859,  "■  thaLhe  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  any  war  unless  it  were  a  war  for  liberty."      He  caused  the 
arrest  of  an  offender  of  Pennsylvania,  who  had  done  him  no  injury, 
but  was,  as  Brown  thought,  a  plague  to  the  community,  and  while 
he  was  in  prison.  Brown  supplied  his  wants,  and  supported  his  family 
until  the  trial,   out   of  his   own    scanty   earnings.      One   of  the  ap- 
prentices in  his  tan  yard  at  that  time,  bears  testimony  to  the  singular 
probity  of  his  life.      He  refused  to  selLhis  leatjier  until  jhe  last ilropX 
of  jnpisture  had  been  dried  out  of  it,  saying  that  he  "  did  not  mean    ) 


72S  History  of  Torrington. 

/I 

to  sell  his  customers  water  by  the  pound,  and  reap  an  unjust  gain." 
''  I  have  known  him  from  boyhood  through  manhood,"  said  Mr. 
Qviatt  of  Richfield,  '^  and,  he  has  always  been  distinguished  for  his 
truthfulness  and  integrity  ;  he  has  ever  been  esteemed  a  very  con- 

,jScientious  man."  Another  Ohio  acquaintance,  who  first  knew  him 
in  1835,  says,  "  Soon  after  my  removal  to  Akron,  he  became  a  client 
of  mine,  subsequently  a  resident  of  the  township  in  which  the  town 
ot  Akron  is  situated,  and  during  a  portion  of  the  time,  a  member  of 
a  Bible  class  taught  by  me.  I  always  regarded  him  as  a  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  mental  capacity,  of  very  ardent  and  excitable  tem2pTZ- 
ment,  of  unblemished  moral  character  ;  a  kind  neighbor,  a  good 
Christian,  deeply  imbued  with  religious  feelings  and  sympathies.  In_ 
a  business  point  of  view,  his  temperament  led  him  into  pecuniary 
difficulties,  but  I  never  knew  his  integrity  questioned  by  any  person 

'  whatsoever."      He  brought  up  his  children  to  read  the  Bible  daily,  and 
it  was  the  book  of  all  others  with  which  he  was  most  familiar.     "  He 

;had  such  a  perfect  knowledge  of  it,"  says  his  daughter  Ruth,  "  that 

'when  any  person  was  reading  it,  he  would  correct  the  least  mistake. 
When  he  would  come  home  at  night,  tired  out  with  labor,  he  would, 
before  going  to  bed,  ask  some  of  the  family  to  read  chapters  (as  was 
his  usual  course,  night  and  morning),  and  would  almost  always  sav, 
'  Read  one  of  David's  Psalms.'"  He  was  a  singer  himself,  and 
taught  his  children  to  sing  psalms  and  hymns.  Among  those  sung 
most  frequently  about  his  fireside  altar  were,  "  Blow  ye  the  trumpet 
blow,"  *■'  I'll  praise  my  Maker  with  my  breath,"  "•  With  songs  and 
honors  sounding  loud,"  and  "Ah,  lovely  appearance  of  death."  Bun- 
yan's  Pilgrim  and  Baxter's  Saint's  Rest  were  constantly  read  in  his 
family,  but  the  Bible  took  precedence  of  every  thing.  In  his  will 
he  bequeathed  a  Bible  to  each  of  his  children,  and  grandchildren,  and 
wrote  to  his  family  a  few  days  before  his  execution,  ''  I  beseech 
you  every  one  to  make  the  Bible  your  daily  and  nightly  study. 

ijuch  was  the  man,  of  the  best  New  England  blood,  of  the  stock 
of  the  Plymouth  Pilgrims,  and  bred  up  like  them  "  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord,"  who  was  selected  by  God, -and  knew  him- 
self to  be  so  chosen,  to  overthrow  the  bulwark  of  oppression  in  Ame- 
rica. His  prayers  and  meditations  from  childhood  had  been  leading 
him  towards  this  consecration  of  himself  to  a  great  work,  and  from 
the  year  '839  till  his  death  he  had  no  dearer  purpose  in  life  than  to 
fulfil  this  mission.  He  seems  to  have  formed  a  definite  plan  of  attacking 
slavery  in  one  of  its  strongholds,  by  force,  as  early  as  1838^  bjjt  his 


Biographies.    'TH  3'^9 

purpose  was   modified    in   detail   afterward,/ and,   no  doubt,  changed  i 

from  time  to  time,  as  the  circumstances  of  the  country  changed.     It 

is  quite  probable   that,  in   early  life,  John  Brown,   like  many  other 

Americans,  anticipated    an  uprising  of  the  slaves  themselves  in  large  \ 

numbers,  such  as  had  taken  place  in  St.  Domingo,  during  the  French  i 

Revolution.     Mr.  Elizur  Wright,''of  Boston  (already  mentioned  as  a  1 

schoolmate  of  John  Brown  at  Tallmadge  in  Ohio),  informs  me -that  ; 

old  Squire  Hudson,  for  whom  the  town  so  called  in  Ohio  was  named,  1 

and  who  was  the  leading  man  in  that  section  where  Brown  spent  his  i 

boyhood,  was   not    only  an   abolitionist   fifty  years  ago,  but    that    he  : 

favored  forcible  resistance  by  the  slaves.      Mr.  Wright  says  that  he  s 

met  Squire  Hudson,  one  day  in    September,  1831,  coming  from    his  ^ 

post-office,  and   reading  a    newspaper  which   he    had  just   received,  ; 

and  which  seemed  to  excite   hitii  very  much  as   he  read  it.      As  Mr.  j 

Wright  came  within  hearing,  the^old  Connecticut  Calvinist  was  ex-  ' 

claimmg^'  Thank  God  for  that  !   I  am  glad  of  it.     Thank  God  they 

have  risen  at   Fast  !"      Inquiring  what  the  news  was.    Squire  Hudson  ; 

replied,  "  Why  the  slaves  have  men  down  in  Virginia,  and  are  fightingjjCLVO^-v-'-'  .  : 

for  their  freedom  as  we  did  for  ours.      I  pray  God  they  may  get  it."^     '^"   ^~-^^  i 

Thisjwasjh^J^Tious  '•'■  Southampton  tnassacre  "  of  Ajjgust  23,  1831, 

in  which  Nat  Turner,  with  six  fellow  slaves,  raised  a  revolt  in  South-  \ 

ampton  county,  on  the  edge  of  the   Dismal  Swamp  in  Virginia,  and  i 

had  killed  more  than  fifty  whites,  without  the  loss  of  a  single  follower,  j 

when  his  band  was  dispersed  on  the  25th  of  August.      Turner  him-  / 

self  escaped   arrest  for  eight  weeks   longer,   but  was  finally  captured  . 

October  30,  1831,  tried    November   5,  and    hanged    November    II,  ' 

almost   exactly  twenty-eight   years    before  John  Brown's   execution, 

December  2,  1859.      If  the  Ohio  neighbors  of  John  Brown  in  183 1  '■ 

thanked  God  for  Nat  Turner's  revolt,  no  wonder  that  he  too  should  - 

have    expected-  and  favored  an  armed  insurrection.      What  he  did  ' 

.  .      .  .  1 

actually  engage  in,  after  meditating  upon  his  plans  for  so  many  years,  j 

was  something   very    different,  namely,  a   partisan   warfare,   led  and    .  ' 

controlied  -  by  white  men,  with    the   purpose  and    hope  of  abolishing/ 

slavery,  stat_ej)y  state,  without  th_e_hprrors  of  massacre  and  insurrec-  •  \ 

tion  which  attended  the  uprising  of  Turner  in  Virginia,  and,Qf  the  Hay-  ; 

tian  negroes  in  1791,  and  which  would  have  followed  the  remarkable 

plot  of  Denmark  Vesey  in  South  Carolina   in  1822  had  that  well-laid  I 

scheme  not  been  frustrated  by  its  discovery,  before  the  time  fixed  for 

the  outbreak.      It  was  the   peculiarity  of  John    Brown's   final   plan,\ 

that  he  concealed   its  purpose  for  years,  and  until  the  moment  of  its 

42 


\ 


330  History  of  Torrington. 

execution  ;  that  he  had  so  carefully  thought  out  its  details  as  probably 
to  insure  its  success,  had  he  not  been  providentially  led  to  strike 
the  first  blow  in  a  place  where  complete  success  was  impossible; 
and  that  its  execution  would  have  been  found  as  free  from  the 
traditional  horrors  of  slave  insurrections  as  the  best  antecedent  ar- 
rangements could  make  it.  In  fact,  it  was  not  an  insurrection  in 
any  sense  of  the  word,  but  an  invasion  or  foray,  similar  in  its  charac- 
ter to  that  which  Garibaldi  was  to  make  six  months  later  in  Sicily 
for  the  overthrow  of  the  infamous  Bourbon  tyranny  there.  The 
Italian  hero  succeeded,  and  became  dictator  of  the  island  he  had  con- 
quered ;  the  American  hero  failed  for  the  moment,  and  was  put  to 
death.  But  his  soul  went  marching  on,  and  millions  of  his  country- 
men followed  in  his  footsteps  two  years  later,  to  complete  the  cam- 
paign in  which  Brown  had  led  the  forlorn  hope.  As  usual,  the  forlorn 
hope  was  sacrificed,  but  by ^thek- death  the  final  victory  was  won. 

In  1838,  when  Brown  formed  his  plans  for  attacking  American 
slavery,  and  even  in  1858,  when  he  had  organized  an  armed  force 
to  carry  them  out,  his  scheme  would  have  seemed  mere  madness  to 
most  persons.  But  Brown  had  the  spirit  of  his  ancestors,  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers,  and  entered  upon  his  perilous  undertaking  with  deliberate 
resolution,  after  considering  what  was  to  be  said  for  and  against  it, 
as  did  the  Pilgrims  before  they  set  forth  from  Holland  to  colonize 
New  England.  Governor  Bradford,  one  of  their  bravest  leaders 
and  their  historian,  has  recorded  the  arguments  for  attempting  the 
voyage  to  America,  in  words  which  will  apply,  with  very  little  change, 
either  in  spelling  or  of  spirit,  to  the  adventure  undertaken  two  cen- 
turies and  a  half  later,  by  Peter  Brown's  stalwart  descendant,  "  the 
last  of  the  Puritans." 

"  It  was  answered,''  says  Bradford  in  his  History  "  that  all  great  and  honour- 
able actions  are  accompanied  with  great  difficulties,  and  must  be  both  enterprised 
and  overcome  with  answerable  courages.  It  was  granted  the  dangers  were 
great,  but  not  desperate  ;  the  difficulties  were  many,  but  not  invincible.  For 
though  there  were  manie  of  them  likely,  yet  thev  were  not  certain  ;  it  might 
be  sundrie  of  the  things  feared  might  never  befall  ;  others,  by  provident  care 
and  the  use  of  good  means  might  in  a  great  measure  be  prevented  ;  and  all  of 
them,  through  the  help  of  God,  by  fortitude  and  patience  might  either  be  borne 
or  overcome.  True  it  was  that  such  attempts  were  not  to  be  made  and  under- 
taken without  good  ground  and  reason;  not  rashly  or  lightly  as  many  have  done 
for  curiosity  or  hope  ot  gaine,  etc.  But  their  condition  was  not  ordinarie;  their 
ends  were  good  and  honourable  ;  their  calling  lawful!  and  urgente  ;  and  there- 
fore they  might  expecte  the  blessing  of  God  in  their  proceeding.      Yea,  though 


Biographies.  331 

they  should  loose  their  lives  in  this  action,  yet  might  they  have  comforte  in  the 
same,  and  endeavors  would  be  honourable." 

The  world   now   sees   how    "honorable"    the   "endeavors"    of 
Bradford   and   of  John   Brown   were,  and  what   momentous  conse- 
quences have  followed.      For  events  in  history,  as  all  who  read  history 
know,  have  their   importance  measured   by  final  results,  rather  than 
by  their  apparent   magnitude  at   the   moment.     The  passage  of  the 
Rubicon  by  Caesar  (about  which    Lucan    makes   so   much   ado,  and 
Plutarch   tells   one   of  his  striking   anecdotes),  would    have    had  no 
significance  but  for  the  victories   that  followed  it  and  placed  the  ad- 
venturous general  at  the   head  of  the   Roman    empire.      And  again, 
the  assassination  of  Caesar,  startling  and  dramatic  as  it  was,  had  ac- 
tually no  historical  result,  and  only  serves  to  mark  the  date  of  transi- 
tion in  Rome  from  one  form  of  government  to  another.     The  short 
campaign  of  John  Brown  in  Virginia  not  only  possesses  the  dramatic 
interest  that  belongs  to  a  striking  event,  but  will  always  be  worthy  of 
note  as  the  beginning  of  that  forcible  attack  upon  a  form  of  slavery  and^ 
a  political  power  which  within  twoyears  afterward  convulsed  the  whole 
world  with  its  consequences.      It  was  the  first  decisive  act  of  an  in- 
evitable tragedy,   and  such    were   its  romantic   features   that,   in  the 
lapse  of  time,  it   will  no   doubt  be  gravely    expounded   as  a  myth  to 
those  who  shall  read  American  history  some  centuries  hence.   There 
seems  to  be  no   reason  why   John    Brown,  any   more   than  William 
Tell,  should  escape  this  skeptical  and  generalizing  spirit,  which  trans- 
forms  history  and  even  biography   into  a  record  of  natural   science. 
"  King  Arthur,"   says  a   recent  Welch    writer  v/ho    resolves  history 
into  astronomy,  "is  the  Great  Bear,  and   perhaps  this    constellation, 
being  so  near  the   pole,  and  visibly   describing  its   circle   in  a  small 
space,  is  the  origin  of  the  famous  Round  Table."     Will  there  come 
a  time  when  the  Underground  rail  road  shall  be  regarded  as  typical  of 
some  geologic  transition,  and  the  foray  at  Harper's  Ferry  pass  for  the 
legendary  symbol  of  a  chemic  reaction  ? 

John  Brown  was,  indeed,  no  mythical  nor  in  any  respect  dubitable 
personage.  It  was  his  fortune  to  play  a  great  part,  but  no  son  ot 
Adam  was  ever  less  theatrical  in  his  aim,  or  more  ilitensely  practical 
in  his  result.  An  idealist  in  spirit,  he  was  a  realist  in  activity,  and 
accomplished  the  grandjask  assigned  to  him  with  a  plain,  forthright\ 
sincerity  which  comports  little  with  the  romantic  circumstances  of 
his  life  and  death.      He  was  easily  and  naturally  great, 

"  And,  as  the  greatest  only  are, 
In  his  simplicity  sublime." 


;^^2  History  of  Torrington. 

His  character  needs,  therefore,  only  to  be  honestly  set  forth  ;  not 
to  be  adorned  with  epithets  and  compliments.  The  chronicle  of  his 
life  is  his  best  monument  ;  let  us  now  resume  this,  for  the  sake  of 
pointing  out  some  of  the  steps  by  which  he  prepared  himself  for  the 
last  scene  of  this  life,  that  drew  upon  him  the  eyes  of  all  mankind.  He 
did  not  hasten  forward  towards  the  achievement  of  what  he  had  un- 
dertaken, until  the  fulness  of  time  had  come,  and  he  had  furnished 
himself  with  such  military  and  general  knowledge  as  he  deemed  re- 
quisite to  the  execution  of  his  plan.  He  kept  it  steadily  before  him 
for  twenty  years,  educated  himself  and  his  children  for  it,  and  made 
it  as  much  a  part  of  his  household  discipline  as  were  his  prayers  at 
morning  and  evening.  Mr.  Emerson,  indeed,  in  his  speech  at  Salem, 
a  month  before  Brown's  death,  fixes  a  much  earlier  date  than  I  have 
given  for  the  beginning  of  his  enterprise  against  slavery  in  Virginia. 
"It  was  not  a  piece  of  spite  or  revenge, —  a  plot  of  two  years  or  of 
twenty  years  —  but  the  keeping  of  an  oath  made  to  heaven  and  earth 
forty-seven  years  before.  Forty-seven  years  at  least,  though  I  in- 
cline to  accept  his  own  account  of  the  matter,  at  Charlestown, 
which  makes  the  date  a  little  older,  when  he  said,  '  This  was  all 
settled  millions  of  years  before  the  world  was  made.'  Mrs.  Brown 
told  me  in  i860,  that  she  had  known  his  design  and  been  pledged  to 
aid  it  for  more  than  twenty  years;  and  John  Brown  himself  had  said 
in  1857,  early  in  my  acquaintance  with  him,  '  I  always  told  her  that 
when  the  time  came  to  fight  against  slavery,  that  conflict  would  be 
the  signal  for  our  separation.  She  made  up  her  mind  to  have  me  go 
long  before  this,  and,  when  I  did  go,  she  got  ready  bandages,  and 
medicine  for  the  wounded.'" 

In  1846,  while  in  the  midst  of  his  occupations  as  a  wool-grower 
and  wool-dealer,  John  Brown  came  back  to  New  England  for  a  (cw 
years,  and  took  up  his  abode  at  Springfield,  in  Massachusetts,  not 
very  far  from  the  first  Connecticut  home  of  his  ancestors  in  Wind- 
sor. He  went  there  to  reside  as  one  of  the  wool  dealing  firm  of 
Perkins  and  Brown,  and  as  the  agent  of  the  sheep-farmers  and  wool- 
merchants^of  northern  Ohio,  whose  interests  then  required,  as  they 
thought,  an  agency  to  stand  between  them  and  the  wool-manufac- 
turers of  New  England,  to  whom  they  sold  their  fleeces.  The  Ohio 
wool-growers  fancied  that  they  were  fleeced  as  well  as  their 
flocks,  in  the  transactions  they  had  with  the  manufacturers,  who 
would  buy  wool  before  it  was  graded,  pay  for  it  at  the  price  of  a  low 
grade,  and  then  sort  it  so  as  to  bring  themselves  a  large  profit,  exclu- 


Biographies.  ^33 

sive  of  the  process  of  manufacturing.  John  Brown  undertook  to 
prevent  this,  and  with  this  view,  initiated  a  system  of  grading  wools 
before  they  passed  into  the  manufacturers'  hands.  The  system  after- 
ward prevailed  and  was  successful,  but  the  manufactcrers  were  too 
powerful  then  for  the  western  farmer.  They  bribed  his  clerk  (as  he 
always  believed),  to  change  the  marks  of  his  wool,  so  that  what  they 
paid  for  as  a  low  grade,  was  really  one  degree  better.  This  transac- 
tion led  to  several  law  suits,  one  of  which  was  tried  in  Boston  in  the 
winter  of  1852-3  (after  Brown  had  withdrawn  from  business  in 
Springfield  and  retired  to  the  Adirondac  woods),  and  it  went  against 
him.  The  next  year  he  won  a  similar  suit,  which  was  tried  in  a 
New  York  court,  and  Brown  always  believed  he  should  have  won 
in  the  Boston  case,  had  it  been  tried  upon  its  merits,  and  not  settled 
by  a  compromise  between  the  counsel.  It  is  worth  noting  that  the 
judge  who  held  the  court  at  Boston  was  Caleb  Gushing,  who  was 
just  then  invited  by  Franklin  Pierce  to  leave  the  supreme  bench  of 
Massachusetts  and  become  attorney-general  of  the  United  States, 
and  that  the  counsel  against  Brown  was  Rufus  Choate. 

While  in  Springfield  John  Brown  lived  in  a  house  in  Franklin 
street,  a  little  north  of  the  Boston  and  Albany  rail  road.  His  wool 
warehouses  were  close  by  the  rail  road,  and  at  one  time  contained  a 
great  stock  of  Ohio  wool,  which  had  accumulated  on  his  hands  while 
he  was  at  variance,  as  to  price  and  grade  of  wool,  with  his  New 
England  customers.  Wishing  to  make  a  market  for  his  stock,  and  be- 
lieving that  he  could  sell  it  in  Europe  to  advantage,  he  went  abroad  • 
in  1848-g,  and  traversed  a  considerable  part  of  England  and  the  con-  I 
tinent,  on  business  connected  with  his  merchandise,  but  also,  with  an/ 
eye  to  his  future  carrtpaigns  against  slavery.  He  visited  wool-markets 
and  battle  fields  in  impartial  succession,  and  took  notice  of  the  tricks  of 
trade  and  the  maneuvers  of  armies  with  equal  interest.  He  was  then 
noted  among  wool  dealers  for  the  delicacy  of  his  touch  in  sorting  the 
different  qualities,  and  his  skill  in  testing  them  when  submitted  to 
him.  Give  him  three  samples  of  wool,  one  grown  in  Ohio,  another 
in  Vermont,  and  a  third  in  Saxony,  and  he  would  distinguish  one 
from  the  other  in  the  dark,  by  his  sense  of  touch.  Some  Englishmen, 
during  his  sojourn  abroad,  put  this  power  of  Brown's  to  the  test,  in 
an  amusing  manner,  one  evening,  in  company  with  several  English 
wool  dealers,  each  of  whom  had  brought  samples  in  his  pocket. 
Brown  was  giving  his  opinion  as  to  the  best  use  to  which  certain 
.grades  and   qualities   should   be  put.      One  of  the  party  very  gravely 


334  History  of  Torrington. 

drew  a  sample  from  his  pocket,  handed  it  to  the  Yankee  farmer,  and 
asked  him  what  he  would  do  with  such  wool  as  that.  Brown  took 
it,  and  had  only  to  roll  it  between  his  fingers  to  know  that  it  had  not 
the  minute  hooks  by  which  the  fibres  of  wool  are  attached  to  each 
other.  "Gentlemen,"  said  he,  "if  you  have  any  machinery  in  Eng- 
land that  will  work  up  dog's  hair,  I  would  advise  you  to  put  this  into 
it."  The  jocose  Briton  had  sheared  a  poodle  and  brought  the  fleece 
in  his  pocket,  but  the  laugh  went  against  him  when  Brown  handed 
back  his  precious  sample.  His  skill  in  trade  was  not  so  great,  and 
after  trying  the  mrkets  of  Europe,  he  finally  sold  his  Liverpool  con- 
signments of  wool  at  a  lower  price  than  it  would  have  brought  in 
_Springfield.  This  ill-success,  and  the  expenses  of  his  venture,  finally 
ruined  his  business,  and  in  1849  ^e  gave  it  up  and  went  to  live  for 
some  years  at  North  Elba,  where  he  was  buried. 

In  Springfield,  from  184610  1849,  J^^'^  Brown  had  the  reputation 
of  "a  quiet  and  peaceable  citizen  and  a  religious  man."  The  late 
Chief  Justice  Chapman,  who  said  this  of  him  in  1859,  ^^^^  wrote  at 
the  same  time  ;  "  Mr.  Brown's  integrity  was  never  doubted,  and  he 
was  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  bu:  peculiar  in  many  of  hi?  notions, 
and  adhering  to  them  with  great  obstinacy.  Rev.  Mr.  Conklin,  who 
was  settled  in  the  North  Congregational  church,  and  who  separated 
himself  in  a  great  measure  from  other  ministers  in  Springfield,  be- 
cause he  thought  them  culpably  indifferent  to  the  sin  of  slavery,  was 
intimate  with  Brown,  and  they  sympathized  in  their  anti-slavery 
ideas.  His  bookkeeper  tells  me  that  Brown  and  his  eldest  son  (John 
Brown  Jr.),  used  to  discuss  slavery  by  the  hour  in  his  counting  room, 
and  he  used  to  say  that  it  was  right  for  slaves  to  kill  their  masters 
and  escape."  This  son,  it  may  be  mentioned,  came  with  some  of 
the  other  children  to  reside  in  Springfield  before  his  father  took  up 
his  abode  there.  The  sons  went  on  Sundays  to  the  little  African 
church,  and  there  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  colored  man,  Thomas 
Thomas  by  name,  a  fugitive  slave  from  the  eastern  shore  of  Mary- 
land. Learning  something  of  Thomas's  history  and  observing  his 
upright  and  courageous  character,  they  engaged  him  to  work  for  their 
father  when  he  should  come  to  take  charge  of  the  wool  business  in 
Springfield.  This  soon  happened,  and  John  Brown  sent  for  Thomas, 
and  directed  him  to  begin  work  -at  the  wool  warehouse,  as  a  porter, 
the  next  morning.  "  How  early  shall  I  come  ?"  "  We  begin  work 
at  seven,"  was  Brown's  answer,  "  but  I  wish  you  would  come  round 
earlier,  for  I  want  to  talk  with  you."     Thomas  went  to  his  work  the 


Biographies.  j^S 

next  morning,  between  five  and  six  ;  found  Brown  (who  was  always 
an  early  riser)  waiting  at  the  counting  room  for  him  ;  and  there  re- 
ceived, instead  of  directions  for  his  day's  work,  an  invitation  to  join 
in  Brown's  enterprise  for  the  liberation  of  the  slaves,  which  was 
briefly  explained  to  him,  and  in  which  Thomas  agreed  to  join. 
Meantime  he  was  to  work  in  the  warehouse,  and  did  so  during  the 
three  years  that  Brown  remained  in  Springfield.  During  that  time 
he  was  sent  by  Brown  to  look  up  Madison  Washington,  the  leader 
of  the  courageous  slaves  of  the  vessel  Creole,  whom  Brown  wanted 
as  a  leader  among  his  colored  recruits.  But  Washington,  when 
found,  proved  to  be  an  unfit  person  for  such  a  responsible  place.' 

It  was  in  the  hope  of  enlisting  and  drilling  these  colored  recruits 
for  this  company  of  liberators,  that  Brown  went  to  live  in  North 
Elba,  among  the  colored  men  to  whom  Gerrit  Smith  had  given  land 
among  the  Adirondac  woods  in  1848.  Mr.  Smith  (who  con- 
tinued to  be  Brown's  friend  from  their  first  acquaintance  in  1849, 
until  his  death  in  Virginia),  had  inherited  from  his  father  landed 
estate  in  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  counties  of  New  York.  In 
Essex  county,  among  the  Adirondac  mountains  and  lakes,  he 
owned  thousand  of  acres,  and  these  he  off'ered  to  give  away  in  farms 
of  suitable  size  to  such  colored  men  as  would  live  upon  the  land, 
clear  it,  and  cultivate  it.  On  his  return  from  England  in  1849, 
Brown  heard  of  the  ofi^er,  and  soon  presented  himself,  for  the  first 
time,  at  the  hospitable  house  of  Mr.  Smith  in  Peterboro,  where  he  was 
ever  after  a  welcome  visitor.  By  this  time  a  small  colony  of  colored 
people  had  gone  to  North  Elba  to  clear  up  the  forest  land  given  them 
by  Mr.  Smith,  and  were  braving  the  hardships  of  their  first  year  in 
the  cold  backwoods  of  northern  New  York.  Brown  introduced 
himself  to  Mr.  Smith  and  made  him  this  proposal:  "I  am  some- 
thing of  a  pioneer,  having  grown  up  among  the  woods  and  wild 
Indians  of  Ohio,  and  am  used  to  the  climate  and  the  wav  of  life  that 
your  colony  find  so  trying;  I  will  take  one  of  your  farms  myself, 
clear  it  up  and  plant  it,  and  show  my  colored  neighbors  how  such 
work  should  be  done  ;  will  give  them  work  as  I  have  occasion,  look 
after  them  in  all  needful  ways,  and  be  a  kind  of  father  to  them."  The 
landlord  readily  consented  to  have  such  a  tenant,  and   Brown  soon 


'  Thomas  Thomas  still  lives  in  Springfield,  and  is  now  (May,  1877),  ^^  he  has  been  for 
some  years,  the  keeper  of  an  eating  house  near  the  rail  road  station.  He  retains  the  most 
loyal  affection  for  John  Brown,  and  it  is  from  his  own  lips  that  I  have  had  some  of  the  above 
facts  concerning  Brown  in  Springfield.  • 


2^6  History  of  Torrington. 

removed  his  family  from  Springfield  to  North  Elba,  where  they  re- 
mained for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  between  1849  ^"^  1862,  and 
where  they  lived  when  John  Brown  was  attacking  slavery  in  Kansas, 
in  Missouri  and  in  Virginia,  Besides  the  other  inducements  which 
this  rough  and  bleak  region  offered  him,  he  considered  it  a  good  place 
of  refuge  for  his  wife  and  younger  children,  when  he  should  go  on 
his  campaign,  a  place  where  they  would  not  only  be  safe  and  inde- 
pendent, but  could  live  frugally  and  both  learn  and  practice  those 
habits  of  thrifty  industry  which  Brown  thought  indispensable  in 
the  training  of  children  When  he  went  there  his  youngest  son, 
Oliver,  was  ten  years  old,  and  his  daughters,  Anna  and  Sarah, 
were  six  and  three  years  old.  Ellen,  his  youngest  child,  was  born 
afterwards. 

In  1849,  ^^^  great  current  of  summer  and  autumn  travel,    which 

now  flows  through  the  Adirondac  wilderness  every  year, had  scarcely 

begun  to  set  that  way.      There  were  in    North    Elba    few    roads, 

schools  or  churches,  and  only  one  or  two  good  farms.      The  life  of  a 

settler  there  was  wild  pioneer  work;  the  forest  was  to  be  cut  down, 

I  and  the  land  burnt    over;  the    family   supplies    must    be    produced 

;    mainly  in  the  household  itself.      The  men  made  their  own  sugar  from 

\  the  maple  trees,  which  grew  everywhere  ;  and  the  women  spun  and 

Wove  garments  for  both  sexes,  out  of  the  wool  that  was  sheared  from 

the  family  flock  of  sheep;   cows  and  especially  sheep  were  the  wealth 

of  the  farmer.      As  Colonel  Higginson  mentions,  the  widow  of  Oliver 

Brown,  after  his  death  at  Harper's  Ferry  in    1859,    was    considered 

not  to  be  absolutely  penniless,  because  Oliver  had  left  her  five  sheep, 

valued  at  ten  dollars.     Winter  lingers  in  these  forests  for  six  months 

-of  the  year,  and  in  the  short  summers,  neither  wheat  nor  Indian  corn 

will    come   to    maturity  ;    the   crops  are   grass,   oats    and    potatoes, 

a  few  vegetables,  and  the  fruit  of  the  woods  and  meadows. 

In  the  summer,  for  a  few  months,  this  wilderness  is  charming. 
The  mountains  rise,  grand  and  beautiful  on  all  sides;  the  untamed 
forest  clothes  their  slopes  and  fills  up  the  plains  and  valleys,  save  where 
the  puny  labors  of  men  have  here  and  there  rescued  a  bit  of  fertile 
land  from  its  gloom.  On  such  spots  the  houses  are  built,  and 
around  them  grow  the  small  cultivated  crops  that  can  endure  the 
climate.  The  wild  fruits  are  in  abundance,  the  woods  (when  I  first 
saw  them  in  1857)  were  full  of  game,  and  the  streams  and  lakes  of 
fish.  But  the  mode  of  life  is  rude  and  primitive,  with  noelegance,  and 
little  that  we  should  call  comfort.      Many  of  the  dwellings  are  log  cab- 


Biographies.  337 

ins,  and  in  the  whole  to\ynship  of  North  Elba,  there  was  then  scarcely 
a  house  worth  a  thousand  dollars,  or  one  which  was  finished  throughout. 
Mrs.  Brown's  house,  in  1857,  ^^^  ^^^  "^^^  plastered  rooms,  yet 
two  families  lived  in  it,  and  at  my  second  visit,  in  February,  i860, 
two  widowed  women  besides,  whose  husbands  were  killed  at  Har- 
per's Ferry.  I  slept  on  both  occasions  in  a  little  chamber  partitioned 
off  with  a  rude  frame-work,  but  not  plastered,  the  walls  only  orna- 
mented with  a  few  pictures  ;  and  in  winter  the  snow  sifted  tlirough 
the  roof  and  fell  upon  the  bed.  I  arrived  at  nightfall,  on  my  second 
visit,  closely  pursued  from  the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain  by  a  snow- 
storm, which  murmured  and  moaned  about  the  chamber  all  night, 
and  in  the  morning  I  found  a  small  snow-drift  on  my  coverlet,  and 
another  on  the  floor  near  my  bed.'  This  house  had  been  built  by 
John  Brown  about  1850,  and  the  great  rock  beside  which  he  lies 
buried,  is  but  a  i^ew  roJs  from  its  door. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  Brown  did  in  this  wilderness  was  to 
introduce  his  favorite  breed  of  cattle  there,  and  to  exhibit  them  for  a 
prize  at  the  annual  cattle  show  of  Essex  county  in  September  1850. 
They  were  a  grade  of  Devons,  and  the  first  improved  stock  that  had 
ever  been  seen  at  the  county  fair.  The  agricultural  society  in  its  an- 
nual report  for  1850,  said  "The  appearance  upon  the  grounds  of  a 
number  of  very  choice  and  beautiful  Devons,  from  the  herd  of  Mr. 
John  Brown,  residing  in  one  of  our  most  remote  and  secluded  towns, 
attracted  great  attention,  and  added  much  to  the  interest  of  the  fair. 
The  interest  and  admiration  they  excited  have  attracted  public  atten- 
tion to  the  subject,  and  have  already  resulted  in  the  introduction  of 
several  choice  animals  into  this  region."  The  same  result  on  a  much 
grander  scale,  was  observed  ten  years  later,  when  John  Brown  ex- 
hibited, at  the  world's  fair,  specimens  of  a  choicer  and  bigger  breed  of 
men  than  had  been  seen  lately  in  Virginia  or  New  England.  "  We 
have  no  doubt,"  added  the  Essex  county  farmers,  "  that  this  infl,uence 
upon  the  character  of  our  stock  will  be  permanent  and  decisive." 
Let  us  hope  the  same  for  our  country  and  its  men.^ 


'The  new-born  babe  of  Oliver  Brown  (the  captain's  youngest  son,  who  had  been  killed 
at  Harper's  Ferry  four  months  before)  died  in  the  house  that  night,  and  the  poor  young 
mother  did  not  long  survive. 

^Writing  on  the  30th  day  of  September,  1850,  to  an  inquiring  correspondent,  John 
Brown  said  :  "  None  of  my  cattle  are  pure  Devons,  but  a  mixture  of  that  and  a  particular 
favorite  stock  from  Connecticut,  a  cross  of  which  I  much  prefer  to  any  pure  English  cattle 
after  many  years  experience,  of  different  breeds.  I  was  several  months  in  England  last  season, 
and  saw  no  one  stock  on  any  farm,  that  would  average  better  than  my  own." 

43 


22^  History  of  Torrington. 

Another  word  may  here  be  said,  before  leaving  this  period,  of 
Brown's  journey  in  Europe  in  1848-9.  Some  letters  of  his  from 
Europe  are  still  in  existence,  and  it  is  hoped  they  will  soon  be  pub 
lished.  The  only  other  record  of  his  European  experiences,  so  far 
as  I  know,  is  that  noted  down  by  me  from  conversations  in  1857-8, 
in  which  he  told  me  about  what  he  chiefly  noticed  abroad,  the  agri- 
cultural and  military  equipment  of  the  countries  he  visited,  and  the 
social  condition  of  the  people.  He  thought  a  standing  army  the 
greatest  curse  to  a  country,  because  it  drained  away  the  best  of  the 
young  men,  and  left  farming  and  the  industrial  arts  to  be  managed 
by  inferior  persons.  The  German  farming,  he  said,  was  bad  hus- 
bandry, because  the  farmers  there  did  not  live  on  their  land,  but  in 
villages,  and  so  wasted  the  natural  manures,  which  ought  to  go  back 
without  diminution  to  the  soil.  He  thought  England  the  best 
cultivated  country  he  had  ever  seen  ;  but  as  we  were  driving  away 
one  morning  in  1859,  ^''oni  the  country  seat  of  Mr.  John  JVl.  Forbes 
at  Milton,  near  Boston,  he  told  me  that  he  had  seen  few  houses  of 
rich  men  in  England  so  full  of  beauty  and  comfort  as  this,  in  which 
he  had  passed  the  night.'  He  had  followed  the  military  career  of 
Napoleon  with  great  interest,  and  visited  some  of  his  battlefields. 
We  talked  of  such  things  while  driving  from  Concord  to  Medford, 
to  visit  Mr.  Stearns,  one  Sunday  in  April,  1857.  ^^  ^'"'^"  ^^^'^  ''^^^ 
that  he  had  kept  the  contest  against  slavery  in  mind  while  traveling 
on  the  continent,  and  had  made  an  especial  study  of  the  European 
armies  and  battle-fields.  He  had  examined  Napoleon's  positions, 
and  assured  me  that  ths  common  military  theory  of  strong  places  was 
unsound  ;  that  a  ravine  was  in  truth  more  defensible  than  a  hill-top.^ 
So  it  is,  for  an  army  of  heroes,  as  Leonidas  demonstrated  at 
Thermopylae  ;  but  for  ordinary  warfare,  we  may  believe  that 
Napoleon  was  right.  Brown  often  witnessed  the  evolutions  of  the 
Austrian  troops,  and  declared  that  they  could  always  be  defeated 
(as  they  have  since  been  in  Italy  and  elsewhere)  by  soldiers  who 
should  maneuver  more  rapidly.  Tiie  French  soldiers  he  thought 
well  drilled,  but  lacking  individual  prowess  ;  for  that  he  gave  the 
palm,  and  justly,  to  our  own  countrymen.      He  returned  from  Europe 


'  Probably  he  saw  few  of  the  castles  and  seats  of  the  nobility  and  the  richer  gentry,  which 
are  certainly  superior  to  what  is  seen  in  New  England. 

'  As  we  passed  through  West  Medford  he  pointed  out  several  such  defensible  ravines. 


Biographies.  339 

more  in  love  than  before  with  American  institutions,  and  more  than 
ever  convinced  that  slavery  must  be  destroyed.  Hejcame^back  poor, 
for  his  mercantile  ventures  had  failed  ;  it  was  not  destined  that  he 
should  grow  rich,  as  he  had  hoped,  and  thus  be  able  to  aid  the  op- 
pressed from  his  abundance.  Ever  afterwards  he  accepted  cheerfully 
the  narrow  path  of  poverty,  but  gave  all  his  spare  time  to  the  work 
he  had  at  heart. 

There  is  a  phase  of  John  Brown's  life  concerning  which  much  has 
been  said,  without  at  all 'exhausting  the  subject,  his  efforts  in  behalf 
of  the  fugitive  slaves  who  had  taken  refuge  in  the  north,  long  before 
the  troubles  in  Kansas  began.  These  efforts  were  especially  active"^ 
after  the  passage  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  of  1850,  when  the  poor  ) 
refugees  were  in  danger  of  being  hunted  down,  even  in  New  England,  / 
and  sent  back  to  the  bondage  from  which  they  had  freed  themselves 
by  courage  or  cunning.  In  Januarv,  1851,  while  Brown  was 
nominally  a  resident  of  the  Adirondac  woods,  he  was  at  his  old  home 
in  Springfield,  and  there  formed  an  organization  among  the  colored 
people,  many  of  whom  were  fugitives,  to  resist  the  capture  of  any 
fugitive,  no  matter  bv  what  authority.  The  letter  of  instructions 
given  by  Brown  at  that  time  to  his  Springfield  "  Gileadites,"  as  he 
called  them,  still  exists  in  his  handwriting,  and  has  been  once  or  twice 
printed.  It  deserves  to  be  cited  here,  as  an  authentic  document, 
throwing  much  light  on  the  character  and  purposes  of  Brown  at  that 
time,  nearly  nine  years  before  his  campaign  in  Virginia.  Here  it  is, 
without  the  signatures  of  the  forty-five  men  and  women  who  in 
Springfield  had  enrolled  themselves  as  liberators  or  "  Gileadites." 

"  WORDS  OF  ADVICE. 

*'  Branch  of  the  United  States   League  of  Gileadites.      Adopted  January    15, 
1851,  as  written  and  recom7nended  by  John  Brown. 

"  'union  is  strength.' 

"  Nothing  so  charms  the  American  people  as  personal  bravery.  The  trial 
for  life  of  one  bold  and  to  some  extent  successful  man,  for  defending  his  rights 
in  good  earnest,  would  arouse  more  sympathy  throughout  the  nation  than  the 
accumulated  wrongs  and  sufferings  of  more  than  three  millions  of  our  submissive 
colored  population.  We  need  not  mention  the  Greeks  struggling  against  the 
oppressive  Turks,  the  Poles  against  Russia,  nor  the  Hungarians  against  Austria 
and  Russia  combined,  to  prove  this.  No  jury  can  ie  found  in  the  Northern 
states  that  would  convict  a  man  for  defending  his  rights  to  the  last  extremity. 
This  is  well  understood  by  Southern  Congressmen,  who  insisted  that  the  right  of 
trial  by  jury  should  not  be  granted  to  the  fugitive.      Colored   people  have  more 


340  History  of  Torrington. 

fast  friends  amongst  the  whites  than  they  suppose,  and  would  have  ten  times 
the  number  they  now  have  were  they  but  half  as  much  in  earnest  to  secure 
their  dearest  rights  as  they  are  to  ape  the  follies  and  extravagances  of  their 
white  neighbors,  and  to  indulge  in  idle  show,  in  ease,  and  in  luxury.  Just 
think  ot  the  money  expended  by  individuals  in  your  behalf  in  the  past  twenty- 
years.  Think  of  the  number  who  have  been  mobbed  and  imprisoned  on  your 
account  Have  any  of  you  seen  the  Branded  Hand  ?  Do  you  remember  the 
names  of  liOvejoy  and  Torrey  ? 

"  Should  one  of  your  number  be  arrested,  you  must  collect  together  as  quickly 
as  possible,  so  as  to  outnumber  your  adversaries  who  are  taking  an  active  part 
against  you.  Let  no  able-bodied  man  appear  on  the  ground  unequipped,  or 
with  his  weapons  exposed  to  view  ;  let  that  be  understood  beforehand.  Your 
plans  must  be  known  only  to  yourself,  and  with  the  understanding  that  all 
traitors  must  die,  wherever  caught  and  proven  to  be  guilty.  '  Whosoever  is 
fearful  or  afraid,  let  him  return  and  part  early  from  Mount  Gilead.'  (Judges, 
vii  chap,  3  verse;  Deut.,  xx  chap.,  8  verse.)  Give  all  cowards  an  oppor- 
tunity to  show  it  on  condition  of  holding  their  peace.  Du  not  delay  one.  moment 
after  you  are  ready ;  you  zvill  lose  all  your  resolution  if  you  do.  Let  the  first  blow 
he  the  signal  for  all  to  engage,  and  when  engaged  do  not  do  your  work  by  halves  ; 
but  make  clean  tuork  with  your  enemies,  and  be  sure  you  meddle  not  with  any 
others.  By  going  about  your  business  quietly,  you  will  get  the  job  disposed  of 
before  the  number  that  an  uproar  would  bring  together  can  collect  ;  and  you 
will  have  the  advantage  of  those  who  come  out  against  you,  for  they  will  be 
wholly  unprepared  with  either  equipments  or  matured  plans  ;  all  with  them  will 
be  confusion  and  terror.  Your  enemies  will  be  slow  to  attack  you  after  you 
have  done  up  the  work  nicely;  and,  if  they  should,  they  will  have  to  encounter 
your  white  friends  as  well  as  you,  for  you  may  safely  calculate  on  a  division  of 
the  whites,  and  may  by  that  means  get  to  an  honorable  parley. 

"  Be  firm,  determined,  and  cool  ;  but  let  it  be  understood  that  you  are  not  to 
be  driven  to  desperation  without  making  it  an  awful  dear  job  to  others  as  well 
as  to  you.  Give  them  to  know  distinctly  that  those  who  live  in  wooden  houses 
should  not  throw  fire,  and  that  you  are  just  as  able  to  suffer  as  your  white 
neighbors.  J/ter  effecting  a  rescue,  if  you  are  assailed,  go  into  the  houses  of  your 
most  prominent  and  influential  white  friends  with  your  wives,  and  that  will  effect- 
ually fasten  upon  them  the  suspicion  of  being  connected  with  you,  and  will  compel 
them  to  make  a  co7nmon  cause  with  you,  whether  they  would  otherwise  live  up  to 
their  profession  or  not.  This  would  leave  them  no  choice  in  the  matter.  Some 
would,  doubtless,  prove  themselves  true  of  their  own  choice  ;  others  would 
flinch.  That  would  be  taking  them  at  their  own  words.  You  may  make  a 
tumult  in  the  court  room  where  a  trial  is  going  on  by  burning  gunpowder  freely 
in  paper  packages,  if  you  cannot  think  of  any  better  way  to  create  a  momentary 
alarm,  and  might  possibly  give  one  or  more  of  your  enemies  a  hoist.  But  in 
such  case  the  prisoner  will  need  to  take  the  hint  at  once  and  besiir  himself;  and 
so  should  his  friends  improve  the  opportunity  for  a  genera]  rush. 

"  A  lasso  might  possibly   be   applied  to  a  slave  catcher  for   once  with  good 

effect.      Hold  on  10  your  weapons,  and  never  be  persuaded  to  leave  them,  part 

with  them,  or  have  them  far  away  from  you       Standby  one  another,  and  by  your 

friends,  while  a  drop  of  blood  remains ,-  and  be  hanged,  if  you  tnust,   but  tell  no 

tales  out  of  school.      Make  no  confession. 


Biographies. 


341 


AGREEMENT. 


"As  citizens  of  the  United  States  of  America,  trusting  in  a  just  and  merciful 
God,  whose  spirit  and  all  powerful  aid  we  humbiy  implore,  we  will  ever  be 
true  to  thejiag  of  our  beloved  country,  always  acting  under  it.  We  whose  names 
are  hereunto  affixed  do  constitute  ourselves  a  branch  of  the  United  States  League 
of  Gileadites.  That  we  will  provide  ourselves  at  once  with  suitable  implements, 
and  will  aid  those  who  do  not  possess  the  means,  if  any  such  are  disposed  to 
join  us.  We  invite  every  colored  person  whose  heart  is  engaged  in  the  per- 
formance of  our  business,  whether  male  or  female,  old  or  young.  The  duty  of 
the  aged,  infirm,  and  young  members  of  the  League  shall  be  to  give  instant  notice 
to  all  members  in  case  ot  an  attack  upon  any  of  our  people.  We  agree  to  have 
no  officers  except  a  treasurer  and  secretary  pro  tern,  'until  after  some  trial  of 
courage  and  talent  of  able-bodied  members  shall  enable  us  to  elect  officers  from 
those  who  shall  have  rendered  the  most  important  services.  Nothing  but  wisdom 
and  undaunted  courage,  efficiency,  and  general  good  conduct  shall  in  any  way 
influence  us  in  electing  our  officers." 

Then  follows,  in  the  original  manuscript,  a  code  of  laws  or  regula- 
tions, such  as  John  Brown,  with  his  methodical,  forward-looking  mind, 
was  in  the  habit  of  drawing  up  whenever  he  organized  anv  branch  of 
his  grand  movement  against  slavery.  Some  features  of  this  organiza- 
tion strikingly  resemble  that  formed  by  him  in  Canada,  in  May,  1858 
(the  Constitution  of  which  was  captured,  among  his  papers  at  Har- 
per's Ferry),  especially  the  agreement  that  "  we  will  ever  be  true  to 
the  flag  of  our  beloved  country,  always  acting  under  it."  This  was 
reproduced  in  the"  Provisional  Constitution  of  1858,"  the  forty-sixth 
article  of  which  reads  thus  :  — 

"  Art,  XLVL  These  articles  are  not  for  the  Overthrow  of  Government. 
The  foregoing  articles  shall  not  be  construed  so  as  in  any  way  to  encourage  the 
overthrow  of  any  State  Governinent,  or  of  the  General  Government  of  tiie 
United  States,  and  look  to  no  dissolution  of  the  Union,  but  simply  to  amend- 
ment and  repeal,  atid  our  fag  shall  be  the  same  that  our  fathers  fought  under  in 
the  Revolution." 

This  devotion  to  the  flag  and  the  principles  of  the  Revolution,  th^ 
latter  as  set  forth  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  fixed  and  \ 
constant  in  Captain  Brown's  mind,  as  it  had  been  in  the  hearts  of 
his  two  grandfathers  who  fought  under  Washington.  He  did  not 
believe  in  the  possibility  of  dissolving  the  Union,  would  not  willingly 
hear  it  discussed,  and  once  said  to  me  with  the  most  serious  emphasis, 
weighing  every  word  as  he  uttered  it  (such  was  his  manner),  "I  be- 
lieve in  the  Golden  Rule  and  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  I 
think  they  both  mean  the  same  thing;  and  it  is  better  that  a  whole 
generation  should  pass  ofF  the  earth,  men,  women,  and  children,  by 


342  History  of  Torrington. 

a  violent  death,  than  that  one  jot  of  either  should  fail  in  this  country.''^ 
He  acted  consistently  on  this  principle,  though  a  man  of  peace  from 
his  youth  up,  and  inclining  to  the  Quaker  habit  of  not  bearing  arms 
in  time  of  peace.  Writing  to  his  wife  at  North  Elba,  from  Spring- 
field, about  the  time  he  formed  his  "league  "  there,  in  1851,  he 
says:  "  Since  the  sending  off  of  Long  (a  fugitive)  from  New  York, 
I  have  improved  my  leisure  hours  quite  busily  with  colored  people 
here,  in  advising  them  how  to  act,  and  in  giving  them  all  the  en- 
couragement in  my  power.  They  very  much  need  encouragement 
and  advice,  and  some  of  them  are  so  alarmed  that  they  tell  me  they 
cannot  sleep,  on  account  of  either  themselves  or  their  wives  and 
children.  I  can  only  say  I  think  I  have  been  enabled  to  do  some- 
thing to  revive  their  broken  spirits.  I  want  all  my  family  to  imagine 
themselves  in  the  same  dreadful  condition."  Such  was  the  practical 
way  in  which  he  made  his  exegesis  of  that  text  so  often  on  his  lips 
and  in  his  heart:  "Remember  them  that  are  in.  bonds  as  bound 
with  them."  No  occasion  was  offered  of  putting  in  practice  his  di- 
rections for  resisting  the  seizure  of  fugitives  in  Springfield,  such  as 
occurred  soon  after  in  Worcester  and  Boston,  nor  does  it  appear  that 
Brown  was  present  at  any  of  the  fugitive  slave  trials  which  disgrace 
the  anmls  of  Massachusetts,  though  he  was  with  difficulty  prevented 
by  his  friends  in  New  York,  in  May,  1854,  from  going  to  Boston  to 
head  a  movement  for  the  rescue  of  Anthony  Burns. 

The  career  of  John  Brown  in  Kansas  is  the  most  romantic  chapter 
in  the  history  of  that  state,  and  the  services  he  rendered  to  the  cause 
of  freedom  there  were  very  important.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
the  great  question  in  Kansas  for  four  or  five  years  was  whether  the 
new  territory,  to  which  the  south  wished  to  extend  slavery,  should 
be  settled  by  anti-slavery  men  or  by  slave  holders  and  their  negroes. 
John  Brown  at  once  saw  here  was  an  opportunity  for  him.  Re- 
solved as  he  was  and  long  had  been,  to  attack  slavery  in  its  own 
stronghold,  he  yet  recognized  the  necessity  of  first  checking  its 
growth.  He  therefore  made  his  arrangements  very  early  to  establish 
himself  and  his  stalwart  family  in  Kansas.  The  repeal  of  the  Mis- 
/  souri  compromise,  which  opened  the  broad  prairies  west  of  the  Mis- 
/  souri  river  to  slavery,  was  finally  consummated  on  the  25th  of  May, 
V1854.  At  that  time  John  Brown  had  seven  sons  and  one  son-in-law 
living;  the  youngest  so."!,  Oliver,  was  a  boy  of  fifteen,  while  Watson 
was  but  eighteen.  These,  with  Salmon  Brown,  who  still  survived, 
were  children  of  the  second  marriage,  and  were  neither  of  them  mar- 


Biographies.  343 

ried  at  this  date.  Of  the  four  sons  of  the  first  marriage  who  were 
then  living,  two  were  married  and  one,  Frederick,  was  engaged  to  be 
married,  Ruth,  the  eldest  daughter,  had  married  Henry  Thompson, 
a  sturdy  farmer  of  New  Hampshire  origin,  who  lived  near  the  Brown 
farm  at  North  Elba.  He  was  in  sympathy  with  Brown's  great  pur- 
pose, and  readily  consented  to  join  the  family  in  Kansas. 

In  the  wintej:_o£  1854-55  the  four  older  sons  of  John  Brown, 
John,  Jason,  Owen,  and  Frederick,  living  in  or  near  Akron,  Ohio, 
made  their  arrangements  to  settle  in  Kansas,  then  just  opened  to 
emigrants,  and  they  did  establish  themselves  the  next  spring  in  Ly- 
kins  county,  about  eight  miles  from  Osawatomie,  a  town  afterwards 
made  famous  by  their  father's  defence  of  it,  August  30,  1856.  John 
Brown  himself  did  not  go  to  Kansas  till  the  autumn  of  1855,  and  in 
the  preceding  summer,  shortly  before  he  set  out  to  join  his  sons 
there,  he  was  again  in  Massachusetts,  and  saw  some  of  his  old  friends 
in  Springfield, —  among  them,  Thomas,  the  Maryland  fugitive,  who 
had  engaged  with  him  in  the  great  work  nine  years  before.  He  ex- 
pressed his  belief  that  the  struggle  for  the  liberation  of  the  slaves 
was  soon  to  come  on,  but  does  not  seem  to  have  made,  at  that  time, 
any  special  effort  to  enlist  men  for  service  in  Kansas.  Probably  with 
his  characteristic  caution,  he  meant  first  to  explore  the  ground  and 
see  what  was  necessary,  and  what  could  be  done.  Nor  did  he  re- 
ceive any  of  the  money  which,  in  1855  and  1856,  was  raised  in 
Massachusetts  for  the  benefit  of  the  free  state  men  in  Kansas,  to  the 
amount  of  |i 00,000  and  upward.  H^jvas  aided  by  a  subscription 
in  central  New  York,  to  which  Gerrit  Smith  contributed,  but  the 
amount  was  not  large,  and  he  and  his  family,  for  the  most  part,  carried 
on  their  Kansas  campaign  at  their  own  charges.  Before  going  to  ^ 
Kansas  he  carried  back  his  family,  who  had  been  in  Ohio  with  him,  ■ 
to  his  farm  .at  North  Elba,  where  they  remained  for  several  years j  ^f~  ) 
after  his  death. 

From  a  paper  in  Brown's  hand  writing,  found  at  North  Elba  after 
his  death,  the  biographers  of  the  Brown  family  have  taken  these 
particulars  of  their  first  setting  forth  as  pioneers  towards  the  state 
which  now  holds  the  memory  of  these  men  so  dear  : 

"In  1854  the  four  eldest  sons  of  John  Brown,  named  John,  Jr  ,  Jason, 
Owen  and  Frederick  (all  children  by  a  first  wife),  tlien  living  in  Ohio,  de- 
termined to  remove  to  Kansas.  John,  Jr.,  sold  his  place,  a  very  desirable  little 
property,  near  Akron  in  Summit  county.  Jason  Brown  had  a  very  valuable 
collection  of  grape    vines,  and  also  of  choice  fruit  trees   which  he  took    up  and 


344  History  of  Torrington. 

shipped  in  boxes  at  a  heavy  cost.  The  other  two  sons  held  no  landed  property, 
but  both  were  possessed  of  some  valuable  stock  (as  were  also  the  two  first  named) 
derived  from  that  of  their  father,  which  had  been  often  noticed  by  liberal  pre- 
miums, both  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and  also  of  Ohio.  The  two  first 
named,  John  and  Jason,  had  both  families.  Owen  had  none.  Frederick  was 
engaged  to  be  married,  and  was  to  return   for  his  wife. 

In  consequence  of  an  extreme  dearth  in  1854,  the  crops  in  northern 
Ohio  were  almost  an  entire  failure,  and  it  was  decided  by  the  four 
brothers  that  the  two  youngest  should  take  the  teams,  and  entire  stock, 
cattle  and  horses,  and  move  them  to  southwestern  Illinois  to  winter,  and 
to  have  them  on  early  in  the  spring  of  1855.  This  was  done  at  a  very 
considerable  expense,  and  with  some  loss  or  stock  to  John,  Jr.,  some  of 
his  best  stock  having  been  stolen  on  the  way.  The  wintering  of  the  animals 
was  attended  with  great  expense,  and  with  no  litile  suffering  to  the  two  youngest 
brothers  ;  one  of  them,  Owen,  being  to  some  extent  a  cripple  from  childhood, 
by  an  injury  of  the  right  arm  ;  and  Frederick,  though  a  very  stout  man,  was 
subject  to  periodical  sickness  for  many  years,  attended  with  insanity.  It  has 
been  stated  that  he  was  idiotic  ;  nothing  could  be  more  false.'  He  had  sub- 
jected himself  to  a  most  dreadful  surgical  operation  but  a  short  time  before 
starting  for  Kansas,  which  had  well  nigh  C05t  him  his  life  ;  and  was  but  just 
through  with  his  confinement,  when  he  started  on  his  journey,  pale  and  weak. 
They  were  obliged  to  husk  corn  all  winter,  out  of  doors,  in  order  to  obtain 
fodder  for  their  animals.  Salmon  Brown,  a  very  strong  minor  son  of  the  family, 
eighteen  years  old,  was  sent  forward  early  in  1855,  to  assist  the  two  last  named, 
and  all  three  arrived  in  Kansas  early  in  the  spring." 

In  such  patriarchal  fashion  did  the  Browns  enter  the  land  which 
they  were  foreordained  to  defend.  These  young  men  were  of  the 
true  stuff,  worthy  sons  of  such  a  sire.  As  Owen  Brown  said  to  me, 
many  years  afterwards,  so  the  world  will  say,  "  I  never  could  dis- 
cover any  symptoms  of  cowardice  in  any  of  those  boys."  All  were 
active,  enterprising  persons,  fond  of  labor,  inured  to  hardship,  and 
expecting,  as  their  father  had  taught  them,  to  earn  their  living  with 
the  toil  of  their  own  hands.  The  narrow  circumstances  of  the 
family  made  it  quite  necessary  that  these  young  men  should  support 
themselves  somewhere.  Love  of  freedom,  love  of  adventure,  and 
a  desire  for  independence  in  fortune  combined  to  tempt  the  young 
men,  while  the  older  brothers  acted  from  a  sense  of  duty.  The 
other  men  of  the  family,  some  with  their  wives,  emigrated  from  time 
to  time,  and  though  the  whole  nine,  including  Captain  Brown,  were 
never  in  Kansas  together,  yet  for  a  long  time  the  father,  with  six 
sons  and  his  son-in-law,  was  there,  and  they  all  rallied  to  the  defense 
of  Lawrence  in  May,  1856.  John  Brown  himself  went  to  Kansas 
in  the  fall  of  1855,  having  already,  in  the  spring  of  that  year,  taken 
his  wife  and  infants  back  to  their  home  in  the  Adirondac  mountains. 


•  He  doubtless  suffered  from  epilepsy. 


Biographies.  345 

Late  in  June,  1855,  he  was  present  at  an  anti-slavery  convention  in 
Syracuse,  New  York,  where  money  was  raised  to  assist  him  in 
arming  his  family  in  Kansas.  He  writes  to  his  wife,  under  date  of 
"  Syracuse,  June  18,  1855,"  as  follows: 

"  I  reached  here  on  the  first  day  of  the  convention,  and  I  have  reason  to 
bless  God  that  I  came  ;  for  I  have  met  with  a  most  warm  reception  from  all, 
so  far  as  I  know  ;  and,  except  by  a  few  sincere,  honest  peace  friends,  a  most 
hearty  approval  of  my  intention  of  arming  my  sons  and  other  friends  in  Kansas. 
I  received  to  day  donations  amounting  to  a  little  over  sixty  dollars  ■ — twenty 
from  Gerrit  Smith,  five  from  an  old  British  officer  ;  others  giving  smaller  sums 
with  such  earnest  and  affectionate  expressions  of  their  good  wishes  as  did  me 
more  good  than  money  even.  John's  two  letters  wer>:  introduced,  and  read 
with  such  effect  by  Gerrit  Smith  as  to  draw  tears  from  numerous  eyes  in  the 
great  collection  of  people  present.  The  convention  has  been  one  of  the  most 
interesting  meetings  I  ever  attended  in  my  life;  and  I  made  a  great  addition  to 
the  number  of  warm-hearted  and  honest  friends." 

Five  months  after  this  letter  was  written,  John  Brown  was  quietly 
settled  at  Osawatomie.  He  had  purchased  arms  with  the  money 
given  him  at  Syracuse,  rifles  and  revolvers,  and  artillery  sabres,  with 
which  they  mustered  to  defend  Lawrence  in  December,  1855. 
Brown  and  four  of  his  sons  drove  up  to  the  Free  State  Hotel  in 
Lawrence  at  that  time,  "  all  standing,  tall  and  well  armed,  in  a  lumber 
wagon,  about  the  side  of  which  stood  rude  pikes,  made  of  bayonets 
fastened  to  poles."  This  was  his  first  appearance  in  arms  among  the 
settlers  of  Kansas.  These  men,  by  no  means  all  heroes,  soon  dis- 
covered that  their  new  champion  had  other  views  than  they.  He 
was  no  squatter,  but  even  then  "  his  soul  went  marching  on."  He  had 
come  there  to  aid  his  sons  and  their  neighbors  against  the  Missouri 
marauders  ;  but  that  was  not  his  main  purpose.  He  saw  that  Kansas 
was  the  battle  ground  between  slavery  and  freedom,  and  he  wanted 
the  warfare  on  the  riglit  side  to  be  something  more  than  defensive. 
He  longed  to  attack  slavery  on  its  own  ground,  and  there  destroy  it.  ] 
The  time,  he  thought,  had  come  to  carry  out  his  darling  scheme,  and 
he  made  many  enemies  among  the  timid  "  free-state  men  "  by  striving 
to  do  so. 

In  the  disturbances  of  1856  he  was  very  prominent,  particularly  at 
the  fights  of  Black  Jack  and  Osa.watomie,  in  both  of  which  he  won 
a  victory  over  numbers  far  superior  to  his  own  force.  He  had  en- 
listed a  small  band  of  true  men,  and  with  these,  from  May  to  Sep- 
tember, he  ranged  the  Kansas  prairies  at  intervals,  executing  justice 
on  the  oppressors  of  the  people.      It  was  a   portion  of  his  band  that 

44 


34^  History  of  Torrington. 

committed  the  so-called  Potawatomie  murders  in  May,  1856, 
but  Captain  Brown  himself  was  not  then  present,  although  he  after- 
wards fully  justified  the  act.  It  has  often  been  said  that  he  took  part 
in  this  deed,  but  that,  he  assured  me  more  than  once,  was  not  the 
fact.  Although  he  often  told  his  friends  the  story  of  the  fight  at 
Black  Jack  on  the  2d  of  June,  1856,  it  does  not  appear  that  he  has 
left  any  written  account  of  it.  It  was  one  of  his  most  famous  en- 
counters, and  did  much  to  make  his  name  feared  by  his  enemies  the 
slave  holders. 

On  the  20th  of  May  1856,  the  town  of  Lawrence  had  been 
pillaged  and  partially  destroyed  by  several  hundred  Missourians  under 
the  command  of  Sheriff"  Jones.  On  the  23d  Brown  took  the  field 
with  a  small  force,  and  on  the  night  of  the  25th  some  of  his  party 
committed  the  so-called  Potawatomie  murders,  without  Brown's 
knowledge  at  the  time,  but  with  his  subsequent  approval.  This 
affair  exasperated  the  border  ruffians  of  Missouri,  who  again  made 
an  incursion  into  that  part  of  Kansas  where  the  Brown  family  lived, 
and  succeeded  in  capturing  the  two  eldest  sons,  John  Brown  Jr.  and 
Jason.  The  leader  of  this  raid  was  one  Henry  Clay  Pate,  a  Vir- 
ginian, who  put  heavy  irons  on  his  captives,  and  after  keeping  them 
in  camp  for  a  day  or  two,  handed  them  over  to  a  body  of  United 
States  dragoons  who  marched  them  in  chains  to  the  northward,  where 
they  were  imprisoned  at  Lecompton,  after  having  endured  many  hard- 
ships on  the  march.  They  were  lodged  in  prison  at  Lecompton  on 
the  23d  of  June,  about  four  weeks  after  their  arrest,  and  at  this  time 
John  Brown  Jr.  was  insane  from  the  sufferings  he  had  undergone, 
while  in  the  hands  of  the  United  States  troops.  He  was  at  first 
pinioned  with  a  rope,  one  end  of  which  was  held  by  a  mounted  dragoon 
with  whom  he  was  obliged  to  keep  pace,  as  the  company  marched 
rapidly  under  a  hot  sun.  On  reaching  Tecumseh,  the  captives  were 
chained  two  and  two,  about  the  ankles,  with  a  common  trace  chain, 
padlocked  at  each  end,  and  tightly  clasped  around  the  ankle.  In  this 
condition  they  were  marched  thirty  miles  one  day.  When  Captain 
Brown  first  visited  me  at  Concord  in  March  T857,  ''^ss  than  a  year 
after  this,  he  brought  with  him  the  chain  his  son  had  worn  in  this 
march,  and  told  the  story  at  a  public  meeting  in  the  Town  Hall  there. 
His  own  words,  describing  the  arrest,  were  as  follows  :  "  On  or  about 
the  30th  of  May  1856,  two  of  my  sons,  with  several  others,  were 
imprisoned  without  other  crime  than  opposition  to  bogus  legislation  ; 
and  most  barbarously  treated  for  a  time,  one  (Jason)  being  held  about 


Btographies.  347 

one  month,  and  the  other  (John)  about  four  months.  After  this 
arrest,  both  of  them  had  their  houses  burned,  and  all  their  goods 
consumed  by  the  Missourians.  In  this  burning  all  the  eight  (I  and 
my  six  sons  and  mv  son-in-law)  suffered  loss,  and  one  had  his  oxen 
stolen  in  addition.  My  son  John  was  so  affected  in  his  mind  by  the 
cruelties  he  endured  while  wearing  this  chain,  that  he  became  a 
maniac." 

Hearing  of  the  capture  of  his  two  eldest  sons,  though  not  then  aware 
of  what  indignities  they  had  endured,  John  Brown  with  his  men  started 
in  pursuit  of  the  Virginian  Captain  Pate,  who,  after  giving  up  his 
prisoners  to  the  dragoons,  had  encamped,  with  fifty  men,  on  a  small 
stream  called  the  Black  Jack  creek,  near  Hickory  Point,  within  the 
present  town  of  Palmyra.  This  place  is  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
Douglas  county  (of  which  Lawrence  is  the  chief  town),  and  is  about 
halfway  between  Lawrence,  which  the  pro-slavery  men  sacked  on 
the  20th  of  May,  1856,  and  Osawatomie,  which  they  sacked  on  the 
7th  of  June  following.  Pate  had  been  encamped  there  a  day  or  two, 
among  the  "black-jack"  oak  trees  which  give  a  name  to  the  stream, 
when  Captain  Brown  came  up  with  him,  on  Monday  the  2d  of  June, 
1856.  Brown's  company  consisted  of  tvyenty-seven  men  besides 
himself,'and  the  names  of  twenty-six  of  these  have  been  carefully 
preserved.^  He  divided  them  into  two  parties,  and  commenced  the 
attack  with  the  one  party,  while  the  other  moved  round  to  get  a 
better  position.  Pate  was  posted  in  a  strong  position,  on  the  slope 
of  a  ravine,  and  with  a  slight  defence  of  wagons  in  front  of  him.  By 
the  division  of  his  forces,  however,  Captain  Brown  got  him  between 
two  fires,  and  without  much  exposing  his  own  men,  harassed  the 
enemy  with  rifle  shots,  wounded  several,  and  drove  a  part  of  them 
down  into  the  ravine.  Brown  began  the  attack  with  spirit,  directing 
his  men  to  lie  down  in  the  grass  so  that  only  their  heads  and  shoulders 
were  exposed  to  the  enemy's  fire,  and  to  shoot  deliberately,  taking 
good  aim,  and  not  throwing  away  their  fire.  In  this  way  the  fight  was 
kept  up  for  two  or  three  hours,  during  which  about   half  of  Pate's 


They  were  Samuel  T.  Shore,  Silas  More,  David  Hendricks,  Hiram  McAllister,- 


Parmely,  Silvester  Harris,  O.  A.   Carpenter,  Augustus  Shore,  Townsley  (of  Pota- 

watomie),  William  B.  Hayden,  John  McWhinney,  Montgomery  Shore,  Elkana  Timmons, 
T.  Weiner,  August  Bondy,  Hugh  McWhinney,  Charles  Kaiser,  Elizur  Hill,  William  David 
B.  L.  Cochran,  Henry  Thompson,  Elias  Basinger,  Owen  Brown,  Frederick  Brown    Salmon 
Brown,  Oliver  Brown.     The  twenty-seventh  man's  name  was  forgotten  by  Captain  Brown 
who  gave  me  this'list. 


348  History  of  Torrington. 

force  had  run  away  or  been  disabled,  while  two-thirds  of  Captain 
Brown's  company  were  in  good  fighting  condition.  Just  at  the  time 
Captain  Brown's  son  Frederick,  a  wild,  odd  youth,  who  was  after- 
wards killed  at  Osawatomie,  left  the  horses  he  was  guarding  in  the 
rear,  and  came  upon  the  top  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  ravine,~be- 
tween  the  two  parties  of  his  father's  men,  brandishing  a  huge  sword 
and  shouting,  "  Come  on  !  come  on  !  the  sword  of  the  Lord  and 
Gideon  !  I  have  cut  off  all  communication,  come  on  !  "  Dismayed 
at  the  supposed  reinforcement,  the  pro-slavery  men  now  ran  away 
faster  than  ever  and  Captain  Pate  thought  it  necessary  to  send  a  flag 
of  truce.  This  he  did  by  hoisting  a  white  handkerchief  and  sending 
a  lieutenant  to  inquire  what  all  this  firing  meant.  Captain  Brown 
met  the  lieutenant  and  said,  "  Are  you  the  captain  of  this  company  ? " 
"No."  "Then  stay  with  me  and  send  your  companion  to  call  the 
captain  out  ;  I  will  talk  with  him  and  not  with  you."  Thus  sum- 
moned. Captain  Pate  himself  appeared,  saying  that  he  was  an  officer 
acting  under  orders  of  the  United  States  marshal  of  Kansas,  and  he 
supposed  they  did  not  intend  to  fight  against  the  United  States.  He 
was  going  on  in  this  way  when  Brown  interrupted  him,  saying  — 
"  Captain,  I  understand  exactly  what  you  are,  and  do  not  want  to 
hear  any  more  about  it.     Have  you  any  proposition  to  make  to  me  ?" 

"Well,  no  — that  is" — 

"  Very  well ;  I  have  one  to  make  to  you  ;  you  must  surrender 
unconditionally."  There  was  no  resisting  this  demand,  for  Brown, 
taking  his  pistol  in  hand,  returned  with  Pate  to  the  camp  leading  four 
men  with  him  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  twenty-two  men  still 
left  under  Pate's  command.  They  did  surrender  at  once,  though 
only  eight  of  Brown's  men  were  in  sight  at  the  time,  and  the  twenty- 
three  gave  themselves  up  without  conditions  to  Brown  and  his  eight.' 
Twenty-one  of  these  prisoners  were  unwounded,  and  might  have 
kept  up  the  fight.  They  surrendered  themselves,  their  twenty-three 
horses,  guns,  ammunition,  wagons,  etc.,  and  were  marched  off  as 
prisoners  by  Brown,  who  encamped  with  them  on  Middle  Ottawa 
creek  near  Prairie  City,  and  about  two  miles  from  the  present  town 
called  Baldwin  City.      Here  he  fortified  himself,  and  received  some 


'  The  names  of  "the  eight  who  held  out  to  receive  the  surrender  of  Capt.  Pate  and 
twenty-two  men,"  as  given  to  me  in  April,  1857,  by  John  Brown,  were  these;  Charles 
Kaiser,  Elizur  Hill,  Wm.  David,  Hugh  McWhinney  (seventeen  years  old),  B.  L.  Cochran, 
Owen  Brown,  Salmon  Brown,  Oliver  Brown  (seventeen  years  old).  Four  of  the  nine  were 
Browns  therefore,  and  three  of  these  were  afterwards  at  Harper's  Ferry. 


Biographies.  349 

reinforcements  —  among  them,  John  E.  Cook,  who  was  afterwards 
one  of  his  lieutenants  at  Harper's  Ferry. 

The  victory  of  Brown  at  Black  Jack  roused  the  pro-slavery  men 
in  Missouri  and  in  Kansas  to  fury,  while  it  stimulated  the  freemen 
of  "Kansas  to  new  efforts.  Both  parties  mustered  in  large  force 
near  Palmyra,  and  on  the  5th  of  June  a  battle  seemed  imminent. 
But  Col.  Sumner,  who  afterwards,  as  General  Sumner,  distinguished 
himself  in  the  civil  war,  came  down  with  a  force  of  United  States 
cavalry  and  put  a  stop  to  hostilities.  He  also  sent  for  Captain  Brown, 
as  soon  as  he  heard  where  he  was,  desiring  an  interview.  Brown 
left  his  entrenched  camp  on  the  Ottawa,  and  came  into  the  camp  of 
Col.  Sumner,  who  requested  him  to  give  up  Captain  Pate  and  the 
other  prisoners.  Brown  demurred,  unless  they  were  to  be  tried  for 
highway  robbery,  of  which,  he  said,  they  had  been  guilty.  Col. 
Sumner  told  him  they  had  not  been  properly  arrested,  and  must  be 
discharged,  but  he  did  not  allow  the  United  States  marshal,  who 
was  present,  to  arrest  Captain  Brown,  and  he  required  the  armed  men 
on  both  sides  to  disperse.  He  also  reprimanded  Pate  for  having  as- 
sumed, without  proper  authority,  to  range  through  the  country  and 
make  arrests  ;  but  he  allowed  him  and  his  men  to  receive  back  their 
arms,  which  were  the  property  of  the  United  States,  and  were  im- 
properly in  their  possession.  Brown  and  his  men  returned  home,  such 
of  them  as  had  homes  to  go  to,  and  for  a  ftw  weeks  after  June  7, 
there  were  no  serious  disturbances.  But  it  was  impossible  for  Brown 
and  his  sons  to  devote  themselves  quietly  to  farming  as  they  were 
requested  to  do.  Their  houses  had  been  burnt,  their  farms  pillaged, 
and  two  of  them  held  as  prisoners.  John  Brown  Jr.,  was  not  dis- 
charged from  arrest  until  about  the  middle  of  September.  In  telling 
the  story  of  this  summer  of  1856,  to  the  Massachusetts  legislature, 
on  the  18th  of  February,  1857,  when  it  was  proposed  to  make  a 
state  appropriation  in  aid  of  the  Massachusetts  men  settled  in  Kansas, 
John  Brown  said  : 

"I  with  my  six  sons  and  a  son-in-law,  was  called  out,  and  traveled,  most 
of  the  way  on  foot,  to  try  and  save  Lawrence  (May  20  and  2M,  and  much  of 
the  way  in  the  night.  From  that  date,  neither  I  nor  my  sons,  nor  my  son-in- 
law,  could  do  any  work  about  our  homes,  but  lost  our  whole  time  until  we 
left  in  October ;  except  one  of  my  sons,  who  had  a  few  weeks  to  devote  to  the 
care  of  his   own  and  his   brother's  family,   who   were  then   without  a  home.' 


'  Brown  added,  with  that  prosaic  love  of  details  which  he  had  ;  "  I  believe  it  safe  to  say 
that  five  hundred  free  state  men  lost  each  one  hundred  and  twenty  days,  which,  at  §1.50 
per  day,  would  be,  to  say  nothing  of  attendant  losses,  §90,000."  This  would  make  the 
services  of  the  eight  Browns  worth  just  $1,440  during  that  period.  They  were  really  worth 
millions. 


2S^  History  of  Torrington. 

From  about  the  20th  of  May,  hundreds  of  men,  like  ourselves,  lost  their  whole 
time,  and  entirely  failed  of  securing  any  crop  whatever." 

They  secured  the  harvest  of  freedom  in  Kansas,  however,  and 
that  was  worth  more  than  any  other  crop,  that  season.  And  to  no 
man  so  much  as  to  John  Brown  was  this  result  due.  He  was  present 
wherever  danger  threatened  and,  whenever  he  was  permitted  to  do  so, 
he  warded  off  the  danger,  or  punished  the  perpetrators  of  crime.  He 
vi^as  near  Topeka  on  the  3d  and  4th  of  July  1856,  when  the  free 
state  legislature  was  dispersed  by  federal  dragoons,  and  was  ready 
then,  if  others  had  consented,  to  resist  the  arbitrary  action  of  the 
federal  government.  In  August,  he  joined  the  forces  of  Gen.  James 
A.  Lane  in  northern  Kansas,  having  first  carried  his  wounded  son-in- 
law,  Henry  Thompson,  into  Iowa  to  be  taken  care  of.  Returning 
from  Iowa  about  the  lOth  of  August,  with  Gen.  Lane,  he  proceeded 
with  him  to  Lawrence  and  to  Franklin,  where  there  was  some  skir- 
mishing, and,  from  the  middle  of  August  to  the  last  of  September  he 
was  in  the  field  with  his  company,  fighting  the  Missourian  invaders 
of  Kansas.  By  this  time  his  name  had  become  a  terror  to  them, 
and  wherever  they  were  attacked,  they  believed  he  was  in  command. 
In  an  appeal  to  the  citizens  of  Lafayette  county,  Missouri,  urging 
them  to  take  horses  and  guns  and  march  into  Kansas,  David  R. 
Atchison,  formerly  United  States  senator  from  Missouri,  wrote  as 
follows,  under  date  of  August  17,  1856  : 

"  On  the  6th  of  August,  ihe  notorious  Brown,  with  a  party  of  three  hundred 
abolitionists,  made  an  attack  upon  a  colony  of  Georgians '  murdering  about  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five  souls,  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  of  whom  were 
women,  children  and  slaves.  Their  houses  were  burnt  to  the  ground,  all  their 
property  stolen,  horses,  cattle,  clothing,  money,  provisions,  all  taken  away  from 
them,  and  their  plows  burned  lo  ashes. 

August  12th,  at  night,  three  hundred  abolitionists,  under  this  satne  Brown, 
attacked  the  town  of  Franklin,  robbed,  plundered  and  burnt,  took  all  the  arms 
in  town,  broke  open  and  destroyed  the  post  office,  captured  the  old  cannon 
"Sacramento"  which  our  gallant  Missourians captured  in  Mexico,  and  are  now 
turning  its  mouth  against  our  friends 

August  15th,  Brown  with  four  hundred  abolitionists,  mostly  Lane's  men, 
mounted  and  armed,  attacked  Trcadwcll's  settlement  in  Douglas  county,  num- 
bering about  thirty  men.  They  planted  the  old  cannon  'Sacramento'  towards 
the  colonv  and  surrounded  them." 


'  At  Battersville,  eight  miles  soutli  east  of  Osawatomie,  on  an  Indian  reservation.  John 
Brown  was  at  this  time  in  Nebraska.  "  Preacher  Stewart"  really  commanded  the  Free 
State  men. 


Biographies.  351 

No  doubt  Brown  had  his  share  in  some  of  these  attacks,  which 
drove  some  troublesome  pro-slavery  marauders  out  of  Kansas,  but 
which  led  also  to  a  formidable  invasion  from  Missouri,  under  Atchison 
and  Gen.  John  W.  Reid.  The  former  was  routed  by  Gen.  Lane 
on  the  31st  of  August,  and  returned  to  Missouri  ;  the  latter  also  re- 
turned, after  a  bloody  fight  with  John  Brown  at  Osawatomie,  which 
Reid  captured  and  burned,  but  which  he  could  not  hold  on  account 
of  the  loss  inflicted  on  him  by  Brown.  It  was  in  this  fight  that 
Brown  received  the  name  of  "  Osawatomie,"  by  which  he  was  known 
for  some  years  afterwards.  One  of  his  questioners  at  Harper's  Ferry, 
after  his  capture  in  1859,  said,  "  Are  you  Osawatomie  Brown  ?"  ''  I 
tried  to  do  my  duty  there,"  replied  the  old  hero.  He  not  only  did 
his  duty  in  the  fight,  but  soon  afterwards  wrote  an  account  of  it, 
which  is  so  exact  that  it  deserves  to  be  quoted  here. 

The  Fight  of  Osawatomie. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  August,  the  enemy's  scouts  approached 
to  within  one  mile  and  a  half  of  the  wesiern  boundary  of  the  town  of  Osa- 
watomie. At  this  place  my  son  Frederick  (who  was  not  attached  to  my  force) 
had  lodged,  with  some  four  other  young  men  from  Lawrence,  and  a  young  man 
named  Garrison,  from  Middle  Creek. 

The  scouts,  led  by  a  pro-slavery  preacher  named  White,  shot  my  son  dead 
in  the  road,  whilst  he  —  as  I  have  since  ascertained  —  supposed  them  to  be 
friendly.  At  the  same  time  they  butchered  Mr.  Garrison,  and  badly  mangled 
one  ot  the  young  men  from  Lawrence,  who  came  with  my  son,  leaving  him 
for  dead. 

This  was  not  far  from  sunrise.  I  had  stopped  during  the  night  about  two 
and  one-half  miles  from  them,  and  nearly  one  mile  from  Osawatomie.  I  had 
no  organized  force,  but  only  some  twelve  or  fifteen  new  recruits,  who  were 
ordered  to  leave  their  preparations  for  breakfast,  and  follow  me  into  the  town 
as  soon  as  this  news  was  brought  to  me. 

As  I  had  no  means  of  learning  correctly  the  force  of  the  enemy,  I  placed 
twelve  of  the  recruits  in  a  log-house,  hoping  we  might  be  able  to  defend  the 
town.  I  then  gathered  some  fifteen  more  men  together,  whom  we  armed  with 
guns  ;  and  we  started  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy.  After  going  a  few  rods, 
we  could  see  them  approaching  the  town  in  line  of  battle,  about  one-half  a 
mile  off,  upon  a  hill  west  of  the  village.  I  then  gave  up  all  idea  of  doing 
more  than  to  annoy,  from  the  timber  near  the  town,  into  which  we  were 
all  retreated,  and  which  was  filled  with  a  thick  growth  of  underbrush,  but 
had  no  time  to  recall  the  twelve  men  in  the  log-house,  and  so  lost  their  assistance 
in  the  fight. 

At  the  point  above  named  I  met  with  Captain  Cline,  a  very  active  young 
man,  who  had  with  him  some  twelve  or  fifteen  mounted  men,  and  persuaded 
him  to  go  with  us  into  the  timber,  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  Osage,  or 
Maraisdes-Cygnes,  a  little  to  the  northwest  from  the  village.  Here  the  men, 
numbering   not  more   than   thirty  in    all,  were   directed    to  scatter    and  secrete 


352  History  of  Torrington. 

themselves  as  well  as  they  could,  and  await  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  This 
was  done  in  full  view  of  them  (^who  must  have  seen  the  whole  movement),  and 
had  to  be  done  in  the  utmost  haste.  1  believe  Captain  Cline  and  some  of  his 
men  were  not  even  dismounted  in  the  fight,  but  cannot  assert  positively.  When 
the  left  wing  of  the  enemy  had  approached  to  within  common  rifle  shot,  we 
commenced  firing  ;  and  very  soon  threw  the  northern  branch  of  the  enemy's 
line  into  disorder.  This  continued  some  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  wliich 
gave  us  an  uncommon  opportunity  to  annoy  them.  Captain  Cline  and  his  men 
soon  got  out  ot  ammunition,  and  retired  across  tlie  river. 

After  the  enemy  rallied,  we  kept  up  our  fire  ;  until,  by  the  leaving  ol  one 
and  another,  we  had  but  six  or  seven  left.      We  then  retired  across  the  river. 

We  had  one  man  killed  —  a  Mr.  Powers,  from  Captain  Cline's  company  — 
in  the  fight.  One  of  my  men,  a  Mr.  Partridge,  was  shot  in  crossing  the  river. 
Two  or  three  ot  the  party,  who  took  part  in  the  fight,  are  yet  missing,  and  may 
be  lost  or  taken  prisoners.  Two  were  wounded,  viz:  Dr.  Updegraff  and  a 
Mr.  Collis. 

I  cannot  speak  in  too  high  terms  of  them,  and  of  many  others  1  have  not 
now  time  to  mention. 

One  ot  my  best  men,  together  with  myself,  was  struck  with  a  partially  spent 
ball  from  the  enemy,  in  the  commencement  of  the  fight,  but  we  were  only 
bruised.  The  loss  1  refer  to  is  one  of  my  missing  men.  The  loss  of  the 
enemy,  as  we  learn  by  the  different  statements  of  our  own,  as  well  as  their 
people,  was  some  thirty-one  or  two  killed,  and  from  forty  to  fifty  wounded. 
After  burning  the  town  to  ashes,  and  killing  a  Mr.  Williams  they  had  taken, 
whom  neither  party  claimed,  they  took  a  hasty  leave,  carrying  their  dead  and 
wounded  with  them.  They  did  not  attempt  to  cross  the  river,  nor  to  search 
for  us,  and  have  not  since  returned  to  look  over  their  work. 

I  give  this  in  great  haste,  in  the  midst  of  constant  interruptions.  My  second 
son  was  with  me  in  the  fight,  and  escaped  unharmed.  This  I  mention  for  the 
benefit  of  his  friends. 

Old  preacher  White,  I  hear,  boasts  of  having  killed  my  son.  Of  course  he  is 
a  Hon. 

John  Brown. 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  September  7,  1856. 


In  his  address  before  the  legislature  in  the  State  House  at  Boston, 
Feb.  18,  1857,  Siown  added  some  particulars  concerning  his  son's 
death.  He  said  :  ''  I  have  not  yet  told  all  I  saw  in  Kansas.  I  once 
saw  three  mangled  bodies,  two  of  which  were  dead,  and  one  alive,  but 
with  twenty  bullet  and  buckshot  holes  in  him,  after  the  two  murdered 
men  had  lain  on  the  ground,  to  be  worked  at  by  flies,  for  some 
eighteen  hours.  One  of  these  young  men  was  my  oiun  son."  He 
was  not  found  by  his  father  until  the  evening  of  that  day,  after  the 
retreat  of  the  Missouri  men.  His  death  was  a  murder  and  his  mur- 
derer was  Martin  White  a  preacher,  who  was  then  serving  as  a  soldier 
in  what  he  called   "the  law  and  order  militia,"  that   is,  the  Missouri 


Biographies.  2S3 

forces,  which,  upon  entering  Kansas,  were  made  a  part  of  the  pro- 
slavery  territorial  militia,  by  order  of  Secretary  Woodson,  himself  a 
Missouri  man,  who  was  for  a  (ew  days  acting  governor  of  Kansas. 
On  the  I  2th  of  September,  the  new  governor,  Geary  of  Pennsylvania, 
ordered  this  invading  militia  to  disband  and  disperse,  but  thev  did  not 
obey,  until  they  a^ain  had  a  taste  of  John  Brown's  quality  as  a  com- 
mander. Martin  White  was  afterwards  a  member'  of  the  pro-slavery 
legislature,  and  during  the  session  at  Lecompton  he  boasted  of  the 
killins:  of  Frederick  Brown.  On  his  wav  home  from  the  session  he 
was  himseif  waylaid  and  shot,  according  to  Mr.  Redpath.  This  was 
in  the  winter  after  the  fight  at  Osawatomie.  The  number  of  the 
pro-slavery  men  in  arms  at  Osawatomie  on  the  30th  of  August  was 
about  four  hundred,  while  John  Brown  had  just  fortv-one  men  in  his 
company.  On  the  21st  anniversary  of  this  fight,  in  1877,  a  monument 
to  Brown  and  his  men  was  consecrated  at  Osawatomie,  and  the  principal 
speech  on  the  occasion  was  made  by  Hon.  John  J.  Ingalls,  a  senator 
of  the  United  States,  from  the  state  of  Kansas. 

On  the  7th  of  September,  1855,  as  the  above  letter  shows,  John 
Brown  was  at  Lawrence.  He  went  from  there  to  Topeka,  soon 
after,  and  was  on  his  return  from  there  to  the  neighborhood  of  Osa- 
watomie, when  another  Missouri  army  invaded  Kansas  and  came  up 
to  destroy  Lawrence.  On  Sunday  the  14th  of  September,  at  a  time 
when  many  of  the  armed  men  of  Lawrence  were  absent  on  an  expe- 
dition to  Hickory  Point  (where  they  captured  a  fort  on  this  same 
Sunday),  the  people  of  the  town  were  alarmed  by  the  news  "that  2800 
Missourians  were  marching  down  upon  Lawrence  with  drums  beating 
and  with  eagles  upon  their  banners."  The  acttial  number,  as  reported 
by  Gov.  Geary,  who  visited  their  camp  at  P'ranklin,  on  Monday  the 
15th  was  2700,  and  their  leaders  were  Gen.  John  W.  Reid,  David 
R.  Atchison,  B.  F.  Stringfellow,  etc., —  the  same  who  had  led  the 
invasion  three  weeks  before.  The  whole  number  of  fighting  men  in 
Lawrence  that  Sunday  did  not  exceed  200,  and  many  of  them  were 
unarmed.  But  Brown  was  there  and  soon  made  himself  known. 
He  was  asked  to  take  command  of  the  defences  of  the  town  and 
though  he  declined,  he  did  in  fact  command.  Between  four  and  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  he  assembled  the  people  in  the  main  street, 
and,  mounted  on  a  dry -goods  box  in  the  midst  of  them,  he  made  this 
speech,  which  is  reported  by  one  who  heard  him  : 


'  From  Lykins  county. 

4.5 


354  History  of  Torrington. 

Gentlemen:  It  is  said  there  are  two  tliousand  five  hundred  Missourians  down 
at  Franklin,'  and  that  they  will  be  here  in  two  hours.  You  can  see  for  your- 
selves the  smoke  they  are  making  by  setting  fire  to  the  houses  in  that  town. 
Now  is  probably  the  last  opportunity  you  will  have  of  seeing  a  fight,  so  that 
you  had  better  do  your  best.  If  they  should  come  up  and  attack  us,  don't  yell 
and  make  a  great  noise,  but  remain  perfectly  silent  and  still.  Wait  till  they  get 
within-  twenty-five  yards  of  you  ;  get  a  good  object  ;  be  sure  you  see  the  ihind- 
sight  of  your  gun  ;  then  fire.  A  great  deal  o\  powder  and  lead  and  very  pre- 
cious time,  is  wasted  by  shooting  too  high.  You  had  better  aim  at  their  legs, 
than  at  iheir  heads.  In  cither  case,  be  sure  of  the  hind-sights  of  your  guns.  It 
is  from  the  neglect  of  this  that  I  myself  have  so  many  times  escaped  ;  for,  if 
all  the  bullets  that  have  ever  been  aimed  at  me  had  hit,  I  should  have  been  as 
full  of  holes  as  a  riddle." 

After  this  fitting  speech,  which  reminds  one  of  John  Stark  at  Bun- 
ker Hill  and  Bennington,  Brown  sent  his  small  force  to  the  few 
forts  and  breastworks  about  the  town,  and  ordered  all  the  men  who 
had  the  far-shooting  Sharpe's  rifle  —  then  a  new  weapon  —  to  go  out 
upon  the  prairie,  half  a  mile  south  ot  the  town,  where  by  this  time  the 
invading  horsemen  could  be  seen,  two  miles  off.  After  a  halt  for 
reconnoitering  purposes,  the  enemy  made  an  advance  upon  Brown's 
left,  and  came  within  half  a  mile  of  his  advance  guard,  just  as  the  sun 
was  setting.  Under  cover  of  the  dusk  some  of  them  came  nearer, 
but  the  discharge  of  a  few  Sharpe's  rifles,  and  the  approach  of  a 
brass  twelve  pounder  cannon,  which  Brown  ordered  up  to  support 
his  riflemen,  caused  the  enemy  to  turn  their  horses  and  retreat,  with- 
out any  further  attempt  to  take  the  town.  Captain  Brown's  own 
modest  accouiit  of  this  affair,  in  which  he  saved  Lawrence  from  de- 
struction, is  as  follows  : 

"I  know  well  that  on  or  about  the  14th  of  September,  1856,  a  large  force 
of  Missourians  and  other  rufRans,  said  by  Gov.  Geary  to  be  two  thousand  seven 
hundred  in  number,  invaded  the  territory,  burned  Franklin,  and  while  the 
smoke  of  that  place  was  going  up  behind  them,  they,  on  the  same  day,  made 
their  appearance  in  full  view  of,  and  within  about  a  mile  of  Lawrence  ;  nnd  I 
knozo  of  jio  reason  why  they  did  not  attack  that  place,  except  that  about  one  luin- 
drcd  free  state  men  volunteered  to  go  otit,  and  did  go  out  on  the  open  plain 
before  the  town,  and  gwc  the?n  the  vffer  of  a  fght ;  which,  after  getting  scat- 
tering shots  froin  our  men,  they  declined,  and  retreated  back  towards  Franklin. 
/  sazo  that  zvhole  thing.  The  government  troops  at  this  time  were  at  Lecomp- 
ton,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles  only  from  Lawrence,  with  Gov.  Geary  ;  and 
yet,  notwithstanding  runners  had  been  despatched  to  advise  him,  in  good  time, 
of  the  setting  out  and  approach  of  the  enemy  (who  had  to  march  some  forty 
miles  to  reach  Lawrence),  he  did  not,  on  that  memorable  occasion,  get  a  single 
soldier  on  the  ground  until  the  enemy  had  retreated  to  Franklin,  and  been  gone 
for  more  than  five  hours.      This  is  the  way  he  saved  Lawrence." 


*  A  small  town  five  miles  southeast  of  Lawrence. 


^' 


Biographies.  ^^^ 

Being  asked  who  commanded  the  Lawrence  men,  Brown  at  first 
evaded  the  question,  as  if  he  did  not  understand  it  ;  when  asked  a 
second  time,  he  repHed,  "No  one  —  that  he  had  himself  heen  re- 
quested to  take  comm'ind,  but  refused,  and  only  acted  as  their  adviser." 
It  was  bv  his  advice^  however,  that  the  town  was  saved.  When  that 
was  achieved,  its  deliverer  was  hunted  out  of  Kansas  by  the  very  troops 
of  the  federal  government  which  had  neglected  to  prevent  the  Missouri 
invasion.  He  left  Lawrence  for  northern  Kansas  before  the  20th  of 
September,  traveling  with  his  four  sons,  and  with  a  fugitive  slave 
■  whom  he  picked  up  on  the  way.  The  old  hero  was  sick,  as  he  often 
was,  and  travelled  slowly ;  appearing  to  be  a  land  surveyor  on  a 
journey.  He  had  a  light  wagon  in  which  he  rode,  with  his  surveyor's 
instruments  ostentatiously  in  sight  ;  a  cow  was  tied  behind  the  wagon, 
and  inside,  covered  up  in  a  blanket,  was  the  fugitive  slave.  Som.etimes 
he  pitched  his  camp  at  night  near  the  dragoons  who  were  ordered  to 
arrest  him,  but  who  little  suspected  that  the  formidable  fighter  was 
so  near  them  in  the  guise  of  a  feeble  old  man.  At  Plymouth,  not 
far  from  the  Nebraska  border,  Mr.  Redpath,  in  one  of  his  journey's 
through  the  territory,  found  him  lying  ill  in  a  log  hut,  while  his  four 
sons  were  camped  near  by.  A  few  hours  after,  the  dragoons,  hearing 
he  was  so  near  them,  came  up  to  arrest  him,  but  he  had  crossed  the 
border  into  Nebraska,  and  was  out  of  their  reach.  He  went  forward 
till  he  came  to  Tabor  in  Iowa,  not  far  northeast  of  Nebraska  City, 
and  there  remained  among  friends  for  two  or  three  weeks,  in  Octo- 
ber and  November.  In  the  latter  month  he  reached'  Chicago,  and 
made  himself  known  to  the  National  Kansas  Committee,  which  then 
had  head  quarters  in  that  city.  Afterwards  he  traveled  eastward,  to 
Ohio,  to  Peterboro,  N.  Y.,  where  he  visited  his  friend  Gerrit  Smith, 
to  Albany  and  Springfield,  and  finally  to  Boston,  where  I  first  saw 
him  in  the  early  part  of  January,  1857. 

As  John  Brown,  in  the  autumn  of  1856,  passed  northward  through 
Kansas,  Nebraska  and  Iowa,  retreating  slowly  and  painfully  out  of 
the  land  he  had  so  stoutly  defended,  he_ieft ..behind  him  thexecent 
gcave  of  one  of  his  six  sons,  murdered  at  Osawatomie.  Another  son 
had  been  a  prisoner  and  a  maniac,  driven  wild  by  his  hardships  ;  a 
third  son^was  shockingly  wounded,  and  so  was  Henry  Thompson, 
the  husband  of  his  beloved  eldest  daughter,  Ruth.  His  whole  fam 
had  been  stripped  of  their  little  property,  and  the  father  himself  was 
'destitute.  So  scanty  was  his  wardrobe  that  he  wore  at  Osawatomie 
on  the  30th  of  August  the  same  garments  that  he  had  almost  worn 


2S^  History  of   Torrington. 

out  in  the  fight  of  Black  Jack  on  the  2d  of  June.  He  had  been 
waging  war  at  his  own  cost  and  risk  ;  and  though  the  anti-slavery 
men  of  the  north  had  given  money  by  the  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
to  aid  the  Kansas  farmers  in  their  fight  with  slavery,  scarcely  a  dollar 
of  this  had  reached  the  man  who  could  best  have  used  it.  But  he 
had  made  himself  known  to  his  countrymen  for  what  he  was,  and 
began  to  draw  to  him  that  admiration  and  love  which  has  now  become 
his  portion  forever.  Afflictions,  though  neither  light,  nor  for  a  moment, 
were  working  out  for  him,  as  the  Apostle  promises,  '•'a  far  more  ex- 
ceeding and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  Of  this  he  had  himself  some' 
intimation,  vouchsafed  him,  doubtless,  by  that  Infinite  Wisdom,  which 
has  ordered  and  foreordained  all  that  eternity  can  bring  to  pass. 
'^  After  brother  John's  return  from  Kansas,"  said  Jeremiah  Brown,  "■  he 
called  on  me  in  Ohio,  and  1  urged  him  to  go  home  to  his  family  and 
attend  to  his  private  affairs  ;  saying  that  I  feared  his  course  would  prove 
his  own  destruction,  and  that  of  his  boys.  He  replied  that  he  was 
sorry  I  did  not  sympathize  with  him  ;  that  he  knew  he  was  in  the 
line  of  his  duty,  and  must  pursue  it,  though  it  should  destj"oy  him  and 
his  family  ;  that  he  was  satisfied  he  was  a  chosen  instrument  in  the  hands 
of  God  to  luar  against  davery."  This  faith  had  sustained  him  in 
Kansas,  and  it  was  to  sustain  him  in  his  more  perilous  work  hereafter. 
When  John  Brown  first  called  on  me  in  Boston,  in  January  1857, 
bringing  a  letter  of  introduction  from  my  brother-in-law,  Mr.  George 
Walker  of  Springfield,  he  was  in  his  57th  year,  and,  though  touched 
with  age  and  its  infirmities,  was  still  vigorous  and  active,  and  of  an 
aspect  which  would  have  made  him  distinguished  anywhere  among 
men  who  know  hew  to  recognize  courage  and  greatness  of  mind. 
At  that  time  he  was  close  shaven,  and  no  flowing  beard,  as  in  later 
years,  softened  the  force  of  his  firm,  wide  mouth  and  his  positive  chin. 
That  beard,  long  and  gray,  which  nearly  all  his  portraits  now  show, 
and  by  which  he  will  be  recognized  hereafter,  added  a  picturesque 
finish  to  a  face  that  was  in  all  its  features  severe  and  masculine,  yet 
with  a  latent  tenderness  in  them.  His  eyes  were  a  piercing  blue-gray. 
not  very  large,  looking  out  from   under  brows 

"  Of' dauntless  courage  and  considerate  pride." 

His  hair  was 'dark  brown  sprinkled  with  grav,  short  and  bristling,  and 
shooting  back  from  a  forehead  of  middle  height  and  breadth  ;  his  nose 
was  aquiline,  his  ears  were  large,  his  frame  angular,  his  voice  deep  and 
metallic,  his  walk  positive  and  intrepid,  though  somewhat  slow.  His 
manner  was  modest,  and  in  a  large  company  even  diffident  ;  he  was  by 


Biographies. 


357 


no  means  fluent  of  speech,  but  his  words  were  always  to  the  point,  and 
his  observations  original,  direct,  and  shrewd.  His  mien  was  serious 
and  patient  rather  than  cheerful  ;  it  betokened  the  "  sad  wise  valor" 
which  Herbert  praises  ;  but,  though  earnest  and  almost  anxious,  it  was 
never  depressed.  In  short,  he  was  then,  to  the  eye  of  insight,  what 
he  afterwards  seemed  to  the  world,  a  brave  and  resolved  man,  con- 
scious of  a  work  laid  upon  him,  and  confident  that  he  should  ac- 
complish it.  His  figure  was  tall,  slender  and  commanding,  his  bearing 
military,  and  his  garb  showed  a  singular  blending  of  the  soldier  and 
"the  deacon.  He  had  laid  aside  in  Chicago  the  torn  and  faded  sum- 
mer garments  which  he  wore  throughout  his  campaigns,  and  I  saw 
him  at  one  of  those  rare  periods  in  his  life  when  his  clothes  were  new. 
He  wore  a  complete  suit  of  brown  broadcloth  or  kerseymere,  cut  in 
the  fashion  of  a  dozen  years  before,  and  giving  him  the  air  of  a  re- 
spectable deacon  in  a  rural  parish.  But  instead  of  a  collar  he  had  on 
a  high  stock  of  patent  leather,  such  as  soldiers  used  to  wear,  a  gray 
military  overcoat  with  a  cape,  similar  to  that  afterwards  worn  in  the 
Confederate  army,  and  a  fur  cap.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  Puritan  soldier, 
such  as  were  common  enough  in  Cromwell's  day,  but  have  not  often 
been  seen  since.  Yet  his  heart  was  averse  to  bloodshed,  gentle,  ten- 
der and  devout. 

It  was  my  privilege,  and  for  a  young  man  of  twenty-six  certainly 
an  undeserved  good  fortune,  to  make  Captain  Brown  acquainted  with 
famous  men  who  then  allowed  me  the  honor  of  their  friendship.  I 
took  him  to  the  hospitable  home  of  Theodore  Parker,  in  Exeter  place 
Boston,  where  he  met  William  Lloyd  Garrison  and  Wendell  Phillips  ; 
I  introduced  him  to  that  chivalrous  man,  the  late  Dr.  Howe  ;  and  a 
few  months  later  I  brought  him  to  Concord  and  made  him  acquainted 
with  Emerson,  Thoreau  and  Alcott.  Upon  all  these  men  he  made 
a  profound  impression,  which  several  of  them  have  since  declared  to 
the  world,  when  his  fame  seemed  to  need  the  voice  of  a  friend,  and 
before  the  echoes  of  his  renown  silenced  the  murmurs  that  the  act 
of  a  hero  so  often  awakens.  I  find  among  my  papers  a  letter  of  Dr. 
Howe's  sent  me  from  New  York  early  in  1859,  when  Howe  and 
Theodore  Parker  were  about  sailing  on  that  voyage  from  which  only 
one  of  them  returned.  It  was  intended  to  introduce  Brown  to  our 
friend  Mr.  John  VI.  Forbes,  but,  for  some  accidental  reason  was 
never  so  used,  and  has  never  been  published.      Here  it  is  : 


358  History  of  Torrington. 

"  New  York,   Feb.  5,  '59. 
"  Dear  Sir  : 

It  you  would  like  to  hear  an  honest,  brave,  keen  and  veteran  backwoods- 
man disclose  some  plans  for  delivering  our  lands  from  the  curse  of  slavery, 
the  bearer  will  do  so. 

I  think  I  know  him  well  ;  he  is  of  the  Puritan  militant  order.  He  is  an 
enthusiast,  yet  cool,  keen  and  cautious.  He  has  a  marivr's  spirit.  He  will 
ask  nothing  of  you   but  the  pledge  that  you  keep  to   yourself  what  he  may  say. 

Faithfully  yours, 

John  M.  Forbes,  Esq.  S.  6.  Howe." 

"He  will  ask  nothing  of  you,  but  the  pledge  that  you  keep  to  your- 
self what  he  may  say."  This  was,  in  fact,  the  attitude  of  John 
Brown  towards  his  friends  after  he  returned  to  the  eastern  states 
from  his  first  Kansas  campaign,  but  should  they  be  moved  by  what 
he  said  to  give  him  money,  or  to  enlist  in  his  company,  for  perpetual 
and  active  warfare  upon  slavery,  he  welcomed  the  recruit  and  ex" 
pressed  his  thanks  to  the  contributor.  In  1857,  when  I  first  saw 
him,  although  his  Virginia  plans  were  already  formed,  and  had  been 
for  many  years,  he  said  nothing  of  them,  but  talked  of  Missouri  and 
Kansas,  His  immediate  purpose  was  to  raise  a  troop  of  horse,  a 
hundred  men,  who  might  retaliate  upon  Missouri  slave-holders  for 
the  raids  they  had  been  making  into  Kansas.  ^C '-'  - 

In  1859,  when  Dr.  Howe  wrote  to  Mr.  Forbes,  Brown  had  dis- 
closed to  a  few  of  us,  his  Virginia  scheme,  in  all  its  main  features 
though  not  with  full  details.  But  the  Missouri  plan  and  the  Vir- 
ginia plan  were  at  heart  the  same,  their  object  being  to  make  slave 
holding  unsafe,  and  to  give  the  slave  a  chance  to  fight  for  his  free- 
dom under  rigid  discipline,  and  not  in  the  wild  tumult  of  an  insur- 
rection. This  very  policy  of  John  Brown's  was  adopted  in  1861  by 
Gen.  Fremont,  in  1862  by  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  in  1863-4,  by 
Secretary  Stanton,  after  pressure  from  Gov.  Andrew  of  Massachu- 
setts and  other  earnest  men  in  all  parts  of  the  north.  It  was  the 
policy  that  finally  overcame  the  rebellion,  and  put  an  end  to  the  long 
civil  war.  John  Brown  led  the  way  in  this  policy,  and  the  great  heart 
of  the  people,  wiser  in  its  impulses  than  the  statesmen  in  their  coun- 
cils, early  responded  to  the  appeal  that  John  Brown  had  made. 
Nothino;  else  than  this  made  the  name  and  fate  of  Brown  the  watch- 
word  and  rallying  song  of  our  armies.  Hardly  had  the  civil  war 
begun  in  good  earnest,  when  a  regiment  of  Massachusetts  soldiers 
with  a  son  of  Daniel  Webster  at  their  head,  came  marching  up 
State  street  (where,  ten   years  before,  fugitive  slaves  were  dragged 


Biographies.  359 

back  to  bondage^  under  the  flag  of  the  United  States),  startling  the 
echoes  of  Boston  with   the  new  song  : 

John  Brown's  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave, 
John  Brown's  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave, 
John  Brown's  body  lies  mouldering  in  the  grave, 
But  his  soul's  marching  on. 

Glory,  glory,  hallelujah  ! 
Glory,  glory,  hallelujah  ! 
Glory,  glory,  hallelujah  ! 
His  soul's   marching  on. 

John  Brown's  knapsack  is  strapped  upon  his  back, 
And  his  soul's  marching  on. 

He's  gone  to  be  a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Lord, 
His  soul  is  marching  on." 

The  words  were  wild  and  rude,  nobody  knew  whence  they  came, 
nor  from  what  pious  soul  the  devout,  militant  melody  first  sounded 
forth;  but  there  they  were,  the  rough,  earnest  words,  the  martial  air, 
wedded  in  one  strain  of  popular  music  and  sung  by  a  million  voices. 
It  was  the  requiem  and  the  resurrection  hymn  of  a  hero,  sounding 
from  the  roused  heart  of  the  people,  as  the  forest  murmur  rises  when 
mountain  winds  stir  the  branches  of  oak  and  pine  on  a  thousand  hill- 
tops of  New  England. 

But  I  am  anticipating  the  course  of  history,  just  as  my  brave  old 
friend  did.  His  special  errand  to  me,  in  1857,  and  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Kansas  committee,  of  which  I  was  then  secretary,  was  to 
provide  at  once  for  the  defence  of  Kansas  by  carrying  the  war  into 
the  enemy'scountry.  During  the  month  of  January,  and  indeed,  in  a 
few  days  after  he  reached  Boston,  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the 
men  there  whom  he  wished  to  consult,  of  iMr,  George  L.  Stearns,  Dr. 
Cabot,  Theodore  Parker,  Amos  A.  Lawrence,  Judge  Russell,  Dr. 
Howe,  Mr.  Garrison,  and  all  who  were  then  conspicuous  in  maintain- 
ing the  cause  of  the  Kansas  pioneers.  His  desire  was  to  obtain  control 
of  some  two  hundred  Sharpe's  rifles,  belonging  to  the  Massachusetts 
committee,  with  which  to  arm  a  force  of  a  hundred  men  for  the  pur- 
pose of  defending  Kansas  and  making  excursions,  if  necessary  into 
Missouri  and  other  slave  states.  Keeping  his  Virginia  plan  in  mind, 
he  yet  did  not  communicate  it  to  any  person  in  Massachusetts  for 
more  than  a  year;  only  taking  pains  to  say  that  with  the  arms, 
money,  and  clothing  that  he  might  get  for  his  company,  he  should 
act  on  his  own  responsibility,  without  taking  orders  from  any  com- 


360  History  of  Torrington. 

mittee.  With  this  understanding,  and  having  great  confidence  in 
him,  the  Massachusetts  committee,  on  the  8th  of  January,  1857, 
gave  him  an  order  for  taking  possession  of  the  two  hundred  rifles, 
with  their  belongings,  then  stored  at  Tabor,  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  Iowa.  This  order  did  not  authorize  him  to  make  any  use  of 
the  arms,  though  it  appropriated  five  hundred  dollars  for  his  expenses  in 
getting  possession  of  them  ;  and  it  was  not  until  April  1 1 ,  three  months 
later,  that  a  vote  was  passed  allowing  Captain  Brown  to  sell  a  hun- 
dred of  the  rifles  to  free  state  inhabitants  of  Kansas.  At  the  same 
time  another  sum  of  live  hundred  dollars  was  voted  him,  to  be  used 
"  for  the  relief  of  persons  in  Kansas."  The  arms  thus  placed  at 
his  disposal  were  a  part  of  those  afterwards  carried  by  him  to  Haiper's 
Ferry,  and,  as  the  true  nature  of  the  transaction  by  which  they  came, 
honestly,  into  his  possession  for  use  in  Virginia,  has  never  been  well 
understood,  it  may  here  be  explained. 

In  the  winter  of  1855-56  a  large  subscription  was  collected  in 
Boston  by  Dr.  Samuel  Cabot  and  others,  expressly  for  the  purchase 
of  arms"  for  Kansas  settlers.  With  this  money  a  hundred  Sharpe's 
rifles  and  some  other  arms  were  purchased  by  Dr.  Cabot  and  for- 
warded to  Kansas  early  in  1856.  These,  however,  were  no  part  of 
the  arms  of  Captain  Brown,  which  were  purchased  by  the  Massa- 
chusetts State  Kansas  Committee  in  the  autumn  of  1856,  and  for- 
warded, through  the  National  Committee,  having  its  head-quarters  at 
Chicago,  by  the  Iowa  and  Nebraska  route  to  Kansas.  The  two 
hundred  rifles  never  seem  to  have  got  farther  than  Tabor,  where  they 
were  lying  when  Captain  Brown  made  his  exit  from  Kansas  by  that 
route,  in  November.  On  reaching  Chicago,  soon  after,  he  appears 
to  have  made  application  to  Messrs.  George  W,  Dole,  J.  D.  Web- 
ster (afterwards  General  Webster,  of  General  Grant's  stafi^),  and 
Henry  B.  Hurd,  the  Chicago  members  of  the  National  Committee, 
for  the  custody  of  the  rifles  at  Tabor.  This  application  was  not 
granted,  perhaps  because  the  committee  distrusted  Captain  Brown,  per- 
haps because  they  recognized  the  Massachusetts  committee  as  owners 
of  the  arms.  The  Chicago  committee  did  afterwards,  however,  lay 
claim  to  the  control  of  these  rifles  ;  and  one  reason  for  the  Massa- 
chusetts vote  of  January  8,  1857,  above  alluded  to,  was  to  place 
them  in  the  hands  of  a  man  who  had  shown  his  ability  to  protect 
whatever  was  in  his  custody.  Before  taking  actual  possession  of 
them,  Captain  Brown  attended  a  full  meeting  of  the  National  Com- 
mittee at  the  Astor  House  in   New  York,  January  22-25,  ^^S7->  ^^^ 


Biographies.  361 

the  purpose  of  securing  an  appropriation  from  that  committee  for  his 
company  of  minute-men;  and,  in  order  to  settle  the  question,  which 
of  the  two  committees  controlled  the  rifles  at  Tabor,  he  made  a  re- 
quest for  those  arms  as  a  part  of  the  appropriation.  This  request  was 
vehemently  opposed  by  Mr.  Hurd  of  Chicago,  who  expressed  great 
anxiety  lest  Brown  should  make  incursions  into  Missouri  or  other 
slave  states.  Mr,  F.  B.  Sanborn,  who  represented  Massachusetts 
at  the  Astor  House  meeting,  as  proxy  for  Drs.  Cabot  and  Howe, 
supported  the  application  of  Captain  Brown,  which  was  viewed  with 
favor  by  a  majority  of  the  meeting.  As  a  final  compromise,  it  was 
voted  that  the  rifles  at  Tabor  should  be  restored  to  the  Massachusetts 
committee,  to  be  disposed  of  as  they  should  think  best  ;  and  that  an 
appropriation  of  several  thousand  dollars,  in  money  and  clothing, 
should  be  made  to  Captain  Brown's  company  by  the  National  Com- 
mittee. This  left  the  Massachusetts  committee  at  liberty  to  use 
their  own  property  as  they  saw  fit,  and  they  then  gave  Captain 
Brown  undisputed  possession  of  the  arms,  subject,  however,  to 
future  votes  of  the  Boston  committee.  In  point  of  fict,  though 
this  was  not  known  to  the  committee  till  a  year  later,  the  rifles  were 
brouc^ht  from  Tabor  to  Ohio  in  the  year  1857,  ^"^  remained  tJiere 
till  they  were  sent  to  Chambersburg  by  John  Brown,  Jr.,  in  July, 
1859,  for  use  at  Harper's  Ferry.  During  the  year  1857,  '•he  expen- 
ditures of  the'Massachusetts  committee  for  the  relief  of  the  famine  in 
Kansas  were  very  large  ;  and,  as  advances  of  money  were  made  by 
the  chairman  (Mr.  George  L.  Stearns,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Bos- 
ton), much  in  excess  of  the  current  receipts,  it  was  finally  voted  to 
give  him,  in  reimbursement,  most  of  the  property  and  assets  in  the 
hands  of  the  committee.  Among  these,  of  course,  were  the  two 
hundred  rifles,  and  it  was  with  the  consent  of  Mr.  Stearns  as  owner, 
but  without  the  consent  of  the  committee,  that  Brown,  in  1859, 
carried  these  rifles  to  Virginia. 

John  Brown  remained  in  Boston  and  its  vicinity  during  the  greater 
part  of  January  and  February,  1857,  ^"^  ^^^  there  again  in  the  early 
weeks  of  March  and  of  April.  On  the  i8th  of  February,  as  above 
mentioned,  he  made  the  speech,  from  which  quotations  have  been 
cited,  before  a  committee  of  the  state  legislature  to  urge  that  Massa- 
chusetts should  vote  an  appropriation  of  money  in  aid  of  the  emigrants 
from  the  state  who  had  settled  in  Kansas.  It  was  one  of  the  itvi 
speeches  made  by  him  in  Massachusetts  that  year,  and  was  mainly 
read  from  his  manuscript.      In  March  he  made  his  first  visit  to  Con- 

46 


362  History  of  Torrington. 

cord,  where  he  addressed  a  large  audience  in  the  Town  Hall,  and 
spoke  without  notes,  in  a  very  impressive  and  eloquent  manner. 
Among  his  hearers  were  Mr.  R.  W.  Emerson  and  iVIr.  Henrv  D. 
Thoreau,  who  had  met  him  the  preceding  day,  under  circumstances 
that  it  may  be  interesting  to  mention,  since  both  these  gentlemen 
were  his  warm  admirers,  and  took  up  his  cause  when  he  had  but  few 
champions  among  the  scholars  of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Thoreau's 
noble  appeal  in  his  behalf,  given  at  Concord  on  Sunday  evening, 
October  30,  1859,  ^"^  repeated  at  the  Tremont  Temple  in  Boston, 
November  ist,  was  the  earliest  address  in  his  praise  to  which  the 
Massachusetts  public  listened,  as  it  still  is  the  best ;  and  it  was  soon 
followed  by  Mr.  Emerson's  famous  mention  of  Brown  in  a  Boston 
lecture  as  one  who  had  "made  the  gallows  glorious,  like  the  cross," 
and  by  his  speech  at  the  Tremont  Temple  relief  meeting,  November 
18,  1859,  at  which  John  A.  Andrew  presided. 

The  first  occasion  of  John  Brown's  visit  to  Concord  was  to  speak 
at  the  public  meeting  just  mentioned,  in  March,  1857,  which  had 
been  called  at  my  request.  On  the  day  appointed.  Brown  went  up 
from  Boston  at  noon  and  dined  with  Mr.  Thoreau,  then  a  member 
of  his  father's  family,  and  residing  not  far  from  the  rail  road  station. 
The  two  idealists,  both  of  them  in  revolt  against  the  civil  government 
then  established  in  this  country,  because  of  its  base  subservience  to 
slavery,  found  themselves  friends  from  the  beginning  of  their  ac- 
quaintance. They  sat  after  dinner,  discussing  the  events  of  the 
border  warfare  in  Kansas,  and  Brown's  share  in  them,  when,  as  it 
often  happened,  Mr.  Emerson  called  at  Mr.  Thoreau's  door  on  some 
errand  to  his  friend.  Thus  the  three  men  first  met  under  the  same 
roof,  and. found  that  they  held  the  same  opinion  of  what  was  upper- 
most in  the  mind  of  Brown.  He  did  not  reveal  to  them,  either  then 
or  later,  his  Virginia  plans  ;  but  he  declared  frankly,  as  he  always  did, 
his  purpose  of  attacking  slavery,  wherever  it  could  be  reached  ;  and 
this  was  the  sentiment  of  his  speech  at  the  evening  meeting,  when 
he  told  the  story  of  his  Kansas  life  to  the  grandsons  of  the  men  who 
began  the  war  of  the  Revolution  at  Concord  bridge.  He  spoke  of 
the  murder  of  one  of  his  seven  sons,  the  imprisonment  and  insanity 
of  another  ;  and  as  he  shook  before  his  audience  the  chain  which  his 
free-born  son  had  worn,  for  no  crime  but  for  resisting  slavery,  his 
words  rose  to  thrilling  eloquence,  and  made  a  wonderful  impression 
on  his  audience.  From  that  time  the  Concord  people  were  on  his 
side,  as  they  afterwards  testified  on  several  occasions.     He  was  again 


Biographies.  363 

in  Concord  for  several  days  in  April,  1857,  and  on  this  visit  was  the 
guest  of  Mr.  Emerson  for  a  day  ;  from  whose  house  he  drove  across 
the  country  to  Air.  Stearns's  house  at  Medford,  one  pleasant  Sunday 
morning  in  that  April.  The  journals  of  Emerson,  Thoreau,  and, 
two  years  later,  of  their  friend  Bronson  Alcott,  will  bear  witness  to 
the  impression  made  by  Captain  Brown  on  these  three  founders  of  a 
school  of  thought  and  literature. 

In  the  latter  part  of  March,  1857,  Captain  Brown,  in  company 
with  Martin  F,  Conway,  afterwards  a  member  of  congress  from 
Kansas,  and  myself,  representing  the  Massachusetts  committee, 
met  by  appointment  at  the  Metropolitan  Hotel  in  New  York,  and 
proceeded  in  company  to  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  where  Mr.  Andrew 
H.  Reeder,  a  former  governor  of  Kansas,  was  living,  for  the  purpose 
of  inducing  him,  if  possible,  to  return  to  Kansas,  and  become  the 
leader  of  the  free  state  party  there.  The  journey  was  undertaken  at 
the  request  of  the  Massachusetts  committee,  of  which  both  Brown 
and  Conway  had  been  agents.  It  resulted  in  nothing,  for  Governor 
Reeder  was  unwilling  to  leave  his  family  and  his  occupations  at  Easton 
to  engage  again  in  the  political  contests  of  Kansas.  Captain  Brown 
had  quite  a  different  conception  of  his  own  duty  to  his  family,  as 
compared  with  his  duty  to  the  cause  in  which  he  had  enlisted. 
Although  he  had  been  absent  from  home  nearly  two  years,  he  re- 
frained from  a  visit  to  North  Elba,  where  his  family  then  were,  until 
he  had  arranged  all  his  military  affairs  in  Boston,  New  York,  and 
Connecticut ;  and  he  finally  reached  his  rough  mountain  home  late  in 
April.  He  found  his  daughter  Ellen,  whom  he  had  left  ?.n  infant  in 
the  cradle,  old  enough  to  hear  him  sing  his  favorite  hymn,  "  Blow  ye 
the  trumpet,  blow  !"  to  the  old  tune  of  Lenox.  "■'  He  sung  all  his 
own  children  to  sleep  with  it,"  writes  his  daughter  Anne,  "  and  some 
of  his  grandchildren  too.  He  seemed  to  be  very  partial  to  the  first 
verse;  I  think  that  he  applied  it  to  himself.  When  he  was  at  home 
(I  think  it  was  the  first  time  he  came  from  Kansas),  he  told  Ellen 
that  he  had  sung  it  to  all  the  rest,  and  must  to  her  too.  She  was 
afraid  to  go  to  him  alone  "  (the  poor  child  had  forgotten  her  father 
in  his  two  years'  absence),  "  so  father  said  that  I  must  sit  with  her. 
He  took  Ellen  on  one  knee  and  me  on  the  other  and  sung  it  to  us." 

It  was  on  this  visit  to  North  Elba  that  John  Brown  carried  with 
him  the  old  tombstone  of  his  grandfather.  Captain  John  Brown,  the 
revolutionary  soldier,  from  the  burial  place  of  his  family  in  Canton, 
Connecticut.      He  caused  the  name  of  his  murdered  son  Frederick, 


364  History  of  Torrington. 

who  fell  in  Kansas,  to  be  carved  on  this  stone,  with  the  date  of  his 
death,  and  placed  it  where  he  desired  his  own  grave  to  be,  beside  a 
huge  rock  on  the  hillside  where  his  house  stands,  giving  directions 
that  his  own  name  and  the  date  of  his  death  should  be  inscribed  there 
too,  when  lie  should  fall,  as  he  expected  in  the  conflict  with  slavery. 
That  stone  now  marks  his  grave  and  tells  a  story  which  more  costly 
monuments  and  longer  inscriptions  could  not  so  well  declare. 

Although  Capt.  Brown  spent  the  winter  of  1856-57  in  New  Eng- 
gland,  he  did  not  by  any  means  forget  or  neglect  his  family  at  North 
Elba,  but  busied  himself  in  securing  for  them  an  addition  to  the  two 
farms  in  the  wilderness  on  which  his  wife  and  his  married  daughter, 
Mrs.  Thompson,  were  then  living.  Several  of  his  Massachusetts 
friends,  chief  among  whom  were  Mr.  Amos  A.  Lawrence  and  Mr. 
Stearns,  raised  a  subscription  of  $1,000  to  purchase  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  for  division  in  equal  portions  between  these  farms. 
Mr.  Stearns  contributed  $260  to  this  fund,  and  Mr.  Lawrence  about 
the  same  amount  ;  these  two  gentlemen  having  made  up  the  sum  by 
which  the  original  subscription  fell  short  of  $1,000.  The  connec- 
tion of  Mr.  Lawrence  with  this  transaction,  and  his  personal  acquaint- 
ance with  Brown  in  1857,  were  afterwards  held  to  imply  that  he 
had  some  knowledge  of  Brown's  plans,  which  was  not  the  case. 
The  subscription  thus  raised  was  expended  in  completing  the  pur- 
chase of  the  tract  in  question,  originally  sold  by  Gerrit  Smith  to  the 
brothers  of  Henry  Thompson,  Brown's  son-in-law,  but  which  had 
not  been  wholly  paid  for.  In  August,  1857, as  the  agent  of  Messrs. 
Stearns  and  Lawrence,  I  visited  North  Elba,  examined  the  land,  paid 
the  Thompsons  their  stipulated  price  for  improvements,  and  to  Mr. 
Smith  the  remainder  of  the  purchase  money  ;  took  the  necessary 
deeds  and  transferred  the  property  to  Mrs.  Brown  and  Mrs.  Thomp- 
son, according  to  the  terms  arranged  by  Captain  Brown  in  the  pre- 
ceding spring.  At  this  time  neither  Gerrit  Smith,  nor  Mr.  Stearns, 
nor  myself  had  any  knowledge  of  Brown's  scheme  for  a  campaign  in 
Virginia.  But  that  he  was  preparing  for  it  at  that  time  is  clear  from 
certain  arrangements  he  had  made  in  Connecticut  in  this  same  spring 
of  1857. 

It  was  at  this  date  that  John  Brown  engaged  Mr.  Charles  Blair  of 
Collinsville,  to  make  for  him  the  thousand  pikes  which  he  carried  to 
Harper's  Ferry  in  1859.  At  the  senatorial  investigation  of  1859- 
60,  Mr.  Blair  told  the  story,  and  it  is  curious  enough  to  be  given 
here,  somewhat  abridged.      Mr.  Blair  testified    (January  23,   i860): 


Biographies.  2^5 

"I  knew  the  late  John  Brown  who  was  recently  executed  under  the  laws  of 
Virginia.  I  made  his  acquaintance  in  the  early  part  of  1857,  in  the  latter  part 
of  February  or  the  fore  part  of  March.  He  came  to  our  place,  Collmsville, 
as  I  suppose,  to  visit  connections  who  lived  in  our  town.  He  himself  was 
born,  as  I  have  understood,  at  Torringford,  ten  miles  from  there,  and  some  of 
his  relatives  lived  in  a  town  ten  miles  from  our  village.  He  spoke  in  a  public 
hall  one  evening,  and  gave  an  account  oi  some  of  his  experiences  in  Kansas, 
and,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  made  an  appeal  to  the  audience.  After 
stating  the  wants  of  many  of  the  free  settlers  in  Kansas,  their  privations 
and  need  of  clothing,  etc.,  he  made  an  appeal  for  aid,  for  the  purpose  of  fur- 
nishing the  necessaries  of  life,  as  he  declared.  I  think  there  was  no  collection 
taken  up  for  him  at  that  time.  On  the  following  morning,  he  was  exhibiting 
to  some  gentlemen  who  happened  to  be  collected  together  in  a  druggist's  store, 
some  weapons  which  he  claimed  to  have  taken  from  Captain  Pate  in  Kansas. 
Among  them  was  a  two  edged  dirk,  with  a  blade  about  eight  inches  long  and 
he  remarked  that,  if  he  had  a  lot  of  those  things  to  attach  to  poles  about  six 
feet  long,  thev  would  be  capital  weapons  of  defence  for  the  settlers  of  Kansas 
to  keep  in  their  log-cabins,  to  defend  themselves  against  any  sudden  attack  that 
might  be  made  on  them.' 

"  He  turned  to  me,  knowing,  as  I  suppose,  that  I  was  engaged  in  edge-tool 
making,  and  asked  me  what  I  would  make  them  for  ;  what  it  would  cost  to 
make  500  or  1,000  of  those  things,  as  he  described  them.  I  replied, 
without  much  consideration,  that  I  would  make  him  ^00  of  them  for  $1.25 
apiece;  or,  if  he  wanted  1,000,  I  thought  they  might  be  made  for  a  dollar 
apiece." 

Brown  at  once  contracted  for  1,000  of  these  pikes  at  one  dollar  each, 
and  Mr,  Blair  made  them  for  him,  doing  a  part  of  the  work  in  the  spring 
of  1857,  and  the  rest  in  the  summer  of  1859,  just  before  the  attack 
on  Harper's  Ferry.  They  were  all  along  intended  to  be  put  in  the 
hands  of  freed  slaves,  for  the  defence  of  the  log  forts  which  Brown 
proposed  to  build  in  Virginia,  Missouri,  Kentucky,  or  wherever  his 
attack  should  finally  be  made.  They  were  sent  by  Mr.  Blair  to 
Chambersburg,  Pa.,  early  in  September,  1859,  were  taken  to  the 
Kennedy  farm,  and  a  portion  of  them  were  carried  by  Brown's  men 
across  the  Potomac  to  arm  the  slaves  with.  They  were  paid  for  in 
the  early  summer  of  1859,  w'*^^  money  given  to  Brown  by  Gerrit 
Smith  and  George  L.  Stearns. 

Notwithstanding;  the  success  attendins;  some  of  his  efforts  in  New 
England  in  the  spring  of  1857,  J°^"  Brown  failed  to  raise  at  that 
time  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  equip  and  support  his  company  of 
mounted  minute-men,  and  he  left  Massachusetts,  late  in  April,  much 


'  I  remember  Brown's  showing  me  this  knife  of  Pate's,  which  he  was  then  in  the  habit 
of  carrying  in  the  leg  of  his  boot,  in  order  that  it  might  not  be  unpleasantly  obvious.  It 
was  what  is  jocularly  known  as  an  "  Arkansas  toothpick." 


366  History  of  Torrington. 

saddened  by  this  failure.  Before  leaving  Boston  he  wrote  a  brief 
paper  headed  "  Old  Brown's  Farewell  to  the  Plymouth  Rocks,  Bun- 
ker Hill  Monuments,  Charter  Oaks,  and  Uncle  Tom's  Cabins," 
in  which  he  says  he  had  been  trying,  since  he  came  out  of  Kansas, 
"  to  secure  an  outfit,  or,  in  other  words,  the  means  of  arming  and 
thoroughly  equipping  his  regular  minute  men,  who  are  mixed  up  with 
the  people  of  Kansas  ;"  but  that  he  goes  back  "  with  a  feeling  of 
deepest  sadness  that,  after  having  exhausted  his  own  small  means, 
and  with  his  family  and  his  brave  men  suffered  hunger,  cold,  naked- 
ness, and   some  of  them  sickness,    wounds,   imprisonment   in   irons, 

with    extreme   cruel   treatment,    and   others   death,  he  cannot 

secure,  amidst  all  the  wealth,  luxury,  and  extravagance  of  this 
'  Heaven-exalted  '  people,  even  the  necessary  supplies  of  the  common 
soldier."  He  had  formed  an  elaborate  plan  for  raising  and  drilling 
such  a  company  of  men,  and,  without  the  knowledge  of  his  Massa- 
chusetts friends,  had  engaged  an  English  Garibaldian,  Hugh  Forbes, 
whom  he  found  giving  fencing-lessons  in  New  York,  to  go  out  with 
him  to  Western  Iowa,  and  there  train  his  recruits  for  service  in  the 
field  against  slavery.  Disappointed  in  raising  the  money  he  had  ex- 
pected. Captain  Brown  was  obliged  to  cancel  his  engagement  with 
Forbes,  who,  as  the  event  proved,  was  a  very  useless  and  embarrass- 
ing person.  Forbes  had  traveled  from  New  York  to  Tabor  in  Iowa, 
in  July  and  August,  1857,  and  returned  early  in  November,  angry 
and  disappointed,  to  New  York,  whence  he  soon  began  to  write 
abusive  and  threatening  letters,  denouncing  Brown,  and  speaking  of 
his  plans  in  a  way  that  surprised  Brown's  Massachusetts  friends,  who 
had  never  heard  of  Forbes  before,  and  who  knew  absolutely  nothing 
of  the  grand  scheme  for  invading  Virginia.  It  may  be  that  this 
quarrel  with  P'orbes  impelled  Brown  to  impart  his  plans  more  fully 
to  his  Massachusetts  friends,  or  a  few  of  them  ;  at  any  rate,  he  did 
so  impart  them,  early  in  the  year  1858,  and  in  a  manner  which  will 
be  hereafter   related. 

It  is  to  this  period  of  Brown's  life  that  the  incident  belongs  which 
Mr.  Redpath  alone  has  commemorated,  and  which  some  have 
doubted  —  his  single  interview  with  Charles  Sumner  in  the  spring  of 
1857.      ^'^-  Redpath  says: 

"  I  visited  Senator  Sumner  in  his  house  in  Hancock  street  to  introduce  John 
Brown,  then  known  only  as  a  Kansas  captain  who  had  done  some  service  in 
driving  back  the  Southern  invaders.  The  classical  orator  and  the  guerilla  chief 
then  met  for  the  first  time,  and,  I  believe,  for  the  only  time  in  their  lives.    Each 


Biographies.  367 

was  impressed  with  the  character  of  the  other,  and  they  talked  long  and  earnestly 
about  the  struggle  in  the  Far  West. 

This  I  recall  ;  but  1  wrote  down  a  single  sentence  only  that  each  of  them 
uttered  on  that  topic. 

'No,'  said  Brown,  'I  did  not  intend  ever  to  settle  in  Kansas  unless  I 
happened  to  find  my  last  home  there.* 

'  In  that  case,'  rejoined  Sumner,  *  vours,  like  mine,  would  be  a  long  home.' 

The  senator  was  suffering  from  the  blows  of  ihe  assassin  Brooks,  of  South 
Carolina,  at  this  time,  and  lay  on  his  bed  during  the  whole  of  the  interview. 

The  talk  turned  on  the  assault.      Suddenly  the  old   man  asked  iVlr.  Sumner: 

'  Have  you  still  the  coat  ?' 

'  Yes,'  replied  Sumner  ;  '  it  is  in  that  closet.      Would  you  like  to  see  it?' 

'  Very  much,  indeed,'  returned  the  captain. 

Mr.  Sumner  rose  slowly  and  painfully  from  his  bed,  opened  a  closet  door 
and  handed  the  garment  to  John  Brown.  I  shall  never  forget  that  impressive 
picture.  Mr.  Sumner  was  bending  slightly,  and  supported  himselt  by  resting 
his  liand  on  the  bed,  while  Captain  Brown  stood  erect  as  a  pillar,  holding  up 
the  blood-smeared  coat  and  intently  scanning  it.  The  old  man  said  nothing, 
but  his  lips  were  compressed  and  his  eyes  shone  like  polished  steel." 

In  the  autumn  of  1857,  John  Brown  was  in  Western  Iowa,  and 
wrote  from  there  to  his  friend  Theodore  Parker,  on  the  ilth  of 
September,  enclosing  an  address  to  soldiers  of  the  United  States 
army  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  which  was  written  by  Brown's  drill 
master,  Hugh  Forbes,  and  was  intended  to  be,  as  Brown  tells  Parker, 
"  the  first  number  of  a  series  of  tracts,"  for  distribution  when  his 
great  work  should  really^  begin.  It  was  a  dull  and  heavy  paper,  like 
most  that  Forbes  wrote,  and  probably  Parker  caused  Brown  to  know 
what  his  opinion  of  it  was.  In  the  same  letter.  Brown  says  :  "  My 
particular  object  in  writing  is  to  say  that  I  am  in  immediate  want  of 
^500  or  $1000,  for  secret  service  and  no  questions  asked.  I  want 
the  friends  of  freedom  to  'prove  me  one  herewith.'  Will  you  bring 
this  matter  before  your  congregation,  or  exert  your  influence  in  some 
way  to  have  it,  or  some  part  of  it,  raised  and  put  in  the  hands  of 
George  L.  Stearns  Esq.,  Boston,  subject  to  my  order  t ''  Similar 
letters  were  sent  to  Mr.  Stearns  and  to  me,  but  it  was  not  easy  in 
that  autumn,  when  business  was  greatly  depressed  by  the  panic  of 
1857,  to  raise  money  for  so  indefinite  an  object.  I  find  that  I  sent 
him  some  money,  which  he  received  on  the  3d  of  October,  and 
others  contributed  something.  But  no  movement  was  made  before 
winter,  nor  did  he  disclose  to  us  his  purposes.  In  January,  1858, 
however,  he  suddenly  left  Kansas  without  the  knowledge  of  his 
friends  there,  and  appeared,  in  the  beginning  of  February,  at  the 
house  of  Frederick  Douglass  in  Rochester,  New  York.  From  there 
he  wrote,  February  2,  1858,  to  Theodore  Parker,  George  L.  Stearns, 


368  History  of  Torrington. 

F.  B.  Sanborn,  and  Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson,  asking  them  to 
aid  him  in  raising  a  small  sum  of  money  to  carry  out  "an  important 
measure  in  which  the  world  has  a  deep  interest,"  This  he  tells  Mr. 
Parker,  is  his  only  errand  at  the  east,  and  he  goes  on  ;  ''I  have 
written  some  of  our  mutual  friends  in  regard  to  it,  but  none  of  them 
understand  my  views  so  well  as  you  do,  and  I  cannot  explain  with- 
out their  committing  themselves  more  than  I  know  of  their  doing.  I 
have  heard  that  Parker  Pillsbury,  and  some  others  in  your  quarter, 
hold  out  ideas  similar  to  those  on  which  I  act,  but  I  have  no  personal 
acquaintance  with  them,  and  know  nothing  of  their  influence  or 
means.  Do  you  think  any  of  our  Garrisonian  friends,  either  at  Bos- 
ton, Worcester,  or  in  any  other  place,  can  be  induced  to  supply  a  little 
straw  "  if  I  will  absolute  make  'bricks?  I  must  beg  of  you  to  con- 
sider this  communication  strictly  confidential,  unless  you  know  of 
parties  who  will  feel  and  act  and  hold  their  peace. "^ 

Brown's  letters  of  the  same  date  and  for  a  few  weeks  after,  to 
Col.  Higginson  and  to  me,  were  of  a  similar  tenor,  though  rather 
•more  explicit,  but  they  conveyed  no  distinct  intimation  of  his  plans. 
He  wrote  to  Higginson,  February  2,  from  Rochester:  "I  am  here, 
concealing  my  whereabouts  for  good  reasons  (as  I  think),  not,  how- 
ever, from  any  anxiety  about  my  personal  safety.  I  have  been  told 
that  you  are  both  a  true  man  and  a  true  abolitionist^  and  I  partly  be- 
lieve the  whole  story.  Last  fall  I  undertook  to  raise  from  five  hun- 
dred to  one  thousand  dollars  for  secret  service^  and  succeeded  in 
getting  five  hundred  dollars,  I  now  want  to  get,  for  the  perfecting 
of  by  far  the  most  important  undertaking  of  my  whole  life,  five  hun- 
dred to  eight  hundred  dollars  within  the  next  sixty  days.  I  have 
written  Rev.  Theodore  Parker,  George  L.  Stearns,  and  F.  B.  San- 
born, Esquires,  on  the  subject,  but  do  not  know  as  either  IVIr. 
Stearns  or  Mr.  Sanborn  are  abolitionists.  1  suppose  they  are."  On 
the  1 2th  of  February  he  wrote  again  in  response  to  a  remark  in 
Higginson's  reply  about  the  Underground  rail  road  in  Kansas  :  "  Rail 
road  business  on  a  somewhat  extended  scale  is  the  identical  object 
for  which  I  am  trying  to  get  means.  I  have  been  connected  with 
that  business,  as  commonly  conducted^  from  myl)oyhood,  and  never  let 
an  opportunity  slip.  I  have  been  operating  to  some  purpose  the  past 
season,  but  I  now  have  a  measure  on  foot  that  I  feel  sure  would 
awaken  in  you  something  more  than  a  common  interest,  if  you 
could  understand  it.      I  have  just  written  my  friends  G.  L.   Stearns 


'  Weiss's  Life  of  Theodore  Parker,  vol.  ii,  pp.  163,   164. 


Biographies.  369 

and  F.  B.  Sanborn,  asking  them  to  meet  me  for  consultation  at 
Peterboro,  N.  Y.  I  am  very  anxious  to  have  you  come  along,  certain 
as  I  feel  that  you  will  never  regret  having  been  one  of  the  council." 
It  was  inconvenient  for  any  of  the  persons  addressed  to  take  the  long 
journey  proposed,  and  on  the  13th,  I  wrote  for  myself  and  Mr. 
Stearns,  inviting  Brown  to  visit  Boston,  and  offering  to  pay  his  traveling 
expenses.  To  this  request  Brown  replied,  February  17th:  "  It  would 
be  almost  impossible  for  me  to  pass  through  Albany,  Springfield,  or 
any  of  those  parts,  on  my  way  to  Boston,  and  not  have  it  known  ; 
and  my  reasons  for  keeping  quiet  are  such  that,  when  I  left  Kansas, 
I  kept  it  from  every  friend  there  ;  and  I  suppose  it  is  still  understood 
that  I  am  hiding  somewhere  in  the  territory;  and  such  will  be  the 
idea  until  it  comes  to  be  generally  known  that  I  am  in  these  parts. 
I  want  to  continue  that  impression  as  long  as  I  can,  or  for  the  present. 
I  want  very  much  to  see  Mr.  Stearns,  and  also  Mr.  Parker,  and  it 
may  be  that  I  can  before  long  ;  but  I  must  decline  accepting  your 
kind  offer  at  present,  and  sorry  as  I  am  to  do  so,  ask  you  both  to 
meet  me  by  the  middle  of  next  week  at  the  furthest.  I  wrote  Mr. 
Higginson  of  Worcester  to  meet  me  also.  It  may  be  he  would  come 
on  with  you.  My  reasons  for  keeping  still  are  sufficient  to  keep  me 
from  seeing  my  wife  and  children,  much  as  I  long  to  do  so.  I  will 
endeavor  to  explain  when  I  see  you."  This  letter  was  written  from 
Rochester. 

Mr.  Stearns  being  still  unable  to  accept  this  second  and  pressing 
request  from  Brown  for  a  meeting  at  Peterboro,  I  determined  to  go, 
and  invited  Colonel  Higginson  to  join  me  at  Worcester  on  the  20th. 
In  fact  I  made  the  journey  alone,  and  reached  the  place  of  meeting 
on  the  evening  of  Washington's  birthday,  February  22d.  A  few 
friends  of  Brown  were  there  gathered,  among  them  another  Massa- 
chusetts man,  Mr.  Edwin  Morton  of  Plymouth,  now  of  Boston,  but 
then  residing  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Gerrit  Smith  as  tutor  and  private 
secretary.  In  the  long  winter  evening  which  followed,  the  whole 
outline  of  Brown's  campaign  in  Virginia  was  laid  before  the  little 
council,  to  the  astonishment  and  almost  the  dismay  of  all  present. 
The  constitution  which  he  had  drawn  up  for  the  government  of  his 
men,  and  such  territory  as  they  might  occupy,  and  which  was  found 
among  his  papers  at  the  Kennedy  farm,  was  exhibited  by  Brown,  its 
provisions  recited  and  explained,  the  proposed  movements  of  his  men 
indicated,  and  the  middle  of  May  was  named  as  the  time  of  the  at- 
tack.     To   begin  this    hazardous  adventure   he  asked   for   but   eight 

47 


370  History  of  Torrington. 

hundred  dollars,  and  would  think  himself  rich  with  a  thousand.  Being 
questioned  and  opposed  by  his  friends,  he  laid  before  them  in  detail 
his  methods  of  organization  and  fortification  ;  of  settlement  in  the 
South,  if  that  were  possible,  and  of  retreat  through  the  North,  if 
necessary  ;  and  his  theory  of  the  way  in  which  such  an  invasion 
would  be  received  in  the  country  at  large.  He  desired  from  his 
friends  a  patient  hearing  of  his  statements,  a  candid  opinion  concern- 
ing them,  and,  if  that  were  favorable,  then  that  they  should  co-ope- 
rate with  him  and  persuade  others  to  do  so.  This  was  the  important 
business  which  he  had  to  communicate  on  the  anniversary  of  Wash- 
ington's birthday. 

After  what  has  passed  in  the  last  twenty  years,  no  one  can  picture 
to  himself  the  startling  effect  of  such  a  plan,  heard  for  the  first  time 
in  the  dismal  days  of  Buchanan's  administration,  when  Floyd  was 
secretary  of  war,  and  Jefferson  Davis  and  Senator  Mason  omnipo- 
tent in  congress.  Those  who  listened  to  Captain  Brown  had  been 
familiar  with  the  bold  plots  and  counter-plots  of  the  Kansas  border, 
and  had  aided  the  escape  of  slaves  in  various  parts  of  the  South. 
But  to  strike  at  once  at  the  existence  of  slavery,  by  an  organized 
force,  acting  for  years,  if  need  be,  on  the  dubious  principles  of  guer- 
illa warfare,  and  exposed,  perhaps,  to  the  whole  power  of  the  country, 
was  something  they  had  never  contemplated.  That  was  the  long 
meditated  plan  of  a  poor,  obscure,  old  man,  uncertain  at  best  of 
another  ten  years'  lease  of  life,  and  yet  calmly  proposing  an  enter- 
prise which,  if  successful,  might  require  a  whole  generation  to 
accomplish.  His  friends  listened  until  late  at  night,  proposing  ob- 
jections and  raising  difficulties,  but  nothing  shook  the  purpose  of  the 
old  Puritan.  To  every  objection  he  had  an  answer  ;  every  difficulty 
had  been  foreseen  and  provided  for  ;  the  great  difficulty  of  all,  the 
apparent  hopelessness  of  undertaking  anything  so  vast  with  such 
slender  means,  he  met  with  the  words  of  scripture,  "  If  God  be  for 
us,  who  can  be  against  us  ?  "  and  ••'  Except  the  Lord  keep  the  city, 
the  watchman  waketh  but  in  vain." 

To  all  suggestions  of  delay  until  a  more  favorable  time,  he  would 
reply,  "  I  am  nearly  sixty  years  old  ;  I  have  desired  to  do  this  work 
for  many  years  ;  if  I  do  not  begin  soon,  it  will  be  too  late  for  me." 
He  had  made  nearly  all  his  arrangements  ;  he  had  so  many  hundred 
weapons,  so  many  men  enlisted,  all  that  he  wanted  was  the  small 
sum  of  money.  With  that  he  would  open  his  campaign  with  the 
spring,  and  he  did  not  doubt  that  his  enterprise  would  pay.      But 


Biographies.  371 

those  who  heard  him,  while  they  looked  upon  the  success  of  Brown's 
undertaking  as  a  great  blessing  and  relief  to  the  country,  felt  also  that 
to  fail,  contending  against  such  odds,  might  hazard  for  many  years 
the  cause  of  freedom  and  union.  They  had  not  yet  fully  attained  the 
sublime  faith  of  Brown  when  he  said,  "  A  few  men  in  the  right,  and 
knowing  they  are  right,  can  overturn  a  king.  Twenty  men  in  the 
Alleghanies  could  break  slavery  to  pieces  in  two  years." 

On  the  23d  of  February,  the  discussion  was  renewed,  and,  as 
usually  happened  when  he  had  time  enough.  Captain  Brown  began  to 
prevail  over  the  objections  of  his  friends.  At  any  rate,  they  saw  that 
they  must  either  stand  by  him,  or  leave  him  to  dash  himself  alone 
against  the  fortress  he  was  determined  to  assault.  To  withhold  aid 
would  only  delay,  not  prevent  him;  nothing  short  of  betraying  him  to  the 
enemy  would  do  that.  As  the  sun  was  setting  over  the  snowy  hills  of  the 
region  where  we  met,  I  walked  for  an  hour  with  the  principal  person 
in  our  little  council  of  war,  leaving  Captain  Brown  to  discuss  re- 
ligion with  an  old  captain  of  Wellington's  army  who,  by  chance,  was 
a  guest  in  the  house.  My  companion,  of  equal  age  with  Brown,  and 
for  many  years  a  devoted  abolitionist,  said,  ''  You  see  how  it  is  ;  our 
old  friend  has  made  up  his  mind  to  this  course  of  action,  and  cannot 
be  turned  from  it.  We  cannot  give  him  up  to  die  alone  ;  we  must 
stand  by  him.  I  will  raise  so  many  hundred  dollars  for  him  ;  you 
must  lay  the  case  before  your  friends  in  Massachusetts  and  perhaps 
they  will  do  the  same.  I  see  no  other  way."  For  myself,  I  had 
reached  the  same  conclusion,  and  I  engaged  to  bring  the  scheme  at 
once  to  the  attention  of  the  three  Massachusetts  men  to  whom  Brown 
had  written,  and  also  of  Dr.  S.  G.  Howe,  who  had  sometimes  favored 
action  almost  as  extreme  as  this  proposed  by  Brown. 

I  returned  to  Boston  on  the  25th  of  February,  and  on  the  same 
day  communicated  the  enterprise  to  Theodore  Parker  and  Colonel 
Higginson.  At  the  suggestion  of  Parker,  Brown,  who  had  gone  to 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  was  invited  to  visit  Boston  secretly,  and  did 
so  the  4th  of  March,  taking  a  room  at  the  American  House,  in  Hano- 
ver street.  He  registered  himself  as  "J.  Brown,"  instead  of  writing 
out  the  customary  "John  "  in  full,  and  remained  for  the  most  part 
in  his  room  (No.  126)  during  the  four  days  of  his  stay.  Parker  was 
one  of  the  first  persons  to  call  on  him,  and  promised  aid  at  once. 
He  was  deeply  interested  in  the  project,  but  not  very  sanguine  of  its 
success.  He  wished  to  see  it  tried,  believing  that  it  must  do  good 
even  if  it  failed.     John  Brown  remained  at  the  American  House  until 


2J2  History  of  Torrington. 

Monday,  March  8th,  when  he  departed  for  Philadelphia.  On  the 
Friday,  Saturday  and  Sunday  intervening,  he  had  seen  at  his  hotel 
Mr.  Parker,  Dr.  Howe,  Mr.  Stearns,  Mr.  Wentworth  Higginson 
and  two  or  three  other  persons.  He  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  show 
himself  at  Mr.  Parker's  Sunday  evening  reception,  on  the  7th  of 
March,  as  he  had  done  when  he  was  in  Boston  the  year  before  ;  and 
therefore  he  wrote  Mr.  Parker  a  letter  which  I  carried  to  him  that 
afternoon,  and  which  shall  here  be  copied  entire  : 

To  Rev.  Theodore  Parker,  Boston. 

Boston,   Mass.,   March -jth,  1858. 

My  Dear  Sir,  Since  vou  know  1  have  an  almost  countless  brood  of  poor 
hungry  chickens  to  "  scratch  for,"  you  will  not  reproach  me  for  scratching 
even  on  the  Sabbath.  At  any  rate,  I  trust  God  will  not.  1  want  you  to  under- 
take to  provide  a  substitute  for  an  address  you  saw  last  season,  directed  to  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  United  States  army.  The  ideas  contained  in  that 
address,  I  of  course  like,  for  I  furnished  the  skeleton.  I  never  had  the  ability 
to  clothe  those  ideas  in  language  at  all  to  satisfy  myself  ;  and  I  was  by  no 
means  satisfied  with  the  style  of  that  address,  and  do  not  know  as  I  can  give 
any  correct  idea  of  what  I  want.      I  will,  however,  try. 

In  the  first  place  it  must  be  short,  or  it  will  not  be  generally  read.  It  must 
be  in  the  simplest  or  plainest  language,  without  the  least  affectation  of  the 
scholar  about  it,  and  yet  be  worded  with  great  clearness,  and  power.  The 
anonymous  writer  must  (in  the  language  of  the  Paddy)  be  "  afther  others,  " 
and  not  "  afther  himself  at  all,  at  all."  If  the  spirit  that  communicated  Frank- 
lin's Poor  Richard  (or  some  other  good  spirit)  would  dictate,  I  think  it  would 
be  quite  as  well  employed  as  the  "  dear  sister  spirits "  have  been  for  some  years 
past.  The  address  should  be  appropriate,  and  particularly  adapted  to  the 
peculiar  circumstances  we  anticipate,  and  should  look  to  the  actual  change  of 
service  from  that  of  Satan  to  the  service  of  God.  It  should  be,  in  short,  a 
most  earnest  and  powerful  appeal  to  men's  sense  of  right  and  to  their  feelings  of 
humanity.  Soldiers  are  men,  and  no  man  can  certainly  calculate  the  value  and 
importance  of  getting  a  single  "  nail  into  old  Captain  Kidd's  chest."  It  should 
be  provided  before  hand,  and  be  readv  in  advance  to  distribute,  by  all  persons, 
male  and  female,  who  may  be  disposed  to  favor  the  right. 

I  also  want  a  similar  short  address,  appropriate  to  the  peculiar  circumstances, 
intended  for  all  persons,  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  slave-holding  and 
non  slave  holding,  to  be  sent  out  broadcast  over  the  entire  nation.  So  by 
every  male  and  female  prisoner  on  being  set  at  libertv,  and  to  be  read  by  them 
during  confinement.  I  know  that  men  will  listen  and  reflect  too,  under  such 
circumstances.  Persons  will  hear  your  anti-slavery  lectures  and  abolition  lectures 
when  they  have  become  virtuallv  slaves  themselves.  The  impressions  made 
on  prisoners  by  kindness  and  plain  dealing,  instead  of  barbarous  and  cruel  treat- 
ment, such  as  they  might  give,  and  instead  of  being  slaughtered  like  wild  rep- 
tiles, as  they  might  very  naturally  expect,  are  not  only  powerful  but  lasting. 
Females  are  susceptible  of   being  carried  away  entirely  by  the  kindness  of  an 


Biographies.  373 

intrepid  and  magnanimous  soldier,  even  when  his  bare  name  was  but  a    terror 
the  dav  previous.  ' 

Now,  dear  sir,  I  have  told  you  about  as  well  as  I  know  how,  what  I  am 
anxious  at  once  to  secure.  Will  you  write  the  tracts,  or  get  them  written,  so 
that  I  may  commence   '  Colporteur  ?' 

Very   respectfully,  your  friend, 

John  Brown. 

P.  S.  If  I  should  never  see  you  again,  please  drop  me  a  line  (enclosed  to 
Stephen  Smith,  Esq.,  Lombard  St.,  Philadelphia),  at  once,  saying  what  you  will 
encourage  me  to  expect.  You  are  at  liberty  to  make  anv  prudent  use  of  this 
to  stir  up  any  friend.  Yours  for  the  right, 

J.  B. 

Probably  Brown  was  not  aware  how  hard  was  the  task  imposed 
by  these  masterly  directions  in  the  art  of  writing.  It  does  not  appear 
that  Parker,  who  was  then  overweighted  with  work,  ever  under- 
took to  write  the  tracts  desired,  or  that  they  were  written  by  any  one 
else.  Only  one  such  was  ever  printed.  It  may  be  worth  mentioning, 
that  Parker  sent  Brown  from  his  library  on  this  Sunday,  the  report 
of  McClellan  on  the  European  armies,  which  was  then  a  new  book, 
and  was  thought  likely  to  be  of  service  to  Brown.  At  the  same 
time  Brown  praised  Plutarch's  Lives  as  a  book  he  had  read  with  great 
profit  for  its  military  and  rnoral  lessons,  and  particularly  mentioned 
the  life  of  Sertorius,  the  Roman  commander  who  so  lono-  carried  on 
a  partisan  warfare  in  Spain.  He  wished  to  get  a  few  copies  of  Plu- 
tarch for  his  men  to  read  in  camp,  and  inquired  particularly  about 
the  best  edition. 

Although  Brown  communicated  freely  to  the  persons  above  named 
his  plans  of  attack  and  defence  in  Virginia,  it  is  not  known  that  he 
spoke  to  more  than  one  person  in  Boston  of  his  purpose  of  surpris- 
ing the  arsenal  and  town  of  Harper's  Ferry.  Both  Dr.  Howe  and 
Mr.  Stearns  testified  before  Mason's  committee,  in  i860,  that  they 
were  ignorant  of  Brown's  plan  of  attack  ;  which  was  true  so  far  as 
the  place  and  manner  of  beginning  the  campaign  were  concerned. 
It   is   probable   that    in  1858,  Brown    had  not   definitely  resolved   to 


»  A  Kansas  paper  said  in  1859  :  "  At  the  sacking  of  Osawatomie,  one  of  the  most  bit- 
ter pro-slavery  men  in  Lykins  county  was  killed.  His  name  was  Ed.  Timmons.  Some- 
time afterwards,  Brown  stopped  at  the  log-house  where  Timmons  had  lived.  His  widow 
and  children  were  there,  and  in  great  destitution.  He  inquired  into  their  wants,  relieved 
their  distresses,  and  supported  them  until  their  friends  in  Missouri,  informed,  through 
Brown,  of  the  condition  of  Mrs.  Timmons,  had  time  to  come  to  her  and  carry  her  to  her 
former  home.  Mrs.  Timmons  fully  appreciated  the  great  kindness  thus  shown  her,  but 
never  learned  that  Captain  John  Brown  was  her  benefactor.  " 


374  History  of  Torrington. 

seize  Harper's  Ferry,  since,  when  he  spoke  of  it  to  the  person  referred 
to,  he  put  it  as  a  question,  and  did  not  seem  to  have  made  up  his 
mind  to  a  course  of  action  so  immediately  hazardous.  He  then 
argued  that  it  would  strike  great  terror  into  the  whole  slaveholding 
class  to  find  that  an  armed  force  had  strength  enough  to  capture  a 
place  so  important  and  so  near  Washington  ;  and  it  was  to  inspire 
terror,  rather  than  to  possess  himself  of  the  arms  there,  that  he  then 
proposed  to  capture  the  arsenal.  It  is  believed  that  Theodore 
Parker  was  aware  of  this  half-formed  plan  of  Brown's,  but  it  was  not 
communicated  to  his  men  until  a  year  and  a  half  later,  or  just  before 
the  attack  was  actually  made.  Charles  Plummer  Tidd,  one  of 
Brown's  men,  who  escaped  from  Harper's  Ferry,  afterwards  enlisted 
in  a  Massachusetts  regiment  under  the  name  of  Plummer,  and  died 
under  Burnside  in  North  Carolina,  is  authority  for  this  statement. 
He  told  me  that  when  Brown  called  his  small  company  together  in 
October,  1859,  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Potomac,  and  disclosed 
to  them  his  plan  for  the  capture  of  the  town,  they  all  declared  that 
it  would  be  fatal  to  attempt  it,  and  refused  to  take  part  in  it ;  even 
his  own  sons,  except  Owen,  being  unwilling  to  follow  their  father 
to  what  they  said  would  be  certain  defeat  and  death.  But  Brown 
had  now  decided  upon  his  course,  and  adhered  to  it  inflexibly  ;  he 
would  make  the  attack  with  a  single  man,  if  only  one  man  would 
obey  him.  His  sons,  finding  their  father  so  determined,  and  know- 
ing how  impossible  it  was  to  change  his  purpose,  first  gave  in  their 
adhesion  ;  they  believed  it  to  be  a  fatal  scheme,  but  they  would  not 
desert  him.  Gradually  all  the  others  came  round  to  the  same  opin- 
ion, and  the  attack  was  made  with  precisely  the  result  that  Brown's 
followers  had  predicted.  It  is  probable  that  Tidd's  statement  was 
true  in  substance,  if  not  literally. 

On  the  departure  of  Brown  from  Boston  in  March,  1858,  the  five 
persons  mentioned  —  Parker,  Howe,  Higginson,  Sanborn  and 
Stearns  —  formed  themselves  into  a  secret  committee  to  raise  for  him 
the  money  (now  set  at  $1,000)  which  it  was  agreed  should  be  raised 
in  New  England.  Each  of  the  five  was  to  raise  $100,  and  as 
much  more  as  he  could.  Dr.  Howe  having  hopes  of  securing  a  larger 
subscription  from  his  friend  Mr.  George  R.  Russell.  Mr.  Stearns 
was  made  treasurer  of  the  committee,  and  the  small  sum  judged 
necessary  for  beginning  the  enterprise  was  nearly  made  up,  either  in 
money  or  pledges,  before  the  ist  of  May,  at  which  time  Brown  was 
on  his  way  from  Iowa  to  Ohio,  with   the  arms  that  had  been  stored 


Biographies.  375 

in  Iowa,  and  with  some  of  his  men.  He  was  to  enlist  others  in 
Canada  about  May  8th,  and  to  strike  his  first  blow  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  same  month.  On  the  28th  of  April,  Brown  was  in  Chicago  ; 
on  the  2d  of  May  at  Chatham,  in  Canada.  But,  meanwhile,  a  for- 
midable obstacle  had  appeared.  Hugh  Forbes  interposed  again, 
writing  from  Washington,  and  threatened  to  disclose  the  whole  plan 
to  the  republican  leaders,  and  even  to  the  government. 

In  these  letters  of  April  and  May,  Forbes  insisted  that  Brown's 
enterprise  should  stop,  that  Brown  himself  should  be  dismissed  as  the 
leader  of  the  movement,  and  Forbes  be  put  in  his  place  ;  and  these 
demands  were  accompanied  by  a  threat  of  making  public  the  whole 
transaction,  so  far  as  it  had  gone.  To  increase  the  difficulties  of  the 
situation,  Forbes  had  evidently  learned,  from  some  quarter,  of  the 
countenance  given  to  Brown,  since  the  1st  of  March,  by  his  Boston 
committee.  On  the  2d  of  May  these  letters  were  submitted  to  this 
committee,  Howe,  Parker,  Sanborn  and  Stearns  being  present,  and 
Higginson  being  informed  of  them  by  mail.  Parker,  Sanborn  and 
Stearns  at  once  said  that  the  blow  must  be  deferred  till  another  year, 
and  in  this  opinion  Howe  partially  coincided.  Higginson  thought 
otherwise,  and  so  did  Brown,  who  declared  that  he  would  go  for- 
ward, in  spite  of  Forbes  and  his  threats,  if  the  money  promised  him 
should  be  furnished.  Here,  however,  another  difficulty  sprang  up. 
Forbes,  early  in  May,  carried  out  his  threat  so  far  as  to  inform  Sen- 
ators Hale,  Seward  and  Wilson,  and  Dr.  Bailey,  in  general  terms,  of 
Brown's  purposes,  and  Wilson  wrote  to  Dr.  Howe,  earnestly  pro- 
testing against  any  such  demonstration.  As  the  rifles  which  had  been 
purchased  by  the  Massachusetts  Kansas  committee  and  intrusted  to 
Brown  by  them  were  still,  so  far  as  Senator  Wilson  and  the  public 
knew,  the  property  of  that  committee  (though  really,  as  has  been 
explained,  the  personal  property  of  Mr.  Stearns,  the  chairman),  it 
would  expose  the  Kansas  committee,  who  were  ignorant  of  Brown's 
later  plans,  to  suspicions  of  bad  faith,  if  those  arms  were  used  by  him 
in  any  expedition  to  Virginia.  This  awkward  complication  seems 
to  have  decided  Dr.  Howe  in  favor  of  postponing  the  attack,  and  both 
he  and  Mr.  Stearns,  as  members  of  the  Kansas  Committee,  wrote 
to  Brown  that  the  arms  must  not  be  used  for  the  present,  except  for 
the  defence  of  Kansas.  Brown  saw  that  nothing  further  could  then 
be  done,  and  yielded,  though  with  regret,  to  the  postponement. 
About  the  20th  of  May,  Mr.  Stearns  met  Brown  in  New  York,  and 
arranged  that  hereafter  the  custody  of  the   Kansas  rifles  should  he 


376  History  of  Torrington. 

Brown's,  as  the  agent  of  Stearns,  the  real  owner,  and  not  of  the 
nominal  owners,  the  Kansas  committee.  On  the  24th  of  May,  a 
meeting  of  the  Boston  secret  committee,  with  one  of  the  principal 
friends  of  Brown's  plan  outside  of  New  England,  Mr.  Gerrit  Smith  — 
took  place  at  the  Revere  House  in  Boston  —  Parker,  Howe,  Sanborn 
and  Stearns  being  present,  as  before  ;  and  it  was  agreed  that  the  exe- 
cution of  the  plan  should  be  postponed  till  the  spring  of  1B59.  I 
the  meantime  a  larger  sum  of  money  —  from  two  to  three  thousand 
dollars  —  was  to  be  raised,  and  Brown  was  to  throw  Forbes  off  his 
track  by  returning  to  Kansas  and  engaging  in  the  defence  of  the  free- 
state  men  on  the  border.  The  alleged  property  of  the  Kansas  com- 
mittee was  to  be  so  transferred  as  to  relieve  that  committee  of  all 
responsibility,  and  the  secret  committee  were,  in  future,  to  know 
nothing  in  detail  of  Brown's  plans.  Brown  was  not  himself  present 
at  this  Revere  House  meeting,  but  came  to  Boston  the  next  week, 
and  was  at  the  American  House  May  31st.  Here  he  met  all  the 
committee,  Higginson  included  ;  and,  in  the  two  or  three  days  that 
he  stayed,  the  Revere  House  arrangement  was  completed.  He  re- 
ceived the  sole  custody  of  the  arms  which  had  belonged  to  the  Kan- 
sas committee,  and  five  hundred  dollars  beside  ;  was  to  go  to  Kansas 
at  once,  but  after  that  to  use  his  own  discretion  ;  and,  though  still 
believing  the  postponement  unwise,  he  left  New  England  in  good 
spirits  the  first  week  in  June. 

He  reached  Kansas  June  26th,  with  about  ten  men,  and  in  a  week 
or  two  after  was  on  the  border,  near  the  scenes  of  the  Marais  des 
Cygnes  murders  of  May  19th,  which  he  has  described  in  one  of  his 
later  letters  soon  to  be  cited,  but  written  after  he  had  made  his  incur- 
sion into  Missouri,  six  months  afterwards,  and  brought  off  some 
fugitive  slaves.  In  the  summer  he  was  occupied  with  the  defence  of 
Kansas  once  more,  and  with  plans  for  his  next  year's  campaign  in 
Virginia. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  he  wrote  me  from  Lawrence  a  short  letter 
addressed  to  "  F.  B.  Sanborn  and  Dear  Friends  at  Boston^  IVorcester^ 

and , "  and  containing  this  passage:   "I  reached  Kansas  with 

friends,  on  the  26th  inst.  ;  came  here  last  night,  and  leave  here  to- 
day for  the  neighborhood  of  late  troubles.  It  seems  the  troubles  are 
not  over  yet.  ...  I  do  hope  you  will  be  in  earnest  now  to  carry  out, 
as  soon  as  possible,  the  measure  proposed  in  Mr.  Sanborn's  letter 
inviting  me  to  Boston  this  last  spring."  (This  was  the  raising  or 
money  for  a  campaign  in  Virginia  in   1859,  after  the  Kansas  fighting 


Biographies.  377 

had  ended.)  "  I  hope  there  will  be  no  delay  of  that  matter.  Can 
you  send  me  by  express,  care  of  E.  B.  Whitman,  Esqr.,  half  a  dozen 
or  a  full  dozen  whistles,  such  as  I  described,  at  once?"  These 
whistles  were  for  use  in  making  signals  among  his  men  when  in  night 
attacks,  or  amid  woody  or  mountainous  regions  in  the  day-time,  and 
he  had  both  spoken  and  written  to  me  about  them  before.  They 
were  to  be  "such  as  are  used  by  boatswains  on  ships  of  war;" 
and  Brown  thought  them  of  great  service.  *•'  Every  ten  men  ought 
to  have  one  at  least."  He  had  also  requested  me  to  procure  for  him 
*'  some  little  articles  as  marks  of  distinction,"  — badges,  medals,  or 
the  like  —  to  be  given  to  his  men  in  token  of  good  conduct.  Hap- 
pening to  be  at  Dr.  Howe's  house  in  South  Boston  one  day  in  the 
spring  of  1858,  the  doctor  (who  was  a  chevalier  of  the  GreekLegion 
of  Honor,  for  services  rendered  in  the  Greek  Revolution  of  1 820-27), 
had  shown  me  his  cross  of  Malta  and  other  decorations,  given  by 
the  Legion  to  its  members,  and  some  of  these  seemed  to  me  exactly 
what  Brown  would  want.  I  therefore  made  rude  sketches  of  them 
and  showed  these  to  Brown,  who  selected  the  Maltese  cross  and  one 
or  two  other  designs,  as  suitable  for  his  badges,  but  I  doubt  if  they 
were  ever  used  for  that  purpose. 

How  well  Brown  looked  after  Kansas  matters  will  be  seen  by  the 
following  letter,  a  very  long  one  for  the  old  soldier  to  write  : 

"  Missouri  Line  (on  Kansas  Side), 
zoth  July,  1858. 
F.  B.  Sanborn,  Esq.,  and  Friends  at  Boston  and  Worcester:  I  am 
here  with  about  ten  of  my  men,  located  on  the  same  quarter  section  where  the 
terrible  murders  of  the  igih  May  were  committed,  called  the  Hamilton  or 
Trading  Post  murders.  Deserted  faims  and  dwelHngs  lie  in  all  directions  for 
some  miles  along  the  line,  and  the  remaining  inhabitants  watch  every  ap- 
pearance of  persons  moving  about,  with  anxious  jealousy  and  vigilance.  Four 
of  the  persons  wounded  or  attacked  on  that  occasion  are  staying  zvilh  me. 
The  blacksmith  Snyder,  who  fought  the  murderers,  with  his  brorher  aud  son, 
are  of  the  number.  Old  Mr.  Hargrove,  who  was  terribly  wounded  at  the 
same  time,  is  another.  The  blacksmith  returned  here  with  me,  and  intends  to 
bring  back  his  family  on  to  his  claim,  within  two  or  three  days.  A  constant 
fear  of  new  troubles  seems  to  p'evail  on  both  sides  the  line,  and  on  both  sides 
are  companies  of  armed  men.  Any  little  affair  may  open  the  quarrel  afresh. 
Two  murders  and  cases  of  robbery  are  reported  of  late.  [  have  also  a  man 
with  me  who  fled  from  his  family  and  farm  in  Missouri  but  a  day  or  two  since, 
his  life  being  threatened  on  account  of  being  accused  of  informing  Kansas  men 
of  the  whereabouts  of  one  of  the  murderers,  who  was  lately  taken  and  brought 
to  this  side.  I  have  concealed  the  fact  of  my  presence  pretty  much,  lest  it 
should  tend  to  create  excitement ;  but  it  is  getting  leaked  out,  and  will  soon  be 

48 


378  History  of  Torrington. 

known  to  all.  As  I  am  not  here  to  seek  or  secure  revenge,  I  do  not  mean  to 
be  the  first  to  reopen  the  quarrel.  How  soon  it  may  be  raised  against  me,  I 
cannot  say,  nor  am  I  over-anxious.  A  portion  of  my  men  are  in  other  neigh- 
borhoods. We  shall  soon  be  in  great  want  of  a  small  amount  in  a  draft  or 
drafts  on  New  York,  to  feed  us.  We' cannot  work  for  wages,  and  provisions 
are  not  easily  obtained  on  the  frontier. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  quoting  or  rather  referring  to  a  notice  of  the  terrible 
afFair  before  alluded  to,  in  an  account  found  in  the  New  York  Tribune  of  May 
31st,  dated  at  Westport,  May  21st.  The  writer  says  :  'From  one  of  the 
prisoners  it  was  ascertained  that  a  number  of  persons  were  stationed  at  Snyder's, 
a  short  distance  from  the  Post,  a  house  built  in  the  gorge  of  two  mounds,  and 
flanked  by  rock  walls,  a  fit  place  for  robbers  and  murderers.'  At  a  spring  in 
a  rocky  ravine  stands  a  very  small  open  blacksmith's  shop,  made  of  thin  slabs 
from  a  saw-mill.  This  is  the  only  building  that  has  ever  been  known  to  stand 
there,  and  in  that  article  is  called  a  '  fortification.'  It  is  to-day  just  as  it  was 
the  19th  May, —  a  little  pent-up  shop,  containing  Snyder's  tools  (what  have 
not  been  carried  off")  all  covered  with  rust, —  and  had  never  been  thought  of 
as  a  '  fortification '  before  the  poor  man  attempted  in  it  his  own  and  his 
brother's  and  son's  defense.  I  give  this  as  an  illustration  of  the  truthfulness  of 
that  whole  account.  It  should  be  left  to  stand  while  it  may  last,  and  should  be 
known  hereat'ter  as  Fort  Snyder. 

I  may  contitiue  here  for  some  time.  Mr.  Russell  and  other  friends  at  New 
Haven  assured  me  before  I  left  that,  if  the  Lecompton  abomination  should  pass 
througli  congress,  something  could  be  done  there  to  relieve  me  from  a  diffi- 
culty I  am  in,  and  which  they  understand.  Will  not  some  of  my  Boston 
friends  'stir  up  their  minds'  in  the  matter.?  I  do  believe  they  would  be 
listened   to.' 

You  may  use  this  as  you  think  best.  Please  let  friends  in  New  York  and  at 
North  Elba"  hear  from  me.  I  am  not  very  stout,  have  much  to  think  of  and 
to  do,  and  have  but  little  time  or  chance  Br  writing.  The  weather  of  late  has 
been  very  hot.      I  will  write  you  all  when  I  can. 

I  believe  all  honest,  sensible  Free  State  men  in  Kansas  consider  George  Wash- 
ington Brown's  Herald  of  Freedom  one  of  the  most  mischievous,  traitorous 
publications  in  the  whole  country. 

July  2.id.  Since  the  previous  date,  another  free  state  Missourian  has  been 
over  to  see  us,  who  reports  great  excitement  on  the  other  side  of  the  line,  and 
thai  the  house  of  Mr.  Bishop  (the  man  who  fled  to  us)  was  beset  during  the 
night  after  he  left  ;  but,  on  finding  he  was  not  there,  they  left.  Yesterday  a 
pro-slavery  man  from  West  Point  (Missouri)  came  over,  professing  that  he 
wanted  to  buy  Bishop's  farm.      I  think  he  was  a  spy.      He  reported    all    quiet 


'  The  allusion  here  is  probably  to  Brown's  contract  with  Charles  Blair  of  Collinsville, 
the  blacksmith  who  was  to  make  the  thousand  pikes.  Brown  had  engaged  them  in  1857, 
and  had  paid  in  that  year  five  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  thousand  dollars  which  the  pikes 
were  to  cost  when  finished.  In  1858,  Brown  had  not  been  able,  for  lack  of  money,  to 
complete  the  payment,  and  was  afraid  his  contract  would  be  forfeited  and  the  money  already 
paid  would  be  lost.  He  therefore  communicated  (as  I  suppose)  the  facts  in  the  case  to  Mr. 
Russell,  who  was  then  the  head  of  a  military  school  at  New  Haven,  and  had  some  assur- 
ance from  him  of  money  to  be  raised  in  Connecticut  to  meet  this  Connecticut  contract. 

'  His  wife  and  children. 


Biographies.  379 

on  the  other  side.  At  present,  along  this  part  of  the  line  the  free  state  men 
may  be  said  in  some  sense  to  '  possess  the  field,'  but  we  deem  it  wise  to  '  be 
on  the  alert  '  Whether  Missouri  people  are  more  excited  through  fear  than 
otherwise  I  am  not  yet  prepared  to  judge.  The  blacksmith  (Snyder)  has  got 
his  familv  back  ;  also  some  others  have  returned,  and  a  few  new  settlers  are 
coming  in.  Those  who  fled  or  were  driven  off  will  pretty  much  lose  the 
season.  Since  we  came  here,  about  twenty-five  to  thirty  of  Governor  Den- 
ver's men  have  moved  a  little  nearer  to  the  line,  I  believe. 

August  6th.  Have  been  down  with  ague  since  last  date,  and  had  no  safe  way 
of  getting  off  my  letter.  I  had  lain  every  night  without  shelter,  suffering  from 
cold  rains  and  heavy  dews,  together  with  the  oppressive  heat  of  the  days.  A 
few  days  since.  Governor  Denver's  officer  then  in  command  bravely  moved  his 
men  on  to  the  line,  and  on  the  next  adjoining  claim  with  us.  Several  of  them 
immediately  sought  opportunity  to  tender  their  service  to  me  secretly.  I,  how- 
ever, advised  them  to  remain  where  they  were.  Soon  after  I  came  on  the 
line,  my  right  name  was  reported,  but  the  majority  did  not  credit  the  report. 

I  am  getting  better.  You  will  know  the  true  result  of  the  election  of  the  2d 
inst.,  much  sooner  than  I  shall,  probably.  lam  in  no  place  for  correct  general 
information.      May  God  bless  you  all. 

Your  friend, 

John  Brown. 

Inclose  in  envelope  directed  to  Augustus  Wattles,  Moneka,  Linn  County, 
Kansas  ;  inside  direct  to  S.  Morgan." 

Some  of  the  incidents  and  allusions  in  the  above  letter  need  to  be 
further  explained.  The  "  Hamilton  murders  "  are  better  known  in 
border  story  as  the  Marais  des  Cygnes  Massacre,  a  tragedy  which 
Whittier  has  celebrated  in  verse.  Near  the  river  named  by  the  old 
French  voyageurs  of  Louisiana  "■'  The  Swan's  Marsh  "  [Marais  des 
Cygnes  or  du  Cygne).,  in  Southern  Kansas,  was  a  little  settlement  of 
northern  farmers.  As  they  were  planting  their  fields  and  fencing 
them  in  May,  1858,  an  unprovoked  assault  was  made  on  them  by  a 
party  from  Missouri,  under  the  lead  of  three  brothers  named  Hamilton, 
from  Georgia  ;  five  farmers  were  killed  and  five  wounded.  The 
murderers  were  not  Missourians,  but  men  from  farther  south,  who 
had  been  in  Kansas  but  v/ere  driven  out  in  some  of  the  contests  of 
1856—57.  They  marched  over  in  an  armed  band  from  Missouri, 
gathered  up  their  victims  from  the  prairie  farms  and  the  lonely  roads, 
or  took  them  from  their  cabins,  formed  them  into  a  line,  and  shot 
them  down  by  a  platoon  discharge.  Then  the  invaders  gave  out 
word  that  they  meant  to  shoot  all  the  free  state  settlers  in  Linn 
county  in  the  same  way.  The  farmers  mustered  for  defense,  in  a 
band  of  two  hundred,  near  the  Missouri  line,  and  detailed  a  company 
of  mounted  men  to  stand  guard,  or  to  ride  up  and  down  the  line  and 
keep  watch  of  the  Hamiltons  and  their  band.     When  Brown  reached 


,> 


380  History  of  Torrington. 

the  spot  a  month  later,  he  put  his  own  men  on  guard,  and  the 
settlers  went  back  to  their  work.  The  governor  of  Kansas,  Denver, 
also  sent  armed  men,  perhaps  United  States  troops,  to  keep  the 
peace,  and  it  is  to  these  that  Brown  alludes  as  having  offered  to  serve 
under  him.  Brown  went  to  the  spot  where  the  massacre  took  place, 
assuming  the  name  of  "  Captain  Morgan  "  for  the  occasion,  fortified 
himself,  and  gave  out  that  he  was  there  to  fight  or  be  peaceable  as 
the  other  side  might  choose  ;  "  they  could  make  him  as  good  a 
neighbor  or  as  bad  as  they  pleased."  Gradually  his  secret  came  out 
and  the  terror  of  his  name  frightened  the  enemy  away  ;  the  Hamil- 
tons  left  the  neighborhood,  and  the  trouble  there  ceased.  But  Brown 
himself  fell  sick  and  was  obliged  to  take  shelter  for  a  few  weeks  with 
his  friend  Wattles,  at  Moneka.  I  wrote  to  him  early  in  July  a  letter 
which  reached  him  there,  and  to  which  he  replied  as  follows  : 

OsAWATOMiE,  Kansas,  lotb  September, 
1858. 
Dear  Friend,  and  other  Friends —  Your  kind  and  very  welcome  letter  of 
the  llth  July  was  received    a  long   time   since,  but  I  was  sick  at  the   time,  and 
have  been  ever  since  until  now  ;   so  that  I  did  not   even    answer  the  letters  of 
my  own  family,  or  any  one  else,  before  yesterday,  when  1  began  to  try.      I  am 
very  weak  yet,  but  gaining  well.      All  seems  quiet   now.      I  have  been  down 
about  six  weeks.      As  things  now  look  I  would  say  that,  if  you  had  not  already 
sent  forward  those  little  articles,'  do  not  do  it.      Before  I   was  taken  sick  there 
seemed  to  be  every   prospect  of  some    business  very    soon ;  and    there  is  some 
now  that  requires  doing  ;   but,  under  all   the  circumstances,  I  think   not  best  to 
send    them. 

I  have  heard  nothing  direct  from  Forbes  for  months,  but  expect  to  when  I 
get  to  Lawrence.  I  have  but  fourteen  regularly  employed  hands,  the  most  of 
whom  are  now  at  common  work,  and  some  are  sick.  Much  sickness  prevails. 
How  we  travel  m^ij  not  be  best  to  write.  I  have  often  met  the  '  notorious ' 
Montgomery,^  and  think  very  favorably  of  him. 

It  now  looks  as  though  but  little  business  can  be  accomplished  until  we  get 
oar  mill  into  operation.  \  am  most  anxious  about  that,  and  want  you  to  naine 
the  earliest  date  possible,  as  near  as  you  can  learn,  when  you  can  have  your 
matters  gathered  up.  Do  let  me  hear  from  you  on  this  point  (as  soon  as  consist- 
ent), so  that  I  may  have  some  idea  how  to  arrange  my  business.  Dear  friends, 
do  be  in  earnest  ;  the  harvest  we  shall  reap,  if  we  are  only  up  and  doing. 

\-^th  September,  1858.  Yours  of  the  25th  August,  containing  draft  of  Mr. 
S.  for  fifty  dollars  is  received.  I  am  most  grateful  for  it,  and  to  you  for  your 
kind  letter.  This  would  have  been  sooner  mailed  but  for  want  of  stamps  and 
envelopes.  I  am  gaining  slowly,  but  hope  to  be  on  my  legs  soon.  Have  no 
further  news. 

Mailed,  September  15th.      Still  weak. 

Your  friend, 

'  The  boatswain's  whistles. 

»  This  was  James    Montgomery,  one  of  the  bravest    partisans  on  the  Kansas  border,  and 
during  the  civil  war  colonel  of  a  black  regiment  in  South  Carolina. 


Biographies.  381 

The  money  which  I  sent  to  Brown,  as  above  acknowledged,  was 
probably  contributed  by  Gerrit  Smith,  who,  first  and  last,  gave  Brown 
or  sent  him  more  than  a  thousand  dollars.  Most  of  the  smaller  sums 
which  Brown  received  during  the  years  1858-59,  I  suppose,  passed 
through  my  hands,  while  the  larger  sums  were  paid  to  him  directly 
by  Mr.  Stearns  or  other  contributors.  Most  of  the  correspondence 
on  this  Virginia  business  also  went  through  my  hands  ;  it  being 
Brown's  custom  to  write  one  letter  to  be  read  by  the  half  dozen 
persons  with  whom  he  desired  to  communicate  -,  and  this  letter 
generally  (by  no  means  always)  coming  to  me  in  the  first  instance. 
My  custom  was  to  show  it  to  Mr.  Parker  and  Dr.  Howe,  when 
they  were  at  home,  then  to  send  it  to  Mr.  Stearns,  who  sometimes 
forwarded  it  to  Colonel  Higginson  or  some  more  distant  correspondent, 
and  sometimes  returned  it  to  me.  It  appears  that  both  the  letters 
just  quoted  came  back  to  me  in  October,  1858,  and  were  by  me 
forwarded  to  Higginson  on  the  13th  of  that  month. 

Colonel  Higginson  expressed  the  hope  that  the  enterprise  would 
not  be  deferred  longer  that  the  spring  of  1859,  ^"^  made  some  con- 
tribution to  the  fund,  as  also  did  Mr.  Parker  and  the  other  members 
of  the  secret  committee.  No  active  movement  to  raise  money  was 
undertaken,  however,  until  the  winter  and  spring  of  1859. 

In  December  1858,  Brown  wishing  to  show  by  experiment  in 
Missouri  what  he  could  do  in  Virginia,  crossed  the  border  from  Kan- 
sas with  a  few  men,  and  brought  away  a  party  of  slaves,  with  whom 
he  traveled  in  January  and  February,  1859,  from  the  border  of 
southern  Kansas,  through  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Illinois,  and  Michigan, 
to  Detroit,  where  he  arrived  March  12th,  and  landed  his  fugitives 
safely  in  Canada.  In  the  latter  part  of  March,  1859,  ^^  ^^^  ^^ 
Cleveland,  where  he  sold  publicly  the  horses  he  had  brought  from 
Missouri.  While  still  in  Kansas  he  wrote  this  striking  letter  for 
publication  in  the  New  York  Tribune  and  other   friendly  newspapers  : 

John  Brown's  Parallels. 

Trading  Post,  Kansas,   January,  1859. 

Gentlemen  :  You  will  greatly  oblige  a  humble  friend  by  allowing  the  use  of 
your  columns  while  I  briefly  state  two  parallels,  in  my  poor  way. 

Not  one  year  ago  eleven  quiet  citizens  of  this  neighborhood,  viz  :  William 
Robertson,  William  Colpetzer,  Amos  Hall,  Austin  Hall,  John  Campbell,  Asa 
Snvder,  Thomas  Stilwell,  William  Hairgrove,  Asa  Hairgrove,  Patrick  Ross, 
and  B.  L.  Reed,  were  gathered  up  from  their  work  and  their  homes  by  an 
armed  force  under  one  Hamilton,  and  without  trial  or  opportunity   to  speak  in 


382  History  of  Torrington. 

their  own  defense,  were  formed  into  line,  and  all  but  one  shot —  five  killed 
and  five  wounded.  One  fell  unharmed,  pretending  to  be  dead.  All  were  left 
for  dead.  The  only  crime  charged  against  them  was  that  of  being  free  state 
men.  Now,  I  inquire  what  action  has  ever,  since  the  occurrence  in  May  last, 
been  taken  by  cither  the  president  of  the  United  States,  the  governor  of  Mis- 
souri, the  governor  of  Kansas,  or  any  of  their  tools,  or  by  any  pro-slavery 
or   administration    man,  to  ferret  out  and  punish  the  perpetrators  of  this  crime? 

Now  for  the  other  parallel.  On  Sunday,  December  19,  a  negro  man  called 
Jim  came  over  to  the  Osage  settlement,  from  Missouri,  and  stated  that  he 
together  with  his  wife,  two  children,  and  another  negro  man,  was  to  be  sold 
within  a  day  or  two,  and  begged  for  help  to  get  away.  On  Monday  (the  fol- 
lowing) night,  two  small  companies  were  made  up  10  go  to  Missouri  and  forci- 
bly liberate  the  five  slaves,  together  with  other  slaves.  One  of  these  companies 
I  assumed  to  direct.  We  proceeded  to  the  place,  surrounded  the  buildings, 
liberated  the  slaves,  and  also  took  certain  property  supposed  to  belong  to  the 
estate. 

We  however  learned  before  leaving,  that  a  portion  of  the  articles  we  had 
taken  belonged  to  a  man  living  on  the  plantation  as  a  tenant,  and  who  was  sup- 
posed to  have  no  interest  in  the  estate.  We  promptly  returned  to  him  all  we 
had  taken.  We  then  went  to  another  plantation,  where  we  found  five  more 
slaves,  took  some  property  and  two  white  men.  We  moved  all  slowly  away 
into  the  territory  for  some  distance,  and  then  sent  the  white  men  back,  telling 
them  to  follow  us  as  soon  as  they  chose  to  do  so.  The  other  company  freed 
one  female  slave,  took  some  property,  and,  as  I  am  informed,  killed  one  white 
man  (the  master),  who  fought  against  the  liberation. 

Now  for  a  comparison.  Eleven  persons  are  forcibly  restored  to  tlieir  natu- 
ral and  inalienable  rights,  with  but  one  man  killed,  and  all  '  hell  is  stirred  from 
beneath.'  It  is  currently  reported  that  the  governor  of  Missouri  has  made  a 
requisition  upon  the  governor  of  Kansas  for  the  delivery  of  all  such  as  were 
concerned  in  the  last-named  '  dreadful  outrage.'  The  marshal  of  Kansas  is 
said  to  be  collecting  a  posse  of  MissTuri  (not  Kansas)  men  at  West  Point,  in 
Missouri,  a  little  town  about  ten  miles  distant,  to  'enforce  the  laws.'  All  pro- 
slavery,  conservative,  free  state,  and  doughface  men,  and  administration  tools, 
are  filled  with  holy  horror. 

Consider  the  two  cases,  and  the  action  of  the  Administration  party. 

Respectfully  yours, 

John  Brown. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1859,  ^  wrote  to  a  friend  thus  :  "  Brown 
was  at  Tabor  (Iowa)  on  the  19th  February,  with  his  stock  in  fine 
condition,  as  he  says  in  a  letter  to  G.  Smith.  He  also  says  he  is 
ready  with  some  new  men  to  set  his  mill  in  operation,  and  seems  to 
be  cominp;  east  for  that  purpose.  Mr.  Smith  proposes  to  raise  one 
thousand  dollars  for  him,  and  to  contribute  one  hundred  dollars  him- 
self. I  think  a  larger  sum  ought  to  be  raised,  but  can  we  raise  so 
much  as  this  ?  Brown  says  he  thinks  any  one  of  us  who  talked  with 
him  might  raise  the  sum  if  we  should  set  about  it ;  perhaps  this  is  so, 
but   I  doubt.     As  a  reward  for  what   he    has  done,  perhaps   money 


Biographies.  383 

might  be  raised  for  him.  At  any  rate  he  means  to  do  the  work,  and 
I  expect  to  hear  of  him  in  New  York  within  a  few  weeks.  Dr. 
Howe  thinks  J.  F.  and  some  others,  not  of  our  party,  would  help 
the  project  if  they  knew  of  it." 

Following  up  this  last  suggestion,  I  sounded  several  anti-slavery 
men  of  wealth  and  influence  in  the  spring  of  1859,  ^"^  ^'^  obtain 
some  subscriptions  from  persons  who  were  willing  to  give  to  a  brave 
man  forcibly  interfering  with  slavery,  without  inquiring  very  closely 
what  he  would  do  next.  But  on  the  other  hand  I  found  that  Brown's 
manly  action  in  Missouri  had  made  some  of  our  friends  more  shy  of 
him.  When  he  reached  Boston  in  May,  he  was  invited  to  dine  one 
Saturday  at  the  Bird  Club,  and  there  for  the  first  time  met  Senator 
Wilson,  afterwards  vice-president,  who  has  thus  described  the  inter- 
view :  "The  last  of  May,  1859,  ^  "^^^  Jo^^n  Brown  at  the  Parker 
House  in  Boston.  There  were  a  dozen  persons  present  ;  Brown 
came  in  with  somebody,  and  was  introduced  to  quite  a  number  of 
gentlemen  there.  I  was  introduced  to  him,  and  he,  1  think,  did  not 
recollect  my  name.  I  stepped  aside.  In  a  moment,  after  speaking 
to  somebody  else,  he  came  up  again,  and  said  to  me  that  he  did  not 
understand  my  name  when  it  was  mentioned.  He  then  said,  in  a 
very  calm  but  firm  tone,  '  I  understand  you  do  not  approve  of  my 
course ;'  referring,  as  I  supposed,  to  his  going  into  Missouri  and 
getting  slaves  and  running  them  off.  It  was  said  with  a  great  deal  of 
firmness  of  manner,  and  it  was  the  first  salutation  after  speaking  to 
me.  I  said  I  did  not ;  I  believed  it  to  be  a  very  great  injury  to  the 
anti-slavery  cause  ;  that  I  regarded  every  illegal  act,  and  every  im- 
prudent act,  as  being  against  it.  I  said  that,  if  this  action  had  been 
a  year  or  two  before,  it  might  have  been  followed  by  the  invasion  of 
Kansas  by  a  large  number  of  excited  people  on  the  border,  and  a 
great  many  lives  might  have  been  lost.  He  said  he  thought  differ- 
ently, believed  he  had  acted  right,  and  that  it  would  have  a  good  in- 
fluence." If  Brown  had  known  Senator  Wilson  as  well  as  he  did 
that  Kansas  friend  who  reproved  him  for  the  same  cause,  he  would 
have  gone  further,  and  given  the  senator  the  same  answer  j  "  Brown 
called  in  to  see  me,  in  going  out  of  Kansas  in  1859,  and  I  censured 
him  for  going  into  Missouri  and  getting  those  slaves.  He  said,  '  I 
considered  the  matter  well ;  you  will  have  no  more  attacks  from  Mis- 
souri. I  shall  now  leave  Kansas  ;  probably  you  will  never  see  me 
again.  /  consider  it  my  duty  to  draw  the  scene  of  the  excitement  to  some 
other  part  of  the  country.''  "     In  this  aim  he  certainly  succeeded. 


384  .    History  of  Torrington, 

Even  Dr.  Howe  who  had  been  concerned  in  the  Greek  revolution, 
the  French  revolution  of  July,  1 830,  and  the  Polish  revolution  of 
1 83 1,  was  distressed,  on  his  return  from  Cuba  in  the  spring  of  1859, 
to  rind  that  Brown  had  actually  been  taking  the  property  of  slave- 
holders with  which  to  give  their  escaping  slaves  an  outfit,  and  for  a 
time  withdrew  his  support  from  the  veteran,  who  chafed  greatly  at 
this  unexpected  rebuff.  I  have  an  impression  that  Dr.  Howe,  on 
his  way  home  from  Cuba  (whither  he  accompanied  Theodore  Parker 
in  February,  1858),  had  journeyed  through  the  Carolinas,  and  had 
there  accepted  the  splendid  hospitality  of  Wade  Hampton  and  other 
rich  planters  ;  and  that  it  shocked  him  to  think  he  might  have  been 
instrumental  in  giving  up  to  fire  and  pillage  the  noble  mansions  where 
he  had  been  entertained.  If  so,  it  was  a  generous  relutance  which 
held  him  back  from  heartily  entering  again  into  John  Brown's  plans  j 
nor  did  he  after  1858  so  completely  support  them  as  before,  although 
he  never  withdrew  from  the  secret  committee,  and  continued  to  give 
money  to  the  enterprise.  Parker  never  returned  to  Boston,  but  died 
in  P'lorence  May,  i860.  He  contributed  nothing  after  1858,  nor 
did  Higginson  give  so  much,  or  interest  himself  so  warmly  in  the 
enterprise  after  its  first  postponement. 

All  this  would  have  made  it  more  difficult,  during  1859,  to  raise 
the  money  which  Brown  needed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  munificence 
of  Mr.  Stearns,  who,  at  each  emergency,  came  forward  with  his  in- 
dispensable gifts.  After  placing  about  twelve  hundred  dollars  in 
Brown's  hands  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1859,  he  still  continued 
to  aid  him  in  one  way  and  another,  until  almost  the  day  of  the  out- 
break, which  was  delayed  by  the  slowness  of  Brown's  own  move- 
ments during  the  spring  and  summer  of  1859.  ^  ^"^  ^^^^  '"  °^^  °^ 
my  letters,  dated  "Concord,  June  4,  1859  •"  "  Brown  has  set  out 
on  his  expedition,  having  got  some  eight  hundred  dollars  from  all 
sources  except  from  Mr.   Stearns,  and  from  hi.Ti  the  balance  of  two 

thousand  dollars  ;   Mr.  S being  a  man  who,  '  having  put  his  hand 

to  the  plow,  turneth  not  back.'  Brown  left  Boston  for  Springfield 
and  New  York  on  Wednesday  morning  at  8  :  30,  and  Mr.  Stearns 
has  probably  gone  to  New  York  to-day  to  make  final  arrangements 
for  him.  Brown  means  to  be  on  the  ground  as  soon  as  he  can,  per- 
haps so  as  to  begin  by  the  4th  of  July.  He  could  not  say  where  he 
should  be  for  a  few  weeks,  but  letters  are  addressed  to  him,  under 
cover  to  his  son  John,  Jr.,  at  West  Andover,  Ohio.  This  point  is 
not  far  from  where  Brown  will  begin,  and  his  son  will  communicate 


Biographies.  385 

with  him.  Two  of  his  sons  will  go  with  him.  He  is  desirous  of 
getting  some  one  to  go  to  Canada  and  collect  recruits  for  him  among 
the  fugitives,  with  Harriet  Tubman  or  alone,  as  the  case  may  be." 
This  letter  shows  I  had  then  no  thought  that  the  attack  would  be 
made  at  Harper's  Ferry,  nor  had  Mr.  Stearns,  to  whom  I  was  then 
in  the  habit  of  talking  or  writing  about  the  matter  every  few  days. 
I  have  no  doubt  he  knew  as  much  as  I  did  about  the  general  plan. 
On  the  1 8th  of  August,  Brown  sent  me  word  from  Chambersburg 
that  he  was  again  delayed  for  want  of  money,  and  must  have  three 
hundred  dollars,  which  I  undertook  to  raise  for  him.  On  the  4th  of 
September  I  had  sent  him  two  hundred  dollars,  of  which  Dr.  Howe 
gave  fifty  and  Gerrit  Smith  a  hundred  ;  on  the  14th  of  September, 
I  had  all  but  thirty-five  dollars  of  the  remaining  hundred,  Colonel 
Higginson  having  sent  me  twenty  dollars.  I  think  the  balance  was 
paid  by  Mr.  Stearns.  On  the  6th  of  October — ten  days  before 
the  attack  was  made  —  I  wrote  to  Higginson,  "  The  three  hundred 
dollars  desired  has  been  made  up  and  received.  Four  or  five  men 
will  be  on  the  ground  next  week,  from  these  regions  and  elsewhere." 
These  facts  were  all  known  to  Mr.  Stearns,  who  within  a  fortnight 
of  the  outbreak  was  in  consultation  with  Mr.  Lewis  Hayden,  and 
other  colored  men  of  Boston,  about  forwarding  recruits  to  Brown.  I 
think  he  paid  some  of  the  expenses  of  recruits,  but  am  not  certain. 

To  the  unthinking  public,  slavery  had  never  seemed  more  secure, 
or  more  likely  to  continue  for  centuries,  than  in  this  very  year  1859. 
But  Brown  and  his  friends  believed  that  it  could  be  overthrown  ; 
that  it  must  be  overthrown,  and  that  speedily,  else  it  would  destroy  the 
nation.  Brown  did  not  contemplate  insurrection,  but  partisan  war- 
fare, at  first  on  a  small  scale,  then  more  extensive.  Yet  he  did  not 
shrink  from  the  extreme  consequences  of  his  position.  A  man  of 
peace  for  more  than  fifty  years  of  his  life,  he  nevertheless  understood 
that  war  had  its  uses,  and  that  there  were  worse  evils  than  warfare 
for  a  great  principle.  He  more  than  once  said  to  me,  and  doubtless 
said  the  same  to  others,  "  I  believe  in  the  Golden  Rule  and  the  De- 
claration of  Independence  ;  I  think  they  both  mean  the  same  thing  ; 
and  it  is  better  that  a  whole  generation  should  pass  off^the  face  of  the 
earth — men,  women  and  children  —  by  a  violent  death,  than  that 
one  jot  of  either  should  fail  in  this  country.  I  mean  exactly  so  sir." 
He  also  told  me  that  "•  he  had  much  considered  the  matter,  and  had 
about  concluded  that  forcible  separation  of  the  connection  between 
master  and  slave  was  necessary  to  fit  the  blacks  for  self-government." 

49 


386  History  of  Torrington. 

First  a  soldier,  then  a  citizen,  was  his  plan  with  the  liberated  slaves. 
"  When  they  stand  like  men,  the  nation  will  respect  them,"  he  said  ; 
*' it  is  necessary  to  teach  them  this."  He  looked  forward,  no  doubt, 
to  years  of  conflict,  in  which  the  blacks,  as  in  the  later  years  of  the 
civil  war,  would  be  formed  into  regiments  and  brigades  and  be  drilled 
in  the  whole  art  of  war,  as  were  the  black  soldiers  of  Toussaint 
L'Ouverture  and  Dessalines,  in  Hayti.  But  in  his  more  inspired 
moments  he  foresaw  a  speedier  end  to  the  combat  which  he  began. 
Once  he  said,  "  A  few  men  in  the  right,  and  knowing  they  are 
right,  can  overturn  a  mighty  king.  Fifty  men,  twenty  men,  in  the 
Alleghanies,  could  break  slavery  to  pieces  in  two  years."  Within 
less  than  three  years  from  the  day  he  crossed  the  Potomac  with  his 
twenty  men,  Abraham  Lincoln  had  made  his  first  proclamation  of 
emancipation.  Before  six  years  had  passed,  every  one  of  the  four 
million  slaves  in  our  country  was  a  free  man. 

The  Virginia  Campaign. 
Until  the  troubles  in  Kansas  in  1856-7,  the  world  knew  nothing 
of  John  Brown,  After  that  time  he  was  well  known,  though  not 
always  kept  in  mind,  until  his  final  adventure  in  Virginia,  and  the 
remarkable  scenes  at  the  close  of  his  life  fastened  the  attention  of 
all  men,  and  made  his  name  as  familiar  to  our  countrymen  and  to 
foreign  nations,  as  are  those  of  Washington  and  Abraham  Lincoln. 
And  it  was  on  the  banks  of  Washington's  own  noble  stream,  the 
Potomac,  and  among  regions  familiar  to  the  great  Virginian,  that  this 
son  of  Connecticut  achieved  his  highest  renown.  Robert  Harper, 
an  English  carpenter  from  the  neighborhood  of  Oxford,  who  gave 
his  name  to  the  romantic  spot  since  known  as  "  Harper's  Ferry," 
was  a  contemporary  of  Washington,  though  somewhat  older.  It  was 
then  (in  1747),  a  part  of  Lord  Fairfax's  broad  Virginia  manor,  be- 
tween the  Potomac  and  the  Rappahannock,  in  which  Washington,  at 
the  request  of  his  friend  and  patron  Fairfax,  first  began  work  as  a 
land  surveyor.  Without  waiting  for  the  formality  of  a  survey,  Robert 
Harper,  who  saw  the  advantages  of  the  situation,  determined  to  buy 
out  the  squatter's  cabin  and  claim  which  then  occupied  the  locality, 
paying  fifty  English  guineas  for  such  rights  as  could  be  possessed 
under  squatter  law.  In  the  year  1748,  while  Washington  was  ex- 
ploring and  surveying  the  Shenandoah  valley.  Harper  went  to  Lord 
Fairfax's  hunting  lodge  at  Greenway  Court  (not  far  off),  and  obtained 
a  patent  for  the  lands   he  had  purchased.     Probably  the  first    survey 


Biographies.  387 

of  this  tract  was  made  by  Washington,  who  also  is  said  to  have 
selected  the  Ferrv,  in  1794,  as  the  site  of  a  national  armory.  The 
scenery  of  this  region  has  been  described  by  Jefferson  in  his  Notes  on 
Virginia^  written  shortly  before  the  death  of  Robert  Harper  in  1782, 
and  presenting  the  view  as  it  shows  itself  from  Jefferson's  rock, 
above  the  present  village  of  Harper's  Ferry.  '^'  You  stand,  on  a  very 
high  point  of  land  ;  on  your  right  comes  up  the  Shenandoah,  having 
ranged  along  the  foot  of  the  mountain  a  hundred  miles  to  find  a 
vent  ;  on  your  left  approaches  the  Potomac,  in  quest  of  a  passage 
also.  In  the  moment  of  their  junction  they  rush  together  against 
the  mountain,  rend  it  asunder,  and  pass  off  to  the  sea.  The  scene 
is  worth  a  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  Yet  here  are  people  who 
have  passed  their  lives  within  half  a  dozen  miles,  and  have  never 
been  to  survey  these  monuments  of  a  war  between  rivers  and  moun- 
tains which  must  have  shaken  the  earth  itself  to  its  centre." 

Around  this  junction  of  the  two  rivers,  in  the  sixty  years  that 
followed  the  death  of  Washington,  had  grown  up  a  village  of  three 
or  four  thousand  inhabitants.  On  the  northern  side  of  the  Potomac 
rise  the  Maryland  Heights  almost  perpendicular  to  the  river's  bank, 
and  some  thirteen  hundred  feet  above  it.  The  Loudon  Heights,  across 
the  Shenandoah,  are  lower,  but  both  ridges  overtop  the  hill  between 
them,  and  make  it  untenable  for  an  army,  as  was  more  than  once 
demonstrated  during  the  civil  war.  Yet  this  hill  itself  commands  all 
below  it,  and  makes  the  town  indefensible  against  a  force  occupying 
that  position.  Therefore  when  John  Brown,  on  the  night  of  Sun- 
day, October  16,  1859,  entered  and  captured  Harper's  Ferry,  he 
placed  himself  in  a  trap  where  he  was  sure  to  be  taken,  unless  he 
should  quickly  leave  it.  His  purpose,  beyond  question,  was  to  hold 
the  village  but  a  ^ew  hours,  make  such  disposal  as  he  should  think 
best  of  the  government  armory  and  arsenal  there,  with  its  tens  of 
thousands  of  muskets  and  rifles,  get  together  the  principal  persons  of 
the  whole  neighborhood  to  be  detained  as  hostages,  and  then  to 
move  forward  into  the  mountains  of  Virginia,  keeping  open  such  com- 
munication as  he  could,  with  the  mountain  region  of  Maryland  and 
so  with  the  northern  states.  His  first  mistake  (and  he  made  many 
in  this  choice  of  his  point  of  attack  and  his  method  of  warfare)  was 
in  crossing  the  Potomac  at  a  place  so  near  the  cities  of  Washington 
and  Baltimore,  which  are  distant  but  sixty  and  eighty  miles  respect- 
ively from  the  bridge  over  which  he  marched  his  men.  This  bridge 
is  used  both  by  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail  road  and  by  the  travelers 


388  History  of  Torrington. 

along  the  public  highway  ;  and  the  only  approach  to  it  from  the 
Maryland  side  is  by  a  narrow  road  under  the  steep  clifF,  or  by  the 
rail  road  itself.  On  the  Virginia  side  there  are  roads  leading  up  from 
the  Shenandoah  valley,  and  both  up  and  down  the  Potomac.  Har- 
per's Ferry  is  indeed  the  Thermopylae  of  Virginia.  Robert  Lee,  the 
Hector  of  the  Southern  Troy,  came  here  with,  soldiers  of  the  national 
army  to  capture  John  Brown,  in  1859  >  ^^  came  here  again  and  re- 
peatedly as  commander  of  the  Southern  armies,  during  the  five  years 
that  followed.  His  soldiers  and  their  opponents  of  the  Union  army 
canonaded,  burnt,  pillaged  and  abandoned  the  town,  which  has 
never  recovered  from  the  ruin  of  the  war.  The  armory  workshops 
are  abandoned,  both  those  beside  the  Potomac,  where  Brown  fought 
and  was  captured,  and  those  beside  the  Shenandoah,  where  his  com- 
rade Kagi  fought  and  was  slain.  The  fine  houses  of  the  officers 
who  directed  the  armory  work  before  the  war  are  turned  over  to  the 
directors  of  a  school  for  the  colored  people,  young  and  old,  almost 
the  only  thing  that  flourishes  now  at  Harper's  Ferry.  The  popula- 
tion of  the  two  or  three  villages  crowded  together  there  is  but  little 
more  than  half  what  it  was  in  1859. 

Brown's  attention  was  turned  toward  Harper's  Ferry  and  the  Vir- 
ginia counties  within  easy  reach,  not  only  by  the  natural  advantages 
of  the  place,  and  its  historical  associations  with  the  heroes  of  Vir- 
ginia, but  also  by  the  number  of  slaves  held  there.  In  the  village 
itself  there  were  few^  but  in  Jeff'erson  county  there  were  four  thou- 
sand slaves  and  five  hundred  free  blacks,  while  the  white  population 
was  but  ten  thousand  ;  and  within  a  range  of  thirty  miles  from  the 
Ferry  there  were  perhaps  twenty  thousand  slaves,  of  whom  four  or 
five  thousand  were  capable  of  bearing  arms.  Brown  may  well  have 
supposed  that  out  of  this  population  he  could  obtain  the  few  hundred 
recruits  that  he  desired  for  the  first  operations  of  his  Virginia  cam- 
paign ;  and  could  he  have  succeeded  in  fortifying  himself  in  the  Blue 
Ridge,  as  he  proposed,  it  is  quite  possible  he  would  have  had  these 
recruits.  A  colored  clergyman,  who  heard  him  unfold  his  plan  in 
1858,  at  a  secret  meeting  of  colored  people  in  one  of  the  western 
cities,  reports  this  version  of  what  he  then  said:  "I  design  to  make 
a  few  midnight  raids  upon  the  plantations,  in  order  to  give  those  who 
are  willing  among  the  slaves  an  opportunity  of  joining  us  or  escap- 
ing; and  it  matters  little  whether  we  begin  with  many  or  few.  Hav- 
ing done  this  for  two  or  three  times,  until  the  neighborhood  becomes 
alarmed  and  the  generality  of  the  slaves  encouraged,  we  will  retire  to 


Biographies.  389 

the  fastness  of  the  mountains;  and,  ever  and  anon,  strike  unexpected 
though  bloodless  blows  upon  the  Old  Dominion  ;  in  the  mean  time 
sending  away  those  slaves  who  may  desire  to  go  to  the  North.  We 
shall  by  this  means  conquer  without  bloodshed,  awaken  the  slaves  to 
the  possibility  of  escape,  and  frighten  the  slaveholders  into  a  desire 
to  get  rid  of  slavery."  It  was  the  possibility  of  success  in  such  a 
plan,  that  so  alarmed  the  slaveholders  of  the  whole  South,  and  caused 
Vallandigham  of  Ohio  to  say,  as  he  did  a  few  days  after  Brown's 
capture,  "Certainly  it  was  one  of  the  best  planned  and  best  executed 
conspiracies  that  ever  failed." 

Had  Brown  gone  forward  as  he  proposed,  he  might  have  secured 
a  foothold  for  his  operations,  and  it  is  possible  that  he  could  not  only 
have  made  slavery  insecure,  and  emancipation  desirable,  but  grad- 
ually have  extended  forcible  emancipation  over  a  large  part  of  the 
South.  That  this  was  a  perilous  undertaking.  Brown  and  his  men 
well  knew,  but  they  did  not  believe  it  hopeless.  Thus  young  Jerry 
Anderson,  who  was  killed  by  the  side  of  his  captain  in  the  engine- 
house  at  Harper's  Ferry,  wrote  to  his  brother  in  Iowa  less  than  three 
weeks  before  the  outbreak,  in  terms  of  great  confidence. 

"  Our  mining  company  will  consist  of  between  twenty  five  and  thirty,  well 
equipped  with  tools.  You  can  tell  Uncle  Dan  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to 
visit  him  before  next  spring.  If  my  life  is  spared,  I  will  be  tired  of  work  by 
that  time,  and  I  shall  visit  my  relatives  and  friends  in  Iowa,  if  I  can  get  leave 
of  absence.  At  present,  I  am  bound  by  all  that  is  honorable  to  continue  in 
the  course.  We  go  in  to  win,  at  all  hazards.  So  if  you  should  hear  of  a 
failure,  it  will  be  after  a  desperate  struggle,  and  loss  of  capital  on  both  sides. 
But  that  is  the  last  of  our  thoughts.  Everything  seems  to  work  to  our  hands, 
and  victory  will  surely  perch  upon  our  banner.  The  old  man  has  had  this 
operation  in  view  for  twenty  years,  and  last  winter^  was  just  a  hint  and  trial  of 
what  could  be  done.  This  is  not  a  large  place, ^  but  a  precious  one  to  Uncle 
Sam,  as  he  has  a  great  many  tools  here.  I  expect  (when  I  start  again  travel- 
ing) to  start  at  this  place  and  go  through  the  state  of  Virginia  and  on  south, 
ju5t  as   circumstances   require  ;   mining  and   prospecting,  and   carrying    the   ore 

with  us I  suppose  this  is   the  last   letter  I  shall  write    before    there    is 

something  in  the  wind.  Whether  I  will  have  a  chance  of  sending  letters  then 
I  do  not  know,  but  when  I  have  an  opportuuity,  I  shall  improve  it.  But  if 
you  don't  get  any  from  me,  don't  take  it  for  granted  that  I  am  gone  up  till 
you  know  it  to  be  so.  I  consider  my  life  about  as  safe  in  one  place  as  an- 
other." 

This  letter  shows  the  smallness  of  the  force  with  which  Brown 


^In  Missouri,  December  1858,  whence  he  carried  oft' a  dozen  slaves  safely  to  Canada. 
"  Harper's  Ferry.  • 


390 


History  of  Torringtom. 


intended  to  begin  his  work.  He  would  gladly  have  raised  a  hundred 
men  (or  more)  for  his  first  operations,  but  he  was  quite  ready  to  com- 
mence with  thirty,  hoping  to  increase  their  number  by  recruits  from 
the  freed  slaves  and  accessions  from  the  North,  both  white  and 
black.  He  had  several  persons  at  the  North  engaged  to  enlist  and 
forward  recruits,  the  most  active  of  these  being  his  son,  John  Brown, 
Jr.,  then  living  at  West  Andover,  Ohio.  During  the  summer  of 
1859,  John  Brown,  the  younger,  had  visited  Boston,  and  there  made 
arrangements  for  receiving  recruits  from    Massachusetts. 

Only  one  of  the  six  colored  recruits  from  Massachusetts  reached 
Harper's  Ferry  before  the  attack,  and  even  he  took  no  part  in  the 
fight.  The  others  were  delayed  at  home,  from  one  cause  or  another, 
until  the  enterprise  had  failed.  The  same  thing  happened  with  rej 
gard  to  a  few  other  recruits  enlisted  by  John  Brown,  Jr.,  or  under 
his  direction,  while  a  few  persons,  who  had  been  counted  on  to  join 
the  expedition,  at  last  refused  or  hesitated  to  do  so.  Had  it  been  de- 
layed, as  some  of  the  party  expected,  until  the  following  spring,  it  is 
possible  that  the  number  of  men  would  have  been  increased  to  fifty  ; 
but  probably  no  more  than  fifty  were  at  any  time  pledged  to  join  in  this 
particular  expedition.  Probably  it  would  have  been  unsafe  to  trust 
more  persons  with  the  secret,  which  was  so  often  on  the  point  of  being 
disclosed,  yet  never  really  became  public.  It  would  appear  from  a 
letter  of  John  Brown,  Jr.,  dated  September  8,  1859,  ^^^"^  ^^  ^^^  ^'^^ 
informed,  until  early  in  September,  that  the  attack  would  be  made 
in  October.  "  I  had  supposed,"  he  writes  to  Kagi,  "  that  you  would 
not  think  it  best  to  commence  opening  the  coal  banks  before  spring, 
unless  circumstances  should  make  it  imperative.  However,  I  sup- 
pose the  reasons  are  satisfactory  to  you." 

The  actual  force  with  which  Captain  Brown  undertook  his  Vir- 
ginia campaign  consisted  of  twenty-three  men,  including  himself; 
but  four  of  these  never  crossed  the  Potomac,  nor  had  they  all  been 
mustered  together  on  the  Kennedy  farm  or  elsewhere.  Six  of  them 
were  colored  men,  of  whom  three  were  fugitive  slaves.  In  the  fol- 
lowing list  those  who  did  not  cross  the  river  are  marked  with  an  as- 
terisk, and  the  names  of  the  colored  men  are  in  italics.  Of  the  whole 
number  only  one,  Owen  Brown,  now  survives.  Ten  of  them  were 
killed  or  died  of  their  wounds  in  Virginia,  seven  were  hanged,  and 
six  escaped.  Six  of  the  white  men  were  members  of  the  Brown 
family  or  connected  with  it  by  marriage,  and  five  of  these  died  in 
Virginia.     The  list  is  as  follows : 


Biographies. 


391 


1.  John  Brown,  commander-in-chief;  2.  John  Henry  Kagi,  adjutant,  and 
second  in  command;  3.  Aaron  C.Stevens,  captain;  4.  Watson  Brown, 
captain  ;  5.  Oliver  Brown,  captain  ;  6.  John  E.  Cook,  captain  ;  7.  Charles 
Plummer  Tidd,  captain  ;  8.  William  H.  Leman,  lieutenant  ;  9.  Albert  Haz- 
lett,  lieutenant  ;  10.  Owen  Brown,*  lieutenant  ;  11.  Jeremiah  G.  Anderson, 
lieutenant;  12.  Edwin  Coppoc,  lieutenant  ;  13.  William  Thompson,  lieuten- 
ant ;  14.  Dauphin  Thompson,  lieutenant  ;  15.  Shields  Green;  16.  Danger- 
field  Nezvby ;  17.  John  J.  Copeland ;  18.  Oshorn  P.  Anderson;  19.  Lewis 
Leary ;  20.  Stewart  Taylor;  21.  Barclay  Coppoc;*  22.  Francis  Jackson 
Merriam  ;*    23.   John  Anderson.^ 

It  will  at  once  be  seen  that  this  company  was  but  the  skeleton  of 
an  organization,  which  it  was  intended  to  fill  up  with  recruits  gath- 
ered from  among  the  slaves  and  at  the  North  ;  hence  the  great  dis- 
proportion of  officers  to  privates.  According  to  the  general  orders 
issued  by  Brown,  dated  at  Harper's  Ferry,  October  10,  1859,  ^ 
week  before  his  capture  of  the  town,  his  forces  were  to  be  divided 
into  battalions  of  four  companies,  which  would  contain,  when  full, 
seventy-two  officers  and  men  in  each  company,  or  two  hundred  and 
eighty-eight  in  the  battalion.  Provision  was  made  for  officering  and 
arming  the  four  companies  of  the  first  battalion,  which,  in  the  event 
of  Brown's  success,  would  have  been  filled  up  as  quickly  as  possi- 
ble. Each  company  was  to  be  divided  into  bands  of  seven  men, 
under  a  corporal,  and  every  two  bands  made  a  section  of  sixteen 
men,  under  a  sergeant.  Until  the  companies  were  filled  up,  the 
commissioned  officers  seem  to  have  been  intended  to  act  as  corporals 
and  sergeants  in  these  bands  and  sections,  and  they  did  so  during  the 
engagement  at  the  village  and  the  operations  in  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia. 

Brown's  first  appearance  in  the  neighborhood  of  Harper's  Ferry,  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  his  attack  upon  the  place,  was  on  the  30th 
of  June,  1859,  when  he  went  down  from  Chambersburg  in  Penn- 
sylvania to  Hagerstown  in  Maryland,  accompanied  by  his  lieutenant, 
Anderson.  They  spent  the  night  at  a  tavern  in  Hagerstown,  and 
there  passed  for  Yankees  going  through  the  mountains  to  search  for 
minerals  On  the  3d  of  July  Brown  was  at  the  Ferry  with  Ander- 
son, and  his  sons  Watson  and  Oliver,  and  they  spent  that  night  at  a 
tavern  in  Sandy  Hook,  a  hamlet  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Potomac, 
about  a  mile  below.  On  the  4th  of  July  they  went  up  the  river 
road  towards  the  house  of  Mr.  John  C.  Unseld,  a  Maryland  slave- 
holder, who  lived  in  Washington  county  about  a  mile  from  the  Ferry 
on  one  of  the  mountain  roads.     Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  that 


39^  History  of  Torrington. 

morning,  as  Mr.  Unseld  was  riding  down  to  the  Ferry,  he  met  the 
party  strolling  along  the  edge  of  the  mountain.  Falling  into  conver- 
sation with  them,  in  the  country  fashion,  he  learned  that  the  old  man 
was  named  Smith,  that  these  were  his  sons,  Watson  and  Oliver 
Smith,  and  that  the  shorter  youth  was  named  Anderson.  "  Well, 
gentlemen,"  said  the  Marylander,  "  I  suppose  you  are  out  hunting 
minerals,  gold  and  silver,  perhaps."  "  No,"  said  Brown,  "  we  are 
out  looking  for  land.  We  want  to  buy  land  ;  we  have  a  little 
money,  and  want  to  make  it  go  as  far  as  we  can.  How  much  is 
land  worth  an  acre  hereabouts  ?"  Being  told  that  it  "ranged  from 
fifteen  dollars  to  thirty  dollars  in  that  neighborhood,"  he  said,  "  That 
is  high  ;  I  thought  I  could  buy  for  a  dollar  or  two  an  acre.  "  No," 
said  the  Marylander,  "not  here  ;  if  you  expect  to  get  land  for  that 
price,  you'll  have  to  go  farther  west,  to  Kansas,  or  some  of  those 
territories  where  there  is  congress  land.  Where  are  you  from  !" 
"  The  northern  part  of  New  York  state."  "  What  have  you  fol- 
lowed there  ?"  "  Farming,"  said  Brown  ;  but  the  frost  had  been  so 
heavy  of  late  years  it  had  cut  off  their  crops,  they  could  not  make 
anything  there,  so  he  had  sold  out,  and  thought  they  would  come 
farther  south  and  try  it  awhile. 

Having  thus  satisfied  a  natural  curiosity,  Mr,  Unseld  rode  on, 
and  as  we  may  suppose,  took  his  morning  dram  among  his  Virginia 
acquaintances.  Returning,  some  hours  afterwards,  he  again  met 
Mr.  Smith  and  his  young  men  not  far  from  the  same  place.  "  I 
have  been  looking  round  your  country  up  here,"  said  he,  "and  it  is 
a  very  fine  country, —  a  pleasant  place,  a  fine  view.  The  land  is 
much  better  than  I  expected  to  find  it  ;  your  crops  are  pretty  good." 
As  he  said  this  he  pointed  to  where  the  men  had  been  cutting  grain, 
some  white  men  and  some  negroes  at  work  in  the  fields,  as  the  cus- 
tom is  there.  For  in  Washington  county  there  were  few  slaves  even 
then,  and  most  of  the  field  work  was  done  by  whites  or  free  colored 
men.'  Brown  then  asked  if  any  farm  in  the  neighborhood  was  for 
sale.  "  Yes,  there  is  a  farm  four  miles  up  the  road  here,  towards 
Boonsborough,  owned  by  the  heirs  of  Dr.  Booth  Kennedy  ;  you  can 


'  In  walking  up  the  valley  road  to  the  Kennedy  farm  in  May  1875,  a  distance  of  nearly 
five  miles,  I  saw  scarcely  any  negroes  cultivating  the  farms,  and  but  one  colored  woman 
who  was  working  out-doors;  while  I  saw  and  talked  with  several  white  men  plowing  or 
planting  their  own  land.  It  was  not  very  different  from  this  in  1859,  for,  out  of  31,000 
inhabitants  of  Washington  county  then,  only  1435  were  slaves,  while  1677  were  free  col- 
ored persons. 


Biographies. 


393 


buy  that."  "  Can  I  rent  it  ?"  said  Brown  ;  then  turning  to  his  com- 
panions he  said,  "  I  thinic  we  had  better  rent  awhile,  until  we  get 
better  acquainted,  so  that  they  cannot  take  advantage  of  us  in  the  pur- 
chase of  land."  To  this  they  appeared  to  assent,  and  Mr.  Unseld 
then  said,  "  Perhaps  you  can  rent  the  Kennedy  farm  ;  I  do  not 
know  about  that,  but  it  is  for  sale  I  know."  Brown  then  turned  to 
his  sons  and  said,  "  Boys,  as  you  are  not  very  well,  you  had  better 
go  back  and  tell  the  landlord  at  Sandy  Hook  that  Oliver  and  I  shall 
not  be  there  to  dinner,  but  will  go  on  up  and  see  the  Kennedy  place  ; 
however,  you  can  do  as  you  please."  Watson  Brown  looked  at  An- 
derson and  then  said,  "  We  will  go  with  you."  "  Well,"  said  the 
friendly  Marylander,  ''  if  you  will  go  on  with  me  up  to  my  house,  I 
can  then  point  you  the  road  exactly."  Arrived  there  he  invited  them 
to  take  dinner,  for  by  this  time  it  was  nearly  noon.  They  thanked  him, 
but  declined,  nor  would  they  accept  an  invitation  to  "  drink  some- 
thing." "Well,"  said  Unseld,  "if  you  must  go  on,  just  follow  up 
this  road  along  the  foot  of  the  mountain  ;  it  is  shady  and  pleasant, 
and  you  will  come  out  at  a  church  up  here  about  three  miles.  Then 
you  can  see  the  Kennedy  house  by  looking  from  that  church  right  up 
the  road  that  leads  to  Boonsborough,  or  you  can  go  right  across  and 
get  into  the  county  road,  and  follow  that  up."  Brown  sat  and  talked 
with  Unseld  for  a  while,  who  asked  him  "  what  he  expected  to 
follow,  up  yonder  at  Kennedy's  ?  "  adding  that  Brown  "  could  not 
more  than  make  a  living  there."  "  Well,"  said  Brown,  "  my 
business  has  been  buying  up  fat  cattle  and  driving  them  on  to  the 
state  of  New  York,  and  we  expect  to  engage  in  that  again."  Three 
days  later,  the  genial  Unseld,  again  jogging  to  or  from  the  Ferry, 
again  met  the  gray-bearded  rustic,  who  said,  "  Well,  I  think  that 
place  will  suit  me  ;  now  just  give  me  a  description  where  I  can  find 
the  widow  Kennedy  and  the  administrator,"  which  Unseld  did.  A 
few  days  after,  he  once  more  met  the  new  comer,  and  found  Mr. 
Smith  had  rented  the  two  houses  on  the  Kennedy  farm,  the  farm 
house,  about  theee  hundred  yards  from  the  public  road  on  the  west 
side,  where,  as  Unseld  thought,  "  it  makes  a  very  pretty  show  for  a 
small  house,"  and  "  the  cabin,"  which  stood  about  as  far  from  the 
road  on  the  east  side,  "  hidden  by  shrubbery  in  the  summer  season, 
pretty  much."'     For  the  two  houses,  pasture  for  a  cow  and  horse, 


'  It  was  at  this  cabin,  since  torn  down,  that  Brown  kept  his  boxes  of  rifles  and  pistols, 
after  they  reached  him  from  Ohio.  The  pikes  from  Connecticut,  a  thousand  in  number, 
were  stored  in  the  loft  or  attic  of  the  farm  house,  where  Brown  and  his  family  lived. 

50 


394  History  of  Torrington. 

and  firewood,  from  July  rill  March,  Brown  paid  thirty-five  dollars, 
as  he  took  pains  to  tell  Unseld,  showing  him  the  receipt  of  the  widow 

Kennedy. 

How  was  it  possible  to  doubt  or  mistrust  a  plain  Yankee  farmer 
and  cattledrover  who  talked  in  that  way,  and  had  no  concealments, 
no  tricks,  and  no  airs  ?  Evidently  the  Marylander  did  not  once  mis- 
trust him;  though  he  rode  up  to  the  Kennedy  farm  nearly  every 
week  from  the  middle  of  July  till  the  first  of  October.  "  I  just  went 
up  to  talk  to  the  old  man,"  said  he  to  Senator  Mason,  when  telling 
the  story  before  the  senate  committee,  "  but  sometimes,  at  the 
request  of  others,  on  business  about  selling  him  some  horses  or  cows. 
He  was  in  my  yard  frequently,  perhaps  four  or  five  times.  I  would 
always  ask  him  in,  but  he  would  never  go  in,  and  of  course  I  would 
not  go  in  his  house.  He  often  invited  me  in  ;  indeed,  nearly  every 
time  I  went  there  he  asked  me  to  go  in,  and  remarked  to  me  fre- 
quently, '  we  have  no  chairs  for  you  to  sit  on,  but  we  have  trunks 
and  boxes.'  I  declined  going  in,  but  sat  on  my  horse  and  chatted 
with  him."  Before  the  20th  of  July  he  saw  there  "  two  females," 
who  were  Martha,  the  wife  of  Oliver  Brown,  and  Anne,  the  eldest 
unmarried  sister  of  Oliver,  then  a  girl  of  not  quite  sixteen  years. 
"  Twice  I  went  there,"  says  Unseld,  "and  found  none  of  the  men, 
but  the  two  ladies,  and  I  sat  there  on  my  horse  —  there  was  a  high 
porch  on  the  house,  and  I  could  sit  there  and  chat  with  them  —  and 
then  I  rode  ofF  and  left  them.  They  told  me  there  were  none  of  the 
men  at  home,  but  did  not  tell  me  where  they  were.  One  time  I 
went  there  and  inquired  for  them,  and  one  of  the  females  answered 
me,  '  they  are  across  there  at  the  cabin  ;  you  had  better  ride  over 
and  see  them.'  I  replied  it  did  not  make  any  difference,  and  I  would 
not  bother  them,  and  I  rode  back  home." 

I  quote  all  this  gossip  because  it  pictures,  as  no  description  of  mine 
could,  the  quiet  and  drowsiness  of  this  woodland,  primitive,  easy- 
going, hard-living  population,  amid  the  hills  and  mountains  of  Mary- 
land, where  John  Brown  spent  the  last  three  months  of  his  free  life, 
and  gathered  his  forces  for  the  battle  in  which  he  fell.  It  is  a  region 
of  home-keeping,  honest,  dull  country  people  ;  and  so  completely 
did  Brown  make  himself  one  of  its  denizens,  that  he  was  accepted 
as  part  and  parcel  of  it,  even  when  plotting  his  most  audacious  strokes. 
His  wifedid  not  visit  him  there,  but  his  daughterand  daughter-in  law  — 
a  bride  of  the  year  before,  a  widow,  a  mother,  and  in  her  grave  with 
her  infant  beside   her  when   the  next  winter's  snows   were  falling  — 


Biographies.  395 

made  his  cabin  cheerful,  and  softened  with  feminine  tenderness 
and  tact  the  roush  features  of  their  rustic  life.  Osborn  Ander- 
son,  who  spent  the  last  three  weeks  before  the  attack  at  the 
Kennedy  farm,  has  pictured  the  impression  made  upon  him,  one  of 
the  despised  people  of  color,  by  the  circle  in  which  he  found  himself: 
"All  the  men  concerned  in  the  undertaking  were  on  hand  when  I 
arrived,  except  Copeland,  Leary,  and  Merriam  ;  and  when  all  had 
collected,  a  more  earnest,  fearless,  and  determined  company  of  men 
it  would  be  difficult  to  get  together.  I  saw  evidence  of  strong  and 
commanding  intellect,  high  toned  morality,  and  inflexibility  of  purpose 
in  the  men,  and  a  profound  and  holy  reverence  for  God,  united  to 
the  most  comprehensive,  practical,  systematic  philanthropy  and  un- 
doubted bravery,  in  the  patriarch  leader.  There  was  no  milk  and 
water  sentimentality,  no  offensive  contempt  for  the  negro  while 
working  in  his  cause  ;  the  pulsations  of  each  and  every  heart  beat  in 
harmony  for  the  suffering  and  pleading  slave.  Every  morning  when 
the  noble  old  man  was  at  home,  he  called  the  family  around,  read 
from  his  Bible,  and  offered  to  God  most  fervent  and  touching  suppli- 
cations for  all    flesh I   never  heard   John  Brown  pray,   that  he 

did  not  make  strong  appeals  to  God  for  the  deliverance  of  the  slave. 
This  duty  over,  the  men  went  to  the  loft  [of  the  farm  house],  there 

to  remain  all  the  day  long We  were,  while  the  ladies  remained, 

often  relieved  of  much  of  the  dullness  growing  out  of  restraint,  by 
their  kindness.  We  were  well  supplied  with  grapes,  paw-paws, 
chestnuts,  and  other  small  fruits,  besides  bouquets  of  fall  flowers, 
through  their  thoughtful  consideration." 

Just  before  Brown  expected  to  begin  his  campaign,  he  sent  back  to 
their  mother  in  the  Adirondac  wilderness  his  daughter  and  daughter- 
in-law,  under  the  escort  of  his  son  Oliver,  who  accompanied  them 
as  far  north  as  New  York.  The  father  soon  sent  after  them  this 
touching  and  most  characteristic  letter,  which  he  then  thought  might 
be  the  last  he  should  write  to  his  wife  and  family  : 

Chambersburg,  Pa.,  October  \,  1859. 

Dear  Wife  and  Children  all,  I  parted  with  Martha  and  Anne  at  Har- 
risburg,  yesterday,  in  company  with  Oliver,  on  their  way  home.  1  trust, 
before  this  reaches  you,  the  women  will  have  arrived  safe.  I  have  encourage- 
ment of  having  fifty  dollars  or  more  sent  you  soon,  to  help  you  to  get  through 
the  winter  ;  and  I  shall  certainly  do  ^7// in  my  power  for  you,  and  try  to  com- 
mend you  always  to  the  God  of  my  fathers. 

Perhaps  you  can  keep  your  animals  in  good  condition  through  the  winter  on 
potatoes  mostly,  much  cheaper  than  on  any  other  feed.  I  think  that  would 
certainly  be  the  case  if  the  crop  '\?,  good,  and  is  secured  well  zwdk  in  time. 

I  sent  along  four  pair  blankets,  with  directions  for  Martha  to  have  the  first 


39^ 


History  of  Torrington. 


choice,  and  for  Bell,  Abbie,  and  Anne  to  ^asi  lots  for  a  choice  in  the  three 
other  pairs.  My  reason  is  that  I  think  Martha  fairly  entitled  to  particular 
notice." 

To  my  other  daughters  I  can  only  send  rx\y  blessing  just  now.  Anne,  I  want 
•^ou,  first  of  all,  to  become  a  sincere,  humble,  earnest,  and  consistent  Christian  ; 
and  then  acquire  good  znd^  efficient  business  habits.  Save  this  letter  to  remember 
your  father  by,  Annie. 

You  must  all  send  to  John  hereafter  anything  you  want  should  get  to  us,  and 
you  may  be  sure  we  shall  all  be  very  anxious  to  learn  everything  about  your 
welfare.  Read  the  Tribune  carefully.  It  may  not  always  be  certainly  true, 
however.  Begin  early  to  take  good  care  of  all  your  animals,  and  pinch  them 
at  the  close  of  the  winter,  if  you  must  at  all. 

God  Almighty  bless  and  save  you  all  !  Your  affectionate  husband  and 
father. 

Oliver  Brown  was  not  then  twenty-one.  His  next  older  brother, 
Watson,  was  just  twenty-four,  and  had  been  married  for  three  years 
to  Isabel  Thompson,  whose  brothers,  William  and  Dauphin  Thomp- 
son, like  her  husband  and  brother-in-law,  were  killed  at  Harper's 
Ferry.  In  letters  to  his  wife  at  various  dates  from  September  3d  to 
October  14th,  Watson  Brown  wrote  thus  : 

"  I  received  your  letter  of  September  1 4th,  the  night  the  girls  got  home,  which 
I  was  very  glad  to  get.  Oh,  Bell,  I  do  want  to  see  you  and  the  little  fellow 
[the  young  child  born  in  the  father's  absence]  very  much,  but  I  must  wait. 
There  was  a  slave  near  here  whose  wife  was  sold  off  south  the  other  day,  and 
he  was  found  in  Thomas  Kennedy's  orchard,  dead,  the  next  morning.  Cannot 
come  home  so  long  as  such  things  are  done  here.    .   .   . 

We  are  all  eager  for  the  work  and  confident  of  success.  There  was  another 
murder  committed  near  our  place  the  other  day,  making  in  all  five  murders 
and  one  suicide  within  five  miles  of  our  place  since  we  have  lived  there  ;  thev- 
were  all  slaves,  too.  .  .  .  Give  my  regards  to  all  the  friends,  and  keep  up  good 
courage  ;  there  is  a  better  day  a-coming.  I  can  but  commend  you  to  yourself 
and  your  friends,  if  I  should  never  see  you  again.     Your  affectionate  husband. 

Watson  Brown." 

On  Friday,  October  14,  Watson  Brown,  waited  at  Chambers- 
burg  until  it  was  late  enough  to  escort  the  two  latest  recruits,  John 
Copeland  and  Lewis  Leary,  from  the  Pennsylvania  line,  near  Mid- 
dletown,  through  Maryland  to  the  Kennedy  farm,  a  work  which 
must  alwavs  be  done  by  night,  if  the  recruits  were  negroes.  He 
reached  the  farm  at  daybreak  on  the  15th,  bringing  the  two  recruits 
and  accompanied  by  Kagi.  On  the  i6th  he  and  his  brothers,  Oliver 
and  Owen,  received  their  orders  from  Captain   Brown  for  the  night 


»  Martha  was  the  wife  of  Oliver,  and  was  to  be  confined  in  March.  Bell  was  the  wife 
of  Watson,  and  the  sister  of  William  and  Dauphin  Thompson;  Abbie  was  the  wife  of 
Salmon  Brown,  who  stayed  at  home  with  his  mother. 


Biographies.  397 

attack.  Owen  Brown,  with  Merriam  and  Barclay  Coppoc,  were  to 
remain  at  the  farm  as  a  guard  till  morning,  when,  upon  the  arrival 
of  horses  and  men  from  the  Ferry,  they  were  to  move  the  arms  by 
wagon-loads  to  an  old  school -house,  now  destroyed,  about  three 
miles  from  the  Ferry,  on  the  Maryland  side.  This  place  had  been 
selected  a  few  days  before  by  Captain  Brown,  and  it  was  in  fact 
seized  and  held  by  Owen  Brown  during  most  of  the  17th,  while  the 
fighting  was  going  on  across  the  Potomac.  Watson  Brown,  with 
Stewart  Taylor,  was  to  hold  the  bridge  across  the  Potomac,  and 
Oliver  Brown,  with  William  Thompson,  the  bridge  across  the 
Shenandoah,  a  duty  which  they  performed  until  the  morning  of  the 
17th,  when  the  village  of  Harper's  Ferry  was  fully  in  possession  ot 
Brown  and  his  men.  It  was  Watson  Brown  who  stopped  the  train 
for  Washington,  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  rail  road,  not  long  after 
midnisht  on  the  i6th.  Both  Watson  and  Oliver  were  with  their 
father  early  in  the  afternoon  of  the  17th,  when  he  repulsed  the  sharp 
attack  of  the  Virginia  militia,  after  intrenching  himself  in  the  engine 
house,  where  he  was  captured  on  Tuesday  morning,  the  i8th. 
Shortly  before  noon  on  Monday,  Watson  was  sent  out  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  in  company  with  Stevens  and  one  of  Brown's  hostages, 
named  Kitzmiller  ;  was  fired  upon  and  severely  wounded,  but  re- 
turned to  his  father,  while  Stevens  was  captured. 

Edwin  Coppoc,  writing  to  Captain  Brown's  wife  from  his  cell  in 
Charlestown  a  month  afterward,  said  : 

"  I  was  with  your  sons  when  they  fell.  Oliver  lived  but  a  very  few  moments 
after  he  was  shot  [during  the  charge  of  Monday  afternoon.]  He  spoke  no 
word,  but  yielded  calmly  to  his  fate.  Watson  was  shot  at  ten  o'clock  on 
Monday  and  died  about  three  o'clock  on  Wednesday  morning.  He  suffered 
much.  Though  mortally  wounded  at  ten  o'clock,  yet  at  three  o'clock  Monday 
afternoon  he  fought  bravely  against  the  men  who  charged  on  us.  When  the 
enemy  were  repulsed,  and  the  excitement  of  the  charge  was  over,  he  began  to 
sink  rapidly.  After  we  were  taken  prisoners  he  was  placed  in  the  guard-house 
with  me.  He  complained  of  the  hardness  of  the  bench  on  which  he  was 
lying.  T  begged  hard  for  a  bed  for  him,  or  even  a  blanket,  but  could  obtain 
none.  I  took  off  my  coat  and  placed  it  under  him,  and  held  his  head  in  my 
lap,  in  which  position  he  died  without  a  groan   or  struggle.'" 


'  When  in  1875  I  visited  Harper's  Ferry,  I  found  that  it  was  not  known  there  which  ol 
the  bodies  buried  by  the  Shenandoah  was  that  of  Watson  Brown,  and  which  was  Ander- 
son's. Oliver  Brown  was  not  buried  at  all,  but  thrust  roughly,  after  death,  into  a  barrel, 
and  carried  away  to  the  medical  college  in  Winchester.  It  is  said  that  his  body  was  there 
dissected  and  treated  with  insult.  At  any  rate,  an  attempt  made  by  their  mother  to  obtain 
the  bodies  of  her  two  sons,  in  December,  1859,  for  burial  at  North  Elba,  was  unsuccessful. 
They  have  monuments  at  North  Elba,  near  their  father's  but  their  bodies  do  not  lie  beside  his. 


39^  History  of  Torrington. 

Before  the  attack  on  Harper's  Ferry,  one  of  Brown's  captains, 
John  E.  Cook,  of  Connecticut,  had  visited  the  house  of  Colonel 
Lewis  Washington,  great-grandson  of  George  Washington,  and 
learned  where  to  put  his  hand  upon  the  sword  of  Frederick  the  Great 
and  the  pistols  of  Lafayette,  presented  by  them  to  General  Washing- 
ton, and  by  him  transmitted  to  his  brother's  descendants.  With 
that  instinctive  sense  of  historical  association  which  led  Brown  to 
make  his  first  attack  upon  slavery  in  Virginia  and  amid  the  scenes  of 
Washington's  early  life,  this  liberator  of  the  slaves  had  determined 
to  appear  at  their  head  wielding  Washington's  own  sword,  and  fol- 
lowed by  freedmen  who  had  owed  service  in  the  Washington  family. 
He  therefore  assigned  to  Stevens  and  to  Cook,  as  their  first  duty 
after  Harper's  Ferry  should  be  taken,  to  proceed  to  Colonel  Wash- 
ington's plantation  of  Bellair,  about  four  miles  south  of  the  Ferry, 
seize  him,  with  his  arms,  set  free  his  slaves,  and  bring  him  as  a 
hostage  to  the  captured  town ;  and  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  direct 
that  Osborn  Anderson,  a  free  black,  should  receive  from  Washing- 
ton the  historical  weapons.  The  order  was  executed  to  the  let- 
ter, and  before  daybreak  on  Monday  morning  Colonel  Washington 
was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  Brown,'  who  belted  on  the  sword  of 


'  The  interview  between  Brown  and  Colonel  Washington  (who  was  one  of  the  military 
staff  of  the  governor  of  Virginia,  and  thence  derived  his  title)  is  worth  describing  in  the 
words  of  Washington  himself.  "  We  drove  to  the  armory  gate.  The  person  on  the  front 
seat  of  the  carriage  said,  '  All's  well,'  and  the  reply  came  from  the  sentinel  at  the  gate 
'All's  well.'  Then  the  gates  were  opened,  and  I  was  driven  in  and  was  received  by  old 
Brown.  He  did  not  address  me  by  name,  but  said,  'You  will  find  a  fire  in  here,  sir  ;  it  is 
rather  cool  this  morning.'  Afterwards  he  came  and  said,  '  I  presume  you  are  Mr.  Wash- 
ington. It  is  too  dark  to  see  to  write  at  this  time,  but  when  it  shall  have  cleared  off  a 
little  and  become  lighter,  if  you  have  not  pen  and  ink  I  will  furnish  them,  and  shall  require 
you  to  write  to  some  of  your  friends  to  send  a  stout,  able-bodied  negro.  I  think  after  a 
while,  possibly  I  shall  be  able  to  release  you,  but  only  on  condition  of  getting  your  friends  to 
send  in  a  negro  man  as  a  ransom.  I  shall  be  very  attentive  to  you,  sir,  for  I  may  get  the 
worst  of  it  in  my  first  encounter,  and  if  so,  your  life  is  worth  as  much  as  mine.  My  par- 
ticular reason  for  taking  you  first  was  that,  as  an  aid  to  the  governor  of  Virginia,  I  knew 
you  would  endeavor  to  perform  your  duty;  and  apart  from  that  I  wanted  you  particularly 
for  the  moral  effect  it  would  give  our  cause  having  one  of  your  name  as  a  prisoner.'  I  sup. 
posed  at  that  time,  from  his  actions,  that  his  force  was  a  large  one;  that  he  was  very  strong. 
Shortly  after  reaching  the  armory  I  found  the  sword  of  General  Washington  in  old  Brown's 
hand.  He  said,  '  I  will  take  especial  care  of  it,  and  shall  endeavor  to  return  it  to  you  after 
you  are  released.'  Brown  carried  it  is  his  hand  all  day  Monday  ;  when  the  attacking  party 
came  on,  Tuesday  morning,  he  laid  it  on  the  fire  engine,  and  after  the  rescue  I  got  it.'' 
Colonel  Washington  survived  the  civil  war,  in  which  he  took  no  part,  but  is  now  dead. 
His  widow  lives  in  Charlestown,  and  has  sold  this  sword,  with  other  mementos  of  Washington, 
to  the  state  of  New  York. 


Biographies.  399 

Washington  and  wore  it  from  that  time  until  his  own  capture,  twenty- 
tour  hours  after.  When  Virginia  awoke  on  that  October  morning, 
the  haughty  commonwealth,  mother  of  presidents  and  of  slaves,  be- 
held a  gray-bearded  old  man,  wearing  the  sword  of  Washington, 
standing  amid  the  broken  fetters  of  Virginia  slaves,  with  a  town  of 
three  thousand  Virginians,  white  and  black,  at  his  mercy.  At  no 
time  during  the  civil  war,  even  when  the  national  government  was 
pouring  soldiers  into  the  South  by  hundreds  of  thousands  and  eman- 
cipating the  slaves  by  millions,  was  there  greater  fear  and  commotion 
among  the  slaveholders  than  when  they  first  learned  of  Brown's  suc- 
cess at  Harper's  Ferry. 

How  simply  and  in  what  a  plain  country  fashion  Brown  made  his 
famous  foray  ought  to  be  related  ;  since,  like  all  he  did,  it  was  in 
keeping  with  his  primitive  and  ideal  character.  At  the  Kennedy 
farm  house,  about  eight  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  Sunday,  the  i6th 
of  October, —  a  cold  and  dark  night,  ending  in  rain, —  Brown  mus- 
tered his  eighteen  followers,  saying,  "  Men,  get  on  your  arms  ;  we 
will  proceed  to  the  Ferry."  His  horse  and  wagon  were  brought  to 
the  door  of  the  farm  house,  and  some  pikes,  a  sledge-hammer,  and  a 
crowbar  were  placed  in  the  wagon.  Brown  "  put  on  his  old  Kansas 
cap,"  '  mounted  the  wagon,  and  said,  "  Come,  boys  !  "  at  the  same 
time  driving  his  horse  down  the  rude  lane  into  the  main  road.  His 
men  followed  him  on  foot,  two  and  two,  Charles  Plummer  Tidd,  a 
Maine  farmer  who  had  joined  him  in  Kansas,  and  John  E.  Cook 
taking  the  lead.  At  a  proper  time  they  were  sent  forward  in  ad- 
vance of  the  wagon  to  tear  down  the  telegraph  wires  on  the  Mary- 
land side  of  the  Potomac.  The  other  couples  walked  at  some 
distance  apart,  and  in  silence,  making  no  display  of  arms.  Now  and 
then  some  of  them  rode  beside  Brown.  When  overtaken  by  any 
one,  the  rear  couple  were  to  detain  the  stranger  until  the  party  had 
passed  on  or  concealed  themselves,  and  the  same  order  was  given  if 
they  were  met  by  any  one.  The  road  was  unfrequented  that  night, 
and  they  passed  down  through  the  woods  to  the  bridge  across  the 
Potomac  without  delay  or  adventure.  Upon  entering  the  covered 
bridge,  they  halted  and  fastened  their  cartridge-boxes,  with  forty  rounds 
of  ammunition,  outside  their  coats,  and  brought  their  rifles  into  view. 


*  This  was  a  fur  cap  with  a  patent-leather  visor,  which  had  been  bought  for  him  in 
Chicago  in  December,  1856,  as  he  came  from  Kansas  to  Massachusetts.  He  wore  also  a 
gray  overcoat  with  a  cape,  a  soldier's  overcoat  which  had  seen  equal  service.  No  shepherd- 
king  or  peasant-captain  ever  went  forth  to  war  more  plainly  clad. 


400 


HlSTORV    OF    ToRRINGTON. 


Kagi  and  Stevens  were  at  this  time  at  the  head  of  the  company,  Tidd 
and  Cook  having  tarried  in  Maryland  to  cut  the  u^ires.  As  they 
approached  the  Virginia  side,  the  watchman  who  patrolled  the  bridge 
met  them  and  was  arrested  by  Kagi  and  Stevens,  who  took  him  with 
them  to  the  armory  gate,  leaving  Watson  Brown  and  Stewart  Taylor 
to  guard  the  bridge.  The  rest  of  the  company  proceeded  with  Brown, 
in  his  wagon  or  on  foot,  to  the  armory  gate,  which  was  but  a  few 
rods  from  the  Virginia  end  of  the  bridge.  There  they  halted,  at 
about  half  past  ten  o'clock,  broke  open  the  gate  with  the  crowbar  in 
the  wagon,  rushed  inside  the  armory  yard,  and  seized  one  of  the  two 
watchmen  on  duty.  Brown  himself,  with  two  men,  then  mounted 
guard  at  the  armory  gate,  and  the  other  fourteen  men  were  sent  to 
different  parts  of  the  village.  Oliver  Brown  and  William  Thomp- 
son occupied  the  bridge  over  the  Shenandoah,  and  there  arrested  a 
few  prisoners.  Kagi,  with  John  Copeland,  went  up  the  Shenandoah 
a  half  mile  or  more  to  that  part  of  the  armory  called  "the  rifle 
works,"  where  he  captured  the  watchmen,  sent  them  to  Brown, 
and  occupied  the  buildings.  Edwin  Coppoc  and  Albert  Hazlett 
went  across  the  street^from  the  armory  gate  and  occupied  the  arsenal, 
which  was  not  in  the  armory  inclosure. 


HARPER.  S    FERRY. 


All  this  was  done  quietly  and  without  the  snapping  of  a  gun  ;  and 
before  midnight  the  whole  village  was  in  the  possession  of  Brown 
and  his  eighteen  men.  He  then  dispatched  Stevens,  Cook,  and 
others,  six  in  all,  on  the  turnpike  towards  Charlestown  to  bring  in 


Biographies. 


401 


Colonel  Washington  and  some  of  his  neighbors,  with  their  slaves,  as 
has  been  already  said.  This  was  done  before  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  In  the  mean  time,  at  1:30  a.m.,  the  rail  road  train  from 
the  west  had  reached  Harper's  Ferry,  and  a  negro  porter,  who  was 
crossing  the  bridge  to  find  the  missing  watchman,  was  stopped  by 
Watson  Brown's  guard.  Turning  to  run  back  and  refusing  to  halt, 
he  was  shot  and  mortally  wounded  by  one  of  the  bridge  guard,  which 
was  now  increased  to  three.  This  was  the  first  shot  fired  on  either 
side,  and  was  three  hours  after  the  entrance  of  Brown  into  the  vil- 
lage. Shots  were  fired  in  return  by  some  of  the  rail  road  men,  and 
then  no  more  firing  took  place  until  after  sunrise.  Before  sunrise 
the  train  had  been  allowed  to  go  forward,  Brown  and  one  of  his  men 
walking  across  the  bridge  with  the  conductor  of  the  train  to  satisfy 
him  that  all  was  safe,  and  that  the  bridge  was  not  broken  down. 
The  work  of  gathering  up  prisoners  as  hostages  had  also  been  pushed 
vigorously,  and  before  noon  Brown  had  more  than  twice  the  number 
of  his  own  force  imprisoned  in  the  armory  yard.  None  of  his  own 
men  were  killed  or  captured  until  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  on  Monday 
morning,  when  Dangerfield  Newby,  the  Virginia  fugitive,  was  shot 
near  the  armory  gate.  Shortly  afterward  Stevens  was  wounded  and 
captured,  Watson  Brown  was  wounded,  and  William  Thompson 
was  captured.  For  from  nine  o'clock  (when  the  terrified  citizens  of 
Harper's  Ferry  found  a  few  arms  and  mustered  courage  enough  to 
use  them)  until  night,  the  Virginians,  armed  and  officered,  had  been 
surrounding  Brown'?  position,  and  before  noon  had  cut  off  his  retreat 
into  Maryland.  During  the  four  or  five  hours  after  daybreak,  when 
he  might  have  escaped  from  the  town,  he  was  urged  to  do  so  by 
Kagi,  by  Stevens,  and  by  others  ;  but  for  one  reason  or  another  he 
delayed  his  movements  until  it  was  too  late.  For  twelve  hours  he 
held  the  town  at  his  mercy  ;  after  that  he  was  firmly  caught  in  the 

trap    he    had    entered,    and 


the  defeat  of  his  foray  was 
only  a  question  of  a  few 
hours'  time.  He  drew 
back  his  shattered  forces 
into  the  engine-house  near 
the  armory  gate,  soon  after 
noon,  but  neither  his  men 
at  the  rifle  works,  nor  those 
at    the    arsenal    across  the 


ENGINE    HOUSE. 

51 


402  History  of  Torrington. 

street,  nor  his  son  Owen,  on  the  Maryland  side  of  the  Potomac,  could 
join  him.  He  fought  bravely,  and  so  did  Kagi  and  his  few  men  on  the 
bank  of  the  Shenandoah,  but  the  latter  were  all  killed  or  captured 
before  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  and  at  evening,  when  Colonel 
Lee  arrived  from  Washington  with  a  company  of  United  States 
marines,  nothing  was  left  of  Brown's  band  except  himself  and  six 
men,  two  of  whom  were  wounded,  in  his  weak  fortress,  and  two 
unharmed  and  undiscovered  men,  Hazlett  and  Osborn  Anderson,  in 
the  arsenal  not  far  off.  His  enterprise  had  failed,  and  apparently 
through  his  own  fault. 

His  own  explanation  of  this  failure  is  characteristic  :  it  was  fore- 
ordained to  be  so.  "  All  our  actions,"  he  said  to  one  who  visited 
him  in  prison,  "  even  all  the  follies  that  led  to  this  disaster,  were 
decreed  to  happen  ages  before  the  world  was  made."  He  declared 
at  the  same  time  that  had  he  betaken  himself  to  the  mountains,  he 
could  never  have  been  captured,  "  for  he  and  his  men  had  studied 
the  country  carefully,  and  knew  it  a  hundred  times  better  than  any 
of  the  inhabitants."  He  ascribed  his  ruin  to  his  weakness  in  listen- 
ing to  the  entreaties  of  his  prisoners  and  delaying  his  departure  from 
the  captured  town.  "  It  was  the  first  time,"  somebody  reports  him 
as  saying,  "that  I  ever  lost  command  of  myself,  and  now  I  am  pun- 
ished for  it."  But  he  soon  began  to  see  that  this  mistake  was  lead- 
ing him  to  his  most  glorious  success,  a  victory  such  as  he  might 
never  have  won  in  his  own  way.  A  month  after  his  capture  he 
wrote  thus  to  his  old  school-master  in  Connecticut :  "  I  have  been 
a  good  deal  disappointed,  as  it  regards  myself,  in  not  keeping  up  to 
my  own  plans  ;  but  I  now  feel  entirely  reconciled  to  that,  even  ; 
for  God's  plan  was  infinitely  better,  no  doubt,  or  I  should  have  kept 
to  my  own.  Had  Samson  kept  to  his  determination  of  not  telling 
Delilah  wherein  his  great  strength  lay,  he  would  probably  have  never 
overturned  the  house.  I  did  not  tell  Delilah,  but  I  was  induced  to 
act  very  contrary  to  my  better  judgment  ;  and  I  have  lost  my  two 
noble  boys,  and  other  friends,  if  not  my  two  eyes.  But  God's  will, 
not  mine,  be  dons."  Thus  his  thoughts  took  recourse,  as  often 
before,  to  the  story  and  the  fate  of  Samson,  whose  last  victory  over 
the  enemies  of  Israel  was  more  than  paralleled  by  the  short  and  de- 
feated campaign  of  John  Brown  in  Virginia. 

The  story  of  Brown's  capture,  of  the  slaughter  of  his  men,  of  his 
own  fearless  bearing  and  heroic  sayings  during  his  captivity,  and  of 
his  final  martyrdom,  ''  making  the  gallows  glorious  like  the  cross," 


Biographies.  403 

all  this  is  too  familiar  to  be  told  here.  It  has  become  a  part  of  the 
world's  history  and  literature,  a  new  chapter  added  to  the  record  of 
heroism  and  self-devotion,  a  new  incident  in  the  long  romance  which 
has  been  for  three  hundred  years  the  history  of  Virginia.  It  was 
little  to  the  honor  of  Virginia  then  ;  but  so  heavy  has  been  the 
penalty  since  visited  on  that  state  and  her  people,  that  we  may  omit 
all  censure  upon  what  was  done.  God  has  judged  between  them 
and  John  Brown,  and  His  judgment,  as  always,  will  be  found  not 
only  just  but  merciful,  since  it  has  removed  from  a  brave  and  gene- 
rous people  the  curse  of  human  slavery.  It  was  for  this  result,  and 
this  alone,  that  Brown  plotted  and  fought,  prayed  and  died,  and  even 
before  his  death  he  saw  that  his  prayers  would  be  answered. 

Through  his  grandfather,  the  revolutionary  captain,  John  Brown 
was  related  to  Dr.  Humphrey,  once  president  of  Amherst  college, 
and  to  the  Rev.  Luther  Humphrey.  They  were  his  cousins,  and  to 
the  latter,  not  long  before  his  execution.  Brown  wrote  one  of  those 
remarkable  letters  which  did  so  much,  during  his  six  weeks'  impri- 
sonment, to  change  the  public  opinion  concerning  him  into  that 
which  now  prevails.  His  conversation  with  Senator  Mason  at  Har- 
per's Ferry  and  his  speech  to  the  court  after  his  conviction  are  better 
known  than  this  letter  (which,  indeed,  has  seldom  been  printed),  but 
neither  of  them  gives  a  nobler  image  of  the  "  plain  heroic  magnitude 
of  mind"  with  which  he  accepted  his  fate  and  explained  his  course 
of  life.  The  letter  also  contains  some  touches  of  autobiography 
which  add  to  its  value.      It  is  as  follows  : 

Charlestown,  Jefferson  Co.,  Va., 
\gth  November,  1815  9. 
Rev.  Luther  Humphrey  : 

My  dear  Friend,  Your  kind  letter  of  the  12th  instant  is  now  before  me. 
So  far  as  my  knowledge  goes  as  to  our  mutual  kindred,  I  suppose  lam  the  first, 
since  the  landing  of  Peter  Brown  from  the  Mayflower,  that  has  either  been 
sentenced  to  imprisonment  or  to  the  gallows.  But,  my  dear  old  friend,  let 
not  that  fact  alone  grieve  you.  You  cannot  have  forgotten  how  and  where 
our  grandfather  fell  in  1776,  and  that  he,  too,  might  have  perished  on  the 
scaffold,  had  circumstances  been  but  a  very  little  different.  The  fact  that  a  man 
dies  under  the  hand  of  an  executioner  (or  otherwise)  has  but  little  to  do  with 
his  true  character,  as  I  suppose.  John  Rogers  perished  at  the  stake,  a  great 
and  good  man,  as  I  suppose;  but  his  doing  so  does  not  prove  that  any  other 
man  who  has  died  in  the  same  way  was  good  or  otherwise. 

Whether  I  have  any  reason  to  "  be  of  good  cheer"  (or  not)  in  view  of 
mv  end,  I  can  assure  you  that  I  feel  so  ;  and  I  am  totally  blinded  if  I  do  not 
really  experience  that  strengthening  and  consolation  you  so  faithfully  implore 
in  my  behalf.     The   God  of  our  fathers   reward  your  fidelity.      I  neither  feel 


404  History  of  Torrington. 

mortified,  degraded,  nor  in  the  least  ashamed  of  my  imprisonment,  my  chain, 
or  near  prospect  of  death  by  hanging.  I  feel  assured  "  that  not  one  hair  shall 
fall  from  my  head  without  the  will  of  my  heavenly  Father."  1  also  feel  that 
I  have  long  been  endeavoring  to  hold  exactly  "  such  a  fast  as  God  has  chosen." 
See  the  passage  in  Isaiah  which  you  have  quoted.'  No  part  of  my  life  has 
been  more  hippily  spent  than  that  I  have  spent  here,  and  I  humbly  trust  that 
no  part  has  been  spent  to  better  purpose.  I  would  not  say  this  boastingly  ; 
but  "  thanks  be  unto  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory  through  infinite  grace." 

I  should  be  sixty  years  old,  were  T  to  live  to  May  9,  i860.  I  have  en- 
joyed much  of  life  as  it  is,  and  have  been  remarkably  prosperous;  having  early 
learned  to  regard  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  others  as  my  own.  I  have 
never,  since  I  can  remember,  required  a  great  amout  of  sleep;  so  that  I  con- 
clude that  1  have  already  enjoyed  full  an  average  number  of  working  hours  with 
those  who  reach  their  threescore  years  and  ten.  I  have  not  yet  been  driven 
to  the  use  of  glasses,  but  can  see  to  read  and  write  quite  comfortably.  But 
more  than  that,  I  have  generally  enjoyed  remarkably  good  health.  I  might  go 
on  to  recount  unnumbered  and  unmerited  blessings,  among  which  would  be 
some  very  severe  afflictions,  and  those  the  most  needed  blessings  of  all.  And 
now,  when  I  think  how  easily  I  might  be  left  to  spoil  all  I  have  done  or  sufi^ered 
in  the  cause  of  freedom,  I  hardly  dare  wish  another  voyage,  even  if  I  had  the 
opportunity. 

It  is  a  long  time  since  we  met  ;  but  we  shall  come  together  in  our  Father's 
house,  I  trust.  Let  us  hold  fast  that  we  already  have,  remembering  we  shall 
reap  in  due  time,  if  we  faint  not.  Thanks  be  unto  God,  who  giveth  us  the 
victory  through  lesus  Christ  our  Lord.  And  now,  my  old,  warm-hearted 
friend,  goodby  !  Your  affectionate  cousin, 

loHN  Brown. 

A  few  days  before  this  letter  to  his  cousin  Humphrey  he  had 
written  to  another  old. friend,  "  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  about  a  few  only 
of  the  interesting  times  I  here  experience  with  different  classes  of 
men,  clergymen  among  others.  Christ,  the  great  captain  of  liberty 
as  well  as  of  salvation,  and  who  began  his  mission,  as  foretold  of 
him,  by  proclaiming  it,  saw  fit  to  take  from  me  a  sword  of  steel  after 
I  had  carried  it  for  a  time  ;  but  he  has  put  another  in  my  hand  (the 
sword  of  the  Spirit)  ;  and  I  pray  God  to  make  me  a  faithful  soldier 


'  The  reference  here  is  to  the  familiar  text  in  the  fifty-eighth  chapter  of  the  prophet,  who 
may  be  said  to  have  foretold  Brown  as  clearly  as  he  predicted  any  event  in  Hebrew  history  ; 
"  Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  chosen  ?  to  loose  the  bands  of  wickedness,  to  undo  the 
heavy  burdens,  and  to  let  the  oppressed  go  free,  and  that  ye  break  every  yoke  .'  Is  it  not 
to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  that  thou  bring  the  poor  that  are  cast  out  to  thy 
house?  when  thou  seest  the  naked,  that  thou  cover  him;  and  that  thou  hide  not  thyself 
from  thine  own  flesh  .''...  Then  shalt  thou  call,  and  the  Lord  shall  answer  ;  thou  shalt 
cry,  and  he  shall  say,  H''.re  I  am.  .  .  .  Thou  shalt  raise  up  the  foundations  of  many  gene- 
rations ;  and  thou  shalt  be  called,  The  Repairer  of  the  breach,  The  Restorer  of  paths  to 
dwell  in." 


Biographies.  405 

wherever  he  may  send  me."  In  explanation  of  this  passage  it  is  to 
be  said  that  during  Brown's  imprisonment  he  was  often  visited  by 
Virginian  clergymen  and  itinerant  preachers,  desirous  of  praying  with 
him  and  of  converting  him  from  his  errors.  One  of  these  afterward 
said  that  when  he  offered  to  pray  with  Brown  the  old  man  asked  if 
he  was  willing  to  fight,  in  case  of  need,  for  the  freedom  of  the  slaves. 
Receiving  a  negative  reply,  Brown  then  said,  "  I  will  thank  you  to 
leave  me  alone  ;  your  prayers  would  be  an  abomination  to  my  God." 
To  another  he  said  that  he  "  would  not  insult  God  by  bowing  down 
in  prayer  with  any  one  who  had  the  blood  of  the  slave  on  his  skirts." 
A  Methodist  preacher  named  March  having  argued  to  Brown  in  his 
cell  in  favor  of  slavery  as  "  a  Christian  institution,"  his  hearer  grew 
impatient  and  replied,  "  My  dear  sir,  you  know  nothing  about 
Christianity ;  you  will  have  to  learn  its  A,  B,  C  ;  I  find  you 
quite  ignorant  of  what  the  word  Christianity  means."  Seeing  that 
his  visitor  was  disconcerted  by  such  plain  speaking,  Brown  added, 
"  I  respect  you  as  a  gentleman,  of  course  ;  but  it  is  as  a  heathen 
gentleman."  To  these  interviews  he  has  alluded  in  some  of  his 
letters  of  that  period,  and  to  a  lady  who  visited  him  in  prison  he 
said,  "  I  do  not  believe  I  shall  deny  my  Lord  and  Master,  Jesus 
Christ,  as  I  should,  if  I  denied  my  principles  against  slavery.  Why, 
I  preach  against  it  all  the  time  ;  Captain  Avis  knows  I  do  ;  "  whereat 
his  jailer  smiled  and  said,  "  Yes." 

A  citizen  of  Charlestown,  named  Blessing,  had  dressed  Brown's 
wounds  while  in  prison,  and  had  shown  him  other  kind  attentions, 
for  which  Brown,  who  was  very  scrupulous  about  acknowledging 
and  returning  favors,  desired  to  make  him  some  acknowledgment. 
On  one  of  the  last  days  of  November,  therefore,  in  the  last  week  of 
his  life.  Brown  sent  for  Mr.  Blessing,  and  asked  him  to  accept  his 
pocket  Bible,  as  a  token  of  gratitude.  In  this  book,  which  was  a 
cheap  edition  in  small  print,  much  worn  by  use.  Brown  had  marked 
many  hundred  passages  (bearing  witness  more  or  less  directly  against 
human  slavery)  by  turning  down  the  corner  of  a  page  and  by  heavy 
pencillings  in  the  margin.      On  the  fly  leaves  he  had  written  this  : 

To  }no.  F.  Blessing,  of  Charlestown,  Va.,  with  the  best  wishes  of  the  un- 
dersigned, and  his  sincere  thanks  for  many  acts  of  kindness  received.  There 
is  no  commentary  in  the  world  so  good,  in  order  to  a  right  understanding  of 
this  blessed  book,  as  an  honest,  childlike,  and  teachable  spirit. 

John  Brown. 

Charlestown,  zgth  November,  1859. 


4o6  History  of  Torrington. 

He  had  written  his  own  name  as  owner  of  the  book  on  the  op- 
posite page,  and  immediately  following  it  was  this  inscription  : 

"The  leaves  were  turned  down  by  him  while  in  prison  at  Charlestown. 
But  a  small  part  of  those  passages  which  in  the  most  positive  language  condemn 
oppression  and  violence  are  marked." 

Except  a  codicil   to  his   will,  and  a   note  to    his    wife   inclosing 

it,  the  very   last  paper   written  by   John  Brown  was   this   sentence, 

which  he  handed  to  one  of  his  guards  in  the  jail  on  the  morning  of 

his  execution : 

Charlestown,  Va.,  December  z,  1859. 
I,  John  Brown,  am  now  quite  certain  that  the  crimes  of  this  guilty  land  will 
never  be  purged  away  but  with  blood.      I  had,  as  I  now  think,  vainly,  flattered 
myself  that  without  very  much  bloodshed  it  might  be  done. 

A  week  before  this.  Brown's  friend  and  supporter  in  his  Virginia 
campaign,  Theodore  Parker,  had  written  from  Rome,  to  Francis 
Jackson  in  Boston,  the  same  declaration,  to  the  truth  of  which  history 
has  fully  borne  witness.  "  A  few  years  ago,"  wrote  Parker,  on  the 
24th  of  November,  1859,  "it  did  not  seem  difficult  first  to  check 
slavery,  and  then  to  end  it,  without  any  bloodshed.  I  think  this 
cannot  be  done  now,  nor  ever  in  the  future.  All  the  great  charters 
of  humanity  have  been  writ  in  blood,  I  once  hoped  that  of  Ame- 
rican democracy  would  be  engrossed  in  less  costly  ink  ;  but  it  is 
plain  now  that  our  pilgrimage  must  lead  through  a  Red  sea,  wherein 
many  a  Pharaoh  will  go  under  and  perish."  So  it  happened,  and  not 
only  the  Pharaohs,  but  the  leaders  of  the  people  perished.  Standing 
on  the  battle-field  at  Gettysburg,  just  four  years  after  the  date  of 
Brown's  letter  to  Humphrey  (November  19,  1863),  Abraham  Lin- 
coln pronounced  that  immortal  eulogy  on  those  who  "gave  their 
lives  that  the  nation  might  live,"  in  which  he  called  upon  his  hearers 
to  resolve  "  that  these  dead  shall  not  have  died  in  vain  ;  that  this 
nation,  under  God,  shall  have  a  new  birth  of  freedom,  and  that  gov- 
ernment of  the  people,  by  the  people  and  for  the  people,  shall  not 
perish  from  the  earth," — echoing  in  this  last  period  the  very  words 
of  Parker,  so  often  heard  in  prayer  and  sermon  from  his  Boston  pul- 
pit. Not  long  afterward  Lincoln  himself  fell,  the  last  great  victim  in 
the  struggle,  as  John  Brown  had  been  its  first  great  martyr.  Hence- 
forth their  names  will  be  joined  and  their  words  will  be  remembered 
together,  the  speeches  of  the  condemned  convict  at  Charlestown  and 
of  the  successful  statesman  at  Gettysburg  going  down  to  posterity  as 


Biographies.  407 

the  highest  range  of  eloquence  in  our  time.  But  those  brave  men 
whom  Lincoln  commemorated  in  his  funeral  oration  went  forth  to 
battle  at  the  call  of  a  great  people  ;  they  were  sustained  by  the  re- 
sources and  by  the  ardor  of  millions.  When  I  remember  my  old 
friend,  lonely,  poor,  persecuted,  making  a  stand  with  his  handful  of 
followers  on  the  outpost  of  freedom,  our  own  batteries  trained  upon 
him  as  the  furious  enemy  swept  him  away  in  the  storm  of  their  ven- 
geance, I  see  that  history  will  justly  exalt  his  fame  above  that  of  all 
the  soldiers  in  the  civil  war. 

It  was  the  mission  of  John  Brown  to  show  our  nation  the  full 
height  and  depth  of  her  crime  and  punishment.  It  was  not  till  the 
tragedy  of  Harper's  Ferry  and  Charlestown,  that  the  inevitable  was 
clearly  seen  to  be  inevitable.  Lying  in  his  blood,  and  the  blood  of 
his  sons,  in  that  fatal  town  where  the  blood  of  his  murderers,  north- 
ern as  well  as  southern,  has  since  been  so  freely  shed  to  atone  for  his, 
the  brave  old  soldier  of  the  Lord  uttered  the  oracles  which  this  nation 
must  hear,  though  she  had  not  sought  them.  "  You  had  better,  all 
you  people  of  the  South,  prepare  yourselves  for  a  settlement 
of  this  question.  It  must  come  up  for  settlement  sooner  than 
you  are  prepared  for  it,  and  the  sooner  vou  are  prepared  for  it, 
the  better  for  you.  You  may  dispose  of  me  very  easily  ;  I  am  nearly 
disposed  of  now.  But  this  question  is  still  to  be  settled  —  this  negro 
question,  I  mean.  The  end  of  that  is  not  yet."  Simple  words, 
yet  full  of  the  pith  and  marrow  of  truth.  Long  before,  he  had  writ- 
ten, "  I  expect  nothing  but  to  endure  hardness,  but  I  expect  to  win 
a  great  victory,  even  though  it  be  like  the  last  victory  of  Sampson." 
And  this  American  Sampson,  "  a  Nazarite  unto  God  from  the  womb 
to  the  day  of  his  death,"  died  in  that  "  last  victory,"  which  he  hoped 
for,  and  pulled  down  in  utter  ruin  our  whole  house  of  idols. 

"  O  dearly  bought  revenge,  yet  glorious  ! 
Living  or  dying  thou  hast  fulfilled 
The  work  for  which  thou  wast  foretold 
To  Israel,  and  now  liest  victorious 
Among  thy  slain,  self-killed, 
Not  willingly,  but  tangled  in  the  fold 
Of  dire  necessity;   whose  law  in  death  conjoined 
Thee  with  thy  slaughtered  foes,  in  number  more 
Than  all  thy  life  had  slain  before." 

Mr.  Alcott,  the  Connecticut  Pythagorean,  who  met  John  Brown 
in  Concord  in  1859,  g^ve  this  description  of  him  at  one  of  his  Bos- 
ton conversations  in  1865  : 


4o8  History  of  Torrington. 

"  The  only  time  I  saw  the  Captain, —  for  so  he  was  then  named, —  was  at 
a  lecture  of  his,  given  at  our  Town  Hall.  He  spoke  with  the  directness  that 
so  became  him  on  the  Kansas  troubles,  modestly  alluding  to  the  part  he  had 
taken  in  those  encounters.  Our  people  heard  him  with  tavor  He  impressed 
me  as  a  person  of  surpassing  sense,  courage  and  religious  earnestness.  A  man 
of  reserves,  yet  he  inspired  a  confidence  in  his  integrity  and  good  judgment. 
He  seemed  superior  to  any  legal  traditions,  able  to  do  his  own  thinking,  was 
an  idealist,  at  least  in  matters  of  state,  if  not  on  all  points  of  his  religious  faith. 
He  did  not  conceal  his  hatred  of  slavery,  much  less  his  readiness  to  strike  a  blow 
for  freedom  at  the  fitting  moment.  I  thought  him  equal  to  anything  he  should 
dare,  the  man  to  dothe  deed  necessary  to  be  done  with  the  patriot's  zeal, 
the  martyr's  temper  and  purpose.  And  as  I  looked,  it  was  plain  that  Nature 
was  interested  in  his  purpose,  and  had  intimated  hers  in  his  person.  Though 
but  little  above  medium  height,  he  seemed  tall  as  he  rose  to  speak,  and  there 
was  something  thunderous  about  his  brow  that  Brackett  has  caught  in  his  bust. 
His  eyes  were  remarkable  for  their  depth  of  grey  bravery,  as  if  the  lion  lay 
couchant  there,  and  ready  to  spring  at  the  least  rustling,  yet  they  were  kindly 
in  repose,  though  dauntless  and  determined.  I  am  accustomed  to  divine  men's 
tempers  by  their  voices ;  his  was  vaulting  and  metallic,  suggesting  reserved 
force  and  indomitable  will.  In  short,  his  countenance  and  frame  throughout 
were  surcharged  with  unmistakable  power.  At  a  later  date,  he  cultivated  the 
flowing  beard  which  gave  him  the  soldierly  air  and  port  of  an  aposde.  Not  far 
from  sixty  then,  he  seemed  alert  and  agile,  resolute  and  ready  for  any  crisis. 
I  thought  him  the  manliest  of  men,  and  the  type  synonym  of  the  Just.  Per- 
haps I  felt  more  disposed  to  magnify  his  claims  upon  my  admiration  on  learn- 
ing that  he  came  from  my  native  state. 

The  public  murder  of  John  Brown  upon  a  Virginia  gallows,  fol- 
lowing closely  after  his  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry,  was  the  first  act 
in  the  long  tragedy,  of  which  the  public  murder  of  Lincoln  was  the 
final  catastrophe  : 

"  Bloodily  closed  what  bloodily  began. 
With  slaughter  of  that  far-foreseeing  man  ; 
Whose  spirit,  from  the  scaffold  where  he  died. 
Armies  and  senates  could  inspire  and  guide." 

Nor  is  it  without  the  deepest  reason,  in  the  fitness  of  things,  that  the 
great  heart  of  the  people,  in  all  nations,  responding  to  the  voice  of 
Nature,  joins  the  names  of  Brown  and  Lincoln  in  the  same  throb  of 
gratitude.  An  American  lady,  who  had  known  intimately  both  these 
martyrs  of  liberty,  was  spending  a  few  weeks,  soon  after  the  eman- 
cipation of  the  Russian  serfs,  in  Moscow,  that  citadel  of  ancient  op- 
pression. Entering  a  poor  man's  shop  one  day  to  purchase  the  icon 
or  picture  of  some  Russian  saint,  and  giving  the  shopkeeper  to  un- 
derstand that  she  was  an  American,  he  drew  her  with  enthusiasm 
into  a  recess  of  his  dingy  rooms,  where  a  lamp  was  continually  burn- 
ing  before  rude   pictures  of  his   American  saints,  John  Brown   and 


Biographies. 


409 


Abraham  Lincoln,  placed  side  by  side  for  his  daily  worship.  He  had 
been  a  serf,  one  of  the  millions  whom  the  noble  edict  of  Alexander 
set  free.  Along  with  the  czar  and  his  patron  saint,  he  paid  religious 
honors  to  the  two  American  emancipators,  the  echoes  of  whose  good 
fame  had  reached  him,  blended  sweetly  in  one  lofty  note,  as  they 
came  borne  across  seas  and  lands,  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Moskwa. 
It  was  their  deeds,  not  their  words,  that  reached  the  ears  of  the 
Russian  serf,  yet  how  imperishable  are  the  very  words  of  Brown! 
"What  avail  all  your  scholarly  accomplishments  and  learning,  com- 
pared with  wisdom  and  manhood  ?"  said  Henry  Thoreau,  speaking 
of  John  Brown,  at  the  commemoration  in  North  Elba,  July  4,  i860. 
"  To  omit  his  other  behavior,  see  what  a  work  this  comparatively 
unread  and  unlettered  man  wrote  within  six  weeks.  He  wrote  in 
prison,  not  a  History  of  the  World,  like  Raleigh,  but  an  American 
book  which,  1  think,  will  live  longer  than  that.  What  a  variety  of 
themes  he  touched  on  in  that  short  space  !  There  are  words  in  that 
letter  to  his  wife,  respecting  the  education  of  his  daughters  which 
deserve  to  be  framed  and  hung  over  every  mantelpiece  in  the  land." 
It  seems  fitting  to  include  in  this  biography  not  the  short  passage 
thus  mentioned,  but  his  whole  last  letter,  which  deals  with  graver 
matters  : 

John  Brown's  Last  Letter  to  his  Family. 

Charlestovvn  Prison,  Jefferson  Co.  Va.,  Nov.  30,   1859. 

My  dear/y  beloved  Wife,  Sons  and  Daughters,  Every  One :  As  I  now  begin 
probably  what  is  the  last  letter  I  shall  ever  write  to  any  of  you,  I  conclude  to 
write  to  all  at  the  same  time.  I  will  mention  some  little  matters  particularly 
applicable  to  little  property  concerns  in  another  place. 

I  recently  received  a  letter  from  my  wife,  from  near  Philadelphia,  dated 
Nov.  22,  by  which  it  would  seem  that  she  was  about  giving  up  the  idea  of 
seeing  me  again.  I  had  written  her  to  come  on  if  she  felt  equal  to  the  under- 
taking, but  I  do  not  know  that  she  will  get  my  letter  in  time.  It  was  on  her 
own  account  chiefly  that  I  asked  her  to  stay  back.  At  first  I  had  a  most  strong 
desire  to  see  her  again,  but  there  appeared  to  be  very  serious  objections  ;  and 
should  we  never  meet  in  this  life,  I  trust  that  she  will  in  the  end  be  satisfied  it 
was  for  the  best  at  least,  if  not  most  for  her  comfort. 

I  am  waiting  the  hour  of  my  public  murder  with  great  composure  of  mind 
and  cheerfulness,  feeling  the  strong  assurance  that  in  no  other  possible  way 
could  I  be  used  to  so  much  advantage  to  the  cause  of  God  and  of  humanity, 
and  that  nothing  that  either  I  or  all  my  family  have  sacrificed  or  suffered  will 
be  lost.  The  reflection  that  a  wise  and  m.-rciful,  as  well  as  just  and  holy,  God 
rules  not  only  the  affairs  of  this  world,  but  of  all  worlds,  is  a  rock  to  set  our 
feet  upon  under  all  circumstances  —  even  those  more  severely  trying  ones  into 
which  our  own  feelings  and  wrongs  have  placed  us.  /  have  now  no  doubt  but 
that  our  seetning  disaster  will  ulti?nntely  result  in  the  most  glorious  success.  So, 
my  dear  shattered  and  broken  family,  be  of  good  cheer,  and  believe  and  trust 
in  God  with  all  your  heart,  and  with  all  your  soul,  for  he  doeth  all  things  well. 


4IO  History  of  Torrington. 

Do  not  feel  ashamed  on  my  account,  nor  for  one  moment  despair  of  the  cause, 
or  grow  weary  of  well  doing.  I  bless  God  I  never  felt  stronger  confidence  in 
the  certain  and  near  approach  of  a  bright  morning  and  glorious  day  than  I  have 
felt,  and  do  now  feel,  since  my  confinement  here.  I  am  endeavoring  to  return 
like  a  poor  prodigal  as  I  am,  to  my  Father,  against  whom  I  have  always  sinned, 
in  the  hope  that  he  may  kindly  and  forgivingly  meet  me,  though  a  very  great 
way  off. 

O,  my  dear  wife  and  children!  would  to  God  you  could  know  how  I  have 
been  travailing  in  birth  for  you  all,  that  no  one  of  you  may  fail  of  the  grace  of 
God  through  Jesus  Christ  ;  that  no  one  of  you  may  be  blind  to  the  truth  and 
glorious  light  of  his  Word,  in  which  life  and  immortality  are  brought  to  light. 
I  beseech  you,  every  one,  to  make  the  Bible  your  daily  and  nightly  study,  with 
a  child-like,  honest,  candid,  teachable  spirit  of  love  and  respect  for  your  husband 
and  father.  And  I  beseech  the  God  of  my  fathers  to  open  all  your  eyes  to 
the  discovery  of  the  truth.  You  cannot  imagine  how  much  you  may  soon  need 
the  consolations  of  the  Christian  religion.  Circumstances  like  my  own,  for 
more  than  a  month  past,  have  convinced  me  beyond  all  doubt  of  my  own 
great  need  of  some  theories  treasured  up  when  our  prejudices  are  excited,  our 
vanity  worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch.  O,  do  not  trust  your  eternal  all  upon 
the  boisterous  ocean  without  even  a  helm  or  compass  to  aid  you  in  steering!  I 
do  not  ask  of  you  to  throw  away  your  reason  ;  I  only  ask  you  to  make  a  candid, 
sober  use  of  your  reason. 

My  dear  young  children,  will  you  listen  to  this  last  poor  admonition  of  one 
who  can  only  love  you  ?  O,  be  determined  at  once  to  give  your  whole  heart 
to  God,  and  let  nothing  shake  or  alter  that  resolution.  You  need  have  no  fears 
of  regretting  it.  Do  not  be  vain  and  thoughtless,  but  sober-minded  ;  and  let 
me  entreat  you  all  to  love  the  whole  remnant  of  our  once  great  family.  Try 
and  build  up  again  your  broken  walis,  and  to  make  the  utmost  of  every  stone 
that  is  left.  Nothing  can  so  tend  to  make  life  a  blessing  as  the  consciousness 
that  your  life  and  example  bless  and  leave  others  stronger.  Still,  it  is  ground 
of  the  utmost  comfort  to  my  mind  to  know  that  so  many  of  you  as  have  had 
the  opportunity,  have  given  some  proof  of  your  fidelity  to  the  great  family  of 
men.  Be  faithful  unto  death  ;  from  the  exercise  of  habitual  love  to  man  it  can- 
not be  very  hard  to  love  his  Maker. 

I  must  yet  insert  the  reason  for  my  firm  belief  in  the  divine  inspiration  of 
the  Bible,  notwithstanding  I  am,  perhaps,  naturally  sceptical  ;  certainly  not 
credulous.  I  wish  all  to  consider  it  most  thoroughly  when  you  read  that 
blessed  book,  and  see  whether  you  cannot  discover  such  evidence  yourselves. 
It  is  the  purity  of  heart,  filling  our  minds  as  well  as  work  and  actions,  which 
is  everywhere  insisted  on,  that  distinguishes  it  from  all  the  other  teachings,  that 
commends  it  to  my  conscience.  Whether  my  heart  be  willing  and  obedient 
or  not,  the  inducement  that  it  holds  out  is  another  reason  of  my  convictions  oi 
its  truth  and  genuineness  ;  but  I  do  not  here  omit  this  my  last  argument  on  the 
Bible,  that  eternal  lite  is  what  my  soul  is  panting  after  this  moment.  I  mention 
this  as  a  reason  for  endeavoring  to  leave  a  valuable  copy  of  the  Bible,  to  be 
carefully  preserved  in  remembrance  of  me,  to  so  many  of  my  posterity,  instead 
of  some  other  book  at  equal  cost. 

I  beseech  you  all  to  live  in  habitual  contentment  with  moderate  circumstances 
and  gains  of  wordly  store,  and  earnestly  to  teach  this  to  your  children  and 
children's  children  after  you,  by  example  as  well  as  piecept.  Be  determined 
to  know  by  experience,  as  scon  as  may  be,  whether  Bible  instruction  is  of 
divine  origin  or  not.  Be  sure  to  owe  no  man  any  thing,  but  to  love  one 
another.      John  Rogers  wrote  to  his  children,    "'  Abhor  that   arrant   whore  of 


Biographies.  411 

Rome."  John  Brown  writes  to  his  children  to  abhor,  with  undying  hatred 
also,  that  sum  of  all  villanies  —  Slavery  Remember,  he  that  is  slow  to 
anger  is  better  than  the  mighty,  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh 
a  city.  Remember  also,  that  they,  being  wise,  shall  shine,  and  they  that  turn 
many  to  righteousness,  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever. 

And  now,  dearly  beloved  family,  to  God  and  the  work  of  his  grace  I  com- 
mend you  all. 

Your  affectionate  husband  and  father. 

John  Brown, 

And  here  too  should  stand,  though  earlier  in  date,  that  famous 
speech  of  Brown's  in  court,  November  2,  18  "59.  He  was  not 
allowed  to  address  the  people  before  his  execution,  December  2,  1859  • 

John  Brown's  Last  Speech. 

I  have,  may  it  please  the  Court,  a  few  words  to  say. 

In  the  first  place,  I  deny  every  thing  but  what  I  have  all  along  admitted  — 
the  design  on  my  part  to  free  the  slaves.  I  intended  certainly  to  have  made  a 
clean  thing  of  that  matter,  as  I  did  last  winter,  when  I  went  into  Missouri,  and 
there  took  slaves  without  the  snapping  of  a  gun  on  either  side,  moved  them 
through  the  country,  and  finally  left  them  in  Canada.  I  designed  to  have  done 
the  same  thing  again,  on  a  larger  scale.  That  was  all  I  intended,  I  never 
did  intend  murder,  or  treason,  or  the  destruction  of  property,  or  to  excite 
or  incite  slaves  to  rebellion,  or  to  make   insurrection. 

I  have  another  objection  :  and  that  is,  it  is  unjust  that  I  should  suffer  such  a 
penalty.  Had  I  interfered  in  the  manner  which  I  admit,  and  which  I  admit 
has  been  fairly  proved  (fori  admire  the  truthfulness  and  candor  of  the  greater 
portion  of  the  witnesses  who  have  testified  in  this  case)  —  had  I  so  interfered 
in  behalf  of  the  rich,  the  powerful,  the  intelligent,  the  so-called  great,  or  in  be- 
half of  any  of  their  friends,  either  father,  mother,  brother,  sister,  wife  or 
children,  or  any  of  that  class,  and  suffered  and  sacrificed  what  I  have  in  this 
interference,  it  would  have  been  all  right,  and  every  man  in  this  Court  would 
have  deemed  it  an  act  worthy  of  reward  rather  than  punishment. 

This  Court  acknowledges,  as  I  suppose,  the  validity  of  the  law  of  God.  I 
see  a  book  kissed  here  which  I  suppose  to  be  the  Bible,  or,  at  least,  the  New 
Testament.  That  teaches  me  that  all  things  '  whatsoever  I  would  that  men 
should  do  unto  me,  I  should  do  even  so  to  them.'  It  teaches  me  further,  to 
'  remember  them  that  are  in  bonds  as  bound  with  them.'  I  endeavored  to  act 
up  to  that  instruction.  I  say,  I  am  yet  too  young  to  understand  that  God  is 
any  respecter  of  persons.  I  believe  that  to  have  interfered  as  I  have  done,  as 
I  have  always  freely  admitted  I  have  done,  in  behalf  of  His  despised  poor,  was 
not  wrong,  but  right.  Now,  if  it  is  deemed  necessary  that  I  should  forfeit  my 
life  for  the  furtherance  of  the  ends  of  justice,  and  mingle  my  blood  further  with 
the  blood  of  my  children,  and  with  the  blood  of  millions  in  this  slave  country 
whose  rights  are  disregarded  by  wicked,  cruel,  and  unjust  enactments  —  I  sub- 
mit ;  so  let  it  be  done. 

Let  me  say  one  word  further. 

I  feel  entirely  satisfied  with  the  treatment  I  have  received  on  my  trial.  Con- 
sidering all  the  circumstances,  it  has  been  more  generous  than  I  expected.  But 
I  feel  no  consciousness  of  guilt.  I  have  stated  from  the  first  what  was  my  in- 
tention and  what  was  not.  I  never  had  any  design  against  the  life  of  any  per- 
son, nor  any  dispositiou  to  commit  treason,  or  excite  slaves  to  rebel,  or  make 


412  History  of  Torrington. 

any  general  insurrection.  I  never  encouraged  any  man  to  do  so,  but  always 
discouraged  any  idea  of  that  kind. 

Let  me  say,  also,  a  word  in  regard  to  the  statements  made  by  some  of  those 
connected  with  me.  I  hear  it  has  been  stated  by  some  of  them  that  I  have  in- 
duced them  to  join  me-  But  the  contrary  is  true.  I  do  not  say  this  to  injure 
them,  but  as  regretting  their  weakness.  There  is  not  one  of  them  but  joined 
me  ot  his  own  accord,  and  the  greater  part  at  their  own  expense.  A  number  of 
them  I  never  saw,  and  never  had  a  word  of  conversation  with,  till  the  dav  they 
came  to  me,  and  that  was  for  the  purpose  I  have  stated. 

Now  I  have  done. 

No,  brave  and  generous  old  friend  !  when  you  uttered  those  words 
you  had  not  **•  done,"  you  had  only  begun.  "  On  the  day  of  his 
translation  "  said  Thoreau,  "  I  heard,  to  be  sure,  that  he  was  hung, 
but  I  did  not  know  what  that  meant ;  I  felt  no  sorrow  on  that  account. 
But  not  for  a  day  or  two  did  I  even  hear  that  he  was  dead^  and  not 
after  any  number  of  days  shall  I  believe  it.  Of  all  the  men  who  were 
said  to  be  my  contemporaries,  it  seemed  to  me  that  John  Brown 
was  the  only  one  who  had  not  died.  I  meet  him  at  every  turn.  He 
is  more  alive  than  ever  he  was.  He  has  earned  immortality.  He 
is  not  confined  to  North  Elba  nor  to  Kansas.  He  is  no  longer 
working  in  secret.  He  works  in  public,  and  in  the  clearest  Hght  that 
shines  on  this  land."  And  what  a  work  he  has  accomplished 
already,  in  the  few  brief  years  since  his  body  was  carried  from  the 
scaffold  in  Charlestown  to  its  resting  place  beside  the  great  rock  at 
North  Elba  !  Like  "  the  rock  Etam,"  upon  which  Samson  dwelt, 
his  grave  became  his  strong  hold,-  while  "  his  soul  went  marching 
on."  Those  who,  unlike  Thoreau,  had  mourned  his  death,  now 
finding  him  risen  and  triumphant,  were  ready  to  chant,  with  Milton's 
Hebrews,  after  that  "last  victory  of  Samson"  which  Brown  had 
foretold  for  himself.' 

"  All  is  best,  though  we  oft  doubt 
What  the  unsearchable  dispose 
Of  highest  wisdom  brings  about. 
And  ever  best  found  in  the  close. 
Oft  He  seems  to  hide  his  face. 
But  unexpectedly  returns, 
And  to  His  faithful  champion  hath  in  place 
Borne  witness  gloriously,  whence  Gaza  mourns, 
And  all  that  band  them  to  resist 
His  uncontrollable  intent ; 
His  servants  he,  with  new  acquist 
Of  true  experience,  from  this  great  event. 
With  peace  and  consolation  hath  dismissed, 
And  calm  of  mind,  all  passion  spent." 

'  See  page  95. 


Biographies.  413 


THE  BURIAL  OF  JOHN  BROWN. 

BY    WILLIAM    E.    CHANNING. 

That  day,  I  mind  it  well,  we  buried  him. 

There,  in  our  heart  of  hearts !  From  city's  wall, 

From  depth  of  deepest  woods,  came  up  the  moan, 

The  weariness,  the  wail,  all  that  was  grief. 

Or  could  be,  in  a  world  all  pain  and  woe. 

Gone  and  forever  gone  !  the  good,  the  just. 

The  patriot  fervid,  he  who  lived  —  to  die. 

As  he  had  lived  to  act, —  for  the  oppressed,  the  weak. 

A  shining  stone  shall  be  engraved  for  him, 

Thereon  a  martyr's  name,  the  last  and  best, 

Not  Rose,  not  Lancaster,  but  "  For  the  Slave," 

Hapless  and  helpless,  for  his  breaking  heart, 

He  stood,  truest  and  best,  that  hero-soul, 

Old  Ossawatomie ! 

Slow  tolled  those  bells  ! 
Slow  and  how  far  away,  and  yet  too  near  ! 
Where  grey  Monadnoc  lifts  a  forest  front 
Over  low  Jeffrey's  pass,  sunk  in  the  vale, 
(Or  what  seems  such,  to  them  who  climb  that  mount), 
And  wide  guonaticut,  the  Indian's  stream, 
And  those  White  hills  that  bend  their  brows  in  heaven 
By  seas  and  farthest  lands,  and  sky  and  shore. 
Slow  tolled  the  weary  peal,  John  Brown  is  dead  ! 
Gone  —  in  his  prime  of  good  and  thought,  and  hope. 
Stabbed  to  his  heart  so  foully  by  the  men. 
Who  wore  the  Southern  Madness  in  their  souls. 
Yes  !  like  a  falling  star,  thro'  twilight's  depth, 
He  sank  in  Heaven,  his  words  were  like  the  hues 
Some  gentlest  eve  imprints  with  Zephyr's  touch, 
And  overlays  the  ripples  of  the  stream, 
In  her  last  glory  soothing  earth  to  tears. 
And  yet  that  knell,  his  form  this  fatal  hour, 
Is  swinging  on  the  scaffold ! 

"  Never  I   planned. 
To  kill  or  ravage,  torture  or  destroy, 
Not  in  rebellion,  not  to  slay  their  foes 
Incite  the  slave,  solely  to  loose  his  cords. 
'Do  unto  me  as  ye  would  have  me  do. 
And  in  my  bonds  be  bound,  even  as  myself,' 
By  that,  as  far  as  in  me  I  have  done, 
God  hath  not  parted  persons  in  his  law. 
Father!  if  by  thy  will,  I  came  to  be 
What  now  I  am,  if  ever  in  my  heart. 
From  my  first  recollection,  still  I  felt 
Thy  guiding  hand,  be  still  to  me,  the  same, 


414  History  of  Torrington. 


This  lovely  hour  all  gentleness  and  peace, 

Ere  the  faint  dawn  has  painted  the  dim  slcy, 

And  all  her  beauty  sleeps  upon  the  world. 

I  am  at  peace  with  all  men,  in  my  heart 

I  feel  the  quiet  of  thy  mnrn,  O  give 

Me  strength  of  hope,  and  power  of  faith  to  meet 

This  sacrifice,  I  make  for  man,  myself 

A  poor  and  sinful  creature,  worn  and  weak. 

Unfailing  God,  our  friend,  O  give  me  strength. 

Truly  uplift  in  love,  renew  my  prayer, 

Father  !    pardon  what  I  have  done  amiss, 

These  deeds  were  sad,  they  wore  a  troubled  look. 

Yet  for  that  principle  alone,  of  right, 

I  forward  moved,  then  sanctify  these  acts. 

May  they  upon  the  future,  throw  their  light. 

As  yonder  rising  orb  who  paints  the  morn. 

With  beauteous  tints  of  life  ;  let  them   awake 

The  hearts  of  a  great  people,  who  have  moved 

Too  sluggishly  in  freedom's  cause,  and  let 

My  name  if  vain,  unnoticed,  be  the  word 

To  lift  a  struggling  race,  and  free  the  Slave  ! 

O  God  !   my  Savior,  my  redeemer  too. 

Receive  me  to  thyself,  now  that  the  day 

Has  dawned,  when  I  must  die,  and  those  I  leave 

That  poor  and  scattered  remnant  on  the  hills, 

Of  my  contentment  something  breathe  in  them. 

And  let  their  weeping  souls  be  filled  with  light, 

And  from  their  breaking  hearts  be  heaven  in  view. 

Seeing  that  they,  who  try  for  duty,  so  to  live. 

However  weak,  and  so  to  die  for  it, 

May  with  thee  be  received  — " 

Mild  was  that  morn,  and  peaceful  was  the  day. 
When  forth  from  his  last  prison,  stepped  this  man, 
Who  made  the  Union  sacred,  and  renewed 
By  heavenly  deeds,  the  early  patriot's  faith, — 
Forth  from  his  cell,  a  wounded  dying  saint, 
Far  from  his  home,  far  from  his  loved-ones  aid, 
But  closest  in  their  hearts. —  with  step  unshaken. 
And  firmly  went  he  forth  !  and  as  he  went, 
A  poor  devoted  slave,  a  mother  stood. 
One  of  the  race  that  Christ  came  down  to  love. 
Bearing  upon  her  breast,  an  infant-slave. 
There,  by  the  prison-gate,  his  blessing  craved. 
Softly,  with  angel-voice,  he  blessed  her  there. 
One  of  his  children,  for  whose  good  he  lived. 
His  mind  on  heaven,  his  heart  still  loving  earth  ! 

Then,  forth,  that  tread  of  soldiers  with  bright  arms. 


Biographies.  4ir 


Rifles  in  long  derision  at  his  side, 
Flashed  on  December  sunshine,  like  a  pall 
O'er  all  that  speechless  world,  cutting  the  cold 
And  hard  rapacity  of  civil  lines 

Across  God's  sky  of  light, —  on,  with  his  cheerful  thoughts. 
That  patriot  fared,  and  sitting  on  the  bier, 
That  soon  should  hold  his  silent  form,  he  said  : 
"  This  is  a  country  beautiful,  and  first 
With  pleasure  have  I  seen  it  now."  Serene, 
And  clear,  modest  and  sensible. 
He  passed  along,  eyeing  in  peace  the  hills. 
That  urge  the  steep  Potomac  on  its  flight. 
By  old  romantic  wood  and  cliff"  tower  tall, — 
Blue  as  the  skies  above  them,  far  away 
O'er  drear  Virginia's  vales, —  soft  russet  shades 
The  earth,  and  some  few  trees,  leafless  this  day. 
Recalling  in  their  grace  more  vernal  bliss. 
O  had  the  might  been  present  in  that  hour  !  • 

To  lift  his  sinking  form  and  bear  him  on 
With  the  dark  race  he  fondly  rushed  to  save  ! 
O  had  the  soul,  the  power  acquitted  then. 
Its  future  to  the  world  ?  (his  name  is  graved. 
First  on  the  Capitol,  his  figure  shines 
Above  the  highest,  who  holds  the  nation's  heart) ; 
And  now  he  asked  :   "  Why  are  not  all  within  the  field, 
Not  only  soldiers,  but  the  citizens  ?" 
Faithful  to  freedom  in  this  cruel  hour. 
Why  were  ye  faithless,  heavens  ?     Shall  yon  chill  sky. 
Wherein  December's  sun  gleams  sadly  forth, 
Fail  to  prefer  one  pitying  look  on  him, 
Who  dies  to  liberate  the  down-trod  race. 
From  stripes  and  crime,  and  legal  butcheries, 
Inexpiable,  untold  woes,  the  stake,  the  lash, — 
Not  tears,  not  pity,  mercy,  no  remorse. 
In  those  who  stand  around,  to  slay  this  man, 
(They  called  him  brave  ;   "  That  was  my  mother's  lesson)," 
So  mild  and  pure,  an  infant  without  guile  ! — 
'Twas  o'er,  'twas  done,  the  noble,  generous  soul. 
Now  more  than  martyr,  met  a  felon's  doom. — 

He  went 
To  death  ! — death  for  a  multitude,  whose  hearts 
Were  wrung  with  time-worn  suffering,  all  one  pang, 
And  torn,  like  desolation's  corses  chill. 
Across  some  mountain-chain,  where  hungry  wolves 
Gnaw  the  sliil  quivering  flesh,  and  reek  their  thirst 
On  hearts,  quick  with  life's  pulses,  went  to  death, 
After  those  words  spoke  on  Judea's  mount, 
The  text  of  love,  no  wild  revenge  or  hate: 
"  I  could  have  moved. 


4i6  History  of  Torrington. 

But  there  were  prisoners,  within  my  charge, 
I  did  not  fire,  this  came  we  for  alone, 
But  this,  no  more,  to  free  the  Slave,  'tis  right, 
The  poorest  and  the  weakest,  these  we  aid." 

He  stood,  he  could  not  fly, 
His  children  fell,  that  loss  was  on   his  soul. 
He  spared  the  lives  of  them,  who  sought  his  own. 
Weak  as  a  dying  infant  spake  great  words, 
Soft  as  an  angel's  voice,  they  clearly  fall ; 
"  I  think  my  friends  !  you  wrong  both  God  and  man, 
And  such  as  interfere  in  this  respect. 
Must  act  for  right,  to  break  man's  galling  chains," 

They  answered, —  "  Yes," 
They  felt  it  in  their  hearts,  knew  in  their  minds, 
A  voice  sprang  back   from  the  dark  centuries'  folds, 
"  Father  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they  do." 
They  could  have  wept,  bound  up  the  brave  man's  wounds. 
And  set  him  on  a  throne,  a  hero's  throne. 
And  triumphed  him  to  Alabama's  shores. 
Or  where  the  hot  Caribbean  melts  her  wave 
Of  fire  and  silver  on  the  Texan's  coast, 
O'er  Carolina's  sands  and  rice-bound  marsh, 
And  proud  Virginia,  once  of  Washington. 

That  could  not  be  ! 
God's  hand  was  on  the  hour, —  it  must  not  be! 
Never  since  human  breath  had  moulded  sound. 
Or  given  words  to  sense,  more  awful  truths. 
Were  stretched  across  the  strands  of  Fate,  than  those, 
Trom  that  poor,  simple,  dying,  tender  soul. 
It  could  not  be !  by  camp  and  tower,  and  ford. 
By  crashing  cannon  tearing  down  the  glen, 
In  the  lone  forest,  up  dark  mountains  hoar, 
On  sea  and  land,  and  giaves  on  earth  and  wave, 
Sons,  fathers  falling,  doomed  without  a  shrift, 
Unburied  not  unknelled,  came  forth  that  voice 
From  the  cold  armory  of  Harper's  vale, 
A  prophecy  of  woe,  "  Prepare,  prepare. 
The  soonest  —  best,  the  settlement  will  come. 
The  end's  not  yet,"  a  voice  of  woe  and  war, — 
Where  thro'  their  valleys  dash  the  liberal  streams, 
And  at  day's  dying  hour,  the  purple  hills 
Smile  in  their  forests  at  the  bounteous  heavens. 

His  seat,  is  vacant  now 
The  son  is  gone  ;   his  mother  folds  her  hands, 
Her  hair  is  gray,  "  Yes,  he  was  mine,  'tis  just  ! 
I  gave  him  for  the  slave,  that  hour  was  God's, 
The  negro's  blood  was  ours,  he  died  for  him, 
(All  that  I  loved  sat  in  his  empty  chair). 


Biographies.  417 

Died  for  the  mother  weeping  o'er  her  child, 
Torn  from  her  bleeding  arms ;   the  scourging  lash 
Striping  her  naked  flesh,  because  she  wept 
For  her  young  infant's  life,  sold  on  the  block — 
Sold  ?  God  in  heaven,  yes,  for  her,  he  died  !" 
(Their  barren  fields  dry  shrinking  in  the  sun, 
The  city's  pomp  is  o'er,  the  grass  grows  green 
Along  the  siient  mart,  the  drooping  flag 
Fades  in  the  hot  glare  of  that  Southern  tomb). 

Here,  in  these  quiet  fields,  John  Brown  came  forth. 
Cradled  in  peace  and  modest  competence; 
In  pleasant  Torrington,  drew  first  his  breath, 
Where  swift  a  gleaming  wave,  darts  Naugatuck, 
And  the  calm  hills  stretch  off  to  Wolcott's  side, 
Soft  in  their  laurel  clumps  'neath  towers  of  pine, 
Birthplace  of  kindred  thought  all  purely  reared. 
Where  mellow  Alcott  spake  and  fetched  that  strain 
Of  sweet,  melodious  converse.      O  ye  hills  ! 
And  groves,  and  charming  greensward  meads, 
Of  rural  Torrington,  never  had  yet, 
A  more  devoted  soul  emerged  to  life. 
Among  the  baffling  shades  that  sepulchre. 
This  large,  afflictive,  unwound  web  of  time, 
Than  him,  I  vainly  speak  of. 

From  your  force, 
A  child,  he  drew  perpetual  courage. 
Full  rich  in  the  love  of  a  good  mother. 
To  life's  adventure  saintly  and  resigned. 
Taught  to  serve  truth,  seek  God  and  do  the  right  ! 
Yes  !   must  there  move  all  blessings  in  this  air 
Of  dear  Connecticut,  o'er  her  green  fields. 
Her  lone  romantic  hills,  her  torrents  bold. 
And  yonder  wave-fringed  town,  whence  busy  Yale 
Pours  forth  such  learned  rivers,  o'er  the  States. 
And  still,  it  stands,  the  home  where  he  was  born, — 
The  homely  house,  domestic  in  its  style. 
As  he,  who  there  first  felt  the  wrench  of  time. 
With  sloping  roof  behind,  with  windows  quaint. 
And  lavish  chimney  from  its  centre  flung, 
Shaming  the  villa's  brick.      And  here  he  played, 
A  merry  boy  beneath  the  low  stone  wall. 
Or  saw  the  sunset  fade  across  the  lines 
That  suit  yon  happy  fields.      Here,  as  a  child, 
Along  the  meadows,  where  the  streamlet  glides, 
No  future  condescension  could  reveal 
The  boding  years,  and  yet  remain  these  things  ; 
But  he,  who  saw  them  so  unconsciously 
Of  days  in  store,  he  may  not  come  again. 
When  even  the  weeds  and  tall,  neglected  grass, 

53 


4i8  History  of  Torrington. 


whisper  their  fitful  surmise  to  the  breeze, 
That  overtops  their  dreams  !   Widely  the  day, 
On  this  uncumbered  horizon  tails  in 
From  those  blue  skies,  a  house  standing  so  free. 
In  its  society  of  light  and  air. 
What  tho'  its  casements  rattle  in  the  blast. 
Immortal  deeds  within  them  sprang  to  life  ! 
Not  long  his  hours  among  his  household  gods, 
For,  far  away,  where  bold  Ohio's  stream, 
Pours  down  her  volume,  past  Kentucky's  vales, 
And  further  yet,  and  in  maturer  years. 
He  spent  his  strength  upon  that  prairie  fight 
For  bleeding  Kansas,  when  Missouri's  crimes 
Burnt  thro'  a  freeman's  heart  and  lit  its  flames. 
There,  came  the  sorrow  o'er  him,  theie  his  race 
Fell  at  the  Southern  rifle,  there  he  fought. 
And  with  superior  calmness,  or  swift  guile 
Such  as  a  woodman's  creed  sweetly  allows. 
Thus  preached  a  hero's  truth,  saintly  if  strong. 
Wise  Ossawatomie ! 

He  knew  not  that, — 
The  day  in  Harper's  vale.      Never  he  heard, 
Those  pealing  strains  ascend  from  camp  and  town, 
"We're  marching  on,"  unknown,  unheard-of  lived, 
Where  the  dark  Adirondacs  fling  the  pine. 
Up  the  unsounded  ramparts  of  their  chains. 
And  lakes,  whence  the  wild  waterfall  alone, 
Whirls  thro'  the  steep-cut  flume  a  curdling  hymn. 
There,  as  a  settler  on  the  silent  lands, 
Within  his  heart  musing  of  many  things. 
His  children  near,  their  mother  by  his  side, 
(She,  who  walked  truly  with  him  to  the  end. 
Soothed  his  affliction,  staunched  his  wounds  with  love). 
There,  in  that  tranquil  Elba,  might  have  lived, — 
And  all  that  is,  not  been  ? 

Most  vain  that  thought ! 
Before  him  lay  the  laws,  the  swift  reward, 
The  spy,  the  bribe,  the  scoft",  hunted   from  town 
To  town,  bearing  a  charmed  life,  for  death 
Grimly  prepared.      And  still   that  voice,  a  cry 
From  breaking  hearts,  more  wretched  than  his  own. 
That  simple,  childlike,  lielpless,  loving  race, — 
Enough,  he  heard  it  still  ! 

No,  no,  not  rest, 
He  knew  no  rest,  sleeping  or  waking  none  ! 
Holding  his  plough  across  the  fresh- broke  swards, 
When  fell  his  children  in  the  prairie-fight. 
Or  at  the  good  man's  burial  from  the  church. 
In  storm  or  calm,  in  danger  or  repose, 


Biographies.  419 


"Do  ye  for  us,  as  we  should  do,  for  you. 

We  are  the  poor,  oppressed,  and  you —  the  strong." 

Nor  aid  he  sought,  nor  force  of  arms  nor  men, 

But  in  his  daring  heart,  and  soldier's  brain, 

Matched  to  heroic  will  with  earnest  prayers, 

And  those  few  watchful  souls  who  knew  this  man, 

As  one,  a  bride,  upon  a  summer  morn. 

To  some  sweet  sacrifice  of  all  her  dower. 

Devoted  to  the  death  for  him  she  loves, 

He  went,  not  all  alone  ! 

That  race  kept  with  him. 
The  oppressed,  the  weak,  those  who  him  needed. 
The  souls  went  too,  of  all  the  martyred  good. 
Who  died  for  men,  stars  that  adorn  the  Past, 
And  light  the  sky  of  ages,  lamps  of  fame! 
And  one  whom  he  had  worshiped  from  his  birth. 
The  Savior  !  Those  too,  him  half-way  welcomed. 
Fluent  and  loud,  fixed  pioneers  of  speech. 
Who  poured  forth  abolition,  and  preferred 
Scant  reconcilement  in  all  human  souls. 
To  close  companionship.     And  women. 
Of  tried  passion,  who  surprised  man's  fortitude, 
And  off  their  silvery  lips  loosed  the  shrill  breath 
Of  liberty  into  war's  clarion  keen. 
Shaping  man's  rancor. 

With  this  host  he  passed, — 
All  that  was  acting  on  life's  stage,  he  passed  : 
Or  crowding  street,  or  miscellaneous  wain. 
Towering  with  luxuries,  the  Mill  whose  bleach. 
Was  spun  from  bloody  thread  ;  the  Court,  the  Church, 
Where  never  yet,  that  name  of  Slave  was  breathed. 
He  knew  them  well,  twas  the  loud  treacherous  world. 
He  oft  had  dreamed  of,  masking  Human  Right, 
(Pouring  envenomed  death,  thro'  life  and  love) 
Till  one  man  touch  the  cords  and  hunch  the  bark, 
With  loud  acclaim.  United  Liberty  ! 

He  came,  he  touched  the  cords,  'tis  done  ! 
The  chain  is  snapt;  the  vessel  leaves  the  shore. 


420  History  of  Torrington. 

William  Battell 
Came  from  Woodbury  about  1784,  and  settled  as  a  merchant  at 
Torringford,  where  he  lived  and  died.  His  business  career  was  one 
of  honor  and  success  until  1808,  when  he  sold  his  store  to  his  sons 
Joseph  and  William,  and  gave  his  attention  to  farming  and  a  quiet 
independent  life  until  his  death,  Feb.  29,  1832.  As  illustrative  of 
the  careful  manner  in  which  he  commericed  his  business  transactions 
at  Torringford,  it  is  said  that  Dr.  Woodward  went  to  his  store  to 
buy  a  skillet  and  Mr.  Battell  would  not  trust  him,  and  that  the 
doctor    in    later  life,  frequently  laughed  about  it,  as  quite  a  joke. 

Mr.  Battell  became  extensively  and  favorably  known  throughout 
the  county  and  the  state  and  in  his  store  did  a  large  business  for 
many  years,  being  in  competition  with  Doctor  Hodges'  store  on  the 
west  side  of  the  town,  and  being  nearer  Hartford  had  quite  the  ad- 
vantage over  the  west  side.  He  was  entrusted  largely  in  public  of- 
fices and  the  business  responsibilities  of  the  town,  and  in  all  was  not 
only  regarded  as  competent  but  of  superior  judgment  and  executive 
ability  ;  a  kind  of  dignity  and  honor  being  still  coupled  with  his 
name  as  a  citizen  that  marks  him  with  pre-eminence  among  the  citi- 
zens of  the  town  and  also  of  the  county.  This  store  was  the  chief 
place  of  resort  and  public  gat'r.ering  for  the  news  until  about  18 10, 
when  Nathaniel  Smith's  store  took  the  lead. 

In  those  times  it  was  deemed  wise  and  entertaining  to  amuse  com- 
pany by  jokes,  and  by  taking  advantage  of  sayings  and  doings  of  in- 
dividuals to  create  merriment,  and  in  this  Father  Mills  was  not  far 
behind  the  chief  of  all  of  them.  Having  occasion,  as  every  body  did 
in  those  days,  to  go  to  the  store  for  some  rum  he  took  a  teakettle 
instead  of  a  bottle,  in  which  to  carry  it  home.  Mr.  Battell  said, 
*' why  did  you  bring  a  teakettle  ?"  said  Father  Mills,  "I  did  not 
know  but  that  it  might  want  boiling  down  a  little."  Such  a  suggestion 
is  thought  to  have  more  pertinency  at  the  present  day  than  when 
Mr.  Battell  kept  store  ;  but  it  is  also  believed  that  the  more  water 
to-day,  the  less  the  poison. 

For  further  account  of  Mr.  Battell's  store,   see  page  seventy  five. 

Joseph  Battell, 
Son  of  William  and   Sarah  (Buckingham)   Battell,  was  born   in  Mil- 
ford,  July  21,  1774.      The  family  removed  soon  after  to  Woodbury 
and  thence  to  Torringford,  where  he  was  engaged  in  his  father's  store 


Biographies.  421 

except  the  time  devoted  to  schooling.  In  1792,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  he  went  to  Norfolk,  Ct.,  and  commenced  business  as  a  mer- 
chant, for  himself,  where  he  continued  forty-six  years,  being  very 
successful,  and  becoming  extensively  and  honorably  known  at  the 
south  and  west,  as  well  as  at  home.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  and 
most  liberal  donors  to  the  American  Asylum  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb, 
and  to  the  Connecticut  Retreat  for  the  Insane,  of  which  he  was  a 
director.  He  was  a  trustee  of  Middlebury  college,  and  received  the 
honorary  title  of  Master  of  Arts  from  that  institution.  He  often  re- 
presented Norfolk  in  the  legislature. 

He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Rev.  Ammi  R.  Robbins,  first 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Norfolk.  The  first  year  of  their  married 
life,  they  adopted  as  a  son,  her  nephew  William  Lawrence,  who 
married  Caroline  A.  Rockwell  of  Colebrook,  and  resided  at  North- 
ampton, Mass.,  where  he  died  Feb.  22,  1867,  aged  65  years.  They 
subsequently  had  nine  children  :  Joseph,  Philip,  Sarah,  Irene,  Urania, 
Anna,  Robbins,  John,  Ellen.  He  died  Nov.  30,  1841,  aged  67. 
She  died  Sept.  23,  1854,  aged  75  years.  Their  son  Joseph  was 
graduated  at  Middlebury  college  in  1 823,  Philip  at  the  same  institution 
in  1826,  and  Robbins  at  Yale  in  1839.  Their  daughter  Sarah  married 
Rev.  Joseph  Eldridge,  D.D.,  who  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Norfolk,  April  25,  1832,  which  office  he  held  until  his  decease  in 
1875.  Irene  married  Rev.  William  A.  Larned,  who  was  ordained 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Millbury,  Mass.,  in  May,  1834,  and  dis- 
missed in  October,  1835  ;  was  associated  with  Rev.  N.  S.  S.  Beeman, 
D.D.,  and  Rev.  E.  A.  Kirk,  in  teaching  in  a  theological  institution 
at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  three  years,  and  was  professor  of  rhetoric  and 
English  literature  in  Yale  college  from  the  autunm  of  1839  until 
his  decease  in  February,  1862.  Urania  married  Hon.  James  Hum- 
phrey, who  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1836  ;  re- 
moved to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  1838,  and  followed  his  profession  in 
New  York  city  nearly  thirty  years  in  the  eminent  law  firm  of  Butler, 
Barney  and  Humphrey  ;  was  sent  to  the  legislature,  and  was  elected 
to  congress  in  1858  and  1864,  and  died  while  a  member  of  congress 
in  June,  1866.  Ellen  married  Rev.  Azariah  Eldridge,  D.D.,  pastor 
of  the  North  Congregational  church  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  from 
1847  ^'^  1856  ;  pastor  of  Fort  street  Presbyterian  church,  Detroit, 
Mich.,  from  1858  to  1865,  and  preacher  at  the  American  chapel  at 
Paris,  France,  from  1866  to  1868. 


422  History  of  Torrington. 

Mrs.  Ann  S.  Battell  Loomis, 

Daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Buckingham)  Battell  of  Torringford, 
married  Rev.  Harvey  Loomis  in  i8ii.  She  died,  July  27,  1861, 
aged  78  years  ;  the  same  age  of  her  sister  iVIrs.  McEwan.  See 
biography  of  Mr.  Loomis. 

Rev.  James  Beach 
Was  born  in  Winchester  June  10,  1780,  but  when  one  year  old  his 
parents  removed  to  Torrington  where  he  was  brought  up.  He  was 
the  son  of  John  and  Mercy  (Bassett)  Beach  of  Torrington.  His 
years  of  childhood  were  spent  on  the  old  homestead  of  his  grandfather, 
Capt.  Abel  Beach,  near  Torrington  church.  He  united  with  the 
church  September  i,  1799,  at  the  same  time  with  Rev.  Timothy  P. 
Gillett  and  the  Rev.  Luther  Hart,  having  entered  into  the  experimental 
part  of  religious  life  that  year  during  the  revival  under  Mr.  Gillett. 
His  exercises  of  mind,  during  several  days  previous  to  his  obtaining 
hope  of  acceptance  through  Jesus,  the  Savior,  were  very  great  and  of 
great  discouragement.  He  walked  the  fields  in  meditation  ;  read  his 
Bible  with  much  earnestness,  sought  the  counsels  of  those  in  whom 
he  had  confidence  as  Christians,  and  for  a  time  seemed  in  great 
doubt  as  to  any  intentions  of  good  in  the  Divine  Being,  towards  him. 
But  light  came  and  the  day  was  one  of  decided  joy  and  hope  ;  and  from 
that  day  he  was  very  decided  in  his  religious  convictions,  and  very 
earnest  and  continuous  in  his  efforts  to  make  known  the  hope  of  the 
gospel.  He  graduated  at  Williams  college  ;  studied  theology  under 
Rev,  Asahel  P.  Hooker  of  Goshen,  1804-5  »  ^n^  ^^^^^  ^  brief  can- 
didacy was  called  to  and  ordained  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 
church  of  Winsted,  Conn.,  on  a  salary  of  three  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  a  year,  with  an  advance  of  funds  to  purchase  a  dwelling, 
repayable  in  yearly  installments. 

He  was  sound,  dignified,  and  conservative  ;  faithful  in  his  paro- 
chial duties  ;  especially  in  his  pastoral  visits  and  his  supervision  of 
the  schools.  The  faithfulness  of  his  ministry  was  attested  by  re- 
peated revivals  and  the  exemplary  lives  of  most  of  the  converts. 
He  was  dismissed  from  his  pastorate  at  his  own  request,  January  26 
1842,  but  continued  his  residence  in  Winsted  until  his  death  on  the 
lOth  day  of  June,  1850,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

His  character  and  standing  in  the  ministry  are  happily  portrayed  in 
the  following  sketch  by  Rev.  Dr.  Eldredge  of  Norfolk,  an  adjoining 
parish. 


Biographies.  423 

"  Rev.  Mr.  Beach  had  been  settled  in  the  ministry  at  Winsted  many  years 
when  I  came  to  reside  at  Norfolic.  I  immediately  formed  his  acquaintance,  and 
soon  came  to  look  on  him  with  filial  affection  and  confidence,  feelings  that  I 
continued  to  entertain  towards  him  to  the  end  ot  his  lite. 

Mr.  Beach  was  endowed  with  strong  intellectual  powers.  His  bias  was  more 
towards  the  practical  than  the  merely  speculative.  This  tendency,  combined 
with  a"  calm  temperament,  fitted  him  to  be  a  wise  counselor,  and  a  most  useful 
member  of  our  ecclesiastical  association. 

His  disposition  was  social  and  genial.  He  was  a  pleasant  man  to  meet.  He 
had  a  considerate  regard  for  his  ministerial  brethren,  in  respect  to  their  feelings 
and  reputations;  rejoiced  in  their  successes  and  their  usefulness.  I  never  saw 
him  out  of  temper,  never  heard  him  utter  a  harsh  or  censorious  remark.  He 
never  thrust  himself  forward,  but  was  more  disposed  to  stand  back  and  make 
room  for  others. 

I  heard  him  preach  but  a  few  times.  His  sermons  were  full  of  truth  clearly 
and  plainly  expressed.  In  their  delivery  he  was  earnest  but  never  impassioned, 
perhaps  more  of  emotion  would  have  improved  them.  His  prayers  in  public, 
especially  those  on  special  occasions,  such  as  ordinations,  and  the  like,  were 
very  remarkable  for  their  ease,  their  felicitous  adaptation  in  all  respects  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  case,  and  the  happy  introduction  of  spiritual  quotations  ; 
and  at  the  same  time  remarkable  for  their  exemption  from  everything  of  the 
nature  of  effort  at  display,  and  for  their  simple  tone  and  humble  earnestness. 

My  recollections  of  Father  Beach,  as  I  used  to  call  him,  are  very  dear  to  me. 
I  loved  him  in  life,  and  lamented  him  in  death,  and  feel  that  I  owe  it  to  his 
kindness  and  his  encouragement  and  advice  in  no  small  degree,  that  I  have  so 
long  remained  where  I  am.'" 

He  married,  October  28,  1806,  Hannah  Clarissa  Baldwin,  born 
in  Goshen,  Conn.,  March  10,  1784,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Lucy 
(Lewis)  Baldwin.  They  had  three  daughters.  His  widow  survived 
him  two  years  and  died  May  7,  1852. 

Gen.  Allen  G.  Brady, 

Son  of  James  W.  and  Mary  S.  Brady  of  Middlesex  county,  Mass., 
was  born  February  13,  1822.  He  was  engaged  a  time  in  a  cotton 
mill  in  East  Haddam,  and  came  to  Wolcottville  in  1845,  ^°  superin- 
tend the  work  in  the  cotton  mill,  then  just  erected  on  the  sire  of  the 
first  woolen  mill.  He  directed  in  the  making,  fitting  and  putting  in 
of  the  looms  and  machinery  of  this  mill,  and  getting  it  started  in  the 
manufacture  of  cotton  cloth.  He  then  went  to  Litchfield  station, 
and  succeeded  in  starting  a  mill  there  of  the  same  kind,  which  be- 
came the  Mattatuck  Manufacturing  Company. 

Mr.  Brady  was  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  business  in  connec- 
tion with  this  mill  in  Wolcottville  much  of  the  time  fifteen  years,  as 


'  Over  forty  years  as   pastor. 


4^4  History  of  Torrington. 

agent,  superintendent,  contractor  and  owner,  and  then  became  largely 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  shirts,  drawers  and  collars,  in  Wol- 
cottville,  with  a  branch  manufactory  in  Georgetown,  Ct.,  and  a  large 
store  at  55  Murray  street  New  York  city,  under  the  firm  of  A.  G. 
Brady  &  Co. 

He  was  also  engaged  with  Ostrum  and  Welton  in  the  papier 
mache  business  where  the  cap  shop  now  stands,  and  afterwards  pur- 
chased that  entire  business,  continuing  the  manufacture  of  ornamen- 
tal pocket  knife  handles,  table  knives,  porte  monnaies,  and  such  like 
articles. 

When  the  war  broke  out  he  accepted  for  three  months  the  com- 
mission, oflieut.  col.  of  the  third  regiment  of  Conn,  volunteers,  from 
Gov.  Buckingham,  and  took  charge  of  the  regiment  May  9,  1861. 
He  was  in  the  army  of  the  Potomac  during  that  time,  received  an 
honorable  discharge  and  returned  home. 

He  then,  with  head  quarters  at  Stamford,  organized  company  B, 
seventeenth  regiment,  and  was  appointed  captain  of  the  company  and 
major  of  regiment  the  same  month. 

The  regiment  went  to  Baltimore  and  stayed  a  time,  then  joined 
the  eleventh  army  corps  and  was  in  the  battles  of  Chancellorville  and 
Gettysburg,  in  the  first  of  which,  the  colonel  was  killed  and  the 
next  officer  wounded  and  the  command  devolving  upon  Major  Brady, 
he  held  this  position  during  the  battles,  and  was  wounded  July  second 
at  Gettysburg.  After  the  battle  of  Chancellorville  Mrs.  Brady  re- 
ceived the  following  telegram. 

"  Mrs.  A.  G.  Brady,  Wolcottville.  Major — well  —  Monday  last; 
bore  himself  most  gallantly  in  fight.  Wm.  H.  Noble  Col.  17th 
Reg't  C.  V." 

Being  wounded  so  as  to  be  disabled  he  had  leave  of  absence  thirty 
days  and  came  home,  after  which  he  was  ordered  to  the  officers' 
hospital  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  where  he  received  appointment  as  major  of 
the  20th  U.  S.  Veteran  reserved  corps  ;  was  afterwards  ordered  to 
the  command  of  his  regiment,  head  quarters  at  Baltimore,  where  he 
continued  some  months  ;  was  then  ordered  with  his  regiment  to 
Point  Lookout,  Md.,  where  soon  after  he  was  made  provost  marshal 
general  of  St,  Mary's  district  where  he  had  command  of  the  camp 
over  a  year,  remaining  there  until  the  last  prisoner  of  war  was  re- 
leased after  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865.  He  was  breveted  major 
general,  and  remained  in  the  regular  army  until  1867,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  engaged  mostly  in  mercantile  business. 


mjJn/ln^U  Jj-vuvd 


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Biographies.  425 


Adelbert  M.  Calkins,  M.D., 

Was  born  February  16,  1846,  in  Green  River,  Columbia  connty, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  the  son  of  Stephen  E.  Calkins,  who  was  a  practic- 
ing physician  about  ten  years  in  Winsted,  then  came  to  Wolcottville 
in  1861  ;  practicing  here  until  1864,  when  he  removed  to  Vineland, 
and  thence  to  Athens,  Green  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  still  resides. 
His  wife  Loisa  died  in  Wolcottville  and  he  married  Jane  Birge  of 
Torringford. 

The  son,  Adelbert  M.,  studied  medicine  with  his  father  some  time 
and  then  attended  the  Hanaman  Medical  college,  Philadelphia,  where 
he  was  graduated.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  and  was  mustered  into 
the  service  in  1862  ;  was  wounded  in  the  battle,  and  after  partially 
recovering  was  transferred  to  the  veteran  reserve  corps,  and  promoted 
to  assistant  surgeon  in  the  hospital,  in  which  relation  he  continued 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  In  consequence  of  his  wound  he  is  a 
pensioner.  After  the  war,  he  practiced  medicine  in  New  York  city 
something  more  than  five  years,  and  then  came  to  Wolcottville  in 
1873,  where  he  has  continued  his  practice  to  the  present  time. 

He  married  Barbaretta  Smith  in  October,  187 1,  a  native,  and  re- 
sident of  New  York  city. 

Israel  Coe, 
Son  of  Abijah  and  Sibyl  (Baldwin)  Coe,  was  born  in  Goshen,  De- 
cembef  14,  1794.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  by  an  accidental  discharge 
of  a  gun,  he  lost  his  right  arm.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  with  two  years  additional  in  the  Winsted  academy 
under  the  instruction  of  Curtiss  Warner,  a  most  excellent  teacher. 
After  tfiis  he  taught  school  two  seasons. 

In  1813,  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  went  into  the  employ 
of  the  Torrington  Cotton  factory  under  the  agency  of  Job  Sheldon, 
remaining  there  as  clerk  until  the  company  failed.  After  this  the 
factory  was  conducted  by  Wadhams  and  Thompson,  and  Mr.  Coe 
was  agent  for  them  until  they  failed. 

He  married  Nancy,  daughter  of  Lyman  Wetmore  in  September, 
1817,  and  between  this  time  and  1820,  became  somewhat  promi- 
nent in  the  town,  serving  it  as  constable  and  collector.  In  1821,  he 
removed  to  Waterburv,  purchased  a  hotel  and  kept  it  until  1826, 
when  he  sold  the  same,  and  engaged  in  the  employ  of  the  late  Aaron 
Benedict  as  an  agent  for  the  sale  of  gilt  buttons,  and  afterwards  be- 

54 


426  History  of  Torrincton. 

came  a  partner  in  the  business  under  the  name  of  Benedict  and  Coe. 
In  1834,  he  sold  his  interest  to  Gurdon  W.  Burnham  thus  opening 
to  him  the  door  to  become  a  millionaire. 

While  in  Waterbury  he  served  as  constable  and  collector  two  or 
three  years,  and  represented  the  town  in  the  legislature  in  1824,  and 
1825,  being  the  youngest  member  in  that  body  in   1824. 

In  1834,  he  removed  to  Wolcottville,  and  purchased  the  Wilson's 
mill  property  and  other  lands  about  it  and  built  the  first  brass  mill, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  one,  in  the  name  of  Israel  Coe,  under  the 
copartnership  law  of  the  state,  Anson  G.  Phelps  and  John  Hunger- 
ford  and  Mr.  Coe  being  the  three  equal  partners  in  the  business. 

In  1844,  he  sold  his  interest  to  Anson  G.  Phelps  and  removed  to 
Detroit  and  engaged  in  the  bankina;  and  lumber  business  in  that  city 
until  1853,  when  he  removed  to  New  York,  and  went  into  business, 
in  1856,  with  a  partner  who  robbed  him  of  all  he  had,  which  was 
nearly  as  bad  as  the  losing  of  his  arm. 

He  removed  to  Bloomfield,   N.  J,,  in  1867,  where  he  Still  resides. 

In  Wolcottville  he  established  the  manufacture  of  brass  kettle 
battery,  the  first  of  the  kind  in  this  country,  which,  probably,  would 
have  been  a  great  success  but  for  the  invention  of  machinery  for 
spining  kettles  instead  of  the  old  process. 

In  1843,  he  represented  the  fifteenth  district  in  the  state  senate. 

In  1874,  after  he  was  eighty  years  of  age,  he  was  elected  by  both 
parties,  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  five  years,  and  was  also  appointed  by 
the  legislature  of  New  Jersey,  commissioner  of  deeds  for  five  years. 

Mr.  Coe,  being  nearly  eighty-three  years  of  age  possesses  his 
faculties  of  body  and  mind  to  a  remarkable  degree  ;  can  write  a  very 
neat,  plain  hand  that  would  do  honor  to  a  person  fifty  years  of  age 
and  in  the  possession  of  both  hands,  but  as  he  writes  with  his  left 
hand,  at  such  an  age,  it  is  very  noticeable.  He  is  quite  familiar  with 
Torrington  history  for  the  last  seventy  years,  and  thereby  has  aided 
the  author  of  this  book  to  straighten  some  tangles  which  otherwise 
would  have  appeared  unseemly  and  dissatisfactory. 

Lyman  W.  Coe, 
Son  of  Israel  and  Nancy  Wetmore  Coe,  was  born  January  20,  1820, 
at  Torrington  hollow  ;  received  a  common  school  education,  and  at- 
tended the  High  school  at  Waterbury,  Morris  academy,  and  the 
school  of  W.W,  Andrews  or  South  Cornwall.  He  be^an  as  clerk  in 
Waterbury   where  he  remained   uiuil  the  spring  of  1834,   when   he 


^W"^ 


.^^^^^^wltf^^^-; 


'^f"-^. 


Biographies.  427 

came  to  Wolcottville  and  engaged  in  the  store  of  Wadhams,  Coe 
and  company  for  two  vcars,  then  went  to  Terryville  into  the  store  of 
Lewis  McKee  and  company,  merchants,  and  the  first  Cabinet  Lock 
manufacturers  in  the  country  ;  was  with  them  three  years  in  all, 
being  at  home  and  connected  with  the  manufacturing  at  the  brass 
mill  one  year.  He  left  there  in  the  spring  of  1841,  and  was  ap- 
pointed secretary  of  the  Wolcottville  Brass  Company  which  office 
he  retained  until  ihe  summer  of  1845,  when  he  resigned.  He  then 
took  charge  of  a  brass  wire  mill  at  Cotton  hollow  which  then  be- 
longed to  the  Waterbury  Brass  Company,  and  in  the  spring  of  1846, 
removed  with  his  family  to  Waterbury  and  was  appointed  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Waterbury  Brass  Company  and  the  business  at 
Cotton  hollow  was  removed  to  Waterbury.  He  was  connected 
with  this  brass  company  from  its  formation  in  1845,  ^^  May,  1863, 
and  during  that  time  was  its  general  financial  and  business  manager. 

In  the  spring  of  1863,  he  resigned  at  Waterbury  and  bought  all 
the  stock  of  the  Wolcottville  Brass  Company  and  removed  his  family 
to  this  place;  formed  a  new  company  under  the  name  of  the  Coe 
Brass  Company  with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  This  company  has  been 
quite  successful  and  ranks  among  the  first  in  the  brass  business  in  the 
amount  of  its  productions  and  extent  of  its  manufacturing  ability  ; 
having  four  steam  engines  of  an  aggregate  capacity  of  four  hundred 
horse  power  and  a  water  power  of  two  hundred  horse,  but  which  is 
not  always  reliable  for  that  amount,  and  a  capital  of  $325,000. 

Mr.  Coe  married  Eliza  Seymour  Nov.  3,  1841,  and  has  three 
children,  all  living  and  married.  His  business  has  required  him  to 
make  several  tours  in  Europe,  of  three  or  four  months  time,  so  that 
he  has  become  familiar  with  that  kind  of  journeying  sufficiently  to 
publish  a  book  of  ocean  guide  as  well  as  railway. 

He  was  elected  to  the  legislature  in  the  lower  house  in  1845,  from 
Torrington  and  in  1858,  from  Waterbury  and  to  the  senate  from  the 
fifth  district  in  1862,  and  in  the  fifteenth  district  in  1876,  and  has 
been  elected  in  1877,  for  two  years  from  the  fifteenth  district.  He 
is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  reliable  men  in  all  public  enter- 
prises and  interests  of  the  town. 

Rev.  Lucius  Curtiss, 
Son  of  Dea.   Elizur  and  Amanda  (Steele)  Curtiss,  was  graduated  at 
Andover  and   New    Haven  ;   was  licensed  by   Andover    Association 
in   Mass.,   in    1845  '  ^^^   ordained    pastor   of   the   first   church  in 


4^8  History  of  Torrington. 

Woodbury,  July  6,  1846,  and  dismissed,  June  6,  1854  ;  was  pastor 
at  Colchester,  twelve  years,  to  1868  ;  then  preached  a  time  in  Ripon, 
Wisconsin,  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Hartford,  Ct. 

Arvid^Dayton, 

Son  of  Jonah  and  Polly  (Flint)  Dayton,  was  born  in  18 14,  in 
Daytonville,  in  Torrington,  where  he  has  resided  to  the  present 
time. 

From  his  earliest  years  he  was  a  great  lover  of  music  ;  his  mother 
was  noted  as  having  a  marvelous  ability  to  remember  the  poetry  of 
songs  and  to  sing  them.  When  young  he  was  very  successful  in 
making  music  by  various  instruments,  and  it  was  very  much  by  his 
exertion  that  the  fiist  band  was  organized  in  Wolcottville. 

Mr.  Dayton  began  to  build  pipe  organs  in  1840,  but  soon  after 
turned  his  attention  to  reed  instruments,  in  the  making  of  which 
he  has  been  engaged  ever  since  ;  and  he  is  really  the  inventor  of  a 
large  proportion  of  the  improvements  that  have  been  made  on  this 
kind  of  instrument  in  this  country. 

In  order  to  understand  what  these  improvements  are,  and  how 
they  effect  the  spirit  of  music  in  the  country,  and  how  much  these 
improvements  have  advanced  the  science  of  music,  it  will  be  both 
advantageous  and  interesting  to  look  over  a  brief  epitome  of  the 

History  of  the  Organ. 

The  Pandean  pipe,  composed  of  hollow  reeds  of  different  lengths, 
and  so  arranged  that  all  could  be  blown  at  once,  seems  to  have  been 
the  basis  from  which,  by  successive  discoveries  in  a  period  of  three 
thousand  years,  has  been  perfected  the  magnificent  instrument  which 
alone  renders  the  highest  measure  of  harmony  possible.  The  pro- 
gress made,  however,  was  for  many  centuries  very  slow.  The 
Pandean  pipes  were  first  blown  by  human  breath,  then  by  some  kind 
of  bellows,  next  by  a  reservoir  of  air  condensed  by  means  of  the 
pressure  of  water,  perhaps,  for  so  we  interpret  the  hydrauUcon  of 
Ctesibius,  in  the  third  century  before  Christ.  The  number  of  pipes 
was  increased  and  thev  were  made  of  brass  instead  of  reed.  It  was 
not,  probably,  till  after  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  era  that 
keys  were  added  on  which  the  performers  beat,  and  thus  opening  the 
valves,  admitted  the  air  into  the  pipes. 

The  earliest  record  we  have  of  the  use  of  the  organ  as  an  instru- 
ment of  church  music  is  in  the  seventh  century,  when  Pope  Vitalian 


Biographies. 


429 


is  said  to  have  introduced  some  of  them  into  the  churches  of  the 
west  of  Europe. 

In  755,  the  Greek  emperor,  Constantine  Copronymus,  sent  one 
as  a  present  to  King  Pepin.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  ninth  century, 
organs  had  become  quite  common  in  England,  most  of  the  cathedral 
churches  having  them.  In  951  Elfeg,  bishop  of  Winchester,  pro- 
cured one  for  his  cathedral,  which  exceeded  in  size  any  in  England, 
or  probably  any  on  the  continent.  But  large  and  cumbrous  as  this 
was,  it  was  a  very  imperfect  instrument.  Its  compass,  though  equal 
in  this  respect  to  any  then  in  Europe,  or  to  any  built  for  two  hundred 
years  later,  did  not  exceed  twelve  or  fifteen  notes.  Its  keys  were 
broad  and  large,  and  the  player  smote  them  with  his  fists.  It  was 
not  till  the  twelfth  century  that  half  notes  were  introduced  by  some 
of  the  Venetian  organ  builders  ;  and  soon  after  the  first  attempt  was 
made  to  introduce  a  system  of  concord,  in  such  a  way  that  each  key 
in  the  proper  compass  on  being  struck  called  forth  not  only  its  own 
note,  but  by  connection  with  other  pipes  also,  its  fifth  and  eighth 
above. 

In  1 143,  the  steam  organ,  or  calliope,  seems  to  have  been  antici- 
pated, for  William  of  Malmesbury  records  that  a  new  musical  in- 
strument had  been  invented  in  which  a  wind  "  forced  out  by  the 
violence  of  boiling  water,  passing  through  brass  pipes,  sends  forth 
musical  tones." 

It  was  not  till  1470  that  pedals  or  foot  keys  were  attached  to  the 
organ,  and  its  power  thus  increased  one-third.  This  was  the  inven- 
tion of  a  German  named  Bernhard.  Other  improvements  were 
added  in  great  numbers  in  the  15th  century,  and  the  organ,  though 
clumsier  and  ruder  than  now,  began  to  assume  much  of  its  present 
appearance. 

In  the  time  of  the  parliament  and  of  Cromwell,  many  of  the  organs 
in  the  churches  in  England  were  destroyed,  the  more  rigid  of  the 
Roundheads  regarding  them  as  instrument  of  iniquity,  and  after  the 
restoration,  there  being  few  good  organ-builders  in  England,  a  number 
of  foreign  artists  came  in. 

From  the  close  of  the  seventeeth  century  to  about  1830,  the 
organ  received  few  improvements  ;  pipes  of  tin,  zinc,  or  tin  and  lead, 
and  wood  were  substituted  for  brass,  and  the  arrangements  of  the 
pipes,  the  registers,  or  stops,  and  the  connection  of  the  several 
partial  organs  into  two,  three  or  more  sets,  or  groups,  for  the  player's 
convenience,  were  the  most  important  of  these  changes. 


430  History  of  Torrington. 

Since  1830,  however,  the  instrument  has  been  so  modified  and 
improved  that  it  is  hardly  the  same  in  anything  save  its  external 
appearance,  as  the  organ  of  a  century  ago.  The  voicing  of  the  pipes 
has  been  greatly  modified,  and  the  variety,  richness,  compass  and 
sweetness  of  its  tones  thereby  increased  ;  the  valves  and  other  arrange- 
ments for  the  passage  or  cutting  ofF  the  air  from  the  pipes  instan- 
taneously have  been  perfected,  which  with  many  other  improvements 
introduced  have  made  the  grand  and  noble  instrument  approximate 
moie  nearly  to  its  predestined  purpose,  of  giving  utterance,  under 
the  hands  of  a  skillful  player,  to  the  sublimest  and  most  impressive 
musical  compositions. 

It  has  been  until  recently  a  necessity  that  the  great  range  of 
musical  expression  could  only  be  attained  at  a  very  high  cost.  The 
number,  size  and  material  of  the  pipes,  and  the  great  variety  of  me- 
chanical contrivances  necessary  for  their  harmonious  manipulation 
and  the  production  of  the  best  results  from  them,  have  rendered  it 
inevitable  that  even  a  small  pipe  organ  of  good  tone  and  moderate 
compass  should  cost  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  dollars, 
while  the  larger  and  more  complete  instruments  have  ranged  from 
three  thousand  to  one  hundred  thousand  or  more  dollars. 

To  reduce  this  cost,  and  yet  furnish  an  instument  whose  compass 
power,  and  sweetness  of  tone  should  be  equal  or  superior  to  that  of 
the  best  low  priced  organs,  has  been  the  problem  whicli  musical  in- 
strument manufacturers  have  sought  for  thirty-five  years  past  to 
work  out.  The  piano  was  greatly  improved,  and  the  hope  was  at 
one  time  entertained  that  in  it  might  be  found  the  instrument  sought 
for,  but  it  soon  became  evident  that  admu-able  as  was  this  instrument 
for  parlor  purposes,  it  was  not  adapted  to  accompany  sacred  music, 
especially  in  hails,  chapels  or  churches. 

Attention  was  next  called  to  reed  instruments,  and  their  tone  and 
character  being  greatly  modified  by  drawing  the  air  through  the  reed 
instead  of  forcing  through,  as  had  been  previously  done,  there  seemed 
more  promise  of  success  in  these.  At  first,  however,  there  were 
serious  obstacles  to  be  overcome. 

Mr.  Jeremiah  Carhart,  born  in  Dutchess  county  New  York  in 
1815,  began  about  1845,  ^^  rnake  some  improvements  on  this  kind 
of  instrument,  and  had  some  considerable  success.  He  voiced  the 
note  by  curving  the  reeds,  and  made  many  other  improvements  on 
the  reeds  and  reed  board. 

In  1855,  Mr.  Arvid  Dayton,  having  then  been  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  reed  organs  about  nine   years  invented  a  new  plan  of 


Biographies.  431 

reed  board  which  has  proved  to  be  the  greatest  improvement  in  reed 
organs,  that  has  been  effected,  and  all  of  this  kind  of  instruments  are 
made  now  upon  his  plan  of  reed  board.      This  invention  consisted  in 
arranging  the  reed  board   so  as  to  have  two  and  a  half  sets  of  reeds, 
or  three  sets,  three   and  a  half  or   four,  all  to  operate   with  one  set  of 
valves  y\\?i\'\ug  dampers  placed  over  each  half  set  to  be  raised  by  stops, 
so  that  either  set  or  half  set,  can  be  played  alone  or  all  at  the  same 
time    as  the   performer   may  desire.      Between  1850  and    i860,  Mr. 
Dayton  made  several  valuable  improvements  on  reed  organs  ;  being 
engaged  regularly  in  the  manufacture  of  such  instruments  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  without   having  obtained  any  patent  for  any  of  his 
improvements.      He  also  invented  a  new  principle  for  tuning  organs, 
known  as  the  Tuner  s  Gamut^  which  is  very  extensively  used  through- 
out the   country  for  tuning  reed  instruments  ;  such  tuning  being  an 
easy    matter    compared    to    the    old    method.      This    improvement, 
further,  consists  in   having,  what   organ  builders   now  call   a  double 
reed  board,  made  two  stories  high,  or  having  one  set  of  reeds  directly 
over   the  other,  or   several  partial   or  full   sets   in  the    same  way,  all 
operated  by  one  set  of  valves.      This  is  the  greatest  improvement 
that    has  ever   been  made   on  reed   instruments   and  is  the    only  real 
difference  between  melodeons  and  organs,  and  the  only  thing  to  regret 
is  that  Mr.    Dayton  did  not   obtain  a  patent,  and   thereby  secure  to 
himself  some  permanent  advantage    from  the  invention  ;   in   which 
case  he  would  probably  now  be  manufacturing  organs  on  an  extensive 
scale.      He  has   already,  with    his  limited  means,    manufactured  and 
sold  about  five  thousand  instruments,  and  is  still  making  improvements. 
It  will  be  interesting  to  know  that  the  great  law  suit  between  Mr. 
Riley  Burdett  of  Erie,  Pa.,  and  Mr.  Jacob  Estey  of  Brattleboro,  Vt., 
in  February  1876,  was  in  regard   to  the  principle  in  the  reed  board 
which  Mr.  Dayton  had  used  some  twenty  years,  and  of  which  he  was 
the  inventor.      Mr.    Burdett  had   worked  in  Mr.  Estey's  shop  some 
years,  and  then  commenced  making  organs  for  himself,  at  the  west, 
on  a  large  scale.      Having  made    some  slight  changes,  involving  no 
new  principles,  he  obtained  a  patent  on  a  reed  board,  and  then  brought 
a  suit  against  Mr.  Estey  for  trespass  on  his  patent.      Under  such  cir- 
cumstances" Mr.  Dayton  became  the  principal  witness  in  order  to  show 
that  he  had  invented  and  used  the  same  principle  more  than  twenty 
years.      The  following  extract  from  the  speech  of  Hon.  William  M. 
Evarts,    delivered  in  the  United  States  circuit  court  in  February  and 
March,    1876,   shows   the   importance   of  Mr.  Dayton's  testimony. 
He  says  :  ; 


432  History  of  Torrington. 

"In  Bratcleboro,  March  26,  1873,  there  was  considerable  testimony  taken 
and  then  we  came  to  Wolcottville,  April  23,  1873,  and  April  24,  1873, 
which  your  Honor  sees  is  but  a  single  sitting,  or  two  consecutive  days,  and 
therefor  the  first  time  iVlr.  Dayton  appears  and  gives  evidence;  and  in  chose 
two  days'  examination,  this  whole  series  of  reed  boards,  etc.,  was  completed  ; 
all  of  them  I  think,  and  manifestly  that  occupied  all  the  time  that  was  given  to 
the  subject  then.  *  *  *  Now  we  have  then,  before  we  introduce  number  21, 
a  claimed  state  ot  knowledge,  contrivance  and  attention  to  the  necessity  or  value 
of  certain  improvements  in  the  reed  organ,  and  entire  competency  of  mechanical 
skill  and  of  musical  knowledge  [in  Mr.  Dayton]  to  produce,  effectively,  what- 
ever the  invention  or  the  experiments  of  Mr.  Dayton,  should  have  led  him  to. 
It  is  not  therefore  like  finding  a  result  in  an  unexpected  quarter,  not  at  all.  He 
had  worked  along  with  his  own  lights  and  his  own  knowledge,  and  his  own 
mind,  in  his  own  shop  and  made  no  parade  about  it,  nor  did  he  think  very 
highly  of  himself  in  respect  of  it,  and  reached  all  these  results  that  are  now 
paraded  in  this  patent  and  (he  application  for  it  by  Mr.  Burdett  as  such 
wonders." 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  Hon.  Edmund  Burke's  speech 
in  the  same  case  as  Mr.  Evarts  5  Mr.  Burke  being  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  lawyers  on  patents,  in  the  United  States  ; 

"  Defendant's  [Mr.  Estey]  exhibit  No.  21,  is  a  conclusive  answer  to  com- 
plainant's claim.  Number  21,  [an  organ]  was  invented  and  made  by  Arvid 
Dayton,  of  Wolcottville,  Conn.,  one  of  the  most  early,  original  and  ingenious 
inventors  and  improvers  of  the  reed  organs,  who  has  ever  appeared  in  this 
country,  as  the  evidence  in  this  case  proves  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt.  He 
was  the  first  to  in\ent  and  make  the  Reed  board  containing  two  full  sets  and  a 
partial  set  ot  reeds  o.^  the  different  sets  opening  into  the  same  valve-opening. 
He  was  the  first  to  give  the  partial  set  an  inclined  position  in  the  reed  board, 
and  the  first  to  introduce  into  the  reed  organ  the  method  of  tuning  described 
in  the  complainant's  patent.  .  And  it  may  further  be  briefly  remarked  in  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Dayton,  that  the  testimony  shows  that  he  was  a  prominent 
and  distinguished  pioneer  in  the  reed  organ  industry  of  this  country,  when  it 
first  began  to  assume  form  and  importance.  Exhibit  21,  has  precisely  the 
combination  and  arrangement  of  mechanical  instrumentalities,  as  are  described 
in  the  specification,  and  recited  in  the  claims  of  the  complainants  patent.  So 
far  as  the  sub-bass  is  concerned,  exhibit  24,  made  by  Mr.  Dayton,  nineteen 
years  ago,  is  the  first  reed  ir.strument  in  which  it  is  known  to  have  appeared, 
and  in  many  respects  it  is  a  remarkable  instrument,  containing  all  the  combina- 
tions of  musical  capabilities  ;  reeds,  air  passages,  valve  openings,  tracker-pin."5, 
keys,  etc.,  contained  in  the  infringing  organ.  It  was  one  of  the  earliest  pro- 
ductions in  the  art  ot  organ  making,  and  the  thoroughness,  if  not  the  beauty  of 
the  work  is  demonstrated  by  the  fact,  that  it  never  has  been  repaired,  nor  even 
tuned,  from  the  time  it  was  sold  by  Mr.  Dayton  eighteen  years  ago  until  the 
present  time;  a  noble  testimonial  to  the  genius  and  the  fidelity  of  its  inventor 
and  maker,  Arvid  Dayton.  It  made  good  inusic,  having  been  played  upon  in 
the  presence  of  the  ezaminers,  the  counsel  of  both  sides,  and  others.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  tew  il  any  other  reed  organs  have  ever  exhibited  such  a  remarkable 
endurance  ;  a  thorough  test  of  the  workmanship  and  of  the  materials  used  in 
its  construction." 


Biographies.  433 

Rev/Spencer  O.  Dyer 

Was  born  in  Plainfield,  Mass.,  October  4,  1827;  did  not  pursue  a 
collegiate  course;  studied  divinity  with  Rev,  J.  Cunningham,  of  La 
Porte,  Indiana  ;  was^licensed  for  the  Presbytery  cf  St.  Joseph's,  In- 
diana, April  8,  1857  '  ^^^  ordained  pastor  at  Becket,  Mass.,  April 
21,  1858,  and  dismissed  June  17,  1862;  was  stated  preacher  in 
Torringford  one  year,  to  Nov.  1863  ;  was  acting  pastor  at  North- 
ampton one  year,  and  acting  pastor  at  Upton,  Mass.,  from  1865,  a 
number  of  years. 

Rev.  Brown  Emerson 

Was  born  in  Harvard,  Mass.,  August  1 1,  1807;  was  graduated  at 
Yale  college  in  1833  ;  studied  theology  at  New  Haven  and  An- 
dover  ;  was  licensed  by  Middlesex  Union  association,  Mass.,  in  May, 
1836;  was  ordained  pastor  at  West  Boylston,  Mass.,  August  3, 
1837,  and  dismissed  November  6,  1859  '  ^^^  pastor  at  Torringford 
three  years  from  1841  to  1844,  and  at  Dracut,  Mass.,  four  years,  at 
Northumberland,  Pa.,  two  years,  at  Montague,  Mass.,  three  years, 
at  Westminster,  Mass.,  from  1859  ^°  1862;  removed  to  South 
Jersey,  and  supplied  a  small  Presbyterian  church  ;  was  stated  preacher 
at  Burlington,  Conn.,  two  years,  closing  there  in  1869,  and  went 
to  New  Hartford.  Several  of  these  changes  were  caused  by  ill 
health. 

Rev.  Stephen  Fenn 

Was  born  in  Plymouth,  Conn.,  October  6,  1824  ;  was  graduated  at 
Yale  college;  studied  theology  two  years  at  Andover,  where  he  was 
graduated,  August  2,  1854;  was  licensed  by  New  Haven  Central 
association,  July  6,  1853;  was  ordained  as  pastor  at  Torringford, 
November  16,  1854,  and  dismissed  September  4,  1857,  was  pastor 
in  Watertown  four  years  from  1868. 

Rev.  George  Reid  Ferguson 

Was  born  in  Whately,  Mass.,  1829.  He  was  son  of  Rev.  John  Fer- 
guson, of  Scotland,  England,  and  later,  pastor  at  Whately,  Mass.,  and 
was  graduated  at  Amherst  in  1849;  studied  one  year  at  Andover, 
and  was  ordained  in  i860,  as  an  evangelist  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
He  preached  at  Northeast  and  Millerton  until  1874  ;  then  taught 
school  at  Lakeville,  Ct.,  and  commenced  preaching  at  Torringford 
in   May    1875,  and  in  the  autumn  of  the   same  year   removed  his 

55 


434  History  of  Torrington. 

family  thither,  and  continued  to  labor  acceptably  among  this  people 
two  years. 

He  preached  his  last  sermon  at  that  place  August  5,  1877,  and 
sailed  with  his  family  for  Wellington,  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  South 
Africa,  under  an  engagement  as  a  teacher,  under  the  directions  and 
patronage  of  the  Dutch  church,  at  that  place.  He  left  the  very  birth 
place  of  Samuel  J.  Mills  Jr.,  and  follows  the  same  track  on  the 
great  ocean,  to  the  same  continent,  only  goes  still  further  south,  as  a 
missionary,  to  the  same  land. 

Mrs.  Sophia  (C.  Hayden)  Fogg, 
Daughter  of  Cicero  and  Sophia  (Squires)  Hayden,  married  Rev. 
George  W.  Fogg,  July  18,  1859.  He  was  born  in  Virginia;  joined 
the  Kentucky  conference  of  the  M.  E.  church,  in  1828,  and  was 
stationed  that  year  on  Logan  district  ;  was  sebsequently  stationed  at 
Bowling  Green,  Salt  river  district,  Elizabethtown,  Mt.  Sterling, 
Birdstown,  Newport,  Covington,  Louisville  and  Shelbyville  ;  was  a 
few  years  disabled  by  ill  health  ;  traveled  on  agencies  ;  manumitted 
several  slaves,  and  was  employed  some  time  in  gathering  emigrants 
to  Liberia;  joined  Florida  conference  in  1847,  ^^^  ^^^  been 
stationed  at  Tallahassee,  Gadsden,  Apalachicola,  Albany,  Ga.,  St. 
John's,  Fla.,  and  at  Fernandina,  Fla.  He  owned  a  residence  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Fla. 

Noah  Fowler, 

The  youngest  child  of  Joseph,  was  the  first  of  the  Fowlers  born 
in  Torrington,  and  long  lived  to  enjoy  his  birthright  inheritance.  He 
inherited  a  manly  form,  good  intellectual  abilities,  and  received  for 
his  day  a  fair  education,  and  a  thorough  puritanical  religious  training. 
He  was  a  great  reader,  and  an  original  thinker  ;  and  sought  to  know 
the  great  principles  of  truth,  and  of  religious  and  civil  liberty.  He 
married  Rhoda  Tuttle,  daughter  of  Capt.  Levi  Tuttle,  of  Fair 
Haven,  Ct. 

She  was  a  woman  of  good  mind,  and  such  disposition  as  made  her 
a  valuable  help  mate  and  proper  companion  of  the  man  she  married. 
He  inherited  considerable  landed  property  from  his  father,  which  he 
sold,  and  purchased  a  farm  next  to  Dea.  Cook's,  on  tht;  west,  which 
is  still  known  as  the  Fowler  place,  where  he  reared  his  lari^e  family, 
which  was  ever  industrious  and  comfortably  prosperous.  His  children 
all  grew  to  manhood  except  one  ;  and  one  other  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,   and  they   formed    honorable   alliances  for  life  ;  living 


Biographies.  435 

independently  and  usefully  in  the  world.  It  was  customary  for  this 
family  to  be  together  on  Thanksgiving  day,  if  no  other  day  in  the 
year.  All  of  the  members  of  the  family  were  noted  singers,  and 
when  the  Thanksgiving  dinner  was  over  the  whole  family  would  rise 
and  stand,  and  sing  the  old  fugue  tune  Ocean,  with  the  following 
words  : 

"  With  songs  and  honors  sounding  loud 

Address  the  Lord  on  high, 
O'er  the  heavens  he  spreads   his  clouds 

And  waters  veil  the  sky. 

He  gives  the  grazing  ox  his  food, 

He  hears  the  raven's  cry; 
But  man  who  tastes  his  finest  wheat 

Should  raise  his  honors  high. 

He  sends  his  showers  of  blessings  down, 

To  cheer  the  plains  below  ; 
He  makes  the  grass  the  mountains  crown, 

And  corn  in  valleys  grow. 

His  steady  councils  change  the  face 

Of  the  declining  year. 
He  bids  the  sun  cut  short  his  race. 

And  wintry  days  appear." 

The  annual  gathering  of  such  a  family  under  such  earnest  religious 
influences  and  considerations,  gave  an  inspiration  to  character,  and 
threw  around  the  home  such  sacred  and  pleasant  remembrances,  as 
that  the  children  could  never  escape  and  as  would  give  a  charm  to 
life,  wherever  it  might  be  placed. 

This  family  were  ever  the  steadfast  friends  of  Mr.  Roberts,  the 
first^minister.  They  were  educated  to  endorse  the  traditional,  Cal- 
vinistic  doctrines  and  faith,  but  after  Rhoda  Tuttle  Fowler  fell  a 
victim  to  it,  in  a  religio-Calvinistic  mania,  which  continued  many 
year?,  the  views  of  some  of  the  family  were  essentially  modified. 

Noah  Fowler  and  Dea.  John  Cook  fell  into  a  difference  of  opinion 
about  the  time  Mr.  Haynes  was  preaching  in  the  first  meeting  house, 
or  when  meetings  began  to  be  held  in  the  first  house  at  the  green  ; 
and  this  is  the  way  the  story  runs.  Dea.  Cook,  in  the  early  state 
of  the  church,  was  considered  the  leading  man,  next  to  the  minister 
in  conducting  the  services  of  worship  as  well  as  most  other  services, 
and  after  so  many  years,  the  deacon  very  naturally  concluded  that 
all  things  should  move  according  to  his  judgment.  The  deacon  had 
also  been  the  justice  of  the  peace  for  many  years,  and  in  those  times 


436  History  of    i  orrington. 

such  officers  usually  had  the  whole  town  "  under  their  thumb."  At 
the  time  spoken  of  a  proposition  was  made  to  organize  the  singing 
in  the  church  according  to  the  new  improvements  then  gaining 
ascendancy.  The  deacon  had  been  accustomed  to  set  the  psalm,  or 
in  modern  language,  lead  the  singing,  standing  always  just  in  front 
of  the  pulpit.  It  was  proposed  to  have  a  choir,  seated  in  the  gallery, 
and  arrangements  were  made  accordingly,  and  Noah  Fowler  was  ap- 
pointed as  leader  of  the  choir.  Deacon  Cook  very  severely  opposed 
this,  as  a  worldly,  irreligious,  wicked  thing,  and  an  infringement  on 
his  rights,  and  a  disrespect  to  his  former  services.  When  the  time 
of  singing  came,  the  choir  rose  with  Mr.  Fowler  at  their  head  as  if 
to  lead.  Just  then,  Dea.  Cook  rose,  and  cried  aloud,  "  Noah  Fowler 
1  forbid  you  to  set  the  psalm  !"  What  the  result  was  that  sabbath  is 
not  stated,  but  when  the  next  sabbath  came  the  deacon  had  the  seats 
of  the  choir  filled  with  young  men  to  the  exclusion  of  the  singers, 
and  for  that  day  the  singing  was  silenced.  The  minister,  who  was 
in  favor  of  the  improvement,  administered  a  severe  reproof,  after  which 
the  intruders  retired  and  the  singing  was  led  from  the  gallery  ;  but 
the  deacon  did  not  submit  until  after  failing  in  a  civil  suit  on  the 
subject,  which  he  finally  withdrew.  Such  was  the  experience  ninety 
years  since,  proving  that  all  the  difficulties  with  church  singing  have 
not  been  confined  to  later  years,  and  that  it  is  not  always  the  sole 
fault  with  the  choir.  Noah  Fowler's  family  made  only  twelve  in 
that  choir,  and  had  it  not  been  that  there  were  a  dozen  such  families 
in  the  parish,  there  might  have  been  a  lack  of  singers,  but  as  it  was 
the  singing  was  sustained  the  year  round. 

Mr.  Fowler  lived  to  the  respectable  age  of  seventy-four  years  ; 
and  his  widow  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  The  fragrance 
of  their  names,  has  hallowed  the  home  where  they  lived  and  died, 
for  a  hundred  years. 

Warren  R.  Fowler,  M.D., 

Was  the  eldest  child  of  Noah  and   Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,   and  was 
born  March  2,  1775. 

He  earlv  manifested  a  studious  mind  and  love  of  books,  and  having 
attained  a  good  common  school  education,  with  considerable  culture 
attained  at  home,  was  invited,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  to  become 
a  student  of  medicine  in  his  office,  by  Dr.  Daniel  Sheldon,  then  one 
of  the  most  noted  physicians  in  Litchfield  county.  This  place  he 
accepted,  and  more  than  fulfilled  the  expectations  of  his  preceptor  in 


Biographies.  437 

his  acquirements  of  the  science,  and  competition  with  students  of 
wealthy  parentage  and  superior  advantage.  His  success  was  crowned 
by  the  approval  of  Dr.  Slieldon,  and  a  license  from  the  county  medi- 
cal society  to  practice  medicine.  This  was  then  the  highest  medical 
authority  in  the  state  ;  the  medical  school  at  Yale  college  not  having 
been  established. 

Upon  invitation  he  settled  at  Washington,  Ct.,  in  1796.  Here 
he  followed  closely  his  profession  in  which  he  made  decided  progress 
and  was  accordingly  honored  by  the  people.  His  personal  appear- 
ance, dignity  of  demeanor,  self  possession  ;  and  his  discrimination, 
critical  and  cautious  observations,  and  firm  decision,  made  him  a  suc- 
cessful and  popular  physician.  He  was  ever  modest  ;  paying  due 
deference  to  his  superiors  in  age  and  practice,  and  considerate  to  his 
inferiors.  He  was  studious,  and  improved  his  leisure  hours  by  reading 
all  the  medical  literature  he  could  command.  His  inaugural  diserta- 
tion  on  Hypochondriasis,  indicated  his  vigor  of  mind  and  discriminating 
study.  His  standing  in  the  county  and  state  medical  societies  was 
honorable,  and  Yale  college  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  medi- 
cal doctor.  He  read  several  essays  before  the  medical  societies ; 
one  regarded  at  the  time  as  particularly  valuable,  on  the  "  use  and 
abuse  of  alcoholic  stimulants."  He  was  a  strong  advocate  of  tem- 
perance, in  opposition  to  the  prevalence  of  intemperance  generally, 
and  particularly  in  all  professions. 

He  was  appointed  a  medical  censor  of  Litchfield  county.  His 
puritanical  nurture  and  training  were  never  compromised  ;  religious 
observances  were  conscientiously  maintained  and  whenever  he  was 
called  to  visit  a  patient  on  Sunday,  as  a  convenience,  he  invariably 
postponed  the  visit  until  another  day. 

He  inherited  a  musical  voice,  and  love  of  singing,  and  every  Sunday 
was  in  his  place  in  the  choir,  to  do  duty  and  improve  the  opportuni- 
ties of  the  house  of  worship,  and  was  verv  active  in  promoting  edu- 
cation in  all  forms,  for  which  in  some  respects,  Washington  became 
noted.  He  also  educated  several  young  men  to  the  medical  profes- 
sion ;  particularly  two  of  his  brothers  and  his  two  sons.  His  sisters 
also  shared  in  his  efforts  in  the  progress  of  intellectual  culture. 

His  manner  of  traveling  was  on  horseback,  that  being  not  only 
the  accustomed  mode  but  the  swiftest. 

In  1826,  he  was  attacked  violently  with  malarial  typhus-fever  and 
departed  this  life  in  the  fifcy-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  prime  of 
his  useful  and  honored  life. 


438  History  of  Torrington. 

Norman  Fowler, 

The  second  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  did  not 
inherit  the  qualities  and  vigor  of  mind,  and  literary  proclivities,  which 
characterized  most  of  the  members  of  that  distinguished  family.  Yet 
he  was  a  respectable  husbandman  and  citizen  ;  a  regular  attendant 
at  church,  and  believer  in  the  Calvinistic  creed  ;  a  federalist  and  re- 
publican in  politics.  He  was  trained  a  farmer;  resided  with  his 
parents,  and  at  their  death  inherited  the  old  homestead,  where  he  re- 
sided until  his  decease.  He  married  Statira  Blake,  a  very  worthy 
woman,  by  whom  his  limited  dairy  was  made  highly  reputable  for  its 
superior  quality.  His  industry  and  morals  were  praiseworthy  ;  his 
reading  was  mainly  the  Bible,  published  sermons,  and  the  Litchfield 
Enquirer^  for  which  he  was  a  subscriber  of  long  continuance. 

At  and  near  the  time  of  his  decease  he  was  the  only  surviving  one 
of  the  old  pillars  of  the  church  at  Torrington  Center,  or  green. 
When  the  meeting  house,  where  his  old  pastor  Alexander  Gillett 
had  been  minister  thirty  years,  was  about  to  be  torn  down  and  re-built 
at  the  hollow,  his  spirit  was  bowed  within  him,  and  this  reminding 
him  so  much  of  the  departure  of  the  old  land  marks^  and  that  his  wife, 
son  and  both  daughters  had  deceased  before  him,  made  his  closing 
days  truly  solitary  and  mournful. 

He  retained  his  faculties  to  a  remarkable  degree  and  died  at  the 
age  of  ninety-five  years,  greatly  esteemed   and  respected. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter  written  by  the  Rev.  John  A. 
McKinstry  of  Ohio,  a  former  pastor  in  Torrington,  was  written  to 
Mr.  Fowler,  and  received  the  day  after  his  death,  was  read  at  his 
funeral  ;  and  is  worthy  of  a  place  here,  as  showing  the  esteem  this 
pastor  had  for  this  worthy  patriarch : 

"  Mr.  Norman   Fowler  : 

Venerable  and  most  respected  friend.  By  a  letter  just  received  from  Mr. 
Alonzo  Whiting,  I  am  informed  that  you  still  remain  to  represent  the  circle  of 
older  people  in  the  days  of  my  ministry  in  Torrington  What  memories  come 
back  at  the  mention  ot  your  endeared  name,  of  your  honored  mother  and  be- 
loved sister,  and  those  honored  companions.  I  feel  almost  alone,  and  how 
truly  so  must  it  be  with  my  beloved  friend,  Mr.  Fowler.  The  tears  start  as  I 
write;  I  feel  that  I  would  love  to  grasp  your  hand,  and  say,  may  God  bless 
you  in  your  last  days,  and  give  you  a  glorious  rest  when  your  pilgrimage  is 
ended.  I  trust  that  a  kind  Father  in  Heaven  tempers  the  storms  that  beat  on 
your  whitened  and  thinned  locks,  and  when  e'er  long,  you  shall  fall  on  sleep, 
you  may  find  it  a  blessed  sleep,  from  which  none  ever  wake  to  weep.  A 
kind  Heavenly  friend  has  mercifully  preserved  me  and  mine  since  we  left  New 
England. 


REMUS  M.  FOWLER,  M.  D.- 


Biographies.  439 

And  now,  dear  friend,  whose  presence  has  often  cheered  me  in  the  sanctu- 
ary and  in  the  parsonage,  may  we  meet  again,  and  if  not  in  this  world,  as  seems 
impossible,  in  that  better  world  where  partings  are  unknown.  With  a  great 
deal  oi  love  from  myself,  wife  and  family,  I  am  your's  most  truly, 

and  affectionately, 

J.     A.    McKlNSTRY. 

At  the  time  of  the  expedition  of  Mr.  Fowler's  only  son,  Homer, 
to  Florida,  the  family  distress  was  great,  in  consideration  of  the  dan- 
ger atteiiding  it  ;  the  following  expostulatory  acrostic  was  written 
by  his  aunt  Sibyl  : 

"Homer  you  go  !   Ah,  must  you  go  ? 
One  of  the  last  of  blue-eyed   Fowlers,  say  ? 
(My  will  subdued  is  hushed  with  passion's  glow), 
Eternal  Power,  guard  him  to  Florida  ; 
Return  him  safe  ;  regard  the  mourner's  tear  ! 
For  Jesus  sake,  he's  the  only  son  ; 
O,  hear  the  humble  prayer  and  ever  near. 
With  mercy  guide  him,  till  his  journey's  done  ! 
Let  thy  wings  be  his  cover  and  defence  ; 
Each  day  4nd  night,  thine  eye  make  darkness  flee, 
Raise  him  to  life  in  thine  own   Providence. 
With  this  request  I  lowly  bend, 
My  hope,  my  trust  alone  in  thee  " 

George  Fowler, 
The  third  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  was  born  Dec. 
5,  1 778,  and  inherited  an  active  mind  and  temperament,  and  possessed 
a  commendable  spirit  of  enterprise.  He  was  apprenticed  when 
young,  to  learn  the  tanners'  trade,  and  when  he  had  completed  his 
apprenticeship,  went,  by  invitation  to  Burlington,  Vt.,  to  avail  him- 
self of  the  facilities  which  the  forests  of  that  region  afforded  for  the 
tanning  business.  That  malarial  region  proved  inimical  to  him,  and 
he  was  suddenly  stricken  down  by  fever  ;  and  Lake  Champlain  ever 
performs  the  mournful  requiem  over  his  mouldering  dust  which  re- 
poses in  its  embrace. 

Remus  Marcus  Fowler,  M.D., 

A  twin  brother  of  Romulus  J.  Fowler,  and  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda 
Fowler,  is  still  livmg,  and  is  in  his  eighty-fifth  year.  He  resides  at 
Washington  Ct.,  and  possesses  much  vigor  of  intellectual  powers, 
and  frequently  makes  professional  journeys  over  the  hills  of  Litchfield 
county.  He  inherited,  in  a  marked  degree  the  physical,  intellectual 
and  moral  qualities  of  his  worthy  ancestors,  and  Is  very  much  like 


440  History  of  Torrington. 

the  old  stamp  of  character,  while  in  his  profession  he  has  kept  along 
with  the  times  with  much  energy  of  intellect,  and  skill  in  practice. 

After  having  acquired  a  good  English  education  and  having  some 
experience  in  teaching,  he  entered  the  office  of  his  brother  Warren 
as  a  medical  student,  where  he  enjoyed  special  privileges  and  practical 
advantages,  and  after  a  due  course  of  study  was  examined  and  li- 
censed by  the  Litchfield  County  Medical  Society.  He  soon  after 
settled  in  New  Marlboro,  Mass.,  where  he  won  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  the  people,  and  of  the  profession  in  Berkshire  county. 
Here  he  had  an  extensive  and  laborious  practice,  always  riding  on 
horseback  in  making  his  professional  visits. 

He  married  Harriet  W,  Childs  of  Litchfield,  bv  whom  he  had  two 
daughters,  and  in  1824,  she  died.  In  1826,  on  the  sudden  and 
mournful  event  of  the  decease  of  his  brother  Warren,  he  was  per- 
suaded to  leave  his  field  of  work  in  Massachusetts,  including  the 
class  of  students  then  under  his  care  j  his  nephew  E.  D.  Hudson 
being  one,  and  settle  as  successor  to  his  brother  in  Washington, 
where  he  has  had  a  long  and  successful  course  in  his  profession,  and 
where  he  has  been  highly  esteemed  by  all  classes  of  the  people  to 
the  present  time. 

In  1834,  he  married  Mary  Miller  of  Torringford,  by  whom  he 
had  two  children,  one  son  and  one  daughter.  Dr.  Fowler  has  been 
a  prominent  and  leading  man  in  the  medical  profession  of  Litchfield 
county,  and  quite  extensively  known  throughout  the  state.  The 
honorary  degree  of  medical  doctor  was  conferred  on  him  by  Yale 
college.  Besides  being  a  member  of  the  county  and  state  medical 
societies  he  was  also  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Association, 
and  delegate  to  the  New  York  State  Medical  Society.  He  has  been 
a  discriminating,  cautious  and  successful  practitioner,  and  his  medical 
career  and  life  work  have  been  very  honorable  to  himself  and  to  all 
his  friends. 

He  participated  actively  in  free  masonry,  and  stood  high  as  a 
Knight  Templar. 

He  has  been  a  devout  man  in  religion  and  morals,  a  good  singer, 
and  always  at  his  place  at  church  and  in  the  choir  when  he  consist- 
ently could. 

He  was  a  living  epistle  of  temperance,  and  never  drank  intoxicat- 
ing drinks  as  a  beverage  j  his  pleasant  remark,  in  declining  to  drink, 
has  always  been  that  he  was  not  old  enough. 

The  anti-slavery  cause  and  warfare  received  his  hearty  approval  and 
cooperation. 


Biographies.  441 

His  fund  of  anecdote  was  equal  to  all  occasions  and  topics  of  con- 
versation and  discussion,  and  these  were  greatly  to  the  amusement 
and  entertainment  of  those  who  listened. 

Parleman  Bradley  Fowler,  M.D., 

Was  the  royal  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler  and  the  idol 
of  the  family.  Their  hearts  were  bound  up  in  the  lad.  He  possessed 
those  qualities  of  soul  and  intellect,  which  gave,  in  the  expression 
of  his  countenance  and  the  movements  of  his  bodily  presence,  the 
high  born  nobleness  of  his  character,  and  the  purity  of  soul  he  pos- 
sessed. There  are  some  characters  so  transparent,  and  so  undis- 
guisable  that  every  body  but  those  who  are  intellectually  and 
spiritually  disqualified,  can  easily  discern  the  real  soul  life  within. 
Such  was  this  young  man. 

He  diligently  improved  every  advantage  within  his  reach,  for  edu- 
cation.     Having  gone  through  with   these,  he  tried  a  clerkship  in  a 
store,  but  found  this  so  distasteful  to  his  natural  aspirations  that  he 
abandoned  it  and^sought  pothers.      He  taught  school   some  time,  and 
then  entered  upon  a  course  of  medical  studies  with   his  brother  Dr. 
Warren  R.  Fowler  of  Washington,   Ct.,  where  he  honored  himself 
and  his  friends  by  his  manly  life,  and  success  in  his  studies,  and  was 
licensed    to    practice    medicine    by   the    Litchfield   County   Medical 
Society  in  1803.      He  then  settled  and  practiced  medicine  in  Bethle- 
hem, Ct.,  eleven  years,  when  by   exposure  he  became  the   victim  of 
(petechial)    epidemic  spotted   fever    which   prevailed  so    fearfully  in 
Litchfield  county  and  New  England   in  1813,  and  died  while  in  the 
vigor  of  early   manhood,  in    the  thirtieth  year  of  his  age.      His  fall 
was  deeply  and  extensively  lamented  as  a  public  calamity.      He  was 
much  esteemed  by  the  Kev.  Dr.  Backus  of  Bethlehem  for  his  moral 
and  professional  worth,  and  public  spirit  and  character.      His  brother 
Warren  grieved  at  his  untimely  death,  and  lamented  over  the  short- 
ness of  his  career  as  a  physician. 

Raphael  Fowler, 
The  fifth  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  was  born  in 
1787  ;  and  inherited  more  than  ordinary  qualities  of  mind,  and  vigor- 
ous constitution,  and  in  longevity  he  exhibited  the  fame  of  his  family. 
His  father,  being  a  practical  man  of  great  industry  and  usefulness, 
desiring  to  see  his  sons  well  schooled  and  trained  in  some  useful, 
productive  pursuit,  apprenticed  him  to  acquire  the  art  of  shoemaking. 

50 


442  History  of  Torrington. 

When  he  had  served  his  term  of  years,  and  made  himself  master  of 
the  trade,  he  went  westward,  to  Whitesboro,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  in 
business.  He  then  married  Hannah  Byard,  a  good  woman,  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  that  place.  He  was  an  extensive 
reader,  and  acquired  a  fund  of  general  intelligence,  and  was  an  es- 
teemed member  of  the  community. 

He  reared  a  large  family  of  children  ;  sons  and  daughters,  and 
with  them  removed  to  Michigan,  where,  having  been  respectably 
educated,  they  became  honorably  allied  by  marriage  ;  held  important 
positions  in  business,  and  became  inhabitants  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Iowa, 
Michigan  and  Georgia. 

At  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years,  he  suddenly  deceased 
Jonesville,  Michigan. 

Romulus  Julius  Fowler, 

The  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  was  a  twin  brother  of 
Dr.  Remus  Marcus  Fowler.  With  the  most  affectionate  and  assidu- 
ous care  of  a  devoted  sister,  he  grew  up  into  the  stature  of  a  noble 
and  manly  youth.  He  possessed  the  finest  and  noblest  qualities  of 
mind  and  physique^  and  evinced  a  spirit  more  exalted  and  etherialized 
than  is  exhibited  by  ordinary  mortals.  He  gave  early  indica- 
tions of  great  intellectuality  and  goodness;  and  was  altogether  a  too 
shining  mark  to  escape  the  shafts  of  the  destroyer.  He  deceased  in 
the  year  1806,  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  his  age. 

Sibyl  Catlin  Fowler, 
Daughter  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  was  born  Aug.  7, 
1787,  and  in  intellectual  endowments  was  the  shining  one  of  the 
P'owler  family.  She  was  never  married  and  therefore,  as  might  be 
expected  was  regarded  as  queer  and  unsocial,  although  she  could 
entertain  a  company  as  could  but  icvj  women  in  her  day.  She  was 
fair  and  comely,  and  possessed  an  amiable  disposition,  and  manifested 
very  early  qualities  of  superior  character  and  refinement.  When 
quite  young,  if  she  found  herself  in  the  society  of  those  who  were 
not  entertaining,  she  would  quickly  withdraw  to  the  reading  of  some 
book,  or  into  the  garden  or  field  to  entertain  herself  in  the  study  of 
the  flowers  or  insects  or  other  wonderful  works  in  the  natural  world. 
What  to  many  would  have  been  time  wasted,  was  to  her  knowledge 
that  refined  the  intellect  and  purified  the  heart,  and  fitted  her  to  live 
in  time  and  eternity  ;  and  therefore  was  she  deemed,  by  some,  quite 
eccentric. 


Biographies.  443 

As  she  ripened  in  years  she  improved  every  advantage  of  schools, 
of  reading,  and  of  self  culture,  aided  by  the  contributions  of  her 
brothers  who  were  more  highly  favored  in  having  access  to  books 
and  literature.  Her  natural  aspiration  after  knowledge,  and  enthu- 
siastic industry  to  obtain  it,  enabled  her  to  acquire  more  than  an 
ordinary  amount  of  scientific  knowledge,  and  of  general  literature. 
The  revelations  of  nature  she  seemed  to  receive  by  intuition,  and 
with  great  delight.  Her  poetical  genius  was  inspired  by  every  object 
around  her,  whether  on  the  hill  or  in  the  vale,  or  amid  the  flowers, 
the  fields,  the  woods  or  in  her  home.  There  was  a  spirit  of  joy  to 
her  in  all  the  wonderful  things  in  the  great  world  she  inhabited. 

Her  aspirations  were  intellectual,  spiritual  and  pure,  as  manifested 
in  the  following  utterances  : 

"  My  native  land  with  mountains  crowned, 
Huge  rocks  and  caverns  deep, — 
Whose  wide-spread  shores,  old  ocean  bound 
Where  does  thy  genius  sleep  ! 
Thy  beauteous  vales  and  streamlets  clear, 
Why  do  they  not  inspire 
The  breast  of  Poet —  Painter  —  Seer, 
To  steal  that  sacred  fire  ? 
From  fair  Italia's  orange  grove. 
And  sculptured   marble  dome,  ■ 
Come  from  that  land  of  song  and  love, 
Melodious  spirit  come." —  Addressed  to  EoLus. 

"  Daring  flight  on  fancy's  wing 
As  Phoenix  soars  on  high. 
Now  while  winds  are  murmuring, 
I  am  sad,  and  sigh. 

Eolonian  harpings  mingling  slow 

Lays  its  pinions  fluttering 
While   a  requiem  whispers  low 

I  can't  loUow  where  jou  go. 

Never,  never  does  it  say 

(Solemn  sound)  till  that  great  day, 
Last  of  days,  shjll  we  then  meet? 

O,  that  thought  is  passing  sweet 
With  our  righteousness  complete." 

Her  mind  was  analytical  and  philosophical,  which  characteristics 
she  inherited  from  her  father.  She  often  denominated  the  place  of 
her  residence  "  Orthodox  hill  "  for  the  reason  of  its  bein^  near  the 
residence  of  Dea.  Cook  wliich  had  been  the  ecclesiastical  rendezvous 
from   the   beginning  of  the  town   history.      While  she  revered   her 


444  History  of  Torrington. 

uoble  ancestors,  she  received  with  weighty  consideration  and  modi- 
fication their  puritan  Calvinistic  faith  and  doctrines,  which  had  caused 
a  very  serious  mental  affliction  to  her  mother.  The  fourth  com- 
mandment, given  to  the  Jews  as  a  distinctive  people,  she  regarded  as 
shadowing  the  Christian  state  of  spiritual  rest,  as  inaugurated  by  the 
spirit  and  example  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles. 

On  one  occasion,  she  was  stopping  with  the  family  of  Esq.  B.,  in 
Torringford,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  McE.,  of  New  London,  on  exchange 
of  pulpits,  was  there  also.  The  family  were  up  late  on  Saturday  evening, 
and  on  Sunday  morning,  breakfast  being  late,  there  was  considerable 
tumult  in  the  preparations  for  meeting ;  when  she  addressed  the 
minister  with  the  inquiry  :  "  Mr.  McE.  do  you  think  those  persons 
justified  who  stoned  the  man  to  death  for  picking  up  sticks  on  the 
Sabbath  day  ^"  He  replied  with  some  confusion,  that  he  thought 
they  were,  and  asked,  "  don't  you  think  they  were  ?"  "  If  I  did," 
said  she,  "  I  would  retire  from  this  scene  to  a  solitary  place."  The 
lesson  there  ended.  To  her  "  consistency  was  a  jewel  ;"  but  because 
she  spoke  out  such  things  many  thought  her  queer.  She  was 
constitutionally  modest  and  retiring,  but  was  nobly  endowed  with 
moral  courage  to  set  her  face  against  every  species  of  enslavement, 
by  church  or  state,  or  the  covering  of  iniquity  with  a  cloak.  Moral 
and  religious  complicity  and  cowardice  were  rebuked  by  her  with  all 
the  severity  and  sarcasm  of  which  she  was  capable. 

The  specialty  of  woman's  liberty  and  rights,  was  not  agitated  in 
her  day, -excepting  the  duty  and  right  as  urged  by  Miss  Abby  Kelly, 
to  plead  in  public  meetings  the  cause  of  their  enslaved  sisters  in  the 
United  States  ;  and  the  Debating  Society  of  Torringford  academy 
having  resolved  to  discuss  the  question  :  "  Who  have  the  strongest 
intellectual  powers,  the  men  or  the  women  ?  "  sent  a  request  to  her 
to  send  in  a  contribution  on  the  subject.     Her  response  was  as  follows  : 

"  Gramercy  !   royal  gentlemen,  and  lords  of  creation  ! 
Before  we're  beat,  we'll  sound  a  retreat  and  take  our  lowly  station  ; 
But  have  a  care  ye  men  of  war  j   in  flying  we  may  wound  ye, 
For  by  our  art  and  not  by  strength,  we  surely  shall  confound  ye, 
But  if  in  a  domineering  mood,  ye  still  presume  to  query, 
We'll  make  the  sign  of  Katharine,  and  point  you  to  Siberia." 

She  did  not  survive  to  behold  the  fulfillment  of  her  prophecy, 
accomplished  already  in  our  day,  when  women  authoresses,  public 
speakers  and  lecturers  should  become  as  acceptable  and  popular  as  men. 
It  was,  when  for  a  woman   to  appear  and   speak  in   public  ;   when  it 


Biographies.  445 

was  deemed  a  scandal,  and  she  was  denounced  as  a  "  brazen  faced 
Amazon,"  a  "  Jezebel,"  by  the  clergy  and  their  orthodox,  pro-slavery 
friends,  who  preached  and  lectured  women  down  into  their  "appro- 
priate sphere,"  that  she  stood  in  her  place,  and  gave  her  testimony 
and  adherence  to  the  right.  For  moral  reasons,  she  was  not  afraid 
to  give  her  judgment  against  popular  vices  and  errors.  At  a  social 
gathering,  during  which  the  tobacco  pipe,  and  snufF  box  were  freely 
used,  she  quickly  retired  and  soon  reported  the  following  lines  : 

"  When  smoke  arises  from   my  pipe 

Thus  to  myself  I  say: 
Why  should  T  anxious  be  for  life 

Which  vanishes  away. 
The  social  snufF  box  may  convey 

The  same  idea,  just; 
As  if  it  silently  would  say, 

Let  us  mingle,  dust  with  dust." 

She  died  at  the  old  homestead  March  15,  1855,  ^g^^  ^5  years. 

Ursula  Fowler, 

The  youngest  child  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  was  born 
in  1796,  and  was  a  woman  of  more  than  ordinary  powers  of  mind. 
Her  physical  organization  was  slight,  compared  with  other  members 
of  the  family,  and  her  temperament  being  strongly  nervo-sanguineous, 
which  rendered  her  exceedingly  susceptible  of  nervous  excitement, 
she  had  a  morbid  fear  of  thunderstorms,  which  at  times  was 
very  prostrating  to  her  system. 

She  was  a  great  reader  of  history,  poetry,  and  religious  literature,  and 
having  a  good  memory  retained  very  much  of  what  she  read,  in  the 
detail,  as  to  events,  dates,  and  sentiments,  and  also  a  general  outline 
of  all  her  reading.  Her  perceptive  and  reasoning  faculties  were  large, 
and  her  conversational  powers  entertaining  and  instructive. 

In  her  later  years,  when  physical  disability  confined  her  mostly  to  . 
the  home,  clergymen  and  literary  characters,  both  young  and  old, 
delighted  in  her  society  and  friendship,  because  of  the  elevating 
thought  and  genial  sentiments  which  seemed  ever  to  possess  her  mind 
and  heart,  and  her  Christian  and  philanthropic  spirit  was  ever  active, 
and  manifested  itself  in  behalf  of  all  mankind. 

In  182 1,  she  married  Rufus  Curtiss,  son  of  Uri  Curtiss  of  Tor- 
ringford,  a  respectable  farmer  and  lumberman.  He  was  also  fond  of 
literature,  and  appreciated  her  remarkable  genius.  They  had  one 
child,  a  son,  who  inherited  his  mother's  temperament  and  genius,  but 


446  History  of  Torrincton. 

whose  brief  life  closed  at  Stockbiidge,  Mass.,  in  1850,  aged  30 
years.  Her  husband  died  at  Wolcottville  in  1834,  aged  39  \ears. 
Thus  bereft,  she  took  refuge  with  her  nephew  Dr.  Hudson,  several 
years,  and  finally  with  her  niece  Mary  Hudson  Rummell  of  Florence, 
Mass.,  where  she  deceased  in  June,  1873,  ^a^^  11  Y^ars. 

Capt.  Stephen  Fyler, 

Son  of  Silas  and  Catherine  (Drake)  Fyler,  was  born  in  Windsor  in 
1755,  and  married  there,  Polly  Collier  in  July,  1778.  He  spent  some 
time  in  Torrington  previous  to  settling  here  and  before  he  was  drafted 
as  a  soldier.  How  long  he  was  in  the  Revolution  is  not  known,  but 
he  drew  a  pension  many  years,  and  probably  served  in  the  war  after 
his  marriage  and  until  the  close  of  the  contest.  He  settled  in  New- 
field,  about  1 78 1,  where  he  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer  in  clearing 
away  the  forests  and  bringing  the  soil  under  cultivation.  He  was 
an  energetic,  hard  working  man.  He  planted  orchards,  the  remains 
of  which  are  still  to  be  seen  ;  had  saw  mills,  a  cider  mill,  brandy  still, 
and  a  brick  yard  where  he  made  thousands  of  brick,  and  his  son 
Harlow  after  him.  He  built  also  a  dish  mill  probably  about 
1790,  where  he  produced  dishes  of  a  variety  of  sizes,  made  mostly 
from  whitewood.  This  mill  stood  in  the  ravine  south  of  Samuel 
Rowley's  house,  and  was  a  manufactory  of  celebrity,  because  nearly 
every  boy  and  girl  as  well  as  older  person  ate  from  wooden  trenchers 
in  those  days,  and  would  be  likely  to  know  the  mill  where  they  were 
made.  Of  these  wooden  dishes  it  is  said  that  many  people  ate  from 
them  and  had  no  others  in  their  houses  ;  and  when  earthen  dishes  were 
introduced  they  were  thought  to  be  heavy  and  inconvenient,  and  for 
this  opinion  there  was  some  reason.  In  the  management  of  tough 
beef-steak,  the  day  for  which  has  not  yet  entirely  departed,  the  fork 
could  be  pressed  through  the  steak  into  the  trencher  and  thus  hold 
securely  the  unsubdued  ox  until  a  piece  should  be  severed  with  the 
knife. 

Among  the  variety  of  these  dishes  was  the  wooden  bowl  which 
being  filled  with  corn  meal  pudding  (which  when  cold  was  cut  in 
small  pieces),  was  set  on  the  centre  of  the  table,  and  the  family  gath- 
ered around,  all  ate  from  the  same  dish,  and  were  usually  taught  how 
to  do  it  with  due  propriety. 

Next  after  the  wooden  dishes  came  the  age  of  pewter  ;  giving  pewter 
plates,  platters,  spoons,  and  peivter  mugs  for  cider ;  and  of  all  these 


STEPHEN  FYLER, 


Biographies.  447 

articles  of  use  it  is  said,  that  at  times  they  had  rest,  but  the  cider  mug, 
never. 

Mr.  Fyler  was  a  successful  farmer,  having  a  farm  of  better  aver- 
age quality  than  many  in  that  section  of  the  town. 

He  was  captain  of  a  military  company,  raised  in  Newfield  after  the 
Revolution. 

He  also  commenced  keeping  a  dairy  and  making  cheese,  which 
his  son   Harlow  carried  to  greater  proportions  in  after   years. 

He  died  in  1836,  in  the  eighty-second  year  of  his  age. 

Mr.  Fyler  was  one  of  the  first  men  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
town,  who  objected  to  the  compulsory  method  of  supportingthe  gos- 
pel, and  as  soon  as  the  Baptist  church  became  established  in  1789, 
he  united  with  it,  and  honored  the  profession  of  religion  in  a  well  or- 
dered life.  He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  three  first  democrats 
in  the  town.  Dr.  Woodward  and  Noadiah  Bancroft  being  the  others; 
and  to  these  soon  were  added,  or  they  may  possibly  all  have  become 
such  at  the  same  time,  Maj.  Isaiah  Tuttle,  Eliphalet  Eno,  and  Dan- 
iel Dibble. 

Some  years  afterwards  (before  the  war  of  181 2),  when  the  dem- 
ocratic party  had  become  established,  although  the  number  of  its 
adherents  was  small  in  Connecticut,  there  was  established  a  demo- 
cratic newspaper  at  Litchfield,  edited  by  Sellick  Osborn,  who,  because 
of  something  he  had  published  about  a  Mr.  Deming  in  connec- 
tion with  the  old  law  of  voting,  had  been  indicted  for  libel,  and  was 
brought  to  trial,  Stephen  Fyler  being  one  of  the  twelve  persons 
to  try  the  case.  When  the  jury  compared  their  judgments  it  was 
found  that  eleven  were  in  favor  of  conviction,  and  one,  Mr.  Fyler, 
in  favor  of  clearing  him,  inasmuch  as  there  was  no  evidence  to  es- 
tablish  the  fact  of  libel.  The  eleven  agreed  among  themselves, 
finally  to  go  in  and  render  a  verdict  of  guilty,  which  they  did,  but  when 
the  clerk  put  the  inquiry  "  so  say  you  all  ?"  Mr.  Fyler  replied  that 
he  had  not  agreed  to  the  verdict.  This  made  a  great  sensation,  and 
the  court  ordered  the  further  consideration  of  the  case.  This  was  at 
the  commencement  of  the  term,  and  the  consideration  being  con- 
tinued from  week  to  week  the  eleven  men  became  very  indignant 
witli  Mr.  Fyler,  and  one  by  the  name  of  Bacon  from  Woodbury, 
said,  the  next  time  he  came  to  court  he  would  bring  his  gun  and  see 
if  the  jury  could  not  agree.  Tiie  jurors  not  being  allowed  to  hold 
conversation  with  persons  other  than  themselves  on  the  subject,  and 
it  being  well  known  who  was  standing  out,  the  [ew  democrats  in  the 


44^  History  of  Torringto 


N. 


place  became  intensely  excited,  and  Judge  Seymour's  father  and  one 
Ozias  Lewis,  when  they  met  Mr.  Fyler  out  of  court,  could  only  say : 
'■'•stick  !''  and  stick  he  did  during  the  whole  term. 

When  it  was  announced  by  the  judge,  that  the  jury  were  discharged 
from  the  further  consideration  of  the  case,  the  few  democrats  then 
in  attendance  were  so  elated  that  they  took  Mr.  Fyler  on  their  shoul- 
ders and  carried  him  in  triumph  from  the  court  room  to  the  hotel. 
Osborn  was  at  once  discharged  from  prison.  This  trial  is  said  to  have 
been  one  of  the  most  celebrated  that  ever  occurred  in  Litchfield,  because 
of  the  spirit  of  malice  and  persecution  manifested  on  the  one  side, 
and  the  bravery  and  honesty  of  one  man  standing  up  boldly  for  the 
right. 

Harlow  Fyler, 

Son  of  Stephen  and  Polly  (Collier)  Fyler,  was  born  December  21, 
1795.  He  inherited  a  part  of  his  father's  homestead,  where  he  re- 
sided over  seventy-eighty  years.  He  purchased  land  of  his  father's 
heirs  until  he  possessed  all  the  homestead  in  connection  with  his 
brother  Juba,  and  then  continued  to  buy  land  adjoining  until  he 
owned^eight  hundred  acres  or  more,  and  much  of  it  as  good  as  any 
in  Newfield.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  business  enter- 
prise, and  pursued  all  honorable  methods  of  obtaining  success  as  a 
farmer. 

He  first  attended  to  the  cultivation  of  his  lands  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  improve  the  soil  and  make  the  business  profitable  as  to  money. 
He  kept  from  fifty  to  eighty  cows,  making  butter  in  the  spring  and 
autumn  and  cheese  in  the  summer,  and  in  this  arrangement  he  carried 
at  one  time  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  pounds  of  butter  to  New 
Haven.  About  1830,  the  dairying  business  became  a  great  enter- 
prise, and  as  a  consequence  land  became  very  valuable,  worth  much 
more  per  acre  than  before  1800,  but  since  that  time  the  market 
value  has  declined  half  and  two-thirds,  and  much  of  it  is  left  to  grow 
up  to  woods,  some  parts  which  were  beautiful  fields,  fenced  with 
heavy  stone  walls,  are  now  heavy  forests. 

Mr.  Fyler  had  a  brick-kiln  and  clay  bed  near  his  house  from 
which  he  sold  one  hundred  thousand  brick  a  year,  some  times  much 
more.  He  burned  in  one  kiln  two  hnndred  and  fifty  thousand  at  one 
time  and  furnished  of  them  sufficient  to  build  the  rubber  factory  at 
Naugatuck. 

He  also  burned  charcoal,  some  thousands  of  bushels  a  year,  and 
one  year  delivered  twenty  thousand  bushels  to  the  brass  mill  at  Wol- 
cottville,  and  also  delivered  wood  from  year  to  year  at  the  same  mill. 


Biographies. 


449 


He  employed  one  and  two  men  as  coopers  to  make  barrels,  tubs, 
pails,  casks  and  the  like  ;  supplying  casks  for  the  brass  mill  many 
years. 

In  conducting  these  items  of  business  it  was  necessary  to  keep  a 
number  of  men  employed  the  year  through,  and  to  keep  them  at 
work  he  took  contracts  in  repairing  roads ;  making  new  roads, 
bridges,  brick  school  houses,  and  other  buildings  of  brick,  at  con- 
siderable distance  as  well  as  near  his  house.  He  built  a  brick  house 
for  himself,  which  though  now  in  good  repair  is  standing  unoccupied. 

The  principal  product  of  the  farm  was  grass.  Corn,  rye,  buck- 
wheat and  potatoes  were  produced  in  sufficient  quantities  for  home 
consumption,  usually  not  much  more,  except  that  of  rye.  Wheat 
never  did  well  in  that  region,  and  the  barberry  bushes  blasted  the  oats 
so  that  but  little  could  be  produced  of  that  kind  of  grain.  Clover  and 
herds  grass  grew  so  thick  and  tall  as  to  fall  to  the  ground  before  it  could 
be  cut,  and  very  often  one  man  could  not  mow  a  quarter  of  an  acre 
a  day,  and  onlv  very  strong  men  could  continue  to  mow  from  day  to 
day  without  change  of  work.  The  old  people  say,  work  was  so 
hard  in  those  days  that  many  men  failed  before  they  were  thirty  years 
of  age  and  could  never  do  hard  work  thereafter.  Some  men  never 
did  hard  work,  or  if  any,  a  very  little  at  great  intervals  ;  they  would 
not,  but  others  undertook  double  portions,  and  their  strength  being 
unequal  to  their  ambition  they  failed  before  their  race,  apparently, 
was  half  run  ;  of  such  were  Noah  North,  Remembrance  North,  and 
Stephen  Fyler,  Junior,  and  many  others  in  the  town. 

The  production  of  maple  sugar  was  an  item  of  much  work  in  the 
spring  of  the  year.  Troughs  were  made  of  basswood  ;  pails  or 
buckets  not  beino;  used,  and  the  sap  was  boiled  in  the  woods,  very 
frequentiv,  and   the  boihng  continued   some  times  through  the  night. 

Mr.  Fyler  had  many  acres  of  apple  orchard,  from  which  he  made 
in  good  years  about  three  hundred  barrels  of  cider  a  large  proportion 
of  which  he  made  into  brandy  in  his  own  still.  His  father  had  a 
still  before  1800,  also  his  neighbor,  Capt.  Eli  Richards  and  many 
others.  The  making  of  cider  by  Mr.  Fyler  was,  as  by  many  others, 
continued  with  intervals  into  November  and  December.  The  apples 
were  so  abundant  that  they  were  thrown  into  piles  in  the  field  and  lay 
there  until  the  snow  fell  and  were  drawn  home  on  sleds  and  made 
into  cider. 

Mr.  Fyler  did  much  in  support  of  the  Methodist  church  of  New- 
field  during  twenty  or  more  years,  and  received  in  return,  as  far  as 

57 


450  History  of  Torrington. 

this  world  goes,  just  what  many  others,  in  all  ages  have  received,  and 
at  last  seems  but  little  disappointed  that  it  should  have  been  just  as 
it  was,  for  so  is  human  nature.  This  kind  of  reward  has  been  so 
common  among  all  denominations  and  in  all  communities  as  to  need 
no  explanation  here. 

In  all  this  variety  of  enterprises,  and  the  perpetual  toil,  never 
to  be  shunned  only  at  the  hazard  of  ruin,  consequent  upon  it, 
and  the  perpetual  annoyances  and  disasters  which  will  inevitably 
come  in  a  farmers  life,  what  success  could  he  have  had  but  for  the 
aid  and  charm,  and  hard  work,  of  his  constant  and  efficient  wife, 
Sibyl  R.  (Tolls)  Fyler  ?  Those  who  understand  not  the  work  of  a 
farmer's  house,  should  go  into  that  long  kitchen,  prepared  for  making 
cheese  and  butter,  then  go  into  the  cheese  room  over  that  kitchen, 
twenty  feet  squre,  with  shelves  on  every  side,  sufficient  to  support, 
in  curing  two  hundred  cheese  ;  and  know  that  in  the  process  of 
curing,  every  one  must  be  turned  and  moved  two  or  three  times  a 
week.  Then  look  at  the  spinning  and  weaving,  and  making  of 
garments  for  a  family  of  eleven  besides  the  hired  help.  If  help  is 
hired  in  the  house  as  well  as  out,  as  must  have  been  the  case,  how 
much  careful  guidance  must  have  been  required  to  save  from  destruc- 
tion at  least  ten  or  twenty  dollars  a  day.  How  glad  also  when  all  those 
"  little  tots  "  are  in  bed  safe  at  night,  and  how  glad  when  they  are 
again  up  and  well.  Such  is  the  outline  of  one  family  history.  Four 
children  died  young  :  one  son  is  now  in  the  Black  hills  after  gold  : 
another  occupies  the  seat  of  judge  of  the  county  court ;  the  youngest 
son,  after  coming  out  of  the  war  injured  for  life,  is  allowed  to  be  post 
master  at  Wolcottville.  The  father,  now  in  his  eighty -second  year, 
resides  in  Winsted  with  his  faithful  wife  and  dutiful  daughter. 

Mrs.  Polly  (Collier)  Fyler 

Was  born  in  1758,  probably  in  Windsor,  or  that  part  of  it  called 
Wintonbury.  Her  family  were  not  of  the  original  settlers  of  Wind- 
sor but  came  to  that  town  much  later,  but  the  family  has  taken  de- 
cided high  position  in  the  state.  She  was  a  woman  of  decided  energy 
of  character,  clearness  of  perception  and  discriminating  judgment  and 
is  a  good  representative  of  the  women  of  her  day,  and  as  such  it  is  a 
great  favor  to  have  her  likeness  with  the  style  of  dress  very  common 
in  her  day,  and  which  with  that  of  her  husband  represents  the  New 
England  style  about  the  year  eighteen  hundred,  and  thirty  years  follow- 
ing, very  faithfully. 


Mrs.  POLLY  FYLER. 


Biographies.  451 

Mrs.  Fyler,  like  many  of  her  neighbors,  had  the  care  of  a  large 
family,  in  connection  with  the  business  and  the  men  employed  in 
the  various  kinds  of  work  on  a  large  farm,  and  therefore  her  life  was 
no  easy  play  spell,  but  one  of  continued  and  often  severe  toil.  Un- 
der such  circumstances  she  continued  her  cheerful  and  constant 
efforts  for  the  comfort  and  success  of  her  home,  almost  three  score 
years  and  ten,  closing  her  dutiful,  well  spent,  and  honored  life  in  the 
ninetieth  year  of  her  age. 

Rev.  Joseph  T.  Gaylord 

Was  born  in  Norfolk,  Conn.,  Nov.  4,  1836  ;  was  graduated  at  Yale 
college  in  1863,  and  at  Union  Theological  seminary  in  1866;  was 
licensed  by  the  Association  of  New  York  and  Brooklyn  in  April 
1866  ;  began  to  preach  in  Torringford  in  January  1867,  where  he 
was  ordained  without  charge,  November  7,  1867,  and  he  served  un- 
til January  1869. 

Rev,  Alexander  Gillett 

Was  born  August  14, 1849  (O-  S.),  in  Granby,  Ct.,  and  was  theson 
of  pious  parents,  and  was  trained  in  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth  by 
his  devout  grandmother.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  the'^subject 
of  serious  impressions  during  a  revival  which  then  prevailed  in  several 
towns  in  Hartford  county,  and  these  impressions,  though  they  seem 
subsequently  to  have  declined,   never  entirely  left  him. 

He  early  exhibited  a  great  fondness  for  books,  especially  for  his- 
tory, and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  began  his  preparations  for  col- 
lege, under  the  Rev.  Nehemiah  Strong,  his  pastor,  and  completed  it 
under  the  Rev.  Roger  Veits,  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  and  a  mission- 
ary of  the  society  for  propagating  the  gospel  in  foreign  parts.  He 
was  admitted  a  member  of  Yale  college  in  June  1767,  at  an  ad- 
vanced standing,  and  was  graduated  in  September  1770.  It  was  not 
until  the  summer  of  1769  that  his  mind  seems  to  have  become  fully 
settled  in  regard  to  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  not  until  about 
the  close  of  1770,  that  he  was  the  subject  of  any  religious  experience 
that  he  himself  believed  to  be  genuine,  and  in  May  1771,  he  united 
with  the  church  in  Turkey  Hills  (Granby). 

After  leaving  college  he  taught  a  school  for  a  year  or  more  at 
Farmington,  and  probably,  studied  theology  during  that  time,  under 
the  direction  of  Rev.  Timothy  Pitkin.  He  was  licensed  to  preach 
by  the  Hartford  Association,  at  Northington,  on  the  2d  of  June  1773 
and  on  the  29th  of  the  next  December   was  ordained  the  first  pastor 


452 


History  of  Torrington. 


of  the  church  in  Farmingbury,  now  Wolcott,  where  he  continued  to 
preach  nearly  eighteen  years. 

Mr.  Gillett  was  married  in  December  1779,  to  Adah,  third  daugh- 
ter of  Deacon  Josiah  Rogers  of  Wolcott,  who  was  descended  from 
Thomas  Rpgers  who  came  in  the  Mayflower,  and  of  John  Rogers 
the  martyr  in  England. 

Owing  in  part  to  a  difficulty  in  his  church  of  long  standing,  involv- 
ing no  delinquency  on  his  part,  his  pastoral  relation  to  them  was,  at 
his  own  request,  dissolved  in  November,  1791,  and  in  the  following 
May  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  Torrington,  and 
was  received  with  much  rejoicing  on  the  part  of  the  whole  parish. 
On  settling  here,  he  purchased  a  farm  a  little  more  than  a  mile  north 
of  the  church,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  and  where  his  only 
surviving  daughter  Miss  Adah  Gillett,  still  resides,  being  in  the 
ninety-third  year  of  her  age.  The  old  house  is  still  standing  and  the 
pastor's  study  is  the  same  as  it  was  fifty-one  years  ?go  at  his  decease. 
His  papers  and  books  are  there  the  same,  and  even  the  money  in  the 
drawer  of  his  writing  desk  is  there  still,  and  will  abide  so  as  long  as 
his  daughter  survives.  The  house  being  over  one  hundred  years  old, 
gives  signs  of  wearing  out,  but  the  maple  trees  along  the  road 
in  front  of  the  house,  set  there  after  he  purchased  the  place,  are  now 
only  in  their  strength  and  grandeur,  and  give  an  ancient  nobleness 
to  the  old  homestead  that  is  very  gratifying  to  the  passing  stranger  or 
old  friend. 

Mr.  Gillett's  ministry  was  attended  with  much  more  than  the  or- 
dinary degree  of  visible  success.  At  Wolcott  he  was  privileged  to 
see  large  numbers  added  to  his  church  as  the  fruit  of  several  revivals, 
one  especially  in  1788,  in  which  he  was  aided  by  the  Rev.  Edmund 
Mills  (brother  of  Samuel  J.),  and  during  the  period  of  his  ministry 
at  Torrington  there  were  three  seasons  of  deep  religious  interest 
among  his  people,  the  results  of  which  were  equally  benign  and  ex- 
tensive.' He  also  frequently  aided  neighboring  ministers  in  revival 
seasons,  preaching  frequently  during  the  week  holding  meetings  in 
neighborhood  school  houses,  and  visiting  from  house  to  house  ;  and 
sometimes  he  accompanied  other  ministers  in  going  abroad  for  the 
purpose  of  holding  revival  meetings  such  as  Edmund  Mills,  Samuel  J. 
Mills,  a  Mr.  Miller,  Dr.  Griffin  of  New  Hartford  and  others. 

Mr.  Gillett  had  much  of  the  missionary  spirit  and  long  before  the 


'  Mr.  Gillett's  account  of  the  revival  of  1799,  he  published  in  the  E'vangelical  Magazine 
of  1800. 


Biographies.  453 

Connecticut  Missionary  Society  was  organized  he  had  made  several 
tours  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state,  and  in  1789  or  90,  he  made  a 
missionary  tour  oi  several  months  in  the  new  settlement  of  Vermont, 
under  the  approbation  of  the  association  of  New  Haven  county,  and 
almost  entirely  at  his  own  expense  ;  his  pulpit  being  supplied  a  part 
of  the  time  by  his  brethren  in  the  vicinicy.  At  a  later  date  he  went 
several  times,  by  appointment  from  the  Connecticut  Missionary  So- 
ciety, into  those  destitute  regions  on  the  same  errand  of  good  will  to 
man,  and  was  known  extensively  as  having  much  pleasure  in,  and 
adaptability  for  such  work. 

By  the  still  remaining  members  of  the  old  Torrington  church  he 
is  remembered  with  the  kindest  and  most  respectful  feelings  ;  with- 
out a  thought  of  any  act  to  tarnish  the  most  sacred  memory  of  him. 
He  was  always  seen  on  Sunday  mornings  coming  to  church  on  foot, 
with  umbrella  and  overcoat,  the  latter  on  his  arm  in  all  warm  weather 
no  matter  how  high  the  thermometer.  Having  preached  the  morn- 
ing sermon  he  frequently  closed  with  the  remark,  "  having  thus  at- 
tended to  the  doctrines  of  the  text,  we  will  consider  the  applications 
this  afternoon,"  and  thus  the  morning  and  afternoon  sermons  were 
nearly  always  connected,  or  part  of  the  same  subject. 

Mr.  Gillett  was  a  composer  of  poetry  and  music  as  well  as  ser- 
mons. 

In  a  note  book  called  Rudiments  of  Mus'ic^  published  by  Andrew 
Law,  A.M.,  about  1790,  there  are  fourteen  tunes  with  his  name  as 
composer  ;  and  he  seems  to  have  made  no  hymns  except  as  adapted 
to  a  certain  tune,  or  to  make  a  tune  for  the  hymn. 

The  following  hymn  is  characteristic,  and  a  good  sample  of  his 
compositions  of  the  kind. 

GLOOM  OF  AUTMN. 

Hail  !  ye  sighing  sons  of  sorrow, 
View  with  me  the  autumnal  gloom  ; 
Learn  from  hence  your  fate  to-morrow  : 
Dead  perhaps  5   laid  in  the  tomb. 

See  all  nature  fading,  dying  ! 

Silent  all  things  seem  to  mourn  ; 

Life  from  vegetation  flying  ' 

Call  to  mind  my  mouldering  urn. 
Oft  an  autumn's  tempest  rising, 
Makes  the  lofty  forest  nod  ; 
Scenes  of  nature,  how  surprising! 
Read  in  nature,  nature's  God. 


454 


History  of  Torrington. 

See  our  sovereign,  sole  creator, 
Lives  eternal  in  the  skies  ; 
While  we  mortals  yield  to  nature. 
Bloom  awhile,  then  fade  and  die. 

Nations  die  by  dread  Belona, 

Through  the  tyranny  of  kings, 

Just  like  plants  by  pale  Pomona 

Fall  to  rise  in  future  springs. 

Mournful  scenes,  when  vegetation 
Dies  by  frost,  or  worms  devour. 
Doubly  mournful  when  a  nation 
Falls  by  neighboring  nations  power. 

Death  my  anxious  mind  depresses. 

Autumn  shows  me  my  decay  ; 

Calls  to  mind  my  past  distresses. 

Warns  me  of  my  dying  day. 

Autumn  makes  me  melancholy, 
Strikes  dejection  through  my  soul ; 
While  I  mourn  my  former  folly 
Waves  of  sorrow  o'er  me  roll. 

Lo  !   I  hear  the  air  resounding 

With  expiring  insect  cries  : 

Ah  !   to  me  their  moans  how  wounding, 

Emblem  of  my  own  demise. 

Hollow  winds  about  me  roaring  ; 
Noisy  waters  round  me  rise  ; 
While  I  sit  my  fate  deploring 
Tears  are  flowing  from  my  eyes. 

What  to  me  are  autumn's  treasures 

Since  I  know  no  earthly  joy  ; 

Long  I've  lost  all  youthful  pleasure; 

Time  must  youth  and  health  destroy. 

Pleasure  once  I  fondly  courted, 
Shared  each  bliss  that  youth  bestowes  ; 
But  to  see  where  then  I  sported 
Now  embitters  all  my  woes. 

Age  and  sorrows  since  have  blasted 

Every  youthful,  pleasing  dream  ; 

Quivering  age  with  youth  contrasted  : 

O  how  short  their  glories  seem. 

As  the  annual  frosts  are  cropping 
Leaves  and  tendrils  from  the  trees, 
So  my  friends  are  yearly  dropping 
Through  old  age  or  dire  disease. 

Former  friends,  oh,  how  I've  sought  them  ! 

Just  to  cheer  my  drooping  mind  ; 

But  they're  like  the  leaves  of  autumn. 

Driven  before  the  dreary  wind.  . 

Spring  and  summer,  fall  and  winter 
Each  in  swift  succession  roll  : 


Biographies.  455 


So  my  friends  in  death  do  enter 

Bringing  sadness  to  my  soul. 
Death  has  laid  them  down  to  slumber  ; 
Solemn  thought;   to  think  that  I 
Soon  must  be  one  of  their  number; 
Soon,  so  soon  with  them  to  lie. 

When  a  few  more  years  are  wasted  ; 

When  a  few  more  suns  are  o'er  ; 

When  a  few  more  griefs  I've  tasted, 

I  shall  fall  to  rise  no  more. 
Fast  my  sun  of  life's  declining 
Soon  'twill  set  in  endless  night ; 
But  my  hopes  are  past  repining ; 
Rest  in  future  life  and  light. 

Cease  this  fearing,  trembling,  sighing  ; 

Death  will  break  the  awful  gloom  ; 

Soon  my  spirit  fluttering,  flying. 

Must  be  borne  beyond  the  tomb. 

The  following  letter  of  Rev.  Frederick  Marsh,  will  be  interesting 
both  as  regards  Mr.  Gillett  and  as  being  from  the  minister  of  an  ad- 
joining town. 

Winchester  Conn.,  May  zjt^,  1856. 

Dear  Sir  :  My  first  knowledge  of  the  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett  was  in  New 
Hartford,  during  the  great  revival  in  1798  and  1799,  when  he  occasionally 
came  there  with  Mr.  Mills,  Mr.  Miller,  and  others  to  assist  Dr.  Griffin.  My 
particular  acquaintance  with  him  commenced  soon  after  coming  to  this  place  in 
1808.  From  that  time,  as  our  parishes  were  contiguous,  until  his  decease  in 
1826,  our  relations  became  more  and  more  intimate,  and  I  can  truly  say  that 
he  ever  treated  pe  with  paternal  kindness.  Besides  the  ordinary  ministerial 
exchanges  and  intercourse,  he  used  to  visit  us  and  preach  in  seasons  of  special 
religious  interest. 

In  his  person  Mr.  Gillett  was  rather  above  the  medium  stature  and  size,  ot 
a  full  habit,  broad  shoulders,  short  neck,  and  large  head.  His  position  was 
erect,  except  a  slight  forward  inclination  of  the  head.  His  face  was  broad  and 
unusually  square  and  full,  illuminted  by  large,  prominent  eves,  the  whole  indi- 
cating more  of  intellect  than  vivacity.  His  ordinary  movements  were  grave 
and  thoughtful.  In  his  manner  he  was  plain,  unostentatious,  and  at  the  great- 
est possible  distance  from  all  that  is  intrusive.  He  was  courteous  and  kind, 
swift  to  hear,  and  slow  to  speak,  apparently  esteeming  others  better  than  him- 
self, and  in  all  his  intercourse  exhibiting  a  delicate  sense  of  propriety. 

As  a  man  of  intellectual  ability  he  held  a  decidedly  high  rank.  He  had  an 
aversion  to  every  thing  superficial.  Ever  fond  of  study,  he  went  thoronghly 
and  deeply  into  the  investigation  of  his  subject,  whatever  it  might  be.  He  was 
an  admirable  linguist,  and  above  all  excelled  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Bible  ; 
not  merely  in  his  own  language,  but  in  the  original.  As  a  scholar  he  was  char- 
acterized by  great  accuracy.  I  have  heard  an  eminent  minister,  who  fitted  for 
college  undet  his  instructions,  say  that  he  never  found  any  tutor  so  accurate  and 
thorough  in  the  languages  as  Mr.  Gillett.  He  was  also  very  familiar  and  ex- 
tensively acquainted  with  history  ;  and  he  studied  history  especially  as  an  ex- 
position of  prophecy. 


456 


History  of  Torrington. 


But  the  crowning  attribute  of  his  character  was  his  devoted  piety  and  high 
moral  excellence.  While  great  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity  characterized  his 
habitual  deportment,  it  was  still  only  by  an  intimate  and  extended  acquaintance 
with  him,  and  by  observing  his  spirit  and  conduct  in  trving  circumstances,  that 
one  could  gain  anything  like  a  full  view  of  this  part  of  his  character.  During 
seventeen  years  of  familiar  intercourse  with  him,  my  mind  became  constantly 
more  impressed  with  the  depth  of  his  piety  ;  his  unreserved  consecration  to 
God,  his  self  sacrificing  devotedness  to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  the  highest  in- 
terests of  his  fellow-men.  Among  the  most  striking  elements  of  his  religious 
character  were  meekness,  humility,  and  a  conscientiousnes,  and  apparently  im- 
mutable regard  to  truth  and  duty. 

In  social  life,  Mr.  Gillett's  constitutional  reserve  and  defect  of  conversational 
powers,  rendered  him  less  interesting  and  useful  than  might  have  been  expected 
from  such  resources  of  mind  and  heart  as  he  possessed.  Ordinarily  he  said 
little  in  ecclesiastical  meetings.  Patiently  listening  to  all  the  younger  members 
chose  to  say  he  would  remain  silent,  unless  some  gordian  knot  was  to  be  untied, 
or  some  latent  error  to  be  detected,  and  then  he  would  show  his  opinion  to 
good  purpose.  With  individuals  and  in  private  circles,  where  religious  or  other 
important  topics  became  matter  of  conversation,  he  would  often  talk  with  much 
freedom  and  interest. 

In  his  ministerial  character  and  relations  there  was  much  to  be  admired  and 
loved,  and  some  things  to  be  regretted.  It  mav  readily  be  inferred  from  what  I 
have  already  said  in  respect  to  his  intellectual  powers  and  attainments,  his  piety, 
his  studious  habits  and  devotedness  to  his  appropriate  work,  that  his  sermons  were 
of  no  ordinary  stamp.  And  thus  it  really  was.  He  presented  divine  truth  with 
great  clearness  and  point.  Hence  his  preaching  took  strong  hold  of  congrega- 
tions in  times  of  revival.  Often  in  closing  his  discourse  by  an  extemporaneous 
effusion,  he  would  turn  to  some  one  class  of  hearers,  and  urge  upon  them  his 
subject  in  its  practical  bearings  with  a  tenderness  and  earnestness  that  were  quite 
overcoming. 

But  as  his  delivery  was  rendered  laborious  and  difficult  by  an  impediment  in 
his  speech,  he  could  not  be  called  a  popular  preacher.  Those  who  regarded 
the  manner  more  than  the  matter  of  a  discourse,  would  pronounce  him  dull. 
But  he  was  a  skillful  and  faithful  guide  to  souls;  and  his  labors  were  abundantly 
blessed  not  only  to  the  people  to  whom  he  ministered  but  to  others. 

Of  pastoral  labor  Mr.  Gillett  performed  less  than  many  of  his  brethren.  His 
constitutional  diffidence,  his  incapacity  for  entering  into  free  and  familiar  inter- 
course with  people  generally,  and  his  love  for  study,  probably  all  combined  to 
produce  in  him  a  conviction  that  he  eould  accomplish  the  greatest  good  by 
making  thorough  preparation  for  the  pulpit,  for  occasional  meetings,  and  seasons 
of  prayer,  rather  than  devoting  much  of  his  time  to  pastoral  visits. 

On  the  whole,  he  was  an  able,  laborious,  faithful  and  successful  minister  ; 
ever  bringing  out  of  his  treasure  things  new  and  old,  edifying  the  body  of 
Christ,  enjoying  the  confidence  and  affectionate  regard  of  his  brethren,  and 
exhibiting  uniformly  such  an  example  of  consistency  in  his  profession  as  to 
leave  no  room  to  doubt  either  his  sincerity  or  piety. 

I  remain,  dear  sir,  fraternally  and  truly  yours.' 

Frederick  Marsh. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  McEwen  of  New  London  has  recorded  the  follow- 
ing concerning  this  good  man  : 


Sfrague'i  Annals. 


Biographies.  457 

In  1782  the  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett  was  installed  the  pastor  of  the  church 
in  Torrington  ;  a  man  of  middle  age  ;  having  been  pastor  of  the  church  in  the 
parish  ot  Farniingbury,  afterwards  the  town  of  Wolcott.  He  graduated  at  Yale 
college,  1770.  Though  he  sought  not  public  notoriety,  he  was  a  man  of  strong 
mind,  a  good  classical  scholar,  and  a  profound  theologian.  He  published  a 
small  volume  of  six  sermons,  on  the  subject  of  regeneration  ;  which  indicate  in 
the  author,  method,  accuracy  and  orthodox  sentiment.  In  the  pulpit,  as  else- 
where, his  manner  was  serious,  earnest  and  affectionate.  The  sermons  were 
written  and  elaborated.  A  slight  impediment  he  had  in  his  speech  ;  yet  so 
lucid,  instructive  and  rich  in  doctrine  and  piety  were  his  discourses,  that  he  was, 
especially  to  the  substantial  and  heavenly  minded  part  of  the  population,  an 
acceptable  preacher.  He  loved  his  ministerial  brethren,  and  stood  high  in  their 
estimation. 

Soon  after  his  first  settlement,  while  making  his  visits  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  people  of  his  charge,  a  single  man,  he  entered  a  house,  and  was 
conversing  with  the  family,  a  little  girl  of  eight  years,  came  in  to  see  the 
new  minister.  He  took  her  on  his  knee,  told  her  she  was  a  nice  girl,  and 
added,  "  who  knows  but  that  you  will  be  my  wife  !"  This  was  not  pro- 
phecy in  form,  whatever  it  might  have  been  mentally.  The  event  proved 
that  the  conjecture  or  hint  of  the  man,  had  in  it  something  oracular.  At 
Torrington  he  bought  a  farm,  having  on  it,  a  full  sized,  old  fashioned 
house.  Whatever  of  management  and  labor  pertained  to  the  farm,  he  gave 
exclusively  to  the  family.  But  one  large  chamber  he  made  his  sanctum.  It 
was  accommodated  with  a  large,  old  fashioned  fireplace."  In  this,  every  morning, 
even  through  dog-days,  he  made  a  blazing  fire,  raising  when  necessary  the 
windows.  His  philosophy  was,  that  in  hot  weather,  a  fire  in  the  morning 
purified  the  air,  and  by  increasing  the  circulation  of  it,  made  it  cooler.  Few 
ministers  have  spent  more  hours  in  their  studies  than  Mr.  Gillett.  He  read 
and  wrote  extensively,  and  all  this  with  the  addition  of  much  thinking.  Who- 
ever knew  the  man,  the  state  of  mind  which  he  manifested  habitually,  and  the 
great  object  for  which  he  lived  and  acted,  cannot  doubt,  that  in  that  room, 
prayer  was  a  constant  exercise.  This  seriousnesss  was  no  pretense.  It  was 
above  all  suspicion  from  which  such  an  imputation  would  originate.  Still  the 
even  tenor  of  his  life  admitted  of  a  variety  of  exercises  ;  yea  demanded  it.  He 
thought  too  accurately  not  to  know  that  theology  and  nothingelse,  would  kill  a  man, 
while  in  the  fesbleness  of  the  flesh.  No  man  whom  1  ever  knew,  had  his 
necessary  diversions  so  much  within  himself  They  were  found  almost  exclu- 
sively in  that  room.  Expedients  for  !;ceping  the  air  within  their  limits  pure  and 
healthful,  and  agreeable,  were  important.  The  occupant  of  that  large  chamber 
was  one  of  the  most  independent  men  in  the  world.  There  he  wrote  music  ; 
and  thera,  if  any  one  who  was  accustomed  to  see  him  abroad  will  believe  it,  he 
played  on  a  bass-viol  Though  he  thought  farm  work,  and  mechanical  and 
mercantile  labor,  unsuitable  for  a  minister,  still  there  was  one  craft  from  which 
it  was  remote  and  in  which  accommodation  from  it  would  not  be  had,  which 
he  designed  to  practice.  It  was  that  of  book  binding.  In  that  room  he  bound 
his  own  books,  rebound  his  old  ones,  and  did  jobs  of  this  sort  for  other  people 
of  the  vicinity.  One  work  was  accomplished  here  which  required  resolution, 
toil  and  perseverance-  When  past  the  age  of  forty  years,  this  lonely  minister 
commenced  the  study  of  the  Hebrew  language,  and  made  himself  a  proficient 
in  it.  We  have  heard  of  the  patience  of  Job.  Had  Job  alone,  aided  not  by 
men  but  by  books  only,  commenced  the  study  of  Hebrew,  and  mastered  it  as 

58 


45^  History  of  Torrington. 

triumphantly  as  did  Alexander  Gillett  ;  and  that,  in  an  atmosphere  not  made 
congenial  by  literature,  but  tempered  by  the  wood  fire  ;  in  the  record  which 
canonized  the  patriarch,  this  test  of  patience  might  have  been  given." 

Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett 

Was  born  June  15,  1780,  in  Farmingbury,  now  Wolcott,  being  the 
eldest  child  of  Alexander  and  Adah  (Rogers)  Gillett.  He  was 
fitted  for  college  by  his  father,  partly  in  connection  with  Rev.  Luther 
Hart,  and  in  1799,  became  specially  interested  in  a  religious  life, 
during  the  revival  of  that  year,  and  united  with  the  Torrington  church. 
He  entered  Williams  college  in  1800,  when  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age  and  was  graduated  in  1804.  He  then  taught  school  in  Cornwall, 
and  then  in  the  academy  at  Williamstown  until  in  1806,  when  he 
was  appointed  tutor  in  Yale  college  which  position  he  held  one  year 
and  a  half. 

Samuel  J.  Mills,  Gordon  Hall,  and  James  Richards  were  then 
under  graduates  in  that  college,  and  Mr.  Gillett  has  stated  to  members 
of  his  congregation  that  they  were  accustomed  to  hold  prayer  meet- 
ings in  his  room,  and  to  consult  in  regard  to  the  duty  of  carrying  the 
gospel  to  the  heathen.  He  never  lost  the  interest  thus  awakened  in 
foreign  missions,  but  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  cause,  and  a 
warm  friend  of  the  American  board.  During  his  tutorship  he  studied 
theolot^y  under  President  Fitch,  and  was  licensed  as  a  candidate  for 
the  gospel  ministry,  by  the  Litchfield  North  Association  September 
-20,  1806.  In  the  winter  of  1807-8,  having  resigned  his  tutorship, 
Mr.  Gillett  supplied  the  pulpit  for  two  Sundays  at  East  Haven,  and 
was  then  invited  to  preach  in  the  vacant  pulpit  of  the  church  at 
Branford.  He  received,  shortly  after,  a  call  to  settle  with  them  in 
the  gospel  ministry,  on  a  salary  of  five  hundred  dollars,  and  the  privi- 
lege of  cutting  firewood  on  the  society's  lands,  until  from  continued 
ill  health  or  infirmity,  he  should  be  no  longer  able  to  perform  the 
duties  of  a  minister  among  them.  This  invitation  was  accepted  and 
he  was  ordained  June  15,  1808,  pastor  of  the  church,  on  his  twenty- 
eighth  birth  day. 

Mr.  Gillett  married  Sally,  daughter  of  Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges,  Nov. 
29,  1808,  v;ho  still  survives  him,  beingin  the  ninety-first  year  of  her 
age.  He  died  at  his  residence  in  Branford,  November  5,  1866,  in 
the  eicrhty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  and  the  fifty-ninth  of  his  ministry. 

Mr.  Gillett  was  noted  for  his  steady,  faithful  Christian  and  minis- 
terial life.      He   was  not   equal   to  his  father   in  classic   learning,  but 


Biographies.  459 

was  well  versed,  and  true  to  the  theology  of  his  day  and  church,  and 
his  preaching  presented  good  practical  advice,  seasoned  with  the  sub- 
stantialness  of  full  and  unconditional  submission  to  the  Divine  law. 
It  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  traits  of  his  character  that  he  made 
all  of  his  literary  pursuits  subservient  to  the  momentous  business  of 
his  holy  calling.  He  daily  consecrated  his  time  and  talents  to  the 
service  of  Christ.  In  his  pastoral  life  he  was  sedate,  yet  cheerful, 
and  kindly  in  his  attention  to  all  ;  speaking  fewer  words  than  many, 
but  such  as  became  the  office  he  served  in,  and  the  profession  of  a 
follower  of  the  Revealer  of  truth,  and  in  all  things  was  a  good  exem- 
plification of  the  education  and  training  he  had  received  under  his 
father's  roof. 

Mrs.  Sally  (Hodges)  Gillett, 

Daughter  of  Dr.  Elkanah  and  Rebecca  (Whiting)  Hodges,  was  born 
March  29,  1787,  and  married  Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett  Nov.  29, 
1808.  Her  husband  was  pastor  at  Branford,  Ct.,  over  fifty-eight 
years,  during  which  she  was  liis  faithful  and  cheerful  companion, 
winning  for  herself  as  well  as  her  husband  great  esteem,  and  Christian 
love  and  respect.  Her  husband  departed  this  life  in  1866  ;  she  still 
survives,  making  her  home  with  her  nephew  Willard  Hodges  of 
Rochester  N.  Y.,and  is  in  her  ninety-first  year.  (See  Biog.  of  Rev. 
T.  P.  Gillett.) 

John  Gillett, 

Son  of  John  and  Abigail  (Catling  Gillett,  married  Mary  daughter  of 
Dr.  Samuel  Woodward  Feb.  2,  1824,  or  when  he  was  forty- eight 
years  of  age.  He  was  a  farmer  in  Torringford  street.  He  lived  a 
very  quiet  life  for  one  who  had  as  much  to  do  with  public  matters  as 
he,  and  always  seemed  to  prefer  the  company  of  his  books,  and  news- 
paper, of  which  he  always  had  quite  a  number,  to  that  of  outside 
society.  He  was  clerk  and  treasurer  of  the  town  many  years,  and 
also  represented  the  town  in  the  state  legislature.  His  duties  as  town 
clerk  compelled  him  to  be  present  at  the  election  meeting  and  this 
always  grated  his  feelings  terribly,  as  he  thought  he  ought  not  to  be 
present  when  he  was  being  voted  for  as  a  representative.  In  these 
days  such  modesty  seems  a  little  singular  and  affected,  but  it  was  very 
genuine  and  honest,  for  so  many  were  taught  in  those  days.  If  a  man 
is  now  called  upon  to  be  a  standard  bearer  we  cannot  see  why  he 
should  hide  his  face  as  if  ashamed. 

Early  in  his  life  his  father  and  himself  were  owners  of  wild  lands 


460  History  of  Torrington. 

in  Ohio,  on  the  Western  Reserve  and  he  acted  for  the  owners 
of  lands  there  who  were  living  in  Connecticut.  This  led  him  to 
make  a  trip  to  Ohio  nearly  every  year,  and  in  those  days  the  only 
means  of  travel  was  on  horseback,  the  entire  distance.  The  only 
road  west  of  Buffalo  was  simply  marked  trees  through  the  woods. 

Mr.  Gillett  possessed  the  entire  confidence  of  every  one  who  knew 
him,  particularly  his  neighbors  who  sought  his  advice  and  council  on 
all  occasions,  and  his  nearest  neighbors,  those  who  knew  him  best, 
judged  him  to  be  a  most  upright  and  good  man.  In  such  a  life  he 
was  greatly  assisted  by  his  noble  wife,  who  although  not  a  member 
of  any  church,  was  an  unselfish  Christian  woman. 

Rev.  Epaphras  Goodman' 

Was  born  in  West  Hartford  in  1790;  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth 
college  in  1816  ;  studied  theology  with  the  Rev.  Nathan  Perkins, 
D.D.,  and  studied  at  Yale  Divinity  seminary.  He  was  licensed 
by  Hartford  North  Association  in  1820  ;  his  doctrinal  opinions  were 
in  harmony  with  those  taught  at  Yale  Taylor  school.  After 
making  a  missionary  excursion  of  a  few  months  during  which  he  was 
ordained  as  an  evangelist  Jan.  3,  1821,  in  Charlestown,  S.  C,  he  was 
invited  in  1821,  to  Torringford,  to  preach  as  a  candidate  for  a  colleague 
pastorate  with  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  and  was  installed  as  such  March 
6,  1822. 

He  had  a  name  significant  of  his  internal  man  ;  he  was  a  good  man  ; 
of  which  his  life  was  a  living  epistle  to  his  fellow  men.  He  was  an 
industrious  analytical  student,  always  seeking  after  the  why  and  where- 
fore of  theories  and  practices.  His  perceptions  were  large  and  active. 
He  was  logical  and  rigidily  conscientious,  and  practical  in  his  ap- 
plication of  every  precept.  His  preaching,  though  not  eloquent  and 
exciting,  was  educating,  edifying  and  inspiring,  and  conducive  to 
thought,  and  the  establishing  of  permanent  character  ;  and  thereby 
well  calculated  to  build  up  and  mould  society  into  wise  and  graceful 
proportions.  He  was  instrumental  in  gaining  for  Torringford  society 
a  name,  a  life,  an  intellectual,  and  a  moral  influence  above  that  of 
any  other  in  all  that  region.  Having  good  executive  ability,  he  was 
very  consistent  in  his  every  day  walk  and  conversation  ;  very  eco- 
nomical ;  studiously  so,  in  order  that  he  might  practice  the  larger 
benevolence.  He  was  a  living  epistle  of  good  judgment  and  fidelity 
to  the  gospel  he  preached. 


'  Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  of  New  York. 


Biographies.  461 

Soon  after  his  ordination,  he  married  Harriet  Whitman  of  West 
Hartford  ;  an  estimable  lady,  possessing  an  amiable  disposition,  and 
superior  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  culture  ;  who  culminated  into 
an  invaluable  helpmate  to  him  in  all  of  his  counsels  and  works.  Soon 
after  the  commencement  of  his  labors  in  1822,  he  leased  a  large  room 
which  had  been  used  for  a  store  house  ;  fitted  it  for,  and  opened  a 
select  school,  for  advanced  pupils,  boys  and  girls.  This  enterprise 
was  so  enthusiastically  sustained  by  the  Torringford  people,  that  he 
was  induced  to  continue  it,  and  to  employ  a  talented  sister,  Mrs.  Faxon, 
to  relieve  him  somewhat,  and  to  allow  him  liberty  to  attend  to  his 
pastoraFduties  at  any  time.  The  impetus  given  to  education  by  his 
movement  was  marvellous,  and  redounded  very  much  to  his  credit. 
The  society  became  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  enter- 
prise, and  erected  a  brick  building,  long  known  as  the  Torringford 
Academy.  In  this  building  he  employed  students  and  graduates  from 
Yale  and  other  colleges  for  some  years.  The  academy  became  ex- 
tensively^famous,  and  young  men  and  women  of  the  society,  and 
from  distant  parts  were  there  trained  for  teachers,  for  entering  college, 
for  scientific  studies  and  professional  pursuits.  Mr.  Goodman  was 
the  living  and  abiding  animus  of  this  noted  enterprise,  for  with  his 
dismissal  and  departure  Ichabod  was  written  upon  its  door  posts. 

Every  moral  reform  found  a  cordial  response  in  his  moral  and 
spiritual  perceptions,  wisdom  and  goodness,  and  received  his  uncom- 
promising advocacy  and  support,  for  the  welfare  of  society,  the 
prosperity  of  the  church,  and  the  elevation  of  moral  and  Christian 
character.  Protracted  meetings,  conventions  of  churches,  and  reli- 
gious revivals  were  zealously  and  laboriously  encouraged  and  sus- 
tained by  him,  and  the  fruits  were  abundant.  His  interest  in  the 
cause  of  missions  was  manifested  in  decided  and  energetic  activities. 
He  invited  his  parishioners  to  set  apart,  for  mission  support,  agricul- 
tural fields  in  different  parts  of  the  parish,  to  be  cultivated  by  gra- 
tuitous labors  and  the  fruits  to  be  sold  and  the  avails  cast  into  the 
treasury  of  the  Lord.  These  gathered  items  frequently  amounted 
to  no  inconsiderable  sum. 

Extensive  orchards  were  set  out  by  the  early  settlers  ot  this  parish, 
which  were  very  productive  of  fruit  ;  the  consequence  thereof  was, 
that  enormous  quantities  of  cider  and  cider  brandy  were  manufac- 
tured and  stored  in  the  large  cellars,  made  capacious  for  such  pur- 
pose. During  the  revolutionary  war  there  was  a  patriotic  call  for 
the  precious  fluids,   but  subsequently  they  were   extensively  made. 


462  History  of  Torrington. 

sold  and  used  for  home  consumption.  Drinking  and  drunkenness 
(not  besottingly)  was  common  to  all  classes,  occupations,  and  pro- 
fessions ;  doctors,  lawyers  and  clergymen.  ^  The  spirit  of  the  can- 
teen and  cider  brandy  barrel,  was  the  inspiring  one  in  every 
community  in  the  land.  Alarm  began  to  be  felt  by  individual 
philanthropists.^  Mr.  Goodman  resolutely  entered  into  the  warfare, 
and  "  lifted  up  his  voice  like  a  trumpet,"  against  the  besotting  evil, 
which  was  undermining  and  threatening  to  destroy  every  thing  of 
good  report.  As  intemperance  like  a  flood  had  seriously  invaded  the 
pulpits  and  the  churches,  as  also  the  healthfulness  and  prosperity  of 
the  people,  it  was  a  joyful  thing  to  him  that  his  church  and  society 
made  a  general  response  to  his  appeals,  and  rallied  to  the  reform. 
The  church  voted  to  dispense  with  fermented  wines  at  its  commun- 
ion, and  substituted  the  unfermented  juice  of  the  "  fruit  of  the  vine." 
There  were  some  members  of  both  church  and  society  ;  men  of 
property,  military  honors,  and  politicians,  greatly  wedded  to  their 
cups  and  customs,  who  took  great  umbrage  at  such  an  innovation 
upon  their  appetites  and  social  enjoyments.  Mr.  Goodman  was 
often  importuned  by  members  of  other  churches  and  societies  to 
negotiate  exchanges  with  the  neighboring  ministers,  who  were  timid 
or  indisposed  to  meddle  with  the  subject  of  reform,  and  after  the 
regular  services,  to  deliver  a  lecture.  Thus  his  influence  extended 
beyond  his  own  parish. 

The  advocacy  of  Moral  Reform,  in  New  York,  and  generally, 
as  directed  by  the  ladies  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dowell,  received  the 
countenance  and  hearty  support  of  Mr.  Goodman  and  his  wife.  The 
cause  of  African  colonization,  having  been  clothed  in  the  "  livery  of 
heaven,"  and  having  been  unwittingly  sustained  by  the  philanthropic 
missionary,  Samuel  J.  Mills,  enlisted  for  a  season,  the  sympathies 
of  Mr.  Goodman,  until  the  trumpet  voice  of  William  Loyd  Garrison, 
exposing  American  slavery  and  its  organized  aider  and  abettor  the 
American  Colonization  Society^  and  its  auxiliaries,  opened  his  eyes 
and  alarmed  his  conscience.  Then  he  immediately  set  his  face 
against  the  colonization  scheme,  and  became  an  apostle  to  the  anti- 


'  See  an  account  given  by  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter  of  Washington,  Conn.,  in  1806.     Sermon. 

=  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  had  preached  his  six  sermons  against  the  evils  of  intemperance. 

3  This  society  was  supported  at  the  rime  by  the  South,  as  the  best  method  of  removing 
free  colored  people,  and  thereby  strengthening  the  bonds  of  slavery.  But  the  Colonization 
Society  has  now  become  the  greatest  friend  to  the  colored  man. 


Biographies.  463 

slavery  cause,  in   which  he  was  zealously  affected,  although  he  did 
not  survive  to  see  the  day  of  the  abolition  of  American  slavery. 

In  1833,  he  and  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  (who  at  that  time  had  settled 
in  Torringford  as  the  physician)  associated  to  open  and  estab- 
lish an  educational,  moral,  physical  training,  and  hygienic  insti- 
tution, a  Family  School  for  boys.  This  school  was  zealously 
patronized  by  the  most  eminent  men  of  Hartford,  New  Haven, 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  other  parts  of  the  northern  and 
southern  states. 

Thus  he  continued  his  labors  and  spared  not,  in  Torringford, 
until  1836,  when  the  church  and  society  became  financially  weakened 
by  disaffected  conservative,  anti-reform  members,  somewhat  dis- 
heartened concerning  a  location  for  a  new  meeting  house,  when  he 
felt  constrained  to  offer  a  resignation  of  his  charge,  which  was  sorrow- 
fully accepted  by  the  church  and  society.  With  his  departure, 
educational,  moral,  religious,  and  general  enterprise  went  into  a 
decline,  and  the  spirits  that  sustained  the  good  man,  have  fled  forever. 

He  was  settled  two  years  in  Dracut,  Mass.,  and  was  remembered 
there  as  an  earnest,  faithful,  and  beloved  pastor.  The  year  after 
his  dismissal  there,  he  resided  in  Andover,  Mass.,  and  was  employed 
as  an  agent  of  the  American  Protestant  Society.  In  1840,  he  went 
to  Cincinnati,  bought  the  IVatchman  of  the  Valley^  and  published, 
and  edited  it  until  1850.  About  1847,  ^^  assisted  in  forming  the 
first  Congregational  Association  in  southwestern  Ohio.  Very  soon 
after,  he  assisted  in  forming  the  Western  Reform  Book  and  Tract 
Society.  In  1851,  he  went  to  Chicago,  and  during  one  year  had 
the  editoral  charge  of  the  Christian  Era^  and  during  most  of  that 
year  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the  first  Congregational  church.  During 
the  next  two  or  three  years,  he  was  the  western  secretary  of  the 
American  Missionary  Association,  and  disbursed  its  home  missionary 
funds.  He  subsequently  edited  a  short  time  the  Free  West.,  a  weekly 
anti-slavery  paper,  published  in  that  city. 

He  died  at  Chicago,  June  12,  i852,  aged  72  years. 

Daniel  Grant, 
Son  of   William    Grant,   was   born   Dec.    28,    1743,  and  I'ved   on 
his   father's  homestead    with  his  brother   Matthew   until    his  death. 
He  was  a  man  of  careful  and   diligent  industry,  but  took  no  promi- 
nence  in  the  town   until  the   comi-iencement  of  the   revolutionary 


464  History  of  Torrington. 

war.  Soon  after  the  beginning  of  those  troubled  times,  he  was 
elected  collector  of  town  taxes  on  the  west  side,  in  which  position 
he  manifested  such  skill  and  business  tact,  both  in  collecting  the 
taxes,  and  also  in  favoring  the  people,  that  he  was  appointed  collector 
for  the  town,  and  was  continued  in  this  office  through  the  war. 
During  the  war,  he  was  practically  the  banker  of  the  town ,  taking 
grains  and  cattle  and  exchanging  them  in  such  a  way  as  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  general  government,  and  of  the  state,  and  thus  keeping 
up  the  credit  of  the  town,  and  greatly  aiding  the  nation  to  obtain  its 
freedom  (see  chapter  on  the  Revolution). 

It  is  probable  that  there  have  been  but  few  men  in  this  town  who 
have  possessed  greater  financial  ability  than  this  man,  and  very  likely 
but  few  who  possessed  such  ability  ever  used  it  to  more  honor  to  them- 
selves and  the  town.  He  was  a  man  of  decided  character  and  reso- 
lution, and  yet  to  all  appearance  was  governed  by  a  decided  sense  of 
justice  and  right,  and  beyond  that  he  could  not  be  moved.  He  and 
his  brother  Matthew  living  in  the  same  house,  had  some  differences 
of  judgment,  and  the  result  was  that  all  friendly  communication  ceased 
between  them  ;  they  did  not  speak  to  each  other.  There  was  no 
words  ;  no  perpetual  disturbance  ;  each  thought  the  other  wrong  and 
there  the  matter  ended.  Daniel  was  tax  collector  ;  he  would  put  his 
brother's  tax  bill  through  the  key  hole  in  the  door  into  Matthew's 
room,  and  Matthew  would  return  the  money  by  the  same  "•  Express." 

In  the  collection  of  taxes  he  was  obliged  to  levy  on  property  and 
sell  it,  as  there  was  no  other  way.  Mr.  Grant  took  such  property 
and  sold  it,  and  very  often  bought  it  himself,  and  would  then  take  a 
note  for  it  of  the  family  and  leave  it  to  be  redeemed.  When  he  sold 
cows,  as  was  the  case  often,  he  would  take  a  note  for  the  cow,  for 
three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  to  receive  the  cow  and 
the  first  calf.  This  was  the  usual  method  of  letting  cows,  in  those 
days,  as  several  account  books  clearly  show. 

It  is  said  that  when  Daniel  Grant  died,  he  required  of  his  executors 
that  such  of  these  notes  as  he  then  held  should  be  burnt ;  but  that 
the  collectable  ones  were  not  burned.  It  is  further  said  that  these 
notes  amounted  to  a  bushel  basket  full. 

No  complaint  is  heard  as  having  been  expressed  concerning  any 
severity  of  Mr.  Grant  as  tax  collector,  but  all  reports  give  him  great 
credit  of  honor  and  fidelity  to  the  people,  as  well  as  to  the  law. 

In  his  last  will,  he  gave  to  the  town  a  farm  in  New  Hartford,  for 
the  benefit  of  schools,  and  this  remains  yet  as  the  Daniel  Grant  fund. 

He  died  in  1787. 


Biographies.  465 

Matthew  Grant,  Jr., 

Son  of  Matthew  and  Phebe  (Foster)  Grant,  married  Rosannah  Lee, 
Sept.  29,  1795,  a  girl  brought  up  by  John  Cook  of  Torrington. 
He  lived  on  the  old  Grant  homestead  and  was  an  energetic  farmer, 
of  the  very  highest  reputation  for  integrity  and  uprightness  of  charac- 
ter. His  word  was  not  only  as  good  as  law,  but  was  implicitly  relied 
on  by  all  the  people  ;  so  much  so  that  he  is  said  to  have  frequently 
took  money  from  the  bank  without  giving  any  note  or  using  any 
check,  or  other  paper.  The  common  remark  was  that  "  no  man's 
word  was  worth  as  much  as  Matthew  Grant's."  He  was  a  great 
friend  to  Parson  Gillett,  and  the  parson  thought  every  thing  of 
him  as  a  man  of  the  highest  moral  integrity.  He  was  a  man  of 
kindly  feelings  and  benevolent  disposition  towards  those  who  had  less 
money  than  he  had,  and  this  trait  of  character,  more  than  any  thing 
else,  nearly  proved  his  ruin  financially.  Persons  who  went  to  him 
for  help  in  time  of  need  have  heard  him  say  many  times  :  "  I  have 
not  the  money,  but  I  can  get  it  for  you,"  and  in  a  few  days  they 
received  the  money.  He  built  the  large  and  very  substantial  house 
now  the  residence  of  Dea.  F.  P.  Hills,  at  a  cost  of  eight  thousand 
dollars,  and  the  report  has  obtained  currency  that  this  house  nearly 
ruined  him,  as  to  money,  but  this  eight  thousand  was  but  an  item 
compared  with  other  losses.  He  signed  papers  v/ith  Esq.  Holmes 
a  relative,  for  a  farm  in  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  the  farm  being 
worth  fifteen  thousand,  a  large  portion  of  which  he  had  to  pay  and 
finally  to  take  the  farm.  On  this  farm  he  placed  his  son  Gerry, 
who  conducted  it  with  energy,  having  at  one  time  one  hun- 
dred cows  as  his  dairy  ;  but  he  signed  paper  for  his  brother  in 
California  for  some  thousands  of  dollars,  and  sent  the  money  ;  the 
brother  did  not  get  the  money  and  soon  died  and  Gerry  lost  the 
whole.  This  farm  "finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  Alpheus  Hodges, 
who  had  lent  money  on  a  second  or  third  mortgage.  Mr.  Grant 
lent  money,  and  signed  paper  for  other  parties  in  large  sums  as  well 
as  small,  many  of  which  were  a  total  loss,  and  which  helped  to  bring 
him  to  straitened  circumstances  in  the  later  part  of  his  life,  though 
he  did  not  come  to  want.  He  was  a  drovier,  and  being  a  large  stout 
man,  of  heavy  voice,  he  could  be  heard  at  a  great  distance  in  driving 
cattle.  His  son  said  he  could  always  tell  when  his  father  crossed 
the  North  river  with  a  drove  of  cattle,  for  as  soon  as  he  had  crossed 
the  river  he  could  begin  to  hear  him  halloo  to  the  cattle.  In  buying 
cattle  he   would  ask   the  price  and  if  too  high  would  go  on  without 

59 


466  History  of  Torrington. 

making  an  offer  for  them.  Many  persons  have  followed  him  miles 
to  persuade  him  to  make  an  oifer. 

He  bought  the  ministry  lot  giving  some  $2,200,  which  still  con- 
stitutes a  fund  in  the  First  Society.  His  father  bought  the  school 
lot  in  1774,  giving  X94,  which  coiistituted  a  school  fund. 

Matthew  Grant  Jr.,  was  a  man  of  great  value  to  the  town  and 
the  First  Society,  and  when  he  departed  this  life  was  greatly  missed. 

Elder  Miles  Grant 

Was  born  in  Torrington,  Conn.,  December  13,  i8ig.  Until 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  spent  most  of  his  time  in  hard  farm  labor, 
excepting  winters,  when  at  school.  At  eighteen  he  commenced 
teaching  school  in  Winchester  centre  ;  the  next  winter  he  taught 
in  Wolcottville  ;  and  afterward  in  Winsted  of  the  same  state,  for 
several  years,  where  he  was  very  successful.  In  the  Annals  of 
fVinchester^  published  by  the  Hon.  John  Boyd,  the  following  is 
stated  of  him  : 

"  Elder  Miles  Gianr,  for  some  four  or  five  years  taught  the  west  village  dis- 
trict school,  with  an  ability  ar.d  success  never  excelled  in  our  annals.  To  the 
sincere  regret  of  parents  and  scholars,  and  of  the  whole  community,  a  sense  of 
duty  constrained  him  to  leave  a  calling  for  which  lie  was  eminently  fitted,  and 
to  devote  himself  to  the  Master's  service  in  another  sphere  of  labor.  Highly 
esteemed  and  loved  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  he  has  no  more  cordial  friends 
than  his  Winsted  pupils,  now  in  the  active  stage  ot  life,  who  owe  to  him  a 
training  far  beyond  what  is  ordinarily  secured  in  a  district  school." 

He  was  also  employed  for  some  time  as  a  teacher  at  Amenia 
seminary,  and  at  Jonesville  academy,  N.  Y. 

His  father,  Ira  Grant,  was  a  noted  hunter,  and  in  early  days  his 
son.  Miles,  was  quite  well  educated  in  hunting  and  fishing  ;  but  at 
twenty-one  years  of  age  he  became  convinced  that  these  were  cruel 
sports,  and  quit  them  entirely  —  and  for  more  than  thirty  years  has 
not  used  a  gun  or  a  fishing-rod. 

In  early  life  he  had  some  religious  impressions,  but  drove  them 
off  and  became  a  skeptic.  As  such  in  December,  1842,  he  went  to 
hear  H.  A.  Chittendon  lecture  on  the  Prophecies  of  Daniel,  in  the 
Methodist  church  in  Winsted.  Those  lectures  convinced  Mr. 
Grant  of  the  truth  of  the  Bible.  He  was  happily  converted,  and 
became  very  active  in  Christian  exercises.  He  continued  in  the 
business  of  teaching  until  the  spring  of  1850,  when  he  felt  it  his  duty 
to  commence  preaching  the  gospel  of  Christ.     This  he  did  and  has 


Biographies.  467 

continued  to  do  until  the  present  time.  His  ministerial  labors  have 
been  richly  blest.  He  has  been  the  instrument  of  persuading  many 
to  become  Christians.  He  is  a  firm  believer  and  advocate  of  the 
doctrine  of  Bible  holiness.  During  his  ministry  he  has  been  an 
evangelist,  excepting  the  interval  between  1855  and  1858,  when  he 
was  pastor  of  a  church  in  Boston.  In  1855  he  was  elected  editor 
of  the  World's  Crisis^  a  religious  weekly,  published  in  Boston,  and 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  months  has  held  that  office  to  the  pre- 
sent time. 

The  Elder  has  some  peculiarities  which  should  be  noticed  in  this 
sketch  of  his  life. 

1.  He  was  converted  into  the  belief  that  the  second  coming  of 
Christ  is  an  event  near  at  hand.  This  he  still  firmly  believes  and 
preaches  earnestly. 

2.  Soon  after  his  conversion  he  became  satisfied  that  the  Bible 
did  not  teach  that  the  finally  impenitent  would  be  tormented  eter- 
nally, but,  after  their  resurrection  and  judgment,  they  would  die 
"  the  second  death,"  and  never  live  again  ;  and  that  only  the  right- 
eous would  have  eternal  life. 

3.  About  the  same  time  he  was  also  convinced  that  the  Scriptures 
do  not  teach  the  natural  immortality  of  man,  but  that  he  lies  in  a 
dreamless  sleep,  unconscious,  between  death  and  the  resurrection  ; 

and  that  "  if  the  dead  rise  not,  then they  also  which  are  fallen 

asleep  in  Christ  are  perished." 

4.  He  also  believes  the  Bible  teaches  that  the  future  home  of  the 
saints  will  be  on  the  "  New  earth,"  which  is  to  be  the  present  one 
purified  and  restored  to  its  original  state,  as  it  was  before  the  first 
man  sinned.  These  views  led  him  to  take  a  decided  stand  ao-ainst 
Spiritualism  and  its  leading  defenders,  with  whom  he  has  held  some 
seventy  or  eighty  public  discussions.  He  has  also  written  and  pub- 
lished much  against  the  system,  and  is  well  known  as  its  fearless 
opponent. 

5.  His  habits  of  life.  Another  peculiarity  of  Elder  Grant,  which 
is  worthy  of  special  note,  is  his  mode  of  living,  perfect  health,  and 
remarkable  power  of  endurance.  He  is  often  heard  to  say  that  if  he 
accomplishes  no  other  good  in  the  world,  he  hopes  to  be  able  to 
demonstrate  that  these  qualities  depend  very  largely  upon  the  treat- 
ment of  our  stomachs.  He  does  not  claim  that  all  should  do  as  he 
does,  but  thinks  a  large  amount  of  sickness,  pain,  sorrow,  remorse. 


468  History  of  Torrington. 

and  misery  v/ould  be  removed  from  the  human  family,  if  his  mode 
of  iiving  were  universally  adopted. 

For  over  twenty  years  he  has  been  a  rigid  vegetarian  — using  no 
meat,  butter,  tea,  coffee,  tobacco  or  any  intoxicating  drink.  In  early 
life  he  used  tobacco,  cider  and  brandy  freely,  tea  and  coffee  and  rich 
food.  Then  he  had  frequent  headaches,  and  hardly  a  day  passed 
without  more  or  less  indisposition  and  ill-feeling  ;  now  these  ailments 
are  all  gone.  He  has  not  had  a  sick  headache  for  upward  of  twenty 
years. 

For  more  than  twelve  years,  he  has  eaten  but  two  meals  a  day. 
His  hours  of  eating  are  eight  and  half-past  two  o'clock.  He  eats  no 
pies  and  cake,  or  pastry  of  any  kind  ;  uses  no  salt,  sugar,  or  any 
other  seasoning  on  any  food,  excepting  a  little  milk  or  cream.  He 
enjoys  his  food  exceedingly,  but  is  never  faint  or  hungry  between 
meals.  The  following  is  his  complete  list  of  articles  of  food  :  Un- 
leavened bread,  oatmeal  pudding,  beans  stewed  till  soft,  baked  or  raw 
apples  (sweet  preferred),  other  fruits  in  their  season,  raw  eggs,  pop- 
corn, sometimes  dates,  figs,  raisins,  and  nuts,  squash,  the  sweet  and 
common  potato.  He  says  he  feels  the  best,  and  can  do  the  greatest 
amount  of  work,  when  he  confines  himself  to  the  unleavened  bread, 
oatmeal  pudding,  beans,  sweet  apples,  eggs  and  milk.  He  does  not 
allow  himself  to  eat  a  meal  in  less  time  than  half  an  hour.  He  for- 
merly ate  in  five  or  ten  minutes.  He  uses  no  drink  with  his  food. 
He  never  eats  anything  between  meals. 

He  always  sleeps  with  an  open  window,  takes  a  sponge  bath  every 
morning;  retires  as  soon  as  convenient  after  nine  o'clock,  and  aims 
to  be  in  bed  about  seven  hours. 

As  a  result  of  this  mode  of  living.  Elder  Grant  is  able  to  perform 
a  great  amount  of  business  without  fatigue.  He  can  preach  fifteen 
times  a  week,  do  all  his  work  as  editor,  and  feel  as  fresh  at  the  close 
of  each  day's  labor  as  at  the  beginning.  He  travels  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen thousand  miles  a  year  in  his  ministerial  labors  through  the  East- 
ern, Middle,  and  Western  Slates,  but  never  seems  tired.  He  claims 
it  is  because  of  his  plain  diet,  accompanied  by  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord.  He  has  not  eaten  a  meal  for  several  years  without  his  un- 
leavened bread.  He  thinks  no  one  is  getting  through  the  world 
more  pleasantly,  or  with  less  friction  than  himself.  He  says 
he  is  a  ''  happy  man  ;"  and  from  long  acquaintance,  we  have  no 
reason  to  doubt  his  saying.  His  pursuit  certainly,  is  a  cheerful  one. 
He  is  most  thoroughly  convinced  that  his  mode  of  living  adc'.s  largely 


Biographies.  469 

to  his  enjoyment,  and  that  should  he  live  as  most  do,  he  would  soon 
lose  his  health,  vigor,  power  of  endurance,  and  much  of  his  present 
sweet  enjoyment.  He  never  has  any  "  blue  Monday,"  though  he 
may  preach  three  times  on  the  Sabbath,  attend  as  many  prayer- 
meetings,  baptize,  administer  the  sacrament,  and  converse  most  of 
the  intervening  time  during  the  day.  When  everybody  else  is  tired 
he  appears  still  in  vigorous  condition,^ 

Hon.  Stanley  Griswold, 

Son  of  Capt.  Shubael  and  Abigail  (Stanley)  Griswold,  was  born  No- 
vember 14,  1763,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1786.  For 
a  time  he  was  a  lieutenant,  under  his  father  as  captain,  in  the  war  of 
the  Revolution.  Having  completed  his  theological  studies  he  was 
ordained  pastor  at  New  Milford  in  1790,  where  he  remained  twelve 
years.  During  this  time  he  preached  several  discourses  which  were 
published.  One  delivered  at  New  Milford  in  180O;  a  discourse 
occasioned  by  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Taylor,  1800  ;  on 
the  subject,  overcome  evil  with  good,  preached  at  Wallingford  before 
a  numerous  collection  of  the  friends  of  the  constitution,  Thomas 
Jefferson  president  and  Aaron  Burr  vice  president  of  the  United 
States  in  1801  ;  and  one  on  the  subject  "  The  good  land  we  live  in," 
preached  at  Sheffield  in  1802. 

About  the  year  1804,  he  left  his  native  state  and  established  a 
patriotic  and  spirited  weekly  paper  at  Walpole  in  New  Hampshire. 
In  his  position  he  exhibited  much  talent  and  literary  acquirements, 
and  obtained  considerable  celebrity,  there  being,  at  that  time,  (ew 
ably  edited  newspapers  in  the  United  States.  From  this  situation  in 
1805,  he  was  removed  to  the  territory  of  Michigan,  having  received 
from  Mr.  Jefferson,  then  president,  the  apppointment  of  secretary  of 
that  territory-  After  this  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Huntington 
of  Ohio,  a  senator  in  congress,  to  fill  a  vacancy.  He  afterwards 
received  the  appointment  of  territorial  judge,  for  the  territory  of 
Illinois.  While  occupying  this  position,  he  died  at  Shawneetown,  in 
1815. 

Mrs.  Fannie  W.  (Curtiss)  Gulliver, 

Daughter  of  Dea.  Elizur  and  Amanda  (Steele)  Curtiss,  married  Rev. 
John  P.   Gulliver  D.D.,    September    8,    1846.      He    was  ordained 


^National  Agriculturalist,   Phrenological  yournal,  1 87 3. 


47°  History  of  Torrington. 

pastor  of  the  Broadway  church,  Norwich,  Ct.,  October  i,  1846,  and 
dismissed,  October  25,  1865  ;  was  pastor  of  the  New  England 
church,  Chicago,  from  February  21,  1868  ;  was  president  of  Knox 
college,  Galesburg,  Illinois,  a  number  of  years  ;  is  now  pastor  of  the 
first  Presbyterian  church  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  Dr.  Gulliver  stands 
among  the  first  class  ministers  of  New  York  state. 

Dr.  Thatcher  Swift  Hanchett, 

Son  of  Ephraim  and  Nancy  (Swift)  Hanchett,  was  born  in  Canaan, 
Ct.,  November  8,  1838.  His  father  was  born  at  Salisbury,  and  his 
grand-father  Israel  lived  in  Salisbury.  The  father  of  Israel,  received 
a  grant  of  land,  from  the  king,  in  Salisbury,  which  included  originally 
the  ore  beds  of  that  region. 

Dr.  Hanchett's  father  was  of  the  firm  of  Hanchett,  Huntino-ton 
and  Day,  of  Canaan  mountain,  manufacturers  of  anchors,  engine 
axles,  and  bar  iron.  He  removed  to  North  Canaan  where  Thatcher 
S.  attended  school  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age. 

The  doctor's  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Lucy 
(Thatcher)  Swift  of  Barnstable  Mass. 

When  he  was  fourteen,  his  father  removed  as  manufacturer  to 
East  Douglass,  Mass.,  where  young  T.  S.  attended  the  academy 
five  or  six  years.  When  twenty-one,  he  began  to  study  medicine 
with  Dr.  Homer  Darling  in  East  Douglass,  where  he  continued  a 
year  and  a  half,  and  then  entered  the  medical  department  of  Harvard 
university  in  1 861.  After  remaining  there  one  year  he  entered  the 
United  States  navy,  on  board  the  United  States  steamer  Wamasutta, 
in  capacity  of  hospital  steward,  and  on  his  tour  was  in  the  south 
Atlantic  blockading  squadron  off  the  coast  of  Georgia.' 

On  his  return  to  Massachusetts,  he  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge and  re-entered  the  university,  and  remained  another  lecture 
term.  He  then  spent  a  year  in  the  office  of  Dr.  A.  W.  Bennett  of 
Uxbridge,  Mass.  He  then  took  a  lecture  term  in  Bellevue  hospital. 
New  York  city,  and  graduated  at  that  institution  in  the  spring  of 
1864.  While  in  the  city  he  was  connected  with  Marion  street 
Lying-in  asylum. 


'  Dr.  James  Thatcher,  was  a  physician  of  considerable  celebrity,  having  published  several 
works  on  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  was  Fellow  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and 
Sciences,  and  of  the  Massachusetts  Medical  Society,  and  honorary  member  of  the  Georgia 
Medical  Society. 


Biographies.  471 

He  was  employed  one  year  by  Dr.  William  Welsh  of  Norfolk, 
Conn.,  as  assistant  physician,  and  rode  one  year  with  him. 

In  the  spring  of  1865,  he  settled  in  Wolcottville  as  practicing 
physician  ;  Dr.  Erastus  Bancroft  and  Dr.  Jeremiah  Phelps,  being 
the  physicians  of  the  place  at  the  time.  Here  he  has  had  much  suc- 
cess in  his  profession,  is  highly  esteemed  ;  is  a  man  of  energy,  and 
devotes  all  his  energies  to  his  profession. 

Rev.  Luther  Hart, 

Son  of  David  and  Hannah  (Hudson)  Hart,  was  born  in  Goshen, 
July  27,  1783,  and  when  three  years  of  age  he  came  into  Torrington 
with  his  father  and  family  to  reside  and  remained  here  until  he  com- 
menced his  collegiate  studies.  In  the  great  revival  under  Mr.  Gillett's 
labors  in  1799,  he  became  personally  interested  in  a  Christian  life 
and  united  with  the  Torrington  church,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years, 
in  connection  with  Rev.  James  Beach  and  Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett. 
He  was  fitted  for  college  by  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett,  and  in  1803 
entered  Yale  college,  and  at  once  took  a  high  rank,  and  at  his  grad- 
uation in  1807,  he  received  one  of  the  highest  honors  of  the  institu- 
tion. 

After  a  year  devoted  to  teaching  at  Litchfield,  South  Farms,  he 
studied  theology  with  Rev.  Ebenezer  Porter  at  Washington,  Conn., 
and  afterwards  graduated  at  Andover,  Mass.,  and  was  licensed  to 
preach  by  the  Essex  Middle  Association  of  Mass.  In  Sept.,  18 11, 
he  married  Minerva,  daughter  of  General  Potter  of  Plymouth,  where 
he  received  a  call,  and  was  ordained  the  previous  year,  the  sermon  on 
the  occasion  being  preached  by  his  tutor,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Porter. 
This  marriage  connection  is  said  to  have  contributed  greatly  to  his 
comfort  and  usefulness.  Great  accessions  were  made  to  the  church 
in  1812,  1824,  1827,  and  1831.  About  five  hundred  were  added 
during  his  ministry.  In  181 8,  he  aided  in  the  publication  of  doctrinal 
tracts,  also  in  the  establishment  of  the  Christian  Spectator^  and  con- 
tributed largely  to  both.  On  the  i8th  of  April  1834,  he  was  seized 
with  lung  fever,  which  at  first  was  not  deemed  alarming,  but  on  the 
25th  terminated  fatally.     He  passed  away  in  the  triumph  of  faith. 

Rev,  Noah  Porter  of  Farmington,  preached  his  funeral  sermon, 
and  it  was  published  in  the  Christian  Spectator.  The  Rev.  Laurens 
P.  Hickok  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  says  of  Mr.  Hart:  "  One  of  his  marked 
characteristics  was  an  indescribable  expression  of  cheerfulness  and 
hearty  good  will,  diffusing  its  sweet  savor  wherever  he  was,  so  that 


472  History  of  Torrington. 

his  presence  and  society  were  always  sought.  He  had  a  quick  and 
keen  discernment  of  men  and  things.  His  intercourse  with  his 
church  and  people  was  very  frank  and  familiar,  yet  with  a  large 
amount  of  reserved  dignity  and  seriousness.  His  sermons  were 
serious,  pungent  and  discriminating,  and  abounded  less  in  long  drawn 
argument,  than  in  condensed,  sententious  thoughts,  and  concise 
declarations.  His  voice  was  full  and  melodious  ;  and  a  well  qualified 
judge  now  living  in  Torrington,  who  has  heard  him  preach  quite  a 
number  of  times  pronounces  him  "  one  of  the  most  eloquent  men  he 
ever  heard  speak  in  the  pulpit." 

He  died  at   Plymouth   April    25,    1834,  aged  51  years.      His  only 
son  Luther  Potter,  died  August  28,  1829,  aged  five  months. 

To  aid  variety  by  course  fine  art, 
I'll  venture  measured  lines  on  Luther  Hart  :' 
A  genuine  song,  with  nobler  aim 
Than  rhyme  or  dulcet  tone  can  ever  claim, 
At  Jesus'  feet  he  lays  his  sacred  lyre, 
To  Jesus  praise,  his  loftiest  strains  aspire. 
And  that  dear  name  sets  all  his  soul  on  fire. 

In  seventeen  eighty-three,  his  cradle  rocks, 
'Mid  Goshen  hills,  and  snows,  and  Boreas'  knocks. 
The  hopeful  boy  in  school-room  soon  appears. 
And  runs  in  learning's  ways  beyond  his  years. 
In  early  youth  begins  a  nobler  race. 
With  Christ  to  guide  and  lead  to  higher  place. 
From  Yale  to  Andover  now  ardent  turns  : 

With  love  to  God  and  man  his  whole  soul  burns,  * 

Till  Plymouth  wisely  calls  him  to  her  side. 
And  he  as  wisely  takes  her  for  his  bride  : 
Another  bride,  in  usual  sense,  he  finds 
In  this  new  home  ;   to  both,  his  love  now  binds. 
And  binds  with  strong  and  silken  cords  till  death  : 
In  eighteen  thirty-four  l\e  yielded  his  breath. 

Dear  man  !   a  heavier  groan  earth  seldom  hears. 
Than  when  he  fell.      No  mimic  sorrow  now  ! 
His  wife  ;   his  flock;  his  cleric  brethren  all  : 
His  country;   state;   feel  one  great  common  grief. 

No  more  we  see  that  straight  and  slender  form, 
And  face  like  female's  delicately  fair, 
But  manly  too,  with  forehead  broad  and  high, 
And  look  so  kind,  so  winning,  yet  too  pale. 
From  thought  intense,  if  not  from  midnight  lamp. 
Did  we  not  sometimes  tremble,  while  we  loved 
The  wit  and  wisdom  fresh  from  fount  so  deep  ; 


'  Rev.  Cyrus  Yale,  in  Centenial  Anniversary  of  Litchfield  county. 


Biographies.  473 


Yea  bottomless  ?   Did  we  not  often  fear 

The  working  of  that  strong  and  sprightly  mind 

Would  sure  break  down  its  tenement  so  frail  ? 

How  soft  his  voice  !  yea,  musically  soft 

For  social,  or  for  holier  pulpit  use  j 

As  if  an  extra  sweetness  it  had  gained 

From  daily  concert  with  angelic  friends, 

Drawn  down  by  sacred  songs  so  like  their  own. 

What  frank  and  Hart-y  words,  as  oil  flow  out 

From  lips  now  playful,  now  anon  more  grave, 

To  please  or  teach,  alike  the  young  and  old : 

His  high,  chief  aim,  to  win  their  souls  to  Christ. 

At  home,  abroad,  with  poor  and  rich  alike, 

He'  ne'er  forgets  the  business  of  his  Lord. 

His  sermons,  full  of  thought,  in  flowing  style, 

With  new  and  forceful  illustrations  graced. 

And  preached  in  way  and  manner  quite  his  own, 

Were  never  opiates  to  youth  or  age. 

But  suited  to  the  need  and  taste  of  all. 

What  lecturer  could  equal  Mr.  Hart, 

At  sacred  concerts,  all  the  region  round  ! 

His  wizard-wand  could  summon  Jeduthun 

Of  yore,  with  daughters  three  and  sons  fourteen 

Before  you,  as  in  ancient  choir  they  stood, 

For  songs,  with  haips  and  cymbals  in  God's  house  j 

The  inference  plain  ;  let  child  and  parent  now 

Praise  God  together  in  the  choral  song. 

At  once  he  stood,  ambassador  for  Christ, 
And  eloquently  urged  the  listening  crowd 
To  be  forthwith  all  reconciled  to  God; 
His  look,  and  voice,  and  action  all  accord 
With  his  high  message,  and  a  soul  on  lire  ; 
Sudden,  he  stops  j   assumes  a  kindlier  look, 
A  more  familiar,  more  persuasive  tone, 
.A.nd  beautifully  simplifies  the  way 
To  heavenly  bliss.      The  goodly  city  shines 
Before  the  breathless  throng j  all  eye,  all  ear; 
NVhen  pointing  to  the  Christian's  glorious  home 
The  impassioned  man  in  substance  says,  '■^Look  there  ,• 
Mark  well  the  gates  of  entrance;   twelve  in  all; 
No  matter  which  you  enter;  only   pass 
Within  the  city  walls,  and  you  are  safe. 
Now,  name  these  gates ;  repentance,  faith  and  love, 
And  other  Christian  graces  up  to  twelve; 
Then  choose  between  them  ;  one  includes  them  all. 
Come  then  to  Christ  with  penitence,  or  faith  ,• 
Or  come  with  love,  or  with  humility; 
Each  grace  implies  the  whole;  and  some  find  one, 
And  some  another  plainer  to  themselves  ; 
While  each  gives  title  clear  to  that  sweet  home." 

60 


474  History  of  Torrington. 


Rev,  Lemuel  Haynes^ 

Was  born  in  West  Hartford,  Conn.,  July  i8,  1753.  His  father  was 
a  pure  African,  and  his  mother  a  white  woman  of  respectable  ances- 
try in  New  England.  He  bore  the  name  of  neither  father  nor 
mother,  but  probably  of  the  man  under  whose  roof  he  was  born. 
Tradition  says  that  his  mother,  in  a  fit  of  displeasure  with  her  host 
for  some  supposed  neglect,  called  her  child  by  his  name.  He  was 
abandoned  by  his  parents  in  earlv  infancy,  and  was  thus  an  orphan, 
not  by  the  bereaving  hand  of  God,  but  by  the  cold  neglect  of  those 
who  ought  to  have  been  his  most  affectionate  guardians.  He  says  of 
his  early  years  :  "  When  I  was  five  months  old  I  was  carried  to 
Granville,  Massachusetts,  and  bound  out  as  a  servant  to  Deacon 
David  Rose,  until  I  should  become  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He 
was  a  man  of  singular  piety  and  thereby  I  was  taught  the  principles 
of  religion.  His  wife,  my  mistress,  had  peculiar  attachments  to  me, 
and  treated  me  as  though  I  was  her  own  child.  I  remember  it  was 
a  saying  among  the  neighbors,  that  she  loved  Lemuel  more  than  her 
own  children."  Deacon  Rose  was  a  farmer,  and  on  this  farm  Lem- 
uel lived,  performing  the  hard  work,  common  in  those  days,  to  that 
position  in  life. 

His  opportunities  for  education  were  confined  to  the  common 
school  and  the  chimney  corner,  until  he  engaged  in  the  preparation 
for  the  ministry,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years.  He  studied  Latin 
with  the  Rev,  Daniel  Farrand  of  Canaan,  Connecticut,  and  Greek 
with  the  Rev.  William  Bradford  of  the  parish  of  Wintonbury,  and 
made  great  proficiency  in  each  in  a  few  months.  His  license  to  preach 
was  dated  Nov.  29,  1780,  and  was  signed  by  Revs.  Daniel  Farrand, 
Jonathan  Huntington  and  Joseph  Huntington,  and  his  first  sermon 
was  preached  at  Wintonbury  from  the  words,  "  The  Lord  reigneth, 
let  the  earth  rejoice."  Soon  after  being  licensed  he  was  invited  to 
preach  in  Middle  Granville,  among  his  acquaintances  and  neighbors, 
and  of  his  preaching  at  this  time  the  author  of  his  Memoir  thus 
speaks:  "The  writer  of  this  narrative,  though  a  resident  in  a  diff-er- 
ent  parish  in  the  town,  and  having  opportunity  to  hear  him  in  com- 
paratively few  instances,  owes  more  under  God  to  Lemuel  Ha\  nes 
than  to  any  other  minister  among  the  living  or  the  dead.  In  his 
sermons  he  uniformly  left  the  impression  of  the  majesty  of  God,  the 


'  Memoir  by  Timothy  M.  Cooky,  D.D.,  published  in  1837. 


Biographies.  475 

importance  of  immediate  repentance,  the  awful  solemnity  of  the  judg- 
ment day,  the  attractive  loveliness  of  Christ,  and  the  pleasantness  of 
wisdom's  ways."  His  delivery  was  rapid,  his  voice  charming,  his 
articulation  uncommonly  distinct,  enabling  him  to  present  his  argu- 
ments in  "a  perennial  stream  of  transparent,  sweet,  animated  elocu- 
tion, but  with  great  simplicity  and  striking  effect."  He  continued 
his  ministerial  labors  in  this  place,  with  good  success  five  years. 

"  Among  the  pious  youth  in  Granville,  was  Elizabeth  Babbit,  who,  in  her 
deep  religious  anxiety,  was  greatly  aided  in  her  search  after  salvation  by  the 
counsels  and  prayers  of  Mr.  Haynes.  She  possessed  a  refined  education  for 
that  dav,  and  was  employed  as  a  teacher  of  youth  in  the  centre  of  the  town. 
After  considering  all  the  proprieties  in  the  case,  she,  with  becoming  delicacy, 
made  him  the  overture  of  her  heart  and  hand,  as  his  companion  for  life.  By 
such  a  proposal  he  regarded  himself  as  highly  honored,  and  they  were  married, 
September  22,  1783,  at  Hartland,  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Woodbridge.' 

Mr.  Haynes  commenced  preaching-in  Torrington  sometime  in  the 
summer  of  1785,  was  ordained  on  the  9th  of  November,  of  the  same 
year,  and  continued  his  labors  about  two  years.  By  his  plain,  pointed 
yet  eloquent  preaching  the  house  was  soon  filled  with  attentive 
hearers.  Of  his  success  in  winning,  even,  those  who  were  opposed 
to  his  being  employed  to  preach  here,  the  Rev.  Milton  Huxley  says  : 
"There  is  a  man  of  my  acquaintance  who  feels  that  he  owes  much, 
under  God,  to  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Haynes  at  Torrington.  He 
was  disaffected  that  the  church  should  employ  him,  and  neglected, 
for  a  time,  to  attend  the  meetings.  At  length,  curiosity  conquered 
prejudice  so  far  that  he  went  to  the  houseof  God,  and  from  designed 
disrespect,  sat  with  his  hat  on  his  head.  Mr.  Haynes  gave  out  his 
text,  and  began  with  his  usual  impassioned  earnestness,  as  if  uncon- 
scious of  anything  amiss  in  the  congregation.  '  The  preacher  had  not 
proceeded  far  in  his  sermon,'  said  the  man,  *■  before  I  thought  him 
the  whitest  man  I  ever  saw,  my  hat  was  instantly  taken  off  and 
thrown  under  the  seat,  and  I  found  myself  listening  with  the  most 
profound  attention.'  That  day  was  a  memorable  era  in  the  life  of  this 
man.  Through  the  influence  of  the  spirit  of  God,  he  was  aroused 
from  his  stupidity,  convinced  of  his  guilt  and  ruin,  and  led  to  look  to 
Christ  Jesus  for  salvation.      He  became  a  man  of  prayer  and  unex- 


'  Mrs.  Haynes,  was  born  at  Dighton,  Miss.,  Feb.  28  1763,  and  died,  Feb.  8,  1836,  aged 
73.  She  possessed  an  amiaole  character  as  a  wife,  and  mother,  and  a  Christian.  Nine 
children  survived  her,  and  one  daughter  was  deceased.  There  were  three  sons ;  one  a  farmer, 
one,  Lemuel,  was  a  physician  in  the  state  of  New  York,  the  other,  William,  was  a  lawyer 
in  Massachusetts.  All  of  the  children  were  successful  in  life  and  an  honor  to  their  pa- 
rents. 


476  History  of  Torrington. 

ceptionable  piety,  and  if  now  living,  an  elder  in  the  church  at  the 
West."  Tradition  in  Torrington  speaks  of  him  as  a  "man  of  great 
shrewdness  and  wit,  and  yet  as  being  very  earnest,  and  laboring  with 
great  seriousness,  in  the  ministerial  office."  His  journal  says  :  "Tor- 
rington, July  26,  1785.  Set  out  on  my  journey  to  the  state  of  Ver- 
mont, accompanied  by  Mr.  L.  Loomis."  This  journey  he  probably 
made  after  he  had  preached  some  months  here,  and  on  his  return,  or 
soon  after  was  ordained.  Hence  the  whole  time  of  his  labors  here 
comprised  nearly  two  years  and  a  half. 

"March  28,  1788,  he  went  to  Rutland,  having  received  a  cail  to  the  pas- 
coral  office  in  the  west  parish,"  where  he  was  installed.  Here  his  labors  were 
ordinarily  successful,  until  1803,  when  there  were  one  hundred  and  three  ad- 
ditions to  the  church,  and  in  1808  there  were  one  hundred  and  nine.  By  his 
faithfulness  as  a  minister  and  his  clear,  pointed  and  practical  preaching  he  pre- 
pared the  way  tor  the  great  and  jovful  ingathering  of  many  souls. 

During  the  later  of  these  years,  he  preached  a  sermon  in  the 
presence  of,  and  had  some  correspondence  with  the  Rev.  Hosea 
Ballou  a  Universalist  minister.  The  sermon  was  printed  in  many 
papers  in  this  country  and  in  Europe,  and  gave  him  considerable  fame 
as  a  controversialist.  In  such  a  field  his  ready  wit  and  undisturbed 
good  nature  were  weapons  of  great  power. 

It  may  be  difficult  for  some  to  see  the  consistency  of  his  very  free 
indulgence  in  wit  with  a  uniform  and  pervading  piety.  In  the  view, 
however,  of  those  who  were  intimately  acquainted  with  him,  it  did 
not  detract  either  from  his  Christian  or  ministerial  character.  More- 
over, it  is  probable  that  in  the  circumstances  which  surrounded  him, 
the  cunning  and  obtrusive  skepticism,  the  bold  and  blasphemous  in- 
fidelity of  the  times,  not  only  allowed  but  called  for  the  free  exercise 
of  such  intellectual  talent. 

Mr.  Haynes  was  a  strong  advocate  for  an  educated  ministry  and 
often  expressed  his  great  regret  that  he  had  not  enjoyed  the  inestim- 
able privilege  of  a  regular  course  of  study.  A  young  clergyman,  in 
conversation  on  this  subject,  sincerely  remarked,  that  he  thought 
ministers  without  learning  succeeded  well,  and  that  ignorant  ones 
usually  do  the  best.  "  Won't  you  tell  me  then,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Haynes, 
"how  much  ignorance  is  necessary  to    make  an  eminent  preacher  ?" 

Mr.  Haynes  having  served  the  church  thirty  years  in  Rutland  was 
regularly  dismissed  on  the  29th  of  April  18 18  by  a  council.  The 
finding  of  the  council  closed  with  these  words :  "  We  do  cheerfully 
recommend  the  Reverend  Lemuel  Haynes  as  a  tried  and  faithful 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ." 


Biographies.'  477 

Soon  after  Mr.  Haynes's  dismissal  he  received  a  call  to  preach  at 
Manchester  in  the  same  state.  Here  he  continued  to  labor  until  1822 
when  he  removed  to  Granville,  New  York,  where  he  passed  the 
eleven  last  years  of  his  pilgrimage,  preaching  to  that  people.  He  was 
cared  for  in  great  kindness  by  his  parish  to  the  end,  and  closed  his 
earthly  career  with  great  hope  and  assurance  of  immortality  and  eternal 
life.     He  died  Sept.  28,   1833,  in  his  eighty-first  year. 

Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges, 
Son  of  George  and  Susannah  Hodges  of  Taunton,  Mass.-,  was  born 
in  1747,  and  came  from  Woodstock,  Conn.,  to  Torrington  on  horse 
back  in  1772,  or  a  little  before.  He  at  once  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine,  making  his  home  at  Noah  North's  or  in  that  part  of 
the  town.  One  of  his  account  books  that  is  preserved  is  a  ledger, 
which  he  dated,  January  2d,  1773,  ^""^  *^"  ^^^^  ^^Y  dated  several 
pages  in  the  book,  copying  from  another  as  follows:  D.  B.  A.  P. 
I.,  i.  e.,  Day  Book  A.  Page  one,  and  then  giving  the  amount :  thus 
practicing  a  thorough  system  of  book  keeping  unusual  in  those  days. 
Every  thing  in  this  ledger  indicates  that  he  was  a  well  bred,  well  edu- 
cated gentleman  of  very  decided  business  tact,  talent  and  habits, 
which  representation  comports  with  the  whole  of  his  ^fter  life,  so 
far  as  ever  heard. 

In  1776,  he  purchased  the  farm  and  home,  known  ever  since 
as  the  Hodges  place  on  what  was  then  called  Brandy  hill,  a 
little  north  of  the  second  meeting  house,  and  soon  after  commencod 
a  store  in  his  dwelling,  which  he  kept  many  years  in  a  building  in  the 
rear  of  his  dwelling;  the  buildings  are  still  standing.  This  store 
soon  became  the  place  of  trade  and  resort  for  the  western  part  of  the 
town,  and  was  regarded  as,  and  called  Torrington  center. 

He  married  first  Roxalany,  daughter  of  Ashbel  North,  and  had 
the  small  pox  himself,  and  his  wife  took  it  from  him  and  died  in  less- 
than  a  year  from  the  marriage,  and  second,  Rebecca,  daughter  of 
Dea.  John   Whiting,  by  whom  he  had  a  number  of  children. 

Dr.  Hodges  practiced  medicine  twenty-five  years  in  this  town  ; 
was  highly  esteemed  and  respected  by  the  people,  and  in  all  relations 
m  life  was  a  valuable  man.  It  is  said  by  some  that  in  the  later  years 
of  his  life,  he  did  not  do  much  riding  in  his  profession,  and  this  may 
have  been  as  Dr.  Goodsell  was  then  residing  on  the  west  side  of  the 
town,  as  a  practicing  physician. 

His  store  was  a  very  successful  one  and  the  establishment  he  con- 
ducted to  make  potash  was  also  successful  ;    and  his  attention    to 


478  History  of  Torrington. 

these  enterprises  must  have  been  quite  constant,  and  increasing  from 
year  to  year,  but  the  doctor  was  a  man  of  such  energy  and  order  in 
his  business  as  to  be  able  to  do  the  work  of  two  or  three  men,  under 
ordinary  circumstances. 

He  became  a  large  land  holder  and  was  supposed  to  be  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  of  his  time  in  the  town. 

He  was  quite  an  active  man  in  town  matters  and  in  the  ecclesias- 
tical society,  though  not  a  man  that  desired  to  be  in  office. 

An  entry  in  his  ledger,  is  the  only  item  yet  seen  that  determines 
when  the  second  meeting  house  (the  one  at  Torrington  green)  was 
raised;  and  that  with  other  items  is  worthy  of  a  place  on  record. 

The  articles  which  I,    E.  Hodges,  gave  toward   building  the  meeting  house 
in  Torrington. 
May  zo,  1785. 

Two  gallons  of  rum  to  the  framers  5^.  . 
One  old  cheese  5  lbs,  3</,  .  .  .  .  . 

One  pound  of  tea  for  the  women  when  they  raised  said  house, 
Two  pounds  of  nails  to  nail  the  lap  studs, 
1786,  May  18,  20  lbs  ten  pennv  nails,    ..... 
7  "         '"  10^.        . 

3  "         "  u.  \d.         .         .  . 

To  my  purchasing  the  nails  and  bringing  them   from  New 
Haven  for  the  meeting  house,  .... 

"        Nov.  2d  6^  lbs  butts  at  9^.      . 

Another  item  in  the  doctor's  ledger  tells  us  when  the  school  house 
at  Samuel   Beach's  (afterwards  Priest   Gillett's)   was  built,   the  only 
record  in  the  town  so  far  as  is  known  as  to  this  fact. 

December  6,    1788.      Articles    I,  E.  Hodges,    tound   for  the  school    house 
at  Samuel   Beach's. 

£,  s.  d. 
1000  feet  of  pine  boards  delivered  to  Samuel  Beach,       .  .  .200 

Four  pounds  of  chalk  \d,         .......  1    ^ 

Sash  stuff,  delivered  to  E.  Smith,  some  time  ago,    .  .  .  .  80 

.Three  squares  of  7  by  9  window  glass,     .....  16 

One  iron  slice,  .........60 

One  hundred  nails,         ........  10 

He  also  gives  the  following  which  shows  something  of  the  relative 
value  of  cider  and  brandy. 

"November  15,  1777,  Esq.  Epaphras  Sheldon  debtor  to  four  barrels  of 
cider,  for  which  I  am  to  have  seven  quarts  of  home  made  brandv  for  each 
barrel." 

In  1782,  he  received  six  quarts  of  brandy  per  barrel  for  fifteen 
barrels. 

Dr.  Hodges's  name  is  on  some  of  the  lists  of  committees  of  the  town 
during  the  revolutionary  war ;  and  in   1780,  he  received  from  the 


£  /. 

d. 

0   10 

0 

2 

I 

2 

6 

1 

8 

8 

4 

5 

10 

3 

3 

5 

0 

5 

I 

Biographies. 


479 


treasurer  of  the  town  dSl  15J,  which  may  have  been  for  services  in 
accompanying  the  military  company  of  the  west  side,  when  called  to 
the  field  for  the  defence  of  the  country. 

As  a  physican,  it  is  said,  Dr.  Hodges  was  confided  in  almost  with- 
out question  of  doubt,  and  as  a  citizen  his  judgment  was  always  ac- 
cepted as  wise  and  safe,  and  when  he  departed  this  life  he  was  sincerely 
lamented.  He  died  suddenly  from  the  result  of  an  ulcerated  tooth. 
May  21,  1797,  aged  50  years. 

Erastus  Hodges,  Esq^, 

Son  of  Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges,  was  born  in  1 781,  in  Torrington,  where 
he  always  resided.  He  was  educated  mostly  in  his  father's  store, 
and  his  father  dying  when  he  was  but  sixteen,  he  and  his  older 
brother  Willard,  under  the  guidance  of  their  mother,  continued  the 
store  until  he  was  twenty-one.  Soon  after  he  was  twenty-one,  in 
1803,  Mr.  Abernethy  commenced  his  store  near  the  meeting  house  at 
Torrington  green,  but  the  Hodges  brothers  remained  on  the  hill 
north. 

It  did  not  take  the  keen  eye  of  Erastus  long  to  see  that  Abernethy 
had  the  advantage  of  being  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  ;  and  he  and  his 
brother  having  dissolved  partnership,  he  built  a  store  building  near 
the  site  of  the  present  dwelling  of  Mr.  Levi  Hodges,  and  established 
his  business  there  in  about  1807.  Soon  after,  he  erected  the 
dwelling  house  now  standing,  which  at  that  time  was  a  new  style 
of  house,  thoroughly  built  in  every  respect,  and  was  the  pride  of  the 
town.  Soon  after,  when  Dea.  Guy  Wolcott  built  his  new  house, 
it  is  said  there  was  considerable  controversy  as  to  whether  it  would 
be  more  complete,  and  thoroughly  built  than  Mr.  Hodges's,  but  it  is 
doubtful  whether  there  has  been,  ever,  a  house  on  the  west  side  of 
the  town  more  thoroughly  built  and  in  better  proportion  and  style,  ex- 
cept Mathew  Grant's  which  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Dea.  F. 
P.  Hills,  near  Goshen  line. 

On  the  5th  of  January  1809,  Mr.  Hodges  married  Laura  Loomis, 
daughter  of  Richard,  who  was  the  most  queenly  woman  in  the  town 
at  the  time,  and  who  was  a  most  fitting  partner  for  him,  and  a 
woman  much  esteemed  in  the  town,  through  all  her  life. 

Mr.  Hodges  became,  by  his  success  in  business,  general  enterprise 
and  fidelity  of  character,  one  of  themost  influential  men  in  the  town  ; 
so  much  so  that  it  was  frequently  remarked  by  one  man  on  the  west 
side  at  a  certain  period,  that  there  were  but  three  men  in  the  town, 


480  History  of  Torrington. 

Squire  Smith,  Squire  Hodges  and  Priest  Gillett.  This  was  about 
1820.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace  many  years  5  and  was  sent  to 
the  assembly  one  year,  but  this  required  him  to  leave  his  business  too 
much,  for  he  was  a  most  thorough  businessman.  One  circumstance 
illustrates  his  character  in  business.  When  Wolcottville  began  to 
draw  the  trade  from  the  stores  on  the  hills,  a  certain  man  desired  to 
buy  two  small  fish-hooks,  and  Mr.  Hodges  looking  for  them,  discov- 
ered that  he  had  none  in  the  store,  upon  which  he  said  "  I  will  have 
them  in  about  one  hour."  The  man  replied,  you  will  have  to  send 
to  the  village  for  them,  and  it  will  not  pay  to  send  so  far  for  four 
cents  worth  of  fish-hooks,  I  can  get  them  some  time  when  I  am 
down  there.  No  said  Mr.  Hodges,  if  you  go  there  for  the  fish-hooks, 
you  will  go  there  for  other  things,  besides,  it  is  my  business  to  keep 
in  my  store  what  is  needed  here  to  accommodate  the  people.  This 
is  one  secret  of  his  success,  his  business  must  and  should  be  attended 
to,  as  a  business  matter.  Thoroughness,  carefulness  and  energy  in 
business  was  an  innate  quality  of  his  mind,  and  to  this  bundles  of  pa- 
pers and  account  books  still  testify. 

The  stability  of  his  character,  and  that  also  of  his  brother  Alpheus, 
was  of  invaluable  price  in  the  community,  and  especially  so  when  it  is 
remembered  that  his  social  qualities  were  such  as  to  infuse  his  own 
character,  rather  than  to  be  influenced  by  that  of  others.  His  quiet 
good  nature  and  candid  judgment,  always  secured  confidence  and  good 
will,  and  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  watched  and  provided  for 
the  wants  of  the  people,  in  his  store,  secured  to  him  the  business 
transactions  from  many  miles  out  of  the  town,  and  thus  his  store  be- 
came extensive  in  its  control  of  the  market  in  the  region,  and  he 
became  in  some  considerable  degree,  the  head  of  the  mercantile 
business  for  some  considerable  extent  of  country.  His  bills  of  import 
by  shipping  indicate  that  that  trade  was  carried  on,  in  part,  in  behalf 
of  other  stores  in  neighboring  towns,  as  well  as  his  own.  To  such 
an  extent  did  his  store  become  the  center  of  trade  about  18 14,  that 
there  was  much  effort  made  to  build  a  road  direct  from  his  store  to 
Winchester  and  Litchfield,  but  the  hills  were  such  obstacles  in  the 
way,  that  the  work  was  not  executed,  although  favorably  considered 
several  times  by  town  votes. 

Mr.  Hodges  was  a  leader  of  enterprise,  and  never  was  he  led  but 
once,  and  that,  when  he  went  into  the  brass  kettle  business,  wherein 
he  is  said  to  have  lost  about  sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  this  was  pretty 
nearly  at  the  close  of  his  business  life. 

He  was,  really,  one  of  the  great  men  of  the  town. 


Biographies.  481 


Israel  Holmes 

Was  born  in  Waterbury  Dec.  19,  1800.  He  received  an  ordinary 
common  school  education,  and  was  himself  a  teacher  of  the  school 
in  the  west  centre  district  m  Waterbury,  when  quite  young.  He 
afterwards  became  the  prmcipal  clerk  in  the  store  of  J.  M.  L.  and 
W.  H.  Scoville,  and  while  engaged  in  the  business  of  these  gentle- 
men, was  sent  by  them  to  England,  in  1829,  to  procure  workmen 
for  their  button  factory  and  the  brass  business. 

In  1 83 1,  Holmes  and  Hotchkiss  built  the  brass  mill  afterwards 
occupied  by  Brown  and  Elton.  Mr.  Holmes  was  desirous  of  con- 
necting wire  making  with  brass  rolling,  but  could  find  no  person  in 
this  country  who  had  any  knowledge  of  the  business.  Foreseeing 
the  importance  of  the  interest  connected  with  the  successful  intro- 
duction of  this  new  branch  of  manufacture  into  the  country,  he  made 
a  second  voyage  to  England  in  1831,  and  returned  with  men  and 
machinery  enough  to  make  a  beginning,  though  small  but  viewed  in 
its  results,  of  great  importance  to  Waterbury  and  to  the  country. 

In  1834,  Mr.  Holnies  came  to  Wolcottville  as  a  partner  in  the 
first  brass  company  in  this  place,  to  be  the  manager  of  the  work  of 
that  mill,  and  the  same  year  made  his  third  voyage  to  England,  and 
procured  workmen  and  machinery  tor  the  manufacture  ot  brass  kettles 
in  Wolcottville,  by  the  only  method  then  known.  This  was  the 
origin  of  this  branch  of  business  in  the  United  States. 

As  a  citizen  of  Torrington  Mr.  Holmes  was  an  influential,  and 
active  man  in  educational  and  improving  enterprises  ;  and  as  such 
was  well  known  and  esteemed  throughout  the  Naugatuck  valley,  and 
largely  through  the  state.  He  represented  this  town  in  the  legisla- 
ture, and  also  in  after  years  the  town  of  Waterbury. 

In  1845  he  returned  to  Waterbury  and  as  president  of  the  Water- 
bury Brass  Company,  occupied  himself  in  building  and  putting  in 
operation  their  works  in  the  east  part  of  the  town,  and  afterwards, 
their  West  Mill. 

He  also  superintended  the  erection  of  a  brass  mill  in  Bristol,  and 
was  afterwards  actively  engaged  as  superintendent  of  the  brass-rolling 
mill  of  Holmes,  Booth  and  Hayden  of  which  corporation  he  was 
president. 

Mr.  Holmes  was  a  modest  unassuming  man,  yet  possessed  of  fine 
talents,  directed  to  the  promotion  of  all  noble  enterprises  of  that  day. 
Mr.  Filo  Hurd,  who  was   superintendent  of  the  construction  of  the 

61 


482  History  of  Torrington. 

Naugatuck  rail  road,  gives  him  the  credit  as  being  the  man  of  the 
most  intelligent  views,  and  helpful  counsel  to  that  work  of  any  along 
the  line  of  the  road. 

Mr.  Holmes  sometimes  amused  himself  in  writing  poetical  pieces, 
when  peculiar  circumstances  or  occasions  moved  him.  The  follow- 
ing were  written  while  he  resided  in  Wolcottville. 

Written  on  the  death  of  President  Harrison  : 

I. 

He's  gone  to  his  home  like  a  well  ripen'd  sheaf, 
The  ear  in  its  fullness,  and  sere  in  the  leaf; 
The  angels  have  borne  him  with  joy  to  the  skies, 
The  portals  of  heaven  have  closed  on  their  prize. 

He's  gone  like  the  waters  in  brightness  that  flow, 
While  verdure  and  flowers  clothe  their  banks  as  they  go, 
Till  forth  to  the  deep  in  their  grandeur  they  roll  — 
He's  gone  to  the  ocean  the  home  of  the  soul. 

He's  gone  !  and  the  nation  in  sackcloth  is  drest  — 
We  pour  out  our  tears  round  the  place  of  his  rest ; 
Columbia's  children  now  linger  and  weep 
O'er  the  tomb  of  her  friend,  in  death  now  asleep. 

He's  gone  like  the  sun  at  the  dying  of  day. 
When  shades  veil  the  earth  as  his  light  fades  away; 
Our  sighs,  like  an  orphan's,  are  heavily  drawn, 
While  Speaks  the  cold  marble,  he's  gone,  he  is  gone. 

2. 
Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave,  and  a  nation  deplores  thee. 

And  mourns  the  dread  summons  that  calTd  thee  away. 
Thy  country,  afflicted,  in  sadness  weeps  o'er  thee  — 

Her  millions  their  tribute  of  sorrow  now  pay. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave  when  the  sun  of  thy  glory 
Shone  fairest  and  brightest  on  the  land  of  thy  birth, 

Thou  hast  left  no  dishoner  bedimming  thy  story. 
Not  a  stain  on  thy  mem'ry  to  darken  its  worth. 

Thou  wert  call'd  to  the  grave  from  loftiest  station. 

Whilst  anthems  of  gladness  in  our  vallies  yet  rung, 
Whilst  shoutings  all  joyful  were  loud  through  a  nation, 

And  the  vows  of  thy  office  yet  vyere  warm  on  thy  tongue. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave;   but   back  from  thy  tomb, 

Thy  wisdom,  reflected,  pure,  gentle  and  bright, 
Shall  shine  on  the  future,  dispelling  its  gloom, 

As  the  bright  sun  declining  lends  the  stars  his  own  light. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave  ;  while  on  earth  we  deplore  thee. 
Thy  spirit  ascending,  high  soaring  in  air, 


Biographies.  483 


Shall  meet  kindred  spirits  who've  flown  there  before  thee, 
Who'll  spread  their  glad  pinions  to  welcome  thee  there. 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave  ;  but  thy  days  were  all  bright  j 
To  thy  country  thou  gav'st  them,  reserving  but  few  ; 

Thy  spirit  untarnished  hath  talcen  its  flight  — 
In  sorrow  and  sadness  we  bid  it  adieu. 


Race  over  the  Connecticut  Course.* 
"A  wake  thou,  my  muse!  nor  thy  silence  prolong, 
Let  thy  notes  all  be  joyous,  all  cheerful  thy  songs, 
Sing  the  race  of  two  horses,  of  bottom  and  speed 
One  of  the  people's  own  horses  of  subtreasury  breed ; 
Sing  too  of  their  riders,  vain  riders  were  they, 
Eaeh  one  had  his  motives,  his  skill  at  the  play  ; 
Honest  Bili^they  named  this,  crafty  John 3  they  called  that 
One  a  dun  colored  nag,  t'other  black  as  your  hat. 
Sly  Matty  the  fox'*  seized  crafty  John's  mane. 
And  glorious  old  Tip  5  held  honest  Bill's  rein. 
'Twas  a  fine  April  morn  when  they  brought  the  nags  out. 
And  thousands  were  there  their  coming  to  shout. 
Crafty  John  was  envelop'd  from  crupper  to  bit, 
With  a  richly  wrought  cov'ring  —  and  oh  what  a  fit, 
Emboss'd  on  its  folds  were  dominions  and  thrones, 
And  the  flags  of  all  nations  excepting  our  own. 
The  bright  shining  crescent  of  the  Grand  Turk  was  there. 
And  there  sitting  rampant  was  the  huge  Russian  Bear. 
Not  a  despot  on  earth  to  whom  slaves  kneel  and  cower, 
But  had  their  hieroglyphics,  his  symbols  of  power; 
No  borrowed  escutcheons  on   Bill's  mantle  shone; 
The  stars  of  the  Union  blaz'd  there  all  alone. 
No  kingly  fantastics  to  add  to  his  weight, 
To  excite  the  knaves  wonder,  or  fools  captivate. 
Both  nags  in  fine  spirits  and  confident  mood. 
Neck  to  neck,  side  by  side  at  the  standing  post  stood. 
The  riders  approach'd  —  and  O  what  a  sight? 
Sly  Matty  in  robes  so  dazzling  and  bright. 
Bespangled  all  over  with  silver  and  gold 
His  retinue  too,  O  the  half  is  untold. 

There  were  knights  and  squires,  lords,  would-be-court  knaves, 
And  servants  in  livery  and  gaily  drest  slaves. 
.  Some  like  princes  enrob'd  some  in  plainer  costume. 
From  a  dunghill  cock's  feather,  to  an  ostrich's  plume. 


'  Published  in  the  Litchfield  Enquirer,  April  23,  1840. 
'  Wm.  W.  Ellsworth,  ffOiig,  running  for  governor. 
^  John  M.  Niles,  Democrat,  running  for  governor.)} 
*  Martain  Van  Buren,  running  for  presidency, 
'Gen.  Harrison,  running  for  presideney. 


484  History  of  Torrington. 

Old  Tip  was  surrounded  by  a  log  cabin  guard 

Some  were  old  Continentals  with  their  faces  all  scar'd, 

Some  were  grey  headed  fathers,  the  boast  of  the  land, 

Sending  dignified  grace  to  the  true  hearted  band. 

And  thousands  of  honest  hard  working  men  too, 

Clustered  round  the  nag  Billy  and  Tippecanoe; 

Men  preferring  their  bread,  and  their  country's  good  hap 

To  glory,  gilt  saw  dust,  or  treasury  pap. 

Now  the  bell  rings  to  mount,  the  riders  advance. 

Old  Tip  looks  complacent,  sly  Matty  askance; 

Hark  a  voice?  clear  the  road,  for  the  saddler's  make  room, 

'Tis  the  voice  of  Tom  Benton,  sly  Matty's  head  groom. 

The  saddle  byjove,  'twas  a  queer  looking  thing, 

Like  a  huge  life  preserver  at  each  end  of  a  string. 

This  was  the  subtreasury  crater  itself, 

Where  they  lock  from  the  people  their  ill-gotten  pelf. 

Some  said  crafty  Johnny  could  never  sustain 

Such  weight,  but  would  fail  and  be  beaten  again  ; 

But  the  weight  was  all  fudge  —  'twas  all  in  your  eye 

With  no  more  than  was  there  crafty  Johnny  could  fly. 

Bill  Prince  and  Sam  Swartout  had  cleared  with  the  clink 

Leaving  just  enough  to  rattle  and  jink. 

The  space  that  was  left,  Benton  filled  with  his  breath  } 

As  a  drowning  man  does  when  he  is  threatened  with  death. 

Though  the  thing  look'd  so  large  yet  the  whole  altogether 

Would  scarcely  outweigh  a  buzzard's  tail  feather. 

They  buckled  it  on,  John  pricked  up  his  ears. 

As  proud  as  an  ass  with  empty  panniers, 

Sly  Matty  approached —  kneel  down  crafty  John." 

Like  a  camel  he  knelt  and  sly  Matty  got  on. 

Rise  up,  my  good  fellow,   my  trusty  cat's  paw, 

John  rose  and  Matt  looked  like  a  three  tailed  Bashaw, 

guoth  Matty,  now  hark,   John  mind  —  do  you  hear  ? 

You  stumbled  and  faltered,  and  was  beaten  last  year  ; 

Do  you  see  my  long  spurs  ?    but  held  in  his  hand, 

The  torn  constitution  and  laws  of  the  land. 

Scarce  enough  of  them  left  to  be  understood. 

Yet  he  folded  them  up  as  well  as  he  could ; 

And  these  were  his  saddle,  and   t'was  thrown  on  aright, 

With  the  girth  of  the  union,  t'was  buckled  on  tight. 

With  an  unruffl'd  brow,  and  a  hearty  good  will. 

Looking  cool  as  a  farmer  just  starting  for  mill, 

Tip  mounted  his  nag  and  thus  addressed  Bill  : 

No  long  exhortation  shall  I  now  stop  to  make. 

The  cause  is  the  people's,  their  interest   the  stake  ; 

No  matter  to  us  if  we're  beat —  none  at  all  — 

I've  my  log  cabin  left,  and  you've  a  warm  stall. 

But  the  people  expect  the  top  notch  of  your  speed. 

And  truly  friend  Bill,  of  this  there's  great  need. 

I've  no  spur  nor  a  whip,  save  the  twig  I've  just  broke 

From  the  wide  spreading  boughs  of  the  old  Charter  Oak. 


Biographies.  485 


None  other  you  need  save  your  own  honest  pride, 

The  people  remember,  be  your  spur  and  your  guide. 

Both  riders  now  ready,  ride  out  of  the  crowd. 

As  they  came  alongside  each  gracefully  bowed  — 

Good  morning  my  Tippy,  quoth  Matt,  this  is  kind, 

To  give  you  the  race,  I'm  somewhat  inclined. 

'Twould  give  me  such  pleasure  to  chat  through  the  day, 

But  John  is  a  devil,  you  know  in  his  way, 

He  is  so  hard  on  the  bit  and  so  cussedly  fast. 

That  our  confabulation  I  fear  me  won't  last. 

Old  Tip  nodded  thank  ye,  and  said  in  reply, 

You're  so  civil,  kind  Matty,  to  keep  up  I  will  try. 

Crafty  John  was  now  ready,   and  ready  was  Bill, 

But  sly  Matty  lingered  his  goblet  to  fill, 

His  golden  goblet  (what  a  democrat  whim) 

Tom  Benton  now  brought  him  filled  up  to  the  brim. 

Here's  a  health,  my  old  Tippy —  take  a  glass  of  champaigne, 

"  Much  obliged  but  on  cider  I  will  try  it  again." 

The  starting  Bill  struck  —  old  Tip  loos'd  the  run, 

And  away  Billy  flew  over  the  hill  and  o'er  plain. 

The  way  he  cleared  Hartford  the  county  and  all. 

Was  a  caution  —  just  so  he  will  do  it  next  fall. 

The  Middlesex  border  Bill  reached  in  short  space, 

The  roads  were  there  rougher  and  he  slacked  his  pace. 

How  strange  the  misfortune  that  happened  to  John  ; 

He  gallop'd  'tis  true,  but  he  could  not  get  on. 

He  stepp'd  fast  enough  but  'twas  straight  up  and  down, 

Like  a  horse  in  the  circus  when  rode  by  a  clown. 

Some  were  sadly  surprised,  some  said,  never  mind. 

He'll  soon  take  a  leap  and  leave  Billy  behind. 

At  length  he  cut  dirt,  like  a  colt  in  fright. 

But  'twas  side  ways  and  all  ways  but  right. 

With  much  tribulation,  they  hustl'd  him  through, 

And  Middlesex  reached,  he  pricked  up  anew. 

Sly  Matty  encouraged,  says  John  this  will  do. 

By  Jove  we're  in  sight  of  old   Tippecanoe; 

We're  gaining  —  we're  up  —  neck  and  neck,  side  to  side. 

Now  go  it  my  Johnny,  or  I'll  strip  off  your  hide. 

O  the  way  the  fire  flew  —  but  Johnny  outsped 

And  he  entered  New  Haven  1 8  lengths  ahead. 

He  entered  New  Haven  —  stop,  faith  I'd  forgot. 

His  fore  feet  were  there,  but  his  hind  legs  were  not. 

Ah  Matty,  ah  Johnny,  what  reverse  in  your  fate 

Ju;-t  now  you  were  leading  at  a  wonderful  rate. 

What  spell  has  come  over  you,  why  that  up  and  down  gait  ? 

As  a  ship  fast  aground  with  her  canvas  all  spread. 

Rises  up  with  the  swell,  but  moves  not  ahead  ; 

Or  a  wave  on  the  tread  mill,  tho'  the  whirl  goes  around 

Tho'  his  own  foolish  self  still  holds  the  same  ground. 

Old  Tip  now  came  up  and  pass'd  short  way  ahead. 

But  saw  Matty's  trouble  and  turned  him  and  said. 


486  History  of  Torrington. 

What's  the  matter  dear  Matty  come  spur  up  y'r  gait, 

Has  Johnny  the  bots,  till  he's  well  shall  I  wait  ? 

Go  to  h-U  with  your  waiting,  the  state  too  if  you  choose, 

A  few  wooden  nutmegs  is  not  much  to  lose. 

Honest  Bill  heard  Mat's  blessing  and  whirling  around, 

Cleared  the  counties  remaining  with  ease  at  one  bound. 

Thus  covered  with  glory  and  long  before  night 

Honest  Bill  and  old  Tip  came  in  from  the  fight. 

There  was  joy  and  glad  shouting  with  the  old  and  the  young, 

And  honest  Bill's  praises  and  old  Tip's  were  sung. 

Old  Tip  now  dismounted,  his  saddle  unloosed, 

The  bridle  took  ofiFand  Billy  unnoos'd, 

Good  bye,  my  friend  Billy,  now  go  to  your  stall, 

Have  an  eye  on  your  oats  and  remember  next  fall. 

As  an  old  continental  marches  with  his  knapsack. 

Old  Tip  slung  his  saddle  across  his  own  back 

Midst  shouting  and  greeting  shook  hands  with  each  friend. 

And  was  off  to  plant  corn  on  his  farm  at  North  Bend. 

But  where  is  sly  Matty  and  his  nag  crafty  John, 

So  proud  in  the  morning  so  fierce  to  get  on  ? 

We  left  them  in  trouble  where  two  counties  meet. 

Where  John  had  the  colic  or  some  ail  in  the  feet. 

Alas  for  sly  Matty,  there  still  they  remained. 

When  old  Tip  had  got  in  not  an  inch  had  they  gained. 

Up  and  down  up  and  down  still  in  the  same  track 

Pitching  forward  and  plunging,  but  falling  aback. 

Many  people  were  there,  it  was  sport  for  the  wags, 

One  cried  out,  sir,  Mr.  Saddlebags  — 

I  say  Mr.  Quixote,  if  a  stranger  may  guess 

You  have  got  the  wrong  nag  there  if  you're  riding  express. 

Is  your  harness  all  right?  aint  your  girth  rather  slack  ? 

Maybe  that  ere  saddle  is  galling  his  back  ? 

Matry  call'd  loud  for  help,  and  like  Andre  of  old. 

When  at  Tarrytown  caught  offered  silver  and  gold. 

They  bended  him  here,  and  hemmed  him  in  there, 

Till  Matty  poor  Matty  gave  up  in  despair. 

Now  alighting  from  Johnny,  and  seizing  his  bit, 

He  read  him  a  farewell  in  words  that  were  fit. 

Go,  thanks  to  my  spurs  thy  lank  sides  are  well  stained 

Go,  spavin'd  and  ringbon'd,  broken  winded  and  sprained 

Go,  since  you  prefer  it  to  treasury  corn, 

Go,  feed  amongst  briers  and  thistles  and  thorn, 

But  my  spurs  shall  go  with  you,  take  that,  and  aye  that. 

Go,  brouse  like  an  ass  on  the  salt  river  flat. 

Rev.  Abel  Knapp  Hinsdale. 

Was  born  in  Torrington,  united  with  the  church  in  Torrington  in 
1828,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1833,  and  at  Auburn 
Theological  Seminary  in   1838.      He  was  ordained  a  minister  of  the 


ORRIN  L.  HOPSON. 


Biographies.  487 

gospel,  and  set  apart  as  a  missionary  by  the  American  Board  to  the 
Independent  Nestorians,  Jan.  18,  1840.  While  soliciting  funds  for 
the  American  Board,  he  married  Sarah  Clark  of  Derry,  New  Hamp- 
shire. They  had  two  children  ;  the  first  died  quite  young,  the  second 
lived  about  fifteen  months. 

He  died  at  Mosul,  Mesopotamia,  Dec.  26,  1842,  after  which  his 
widow  was  engaged  in  instructing  the  children  of  the  missionaries  at 
Constantinople  about  ten  years,  when  she  returned  to  her  native 
country,  but  lived  only  about  two  years  after  her  return. 

Rev.  Burke  Aaron  Hinsdale,  A.M., 
Was  born  at  Wadsworth,  Medina  Co.,  Ohio,  March  31,  1837,  and 
was  the  son  of  Albert  Hinsdale  who  was  born  in  Torrington,  and  re- 
moved west  with  his  father  Capt.  Elisha  Hinsdale. 

He  was  educated  at  the  Elective  institute,  now  Hiram  college,  O., 
and  received  the  degree  A.M.  in  1871,  from  Bethany  college.  West 
Va,,  and  from  Williams  college,  Mass.  He  entered  the  ministry  of 
the  Christian  church  (called  also  Disciples)  in  1861  ;  was  pastor  in 
Solon,  O.,  1864-66  ;  was  pastor  in  Cleaveland  from  1866  to  1868  ; 
assistant  editor  of  the  Christian  Standard^  1866-69;  professor  of 
history  and  English  literature  in  Hiram  college  in  1869-70,  and  be- 
came president  of  this  college  in  1870,  performing  the  duties  of  pro- 
fessor of  philosophy,  history  and  biblical  literature,  and  where  he  con- 
tinues to  the  present  time.  He  is  also  assistant  editor  of  the  Christian 
^uarterly^  Cincinnati.  Mr.  Hinsdale  is  the  author,  also,  of  the 
Genuineness  and  Authenticity  of  the  Gospels^  published  in  1873  ;  The 
Evolution  of  the  Theological  and  Doctrinal  Systems  of  the  Ancient 
church  being  in  preparation  for  the  press  ;  and  he  has  contributed 
much  to  periodical  literature.  Also  an  essay  on  common  school 
education  published  by  order  of  the  Northeastern  Ohio  Teacher's  As- 
sociation. 

Orrin  L.  Hopson 
Was  born  in  the  town  of  Wells,  Rutland  county,  Vt.,  June  23,  1814. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  machinist  or  tool  maker,  and  worked  at  this 
trade  a  number  of  years  in  Vermont,  and  afterwards  in  Connecticut. 
While  in  Vermont  he  devised  or  invented  a  peculiar  style  of 
spectacle  cases,  and  engaged  in  a  joint  stock  company  for  the  manu- 
facture of  them,  and  they  became  very  popular,  but  a  Meriden  com- 
pany took  up  the  same  line  of  manufacture,  put  the  price  of  the 
article  much  lower,  and  Mr.  Hopson  not  having  a  patent  for  his  in- 


488  History  of  Torrington. 

vention,    the   Meriden    company  took  the  trade   and   became   very 
prosperous  with  it. 

Mr.  Hopson  came  to  Connecticut  and  engaged  in  the  pin  shop  at 
Oakville  near  Watertown,  about  1856,  as  die  maker,  and  after  a  few 
years  he  removed  to  Waterbury,  and  engaged  as  tool  maker,  where 
he  was  engaged  when  he  and  Mr.  Brooks  first  entertained  the  idea 
of  pointing  wire  by  the  cold  swaging  process. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Hopson  and  H.  P.  Brooks,  having  secured  a  patent 
for  a  wire  buckle,  for  which  there  was  a  large  demand  in  consequence 
of  the  rebellion  in  the  southern  states,  commenced  the  manufacture 
of  these  buckles  at  Waterbury.  Immediately  a  great  need  was  ex- 
perienced, of  some  machine  for  pointing  the  tongues  of  these  buckles, 
and  they  conceived  the  idea  of  doing  this  by  the  cold  swaging  pro- 
cess, and  at  once  tested  the  principle  by  constructing  a  machine, 
which  proved  a  success  in  a  small  way.  This  being  done  they  en- 
tertained the  idea  of  applying  the  principle  to  the  pointing  of  various 
kinds  of  wire  rods,  and  sewing  machine  needles  :  and  many  other 
articles,  made  of  the  best  steel  as  well  as  iron.  They  soon  disposed 
of  their  buckle  business  with  the  limited  amount  of  machinery,  to 
the  Waterbury  hook  and  eye  company,  and  turned  their  attention  to 
the  development  of  the  cold  swaging  machine.  After  many  disap- 
pointments and  failures  as  to  the  construction  of  such  an  instrument, 
and  the  incurring  of  great  expense,  they  succeeded  in  producing  a 
practical  and  effectual  machine  for  pointing  iron  rods  and  made  their 
first  sale  to  Messrs.  Washburn  and  Moen  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  of 
one  machine  with  the  right  of  the  patent  in  their  own  mill,  for  the 
sum  of  three  hundred  dollars. 

After  this  they  entered  upon  a  series  of  experiments  in  regard  to 
the  sewing  machine  needle.  One  of  these  experiments  took  place  at 
the  hook  and  eye  shop  in  Wolcottville  in  the  presence  of  several 
gentlemen,  experienced  manufacturers  of  the  village.  Soon  after 
this  a  company  was  organized,  who  purchased  the  exclusive  right  for 
the  United  States,  tor  manufacturing  sewing  machine  needles  by 
this,  th"  cold  swaging  process.  The  company  at  once  entered  upon 
the  work  before  them,  and  very  wisely  retained  the  inventors  as 
partners  in  the  company  to  secure  their  aid  in  the  development  of 
this  new,  untried  and  but  very  little  understood  process.  The  sew- 
ing machine  needle  was  required  to  be  very  perfect,  since  it  was 
driven  wholly  by  machinery  and  was  a  very  delicate  piece  of  steel 
wire.      After  much  patience,  and  perseverance  in  making  machinery. 


Biographies.  489 

during  which  many  experiments  were  tried,  and  some  inventions  and 
patents  were  secured  to  aid  in  this  process,  a  machine  was  constructed 
that  did  produce  the  most  perfect  needle  Icnown  for  sewing  machines  ; 
and  the  business  of  the  company  became  reasonably  remunerative. 

Having  disposed  of  the  right  for  making  needles  by  this  process  in 
the  United  States,  the  inventors  proceeded  to  England  where  after 
obtaining  the  patent  for  the  country,  they  tried  to  sell  it.  The 
English  manufacturers  refused  to  use  the  machine,  giving  as  the 
main  reason,  the  fear  that  their  workmen  would  destroy  the  machine 
through  the  supposition  that  it  would  take  away  their  means  of  sup- 
port. After  some  months  of  effort,  they  succeeded  in  selling  one 
machine  for  the  sum  of  twelve  hundred  and  fitty  dollars,  it  having 
cost  three  thousand  dollars  to  effect  the  sale.  Upon  this  the  invent- 
ors came  home  supposing  they  had  seen  about  the  end  of  their 
machine  in  the  old  world. 

About  four  years  later,  one  of  the  English  manufacturers  being  in 
this  country  saw  the  machine  at  work  at  Messrs.  Washburn  and 
Moen's  mill,  saw  the  practical  working  of  the  invention  and  at  once 
gave  an  order  for  a  machine.  It  was  made  and  sent  to  him,  but  he 
did  not  succeed  in  working  it.  He  wrote  to  the  inventors  that  if 
they  would  come  to  England  and  make  it  effectual,  they  would  take 
an  interest  in  it  and  introduce  it  to  the  wire  mills  in  the  kingdom. 
In  order  to  manage  the  sale  of  the  patent  to  advantage  and  without 
trouble,  Mr.  Hopson  purchased  the  right  of  Mr.  Brooks,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  England.  After  putting  the  machine  in  order,  and  securing 
its  successful  working,  he  sold  the  half  interest  in  the  patent  for 
England,  to  be  used  in  wire  mills  only,  to  Messrs.  Richard,  Johnson 
and  Nephew,  who  were  wire  manufacturers  of  Manchester.  This 
firm  have  had  much  success,  and  have  introduced  the  machines  into 
nearly  all  the  large  wire  mills  in  the  country. 

Such  is  the  history  of  one  little  invention,  which  during  a  series  of 
changing  vicisitudes  for  ten  years  was  made  a  success,  and  has  re- 
sulted in  some  reasonable  compensation  to  the  inventors  for  the  time 
spent  and  the  effort  made,  although  at  one  time  the  hope  of  recover- 
ing the  money  spent  in  England  was  a  poor  substitute  for  a  fortune. 
[See  the  description  of  the  Excelsior  Needle  Company.) 

Mr.  Hopson  removed  his  family  to  Wolcottville  about  1871, 
where,  besides  giving  attention  as  a  director  of  the  Needle  Company, 
he  kept  a  flour  and  feed  store  until  the  spring  of  1877,  when  having 
been  confined  considerably  during  the  winter  by  illness  he  gave  up 
the  store.     When   the   warm   weather  came  his  health   very    much 

62 


490  History  of  Torrington. 

improved  and  he  was  about  the  village  almost  daily,  appearing  to 
possess  quite  good  health.  But  this  was  mostly  in  appearance. 
After  a  serious  illness  of  about  two  weeks  at  his  residence  in  the 
village  he  died  August  29,  1877. 

Rev.  Stephen  Hubbell 
Was  born  in  Wilton,  Ct.,  April  22,  1802.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
he  was  placed  under  the  tuition  of  Hawley  Olmsted,  a  graduate  of 
Yale,  and  just  opening  the  academy  in  Wilton,  where  he  remained 
its  distinguished  and  successful  teacher  several  years.  After  spending 
nearly  five  years  in  this  academy,  he  taught  school  in  what  was  then 
called  Saugatuck  but  is  now  known  as  Westport ;  thus  earning  be- 
forehand, half  the  funds  needed  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  college 
course.  He  then  went  to  Yale  college  where  he  was  graduated  in 
the  class  of  1826. 

In  the  following  year  he  entered  the  Theological  seminary  at  New 
Haven,  where  he  remained  three  years.  After  this  he  supplied  the 
pulpit  of  Mt.  Carmel  Congregational  church  six  or  eight  months 
and  on  the  i8th  of  May,  1830,  was  ordained  pastor  of  that  church 
and  congregation.  This  pastorate,  eminently  pleasant  and  pros- 
perous, was  terminated  at  his  own  request  at  the  end  of  six  years. 

He  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  Wolcottville  church,  Feb.  29, 
1837,  and  commenced  his  labors  under  circumstances  that  promised 
success  to  the  cause  he  represented  and  comfort  to  himself,  but 
scarcely  had  he  commenced  his  work  before  the  approaching  hard 
times  began  to  afi^sct  his  parish  in  its  manufacturing  enterprises,  and 
this,  with  other  attending  adverse  events  led  him,  after  being  here  a 
little  over  one  year,  to  ask  for  a  dismission  from  the  pastoral  relation, 
but  the  decision  of  the  council  was  against  the  dismission.  He  re- 
mained until  Sept.  29,  1839,  when  he  was  regularly  dismissed. 

His  third  pastorate  contuiued  twelve  years  in  East  Avon,  Ct.,  and 
yielded  valuable  and  encouraging  results  but  was  abruptly  closed  on 
account  of  the  displeasure  entertained  by  the  parish  against  the  book 
Shady  Side  written  by  his  wife.  Instead  of  being  stimulated  to 
higher  and  nobler  attainments  in  the  future,  the  parish  determined  to 
execute  judgment,  for  the  supposed  offence,  upon  the  minister's 
family. 

In  August  17,  1853,  ^^^  passed  directly  from  his  dismission  at 
Avon  to  his  installa:ion  at  North  Stonington,  where  for  the  space  of 
almost  seventeen  years,  he  was  enabled,  apparently,  to  do  the  most 
and  best  service  ot  all  his  toiling  years  in  the  ministry. 


Biographies.  491 

From  this  place  he  passed  to  Long  Ridge,  in  Stamford,  Cr.,  which 
was  a  smaller  field  of  labor  than  any  in  which  he  had  previously 
served,  but  the  interests  of  which  he  cordially  espoused.  Having  a 
characteristic  aversion  to  the  system  of  stated  supplies,  he  thought 
it  best  to  be  installed  in  this  place  though  the  hope  of  remaining 
many  years  was  not  great.  The  elements  of  the  congregation  were 
of  an  unusually  mixed  character,  and  the  tide  of  business  enterprises 
and  family  relations  were  all  moving  from  the  place  rather  than 
flowing  toward  it. 

Here  he  managed  to  procure  aid  from  the  kindred  of  himself  and 
wife  to  repair  the  house  of  worship  and  beautify  its  interior;  and  by 
this  the  external  circumstances  and  condition  of  worship  were  very 
much  changed  in  the  place. 

Here  he  continued  to  labor  with  much  earnestness  and  unceasing 
effort,  hoping  that  some  signal  change  of  internal  life  might  be  seen 
and  realized  to  the  great  comfort  and  advantage  of  the  community, 
but  while  all  of  his  hopes  were  not  realized,  such  were  the  apparent 
improvements  that  the  remembrance  of  these  labors  are  not  without 
some  consolation  in  his  retired  years. 

From  this  place  he  returned  to  Mount  Carmel,  the  place  where 
he  began  his  ministerial  and  pastoral  life,  where  he  has  built  him  a 
snug  home  and  where  he  finds  some  congenial  employment,  and 
takes  comfort  in  "  reviewing  the  precious  past,  and  anticipating  the 
glorious  future." 

Mrs.  Hubbell. 

This  summary  of  changes  in  the  career  of  this  pastor's  life  would 
be  very  incomplete  without  special  mention  of  his  family.  He  mar- 
ried on  October  30,  1832,  Martha,  daughter  of  Noah  Stone,  M.D., 
of  Oxford,  Ct.  Her  mental  culture  and  moral  training  had  been  the 
best  kind  both  as  to  home  influences  and  institutions  of  learning.  In 
her  new  sphere,  young  as  she  then  was,  the  result  of  her  piety  and 
her  intellectual  culture,  to  wield  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer  in  behalf 
of  the  great  principles  and  precepts  of  the  great  Teacher,  soon  began 
to  manifest  themselves  under  varied  circumstances  and  in  regard  to 
many  objects  of  attention  peculiar  to  such  a  relation  to  the  commu- 
nity. She  always  had  some  definite  theme  on  which  her  thoughts 
were  philosophically  running,  and  drawing  practical  applications, 
durino;  the  intervals  and  fragments  of  time  when  the  cares  of  the 
family  and  the  claims  of  social  life  would  allow  her  attention  to  be 
thus  devoted.      Being  naturally  fond  of  reading  and   thinking,  and 


49^  History  of  Torrington. 

having  been  trained  in  such  employments  from  childhood,  she  was 
always  adding  to  her  store  of  knowledge,  and  to  her  ability  to  ex- 
press herself  precisely  and  gracefully  upon  any  subject  on  which  she 
engaged  in  conversation  or  writing.  Soon  her  narratives  began  to  find 
place  in  public  print;  in  the  weeklies  and  monthlies;  and  then  she 
wrote  a  number  of  volumes  for  Sunday  school  reading,  which  were 
published  and  gave  good  satisfaction. 

It  was  during  the  pastorate  of  her  husband  at  East  Avon,  that  she 
wrote  and  published  that  book.  Shady  Side^  which  made  such  a  stir  in 
the  parish  that  he  felt  constrained  to  resign  his  pastorate,  but  which 
sent  her  name  far  and  near  as  an  authoress,  and  brought  her  great 
tribute  of  thanks  and  gratitude  for  the  good  service  it  was  doing  for 
the  ministry  among  the  churches.  It  is  stated  as  the  mature  judg- 
ment of  many  of  the  leading  ministers  of  New  England,  that  no  one 
thing  ever  transpired  which  did  so  much  to  awaken  a  proper  consider- 
ation and  understanding  in  the  minds  of  the  public  toward  the 
ministers'  families,  as  the  writing  of  this  book,  and  this  opinion,  with 
many  grateful  feelings,  were  frequently  expressed  to  the  authoress 
and  her  husband. 

The  book  as  a  whole  was  regarded  as  a  fair  representation  of 
society  in  New  England  at  the  time.  Some  few  thought  the  pic- 
ture overdrawn  on  the  dark  side,  while  many  thought  it  not  a  shady 
side  but  a  very  correct  representation  of  real  life  as  generally  ex- 
hibited in  communities  such  as  described,  under  circumstances  of 
financial  difficulty. 

As  a  literary  production  it  was  so  acceptable  that  the  authoress 
was  solicited  for  other  volumes  on  kindred  topics  by  publishers  and 
persons  of  distinction  both  in  America  and  Europe.  Forty  thousand 
copies  of  the  book  were  very  readily  sold  ;  and  still  it  was  called  for, 
being  sold  by  the  Carters  of  New  York.  At  Wolcottville  the  book 
was  not  very  kindly  received,  though  most  every  body  read  it. 

Had  the  health  of  Mrs.  Hubbell  been  good,  and  continued,  other 
books  of  equal  value  might  have  been  received  from  her  pen  that 
would  have  had  the  same  beneficial  influence  in  favor  of  the  great 
principles  of  Christianity  ;  honesty,  truthfulness  and  a  life  of  consist- 
ency by  professed  Christians. 

Mrs.  Hubbell's  health  gradually  declined  and  her  wasting  disease 
brought  her  useful  career  to  a  close  at  life's  high  noon,  at  the  age  of 
two  score  and  two  years. 

Of  the  two  children  of  this  family  who  survived  to  mature  years 
the  following  is  the  brief  record. 


Biographies.  493 


Mary  Elizabeth  Hubbell 
Was  born  at  Mt.  Carmel,  Dec.  5,  1833.  She  was  naturally  gifted 
in  intellectual  qualities  ^nd  under  the  careful  training  of  her  parents 
and  the  schools  she  attended,  she  became  fitted  for,  and  accepted  the 
position  of  principal  teacher  in  a  young  ladies'  school  in  Baltimore, 
Ind.,  the  year  before  her  decease.  Twenty  and  a  half  years  was  the 
limit  of  her  life.  Her  writings  of  prose  and  poetry  remain  to  justify 
the  tribute  paid  to  her  by  her  mother : 

"Child  of  genius  and  of  song  ; 
Child,  too,  of  God." 

Rev.  William  Stone  Hubbell 
Was  born  in  Wolcottville,  April  19,  1839.  He  was  graduated  at 
Yale  college  in  the  class  of  1858.  In  the  autumn  of  1857,  he  en- 
tered the  junior  class  of  the  Theological  seminary  at  Andover,  and 
remained  there  two  years,  when  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  25th 
Ct.  infantry  \  was  promoted  to  be  2d  lieutenant  in  the  21st;  had  a 
brilliant  career  to  the  end  of  the  war,  when  he  was  commissioned 
brevet-major,  and  returned  to  spend  his  third  year  at  Andover.  He 
has  been  six  years  the  successful  pastor  of  the  Franklin  St.  church 
in  Sommerville,  Mass.  In  the  autumn  of  1865,  he  married  Carrie, 
daughter  of  Alfred  Southmayd,  Esq.,  of  Middletown,  Ct.,  and  has 
two  daughters  and  two  sons. 

Rev.  Stephen  Hubbell  married  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  his  second  wife 
Harriet  Thompson,  daughter  of  Ezra  Hawley,  Esq.,  of  Catskill, 
May  II,  1859. 

Amid  the  changes,  bright  and  drear  which  have  come  to  him  all 
along  his  ministry,  his  beloved  and  loving  family  has  been  the  great 
comfort  and  crowning  joy  of  his  life. 

Daniel  Hudson,* 
And  Mary  Coe,  "  his  wife,"  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the 
town  of  Torrington,  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.  They  came  into  the 
parish  ofTorringford  in  1868,  and  were  constitutents  of  that  society 
and  church  in  establishing  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills 
over  that  people  in  1769.  He  was  born  in  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  in 
1738,  and  she  in  Middletown,  Middlefield  Society,  Ct.,  in  1745. 
Both  of  them  were  of  genuine  Puritan  extraction  in  their  physiques^ 
spirits,  morals,  religion  and  deeds. 


'  Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  of  New  York. 


494  History  of  Torrington. 

Daniel  Hudson,  ancestor  of  all  the  Hudsons  of  New  England, 
came  from  England,  probably  Lancastei  shire,'  with  his  wife,  sons, 
and  daughters,  to  Boston,  between  the  years  1625  and  1630,"^  and 
settled  in  Lancaster,  now  Leominster,  Mass.  His  son  William  was 
made  a  freeman  in  Boston  in  163 1  ;  and  allowed  to  keep  an  ordinary 
(tavern)  in  1640.  His  son  Daniel,  who  settled  in  Bridgewater  and 
married  Mary  Orcutt,  and  had  Daniel  who  married  Mary  Fobes, 
who  had  Daniel  Hudson  in  1738,  who  when  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  went  with  his  cousin  Barzillai,^  westward  to  Middletown,  Ct. 

Robert  Coe  of  Norfolkshire,  England,  born  in  1596  ;  and  his  wife 
Anna,  came  to  New  England  in  1634,  and  settled  successively  at 
Watertown,  Mass.,  VVethersfield  and  Stratford,  Ct.  Mary  Coe  was 
the  daughter  of  Capt.  David  Coe  and  Hannah  Camp,  his  wife,  of  Mid- 
dletown ;  grand  daughter  of  Joseph  Coe  and  Abigail  Robinson,  his 
wife  ;  great  grand  daughter  of  John  Coe  of  Stratford  ;  and  great, 
great  grand  daughter  of  Robert  Coe,  England. 

The  ancestors  of  Daniel  Hudson  and  Mary  Coe  were  of  the  first 
respectability,  yet  were  not  saints  of  the  highest  order;  in  asmuch 
as  their  moral  perceptions  became  darkened,  and  their  characters 
tainted  by  the  spirit  of  slavery,  "that  sum  of  all  villainies;"  for  the 
record  reads  that  slaves  of  Capt.  David  Coe,  "were  married  with 
his  consent."  As  "Jacob  served  Laban,  seven  years,  for  his  daughter 
Rachel  to  wife;"  it  doth  appear  that  Daniel  Hudson  served  Capt. 
David  Coe,  for  his  daughter  Mary;  for  in  his  will,  the  reading  is: 
"I  give  and  devise  to  the  heirs  of  my  daughter  Mary  Hudson  .£32- 
iSj.;  the  reason  why  I  give  them  no  more  is,  that  my  son  Hudson, 
had  the  improvement  of  my  lands,  eight  years,  which  I  judge  to  be 
their  full  proportion  to  the  rest  of  my  daughters." 

Daniel  Hudson  and  wife  Mary,  went  westward,  at  that  time 
a  tiresome  journey,  on  horseback  and  with  an  ox  cart;  through  the 
dark  wilderness,  following  the  bridle  path  and  the  unmade  south  road 
(in  distinction  from  the  north  road  through  the  northern  part  of 
Winsted)  which,  by  order  of  the  general  assembly,  a  committee  had 
laid  out  in  1762,  running  through  the  south  part  of  New  Hartford, 
and  following  a  bridle  path  through  the  northern  part  of  Torringford 
street,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Gould  (now  Hayden's);  thence 
north- westerly  past  the  hostelry  of  John   Burr,  on  the  brow  of  the 


■  Divers  of  this  name  are  here. 

'  The  emigration  records  of  those  years  cannot  as  yet  be  found. 

3  Barzillai  settled  in  Hartford  ;  originated  and  printed  the  Connecticut  Courant. 


Biographies.  495 

steep  hill ;  thence  down  the  declivity  to  Still  River  swamp  (Burrville) ; 
thence  up  the  mountain  gorge  to  Winchester.  On  that  road,  and 
on  its  west  side,  mid-way  between  the  Gould  place  and  landlord 
Burr's  Hotel,  they  pitched  their  tent,  and  erected  a  small  one  story 
house  for  temporary  residence.  Subsequently  they  built  a  two  story 
lean-to  house  on  a  site  nearer  the  Burr  estate.  There  they  became 
possessed  of  an  extensive  farm,  the  most  eligible  and  feasible  for 
tillage  and  grazing  of  that  region. 

The  site  and  scenery  were  beautiful  and  unsurpassed,  location 
healthy,  the  air  invigorating,  the  water  pure,  cool  and  delicious,  and 
every  prospect  pleasing  and  inspiring.  Here  they  dwelt,  toiled  and 
prospered;  reared  and  nurtured  a  family  of  nine  children,  seven 
daughters  and  two  sons,  all  of  whom  grew  up  healthy,  hardy,  indus- 
trious, intelligent,  useful  and  enterprising  members  of  society,  and 
who  inherited  a  goodly  portion  of  puritanic  principles  and  character. 
The  homestead  remained  in  the  family  ninety-two  years,  so  long  as 
there  was  a  Hudson  to  live  in  Torringford ! 

In  those  days  of  the  wilderness  of  Torrington,  and  the  incipient 
enterprise  of  Daniel  Hudson  and  Mary  Coe,  when  they  were  depend- 
ent for  every  comfort  and  implement  of  husbandry,  upon  their  good 
sense  and  unmitigated,  wearing  labors  of  mind  and  body,  then  and 
there  their  puritan  characters,  energy  of  life,  indomitable  spirit  and 
courage  were  manifested  with  that  of  others,  indicating  the  coming 
celebrity  of  Torringford.  The  trees  were  cut  down,  clearings  made, 
seeds,  shrubs,  fruit-trees  and  vines  put  into  the  earth,  and  which 
produced  rich  harvests.  In  due  time  the  farm  was  well  stocked  with 
cows  and  sheep,  for  dairy,  wool  and  mutton.  Grass  of  a  superior 
quality,  Indian  corn,  rye,  peas,  beans,  barley,  oats  and  flax  were 
profitable  crops.  The  lands,  though  of  diluvial  formation,  with  a 
deep  and  extensive  underlying  base  of  granite  table-rock,  cropping  out 
into  occasional  ledges  with  huge  boulders  of  the  same,  incidentally 
strewn  upon  the  soil,  possessed  good  strength,  and  were  originally 
heavily  timbered  with  sugar  maples,  hickory,  ash,  beech,  oak,  chest- 
nut, cherry,  tulip  and  box  trees,  and  adorned  with  the  kalmia  or 
mountain  laurel,  while  the  intervales  were  full  of  tall  pines,  hem- 
locks and  tamaracks  with  their  verdure  waving  to  the  winds  most 
gracefully.  So  picturesque  was  the  landscape  scenery,  and  so  in- 
spired was  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills  with  its  grandeur  when  he  came 
there  to  settle  that  he  was  exercised  to  exclaim,  "  Here  let  me  live, 
and  here  let  me  die." 

The  household  scenes  of  Daniel  Hudson  and  Mary  Coe  furnished 


49^  History  of  Torrington. 

an  instructive  and  indicative  horoscope  of  the  future  of  that  family  in 
prosperity,  physical  comforts,  health,  longevity,  morals,  religion  and 
intelligence.  The  active  physical  and  moral  energies  of  the  parents, 
and  their  numerous  daughters  and  two  sons,  manifested  in  the  various 
industries,  utilities  and  responsibilities,  gave  promise  of  certain  success 
and  honor  in  life.  All  clad  in  homespun  and  homemade  garments  ; 
the  father  and  sons  in  butternut  colored  or  plain,  the  mother  and 
daughters  in  plaid  or  striped  short  gowns  and  petticoats,  seldom  with 
costly  shoes,  except  on  extra  occasions,  offered  a  scene  which  re- 
spectable society  of  modern  times  may  feel  to  despise,  but  in  regard 
to  the  prudence  and  wisdom  of  which  it  might  be  health  to  the  eyes 
of  many  people  to  see. 

The  advantages  of  the  sparse  and  indigent  public  schools,  were 
appreciated,  being  eagerly  improved  by  most  of  the  young  people 
until  they  were  past  their  years  of  minority.  After  a  time  there 
were  added  home  institutions,  night  schools,  and  self  education  ;  and 
with  these,  religious  instruction  through  the  catechism  and  the  Bible, 
were  interspersed  with  a  constancy  and  fidelity  that  did  honor  to 
parents  and  teachers  of  such  a  faith  as  the  descendants  of  the  puri- 
tans. Mr.  Mills  exercised  great  interest  and  influence  in  the  intel- 
lectual and  religious  nurture  of  the  children  ;  and  they  were  an 
increasing  multitude  in  those  days.  The  children  always  loved  his 
presence  and  mirthful  sayings.  On  one  occasion  when  she  that  Is 
Mrs.  Clarissa  Hudson  Tuttle,  was  very  small,  and  the  teacher  de- 
sired to  exhibit  every  child,  she  was  called  up  to  repeat  the  verse  : 
"  In  Adam's  fall  we  sinned  all  ;"  Mr.  Mills  exclaimed  :  "  No,  no  ; 
my  child,"  for  "  in  Cain's  murder  we  sinned  furder." 

Family  religious  observances  were  very  regular  and  the  presence 
of  every  member  of  the  family  rigorously  required.  At  the  setting 
of  the  sun  every  Saturday,  all  secular  affairs  ceased  instantly,  and 
exclusively  ;  even  to  the  cracking  of  a  nut.  Books  were  scarce 
and  expensive,  and  almost  exclusively  religious  ;  such  as  the  Bible, 
psalms,  Westminster  Catechism,  Bunyan's  Pilgrims  Progress^  some 
book  of  sermons,  Scott's  Commentaries^  and  the  Connecticut  Courant ; 
and  even  this  last  named,  is  thought  to  have  been  more  religious  in 
those  days  than  at  present.  All  the  members  of  the  family  were  re- 
gular in  theirattendanceat  church.  Thefathergoing  on  horseback,  the 
mother  seated  behind  him  on  a  pillion  ;  the  girls  and  boys  on  foot  ; 
and  with  staid  faces,  suppressed  glee  and  solemn  demeanor  they 
traveled  the  unmade  and  rough  roadway  two  miles  to  church  every 
Sunday.      As  shoes  were  a  very  expensive  article  of  dress,  particularly 


Biographies. 


497 


so  for  a  large  family,  it  was  customary  for  girls  and  boys  to  carry 
these  articles  in  their  hands  until  they  came  near  the  church  and 
then  to  put  them  on,  to  "  tread  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  house,"  thus 
reversing  the  ancient  requirements.  In  their  religious  faith  and  creed, 
they  were  like  father  Mills  and  the  church,  thorough  bred  Calvinists. 
Their  children  and  children's  children  constitute  good  standards,  into 
which  to  engraft  a  more  enlightened  faith  and  practice  of  Christian 
humanity  and  civilization. 

Daniel  Hudson  was  a  strong  federalist  in  politics,  and  was  greatly 
exercised  when  JefFersonian  democracy  began  to  influence  the  public 
mind,  and  to  loose  the  bands  of  ecclesiastical  and  federal  church  and 
society ;  and  to  favor  what  were  deemed  heretical  sects  and  op- 
posing creeds,  and  faiths,  which  were  anathematised  as  wicked  en- 
croachments upon  the  orthodox  "  bodies  corporate." 

Notwithstanding  some  peculiarities  of  creed  and  faith,  the  puritan 
characters  and  exemplary  lives  of  Daniel  Hudson  and  Mary  Coe  as 
well  as  many  others  were  manifestly  invaluable  legacies  to  Torring- 
ford,  for  its  ultimate  growth,  progress  and  reputation,  as  affording  a 
pleasant  "  habitation  to  dwell  in."  Their  children  all  grew  up  to 
manhood  and  womanhood  ;  became  respectably  allied,  and  affiiliated 
in  every  reform  and  progress  of  human  civilization,  and  their  de- 
scendants are  scattered,  and  honorably  known,  in  various  parts  of  the 
United  States. 

Daniel  Coe  Hudson. 
In  Memor'iam^  by  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson. 

Daniel  Coe  Hudson,  the  eldest  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Coe) 
Hudson,  resided  several  years  on  a  farm  located  half  a  mile  west  of 
Mast  swamp,  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  (occidental)  ascent  to  the  homesteads  of  Dea.  John  Cook  and 
Joseph  Fowler,  Esq.  He  married  Mary  Loomis,  .  daughter  of 
Epaphras  and  Marv  (Hills)  Loomis;  a  woman  of  good  repute  for 
her  excellent  ways,  and  loving  kindness  ;  she  being  the  sister  of 
Deacon  Lorrain  Loomis,  so  noted  for  his  intelligence,  and  rare 
benevolence.  They  had  one  son  (Daniel),  a  very  promising  child, 
but  who,  when  seven  years  of  age,  was  suddenly  stricken  down  with 
diphtheria  and  died  in  1805.  His  mother  had,  one  year  previously, 
deceased  by  typhus  fever,  when  only  twenty-eight  years  of  a2;e. 

Thus  overwhelmed  by  his  bereavements  he  left  that  malarial^lzce 
63 


49^  History  of  Torrington. 

and  returned  to  his  native  (Orient)  hill  of  Torringford,  and  pur- 
chased the  estate  of  John  Burr,  hostelry,  which  adjoined  his  father's 
estate.  The  two  possessions  were  mainly  cooperatively  improved  by 
the  father,  and  his  two  sons,  in  respectable  farming  and  dairying. 
They  were  also  extensive  manufacturers  of  brick,  of  reputable  quality, 
from  the  large  crop-out  clay  beds  on  their  lands,  which  are  sufficiently 
ferruginous,  to  effect  a  beautiful  red  color,  hardness  and  great  dura- 
bility by  calcination  and  their  oxidation. 

For  his  second  wife  he  married  Rhoda  Fowler,  daughter  of  Noah 
and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler  ;  a  woman  of  rare  qualities  of  character  ; 
dignity  of  demeanor,  gentle  and  amiable  disposition,  wisdom,  inde- 
pendence and  discretion.  By  an  eminent  critic,  she  was  pronounced 
''a  perfect  and  exemplary  character."  They  had  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  who  were  nurtured,  baptized,  disciplined  and  thoroughly 
educated  under  the  ministering  care  and  watchfulness  of  Mills  and 
Goodman,  all  of  whom  proved  to  be  worthy  scions  of  their  puritan 
ancestry.  They  stood  in  their  lot  and  place  in  every  Christian, 
philanthropic  work  ;  were  ardent  lovers  and  cultivators  of  music  ; 
great  readers,  and  noted  school  teachers. 

The  location  and  habitation  of  Daniel  C.  Hudson  was  of  unsur- 
passed attractiveness.  Its  commanding  view,  from  the  immediate 
brow  of  the  northern  terminus  of  Torringford  hill,  to  the  north,  east 
and  west  ;  of  green  woods,  valleys,  farms,  woodland  templed 
hills,  hamlets,  and  mountainous  back  ground,  presented  a  panoramic 
picture  of  great  beauty  and  grandeur.  The  geological  formations, 
which  constitute  the  hill  bases,  crop  out  in  extensive  granite  table 
rock,  with  its  glacial  marks  of  the  ancient  of  days  ;  the  towering 
ledges,  and  huge  granite  boulders  deposited  upon  their  extreme 
summits,  inspire  the  mind  with  wonder  and  adoration.  This  habita- 
tion of  Daniel  C  Hudson,  the  place  of  nativity  of  all  of  his  children, 
is  one  of  the  oldest,  and  first  in  Torringford,  built  by  John  Burr,  in 
the  quaint,  old  style  of  lean-to  architecture  ;  and  is  greatly  ex- 
posed to  the  cardinal  points  and  cardinal  winds  (and  winds  not  car- 
dinal if  any  there  be);  and  also  to  salubrious  summer  breezes; 
though  in  later  years,  rock  maple,  Lombardy  poplars,  locust  and 
apple  trees  have  been  planted,  and  which  afford  protection  and  pictur- 
esqueness  to  its  decaying  and  desolate  state.  This  ancient  home 
being  the  only  vestige  of  the  Hudsons,  the  place  of  the  nativity  of 
the  memorist,  the  only  surviving  son  of  the  "  house  of  Hudson  "  he 
wakes  with  miser  care  o'er  this  dear  old  home,  and  would  perpetuate, 
or  catch,  and  treasure  up  its  shadowy  lineaments,  even  in  its  dissolu- 


Biographies.  499 

tion,  and  impress  his  image  upon  tlie  ^  cradle  of  his  infancy,  the 
sanctified  spot  of  his  boyhood  sports  and  events  ;  the  goodbye  herit- 
age of  Daniel  Coe  Hudson  and  Rhoda  Fowler,  his  wife,  and 
their  children. 

Daniel  Coe  Hudson,  Jr., 
The  younger  son  of  Daniel  Coe,  and  Rhoda  (Fowler)  Hudson,  was 
a  vivacious  youth,  ardent  in  temperament,  fond  of  reading,  and  of 
music  and  good  society.  He  was  reared  under  the  best  influences, 
in  the  interest  of  enterprising  society  and  high  toned  morals;  and  to 
dwell  with  his  parents,  and  assist  in  agriculture,  and  the  manufactur- 
ing of  brick.  He  also  devoted  some  attention  and  service  to  a  branch 
of  commerce.  He  had  a  passion  for  music,  which  he  cultivated  to 
his  own  physical  hurt.  He  also  was  interested  in  horticulture,  and 
exerted  a  beneficial  influence  for  the  improvement  of  orchards,  the 
production  of  prime  fruit,  the  suppression  of  cider  making,  drinking, 
and  growing  intemperance.  The  promise  of  his  life  was  fair  to  be- 
come an  honorable  and  philanthropic  member  of  community,  but 
in  one  of  his  commercial  business  excursions,  he  was  attacked  vio- 
ently  with  pneumonia,  by  which  he  was  grievously  stricken  down 
in  March,  1832,  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  his  age,  at  Trenton, 
Ohio. 

Barzillai  Hudson, 

The  youngest  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Coe)  Hudson,  was  a  native 
of  Torringford  and  was  a  respectable  citizen  and  farmer.  He  dwelt 
several  years  in  the  small  house  which  was  built  by  his  father  at  the 
time  he  settled  in  Torringford.  He  associated  with  his  father  in  the 
cultivation  of  his  farm,  and  after  his  father's  decease  had  the  exclu- 
sive possession  of  che  estate.  Many  years  prior  to  that  event  he 
dwelt  in  the  house  with  his  father.  He  cooperated  with  his  brother 
in  the  cultivation  of  both  estates  and  in  the  manufacture  of  bricks 
for  mutual  interest,  to  a  limited  extent.  He  was  a  respected  public 
functionary  and  held  important  positions  and  trusts  in  the  town  of 
Torrington,  and  was  constrvatively  interested  in  moral,  educational 
and  religious  enterprises. 

He  married  Content  Pickett  of  Windsor,  a  very  industrious  woman 
and   valuable  helpmeet.     They   had    four    children,   all    daughters. 


'See  the  cut  of  the  deserted,  decaying  home,  and  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson   the  onlv  immediate 
representative  of  the  name,  photographed  in  1871. 


500  History  of  Torrington. 

With  his  decease  the  name  of  Hudson,  enrolled  with  those  of  the 
earliest  settlers,  became  extinct  in  Torrington.  The  old  home  with 
all  its  thrilling  associations,  became  the  possession  of  strangers.  Not 
a  vestige  of  that  sacred  habitation  remains,  to  memorize  the  perils  of 
the  pioneer  settlers,  who  felled  the  forest  trees  ;  who  tilled  the  native 
soil  ;  who  built  there  their  blest  abode,  where  their  voices  uttered 
both  prayers  and  songs  of  praise  to  their  Great. Preserver  and  Bene- 
factor. 

Daniel  Wyatt  Hudson, 
Son  of  Dr.  Erasmus  D.  and  Martha  (Turner)  Hudson,  and  grandson 
of  Daniel  Coe  Hudson,  was  born  at  Torringford  (then  owned  bv  Dr. 
E.  D.  Hudson)  December  lo,  1833.  He  had  good  native  genius, 
which  was  nurtured  with  much  care  and  faithfulness.  He  was  early 
placed  under  the  care  of  a  private  teacher,  who  had  charge  of  a  family 
boarding  school  for  boys,  from  various  parts  of  the  country  ;  which 
was  instituted  and  supervised  by  his  father  and  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman. 
He  early  displayed  great  talent  for  music.  When  four  vears  old 
he  would  unite  with  a  musical  coterie^  and  carry  a  part  independently 
in  perfect  harmony.  In  1H41,  his  father  being  sent  on  a  mission  to 
the  states  of  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Michigan,  took  him,  his  mother  and 
elder  brother,  with  him  with  the  purpose  of  giving  him  and  his  elder 
brother  the  advantages  of  education  in  Oberlin  ;  but  not  liking 
the  law  and  no  grace  influence  that  ruled  in  that  institution,  he  re- 
turned them  to  schools  in  Northampton,  Mass.  With  his  love  for 
books,  he  manifested  a  desire  to  learn  the  art,  and  make  it  his 
business,  to  make  books.  With  a  view  to  this,  he  entered  the  house 
of  Drake  &  Parsons  in  Hartford  ;  but  before  finishing  his  education 
there,  he  was  seized,  suddenly,  bv  an  illness  which  was  very  dis- 
tressing and  protracted,  and  issued  in  the  termination  of  his  youthful 
days,  in  January,  1855,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  was 
baptized  when  very  young  into  the  spirit  and  cause  of  anti-slavery, 
temperance  and  Christian  humanity  ;  in  which  his  integrity  was  never 
compromised.  With  his  decease  the  house  of  Hudson  lost  the  given 
name  of  Daniel  which  had  had  a  regular  descent  from  Daniel  of 
Lancaster,  England,  of  about  1590. 

Erasmus  D.  Hudson,  M.D., 

Son  of  Daniel  Coe  and  Rhoda  (Fowler)  Hudson,  was  born  in  Tor- 
ringford Dec.  5,  1806,  in  the  old  house  built  by  John  Burr  as  his 
hostelry  and  inherited  from  his  paternal  and  maternal  ancestry  a  strong 


,imm 


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m. 


^,  A,  JitAMJ^^oy^  huJ5. 


Biographies.  501 

constitution  and  length  of  days  ;  in  sixty-nine  years  having  never 
suffered  personal  sickness  one  day  except  ocean  sickness  while  cross- 
ing the  Atlantic,  and  disability  a  short  season  when  a  boy,  from  a 
fractured  leg.  His  temperament  was  ardent^  nervo  sanguineous ;  his 
mind,  action  and  disposition  peaceful  and  conscientious  ;  but  took 
great  pleasure  in  the  discussion  of  popular,  moral  and  scientific  sub- 
jects. While  quite  young,  during  an  excited  discussion  held,  respect- 
ing the  intrusion  of  the  Methodists  into  the  pastoral  field  of  Father 
Mills,  he  had  the  temerity  to  ingeniously  make  the  query  :  "  why 
the  Methodists  had  not  the  same  right  as. any  body  to  hold  meetings 
there  ?  "  which  obtained  for  him  the  appellation  of  little  Methodist. 
His  physical  activity  was  commensurate  with  his  mental  ;  for  he  was 
always  alive  to  every  work  of  art  and  of  agriculture  to  which  he 
could  lend  a  helping  hand  and  was  frequently  entrusted  with  responsi- 
blities  too  weighty  for  his  years,  but  which  were  efficiently  fulfilled. 
He  took  pleasure  and  pride  in  executing  such  trusts  ;  and  this  dis- 
position has  attended  him  to  such  a  degree  that  like  Unc/e  John^  a 
character  in  the  Caxtons^  he  has  had  the  credit  of  "carrying  every 
body  in  his  breeches  pocket,"  and  therefore  it  was  very  natural  for 
him  to  become  quickly  enlisted  in  every  philanthropic  enterprise  and 
humane  reform. 

His  father  was  a  respectable,  industrious  man  and  citizen  of  kind 
impulses  ;  a  hardworking  farmer,  and  manufacturer  of  brick,  and  had 
very  little  taste  or  time  for  literature,  beyond  the  ordmary  reading  of 
the  day.  His  mother's  intellectual  and  pvschological  inheritance  was 
of  a  superior  order,  to  which  her  children  are  ever  indebted,  and 
wherein  they  have  every  reason  to  feel  honored.  Her  spirit,  wisdom 
and  counsels  were  great,  and  everywhere  influential,  and  to  her  blessed 
influence  the  doctor  attributed  the  indebtedness  of  the  world  for  any 
and  all  the  good  he  may  have  been  instrumental  in  doing,  during  his 
whole  life.  His  father's  resources  being  limited,  rendering  the  exer- 
cise of  rigid  economy  important,  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  avail 
himself  of  all  the  physical  powers  which  every  member  of  his  family 
could  contribute  to  his  farming,  dairy,  and  manufacturing  interests  ; 
hence  while  his  sons  and  daughters  were  early  sent  to  the  public 
school,  which  was  of  a  more  than  ordinary  character  in  Torringford, 
when  they  became  of  sufficient  age  to  render  some  service,  they  were 
retained  at  home  during  the  summer  season  of  the  year.  In  the 
autumn  and  winter  seasons  the  doctor  was  allowed  to  devote  his  time 
exclusively  to  mental  culture,  which  he  seems  to  have  done  with  great 


502  History  of  Torrington. 

regularity  and  assiduity.  After  the  Rev.  Epaphras  Goodman  was 
settled  in  Torringford  as  colleague  to  Father  Mills,  he  opened  a  private 
school  for  a  limited  number  of  pupils,  and  the  doctor  became  one  of 
them  ;  and  in  this  school  which  had  become  an  academy  he  finished 
his  academical  studies.  He  was  also  a  regular  pupil  of  the  Sabbath 
school  and  Bible  class,  by  which,  with  home  instruction,  he  became 
well  versed  in  the  Assembly  and  Westminster  catechisms  and  Bible 
literature  and  at  the  age  of  ten  years,  during  a  revival  of  religion,  he 
with  many  others  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Father  Mills. 

To  Rev.  Mr.  Goodmaru,  and  Mrs.  Jeremiah  Mills,  a  literary,  en- 
terprising and  eminent  woman,  the  doctor  was  greatly  indebted  for 
their  inspiring  encouragement,  particularly  to  Mr.  Goodman,  for  his 
instructions  in  mental  and  moral  discipline,  decision  of  character,  and 
noble  daring  for  the  right  ;  for  being  naturally  timid,  and  of  peaceful 
disposition,  while  his  moral  sense  was  strong,  he  needed  that  stimula- 
tion to  develop  the  powers  within  him.  His  large  conscience  would 
have  made  him  a  bigot,  an  unmerciful  inquisitor,  had  he  not  been 
largely  endowed  with  an  over  balancing  degree  of  benevolence,  so 
.that  Christian  humanity  has  ever  guided  him  with  eager  earnestness 
in  the  paths  of  justice,  love  and  truth. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  years  in  1823  his  father  was  induced,  at  con- 
siderable sacrifice,  to  relinquish  all  claims  to  his  time  and  services, 
and  allow  him  to  go  forth,  with  his  good  wishes,  dependent  wholly 
upon  his  own  intellectual,  moral  and  physical  resources,  to  sail  with 
God's  help  the  surging  seas  of  life,  and  armed  with  the  credentials 
furnished  by  Goodman,  endorsed  by  Father  Mills  and  others,  con- 
cerning his  scholarship,  moral  integrity,  and  character,  he  departed 
from  home,  and  friends,  and  went  to  Massachusetts  and  taught  a 
school.  He  was  then  invited  by  his  mother's  brother.  Dr.  Remus 
M.  Fowler,  to  enter  his  office  and  commence  the  studv  of  medicine, 
at  New  Marlboro,  Mass.,  which  invitation  he  accepted.  Soon  after 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Prof.  John  P. 
Batchelder,  M.D,,deanof  the  Berkshire  Medical  college,  and  professor 
of  surgery  and  physiology  ;  who  offered  him  any  amount  of  credit  if 
he  would  matriculate  for  the  entire  course  of  four  years  of  study  and 
graduate  at  that  college.  He  accepted  this  proffered  kindness  with 
alacrity  and  entered  that  institution  at  Pittsfield,  Mass. 

A  distinguishing  excellence  of  the  instruction  he  received  from 
Mr.  Goodman,  was  the  requirement  to  make  a  written  report  every 
Monday   morning,  of  his  sermons   preached   the   previous  Sunday, 


Biographies.  503 

which  he  fulfilled  by  abbreviated  notes,  and  that  practice  proved  in- 
valuable by  enabling  him  to  take  more  copious  notes  of  medical 
lectures,  than  any  other  student  in  college.  Stenography  was  not 
practiced  at  that  time  as  now.  During  vacations,  he  continued  his 
studies,  and  taught  school.  During  the  last  year  he  attended  the  sick 
at  their  bedside,  and  thus  improved  the  valuable  clinical  advantages 
afforded  him  in  the  practice  of  Prof.  Batchelder  and  Dr.  Fowler. 
In  1827,  after  four  years  of  unremitted  toil,  he  finished  his  regular 
course  of  studies  ;  received  the  honorary  degree  of  medical  doctor, 
at  the  Berkshire  Medical  college;  endorsed  by  Edward  Dorr  Griffin, 
LL.D.^  president  of  Williams  college,  of  which  latter  institution  the 
former  was  a  department.  He  was  also  elected  a  member  of  the 
Berkshire  Natural  History  Society,  in  which  science  he  took  a  lively 
and  honorable  interest. 

He  then  breathed  a  new  life;  and  while  enjoying  the  freshness  of 
that  life,  married,  by  a  joyous  good  fortune,  Martha  Turner,  daughter 
of  Isaac  Turner,  Esq.,  of  New  Marlboro,  Mass.,  of  polished  manners, 
and  noble  sense;  oneof  the  excellent  of  the  earth.  By  special  invi- 
tation he  visited,  and  settled  at  Wintonbury,  now  Bloomfield,  Connec- 
ticut in  the  practice  of  medicine.  There  his  professional  talent  and 
skill  were  immediately  called  into  active  and  unremitting  exercise, 
in  the  treatment  of  the  low  types,  and  virulent  forms  of  disease,  typhus 
and  typhoid  fevers,  which  had  decimated  the  people  of  that  malarial 
and  miasmatic  region,  in  which  his  success  was  very  honorable. 
He  soon  grew  into  rank  and  position  with  physicians  of  the  first  class, 
with  whom  he  became  associated  in  councils  and  medical  associations. 
He  was  made  a  member  by  unanimous  vote,  of  the  Hopkins  Medical 
Association,  of  Hartford  county;  the  most  exclusive,  and  scientific 
body  of  physicians  of  that  county,  and  of  the  state  ;  composed  of  the 
studious  and  leading  men,  as  Todd,  Coggswell,  Sumner,  Brigham, 
Woodward  and  others,  in  which  he  took  an  active  part  in  essays,  and 
the  discussions  of  medical  subjects.  He  was  a  member  of  Hartford 
County  Medical  Society,  and  elected  fellow  of  the  Connecticut 
Medical  Society,  and  was  appointed  physician  and  surgeon  to  the 
Connecticut  State  Emigrant  Hospital,  located  in  Wintonbury. 

Scarcely  had  he  become  settled  in  Wintonbury,  as  a  physician,  be- 
fore he  was  approached,  and  importuned  to  prepare  an  essay  on  the 
use  of  alcoholic  liquors  as  a  beverage,  and  open  the  agitation  of  the 
subject  of  temperance  in  that  valley  of  fruitful  orchards,  grainfields, 
distilleries  and  habitual  drinking  in  every  class  of  society.      Here  his 


504 


History  of  Torrington. 


moral  courage  was  early  tested  and   he  had  the  temerity  to  accede  to 
the  request,  which  he  deemed  to  be  his  essential  duty  to  society,  in 
every  manner  of  consideration.      He  thus  became  the  pioneer  agitator 
in  1828,  in  the  great  temperance  conflict  and  reform  which  followed, 
but  found  the  movement  to  be  at  his  own  peril  in  the  matters  of  pro- 
fessional  patronage,    and    pecuniary   consideration.      He    very    soon 
found  himself  surrounded  by  opposing  influences,  threatening  to  com- 
pel him  in  his  dependent  circumstances,  to  take  a  ticket  of   leave. 
Here  suddenly  his  eyes  were  opened  to  the  slavery  of  the  mind  and 
speech,  and  his  puritan  blood,  so  recently  all  quietly  coursing,  quick- 
ened in  every  vein.      He  had  ingenuously  put  his  hand  to  the  plough, 
for  a  philanthropic  and  noble  work,  and  was  not  of  a  mould  to  look 
back,  to  regret  this  act,  although    forsaken  and  denounced  by    those 
who  had  early  welcomed  him,  as  a  beloved  physician,  let  the  plough 
share  of  temperance  drive  deep  and  thorough.      Soon  prominent  in- 
fluences began  to  gather  round    him.     The    Hon.   Francis  Gillett, 
who  had  just  emerged  from  his  collegiate  course,  affiliated  with  the 
doctor.      A    temperance   society  was  organized,  and  some  time  after 
a  Connecticut  State    Temperance  Society.      Dr.    Hudson  and  Mr. 
Gillett  were  to  visit  adjoining  towns  to  address  meetings.    Although 
leading  religious  and  political  influences  were   hostile  or  apathetic  to 
the  cause  yet  it  prospered  greatly,  and  triumphed  for  a  considerable 
season  ;  the  fires  of  distilleries  remained  extinguished,  and  many  stores 
and  taverns  became  temperance  houses. 

Dr.  Hudson  took  an  active  part  in  revivals  of  religion  ;  attended 
conferences  of  churches  ;  and  his  home  became  the  rendezvous  for 
every  one  engaged  in  the  interest  of  general  reform,  education  and 
Christian  philanthropy.  He  was  frequently  importuned  to  change  his 
residence,  and  locate  and  practice  his  profession  in  more  promising 
and  lucrative  fields,  but  steadily  declined  until  the  battle  he  had  en- 
listed in  was  won.  Afterwards  when  an  urgent  and  important  re- 
quest came  from  his  old  minister  and  preceptor,  and  home  friends,  to 
return  to  his  native  town  and  old  home,  it  was  too  pathetic  for  him 
to  resist,  although  the  field  for  professional  business  was  limited. 
Doctor  Samuel  Woodward,  the  old  physician  of  his  father's  family, 
and  attendant  on  him  in  his  misfortune  of  a  broken  leg,  when  a  bov, 
was  retiring  from  practice,  and  made  an  opening  in  Torringford, 
which  seemed  opportune  for  him  ;  and  in  turn  he  became  consulting 
physician  to  the  aged  doctor,  and  attended  him  in  his  declining  years 
and  ultimate  sickness. 


Biographies.  505 

Soon  after  he  had  settled  in  Torringford,  in  consideration  of  the 
remarkable  salubrity,  hygienic  state,  and  retiracy  of  the  region,  and 
the  intelligence  and  moral  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  com- 
munity, he  with  Mr,  Goodman  established  a  family  boarding  school 
for  boys,  whose  parents  were  residents  of  the  large  cities.  They  re- 
ceived some  twenty  such  into  their  respective  families  ;  and  having 
secured  as  teacher  a  college  graduate,  Mr.  Goodman  took  charge  of 
the  moral  training,  and  the  doctor  of  the  physical,  and  thereby  all 
forces  were  united  for  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  In  the  moral 
reform  of  the  day,  Mr.  Goodman  was  far  in  advance  of  his  brethren 
the  clergy  generally,  but  in  which  he  and  the  doctor  were  yoke 
fellows,  and  did  a  great  and  noble  service  for  mankind,  to  which  the  re- 
cords of  the  Torringford  temperance  efforts  bear  abundant  testimony. 
As  the  doctor  had  ventured  on  this  subject  in  Windsor,  so  had  Mr. 
Goodman  in  Torringford,  but  in  the  latter  place  the  people  generally 
had  followed  with  unanimity,  cordiality,  and  relinquishment  of  long 
entertained  habits,  the  equal  of  which  is  probably  not  to  be  found  in 
any  other  town  in  the  state. 

In  addition  to  professional  and  literary  enterprises  when  opportunity 
afforded,  the  doctor  made  scientific  excursions  with  his  pupils  in  the 
study  of  mineralogy,  for  which  Torrington  and  Litchfield  furnished 
an  unusually  large  field,  and  he  contributed  to  the  state  survey  by 
Prof.  Shepard  and  Dr.  Percival  important  collections  and  numerous 
interesting  specimens^ 

In  that  era  of  our  country's  history,  in  addition  to  the  temperance 
reform  and  revivals  of  religion,  the  subject  of  American  slavery  began 
to  be  considerably  agitated,  and  it  is  well  to  be  borne  in  mind  that 
that  agitation  had  its  foundation,  always  in  an  awakened  moral  sense 
and  the  quickening  influence  of  divine  truth.  Wherever  the  Chris- 
tian life  and  sense  could  be  aroused  to  the  claims  of  the  enslaved, 
these  anti-slavery  principles  grew  as  if  nourished  in  rich  soil.  As 
these  brethren  began  to  manifest  themselves  against  slavery  from  the 
pulpit,  in  public  and  private  discussions,  they  found  some  of  their 
friends  and  patrons  withdrawing  their  friendship  and  support,  and 
especially  so  when  Dr.  Hudson  began  to  take  an  active  part  in  the 
discussions.  In  1836  the  alienation  of  opposers  to  temperance  and 
anti-slavery  became  so  demonstrable  as  to  cause  the  dismissal  of  Mr. 
Goodman  from  his  pastoral  charge,  and   the  financial  crisis  in    1837 


•See  their  report  to  the  Legislature,  and  the  State  Cabinet. 

64 


5o6  History  of  Torrington. 

so  far  affected  their  school  enterprise  as  to  induce  them  to  abandon 
it,  and  Mr.  Goodman  removed  to  Dracut,  Massachusetts. 

The  agitation  concerning  slavery  had  spread  to  many  towns  in  the 
county  of  Litchfield,  and  found  favor  with  the  more  actively  philan- 
thropic men  and  women,  who  assembled  at  Wolcottville  in  a  barn, 
tor  the  lack  of  any  other  obtainable  place,  in  the  face  of  a  furious  mob, 
and  organized  a  county  society.  Soon  afterwards  a  state  anti-slavery 
society  was  organized  at  Hartford  in  the  City  Hall,  which  was  dis- 
persed by  a  mob  and  driven  to  hold  their  other  sessions  in  the  tem- 
perance hotel  of  S.  B.  Treat,  on  State  street.  A  paper,  to  be  called 
the  Charter  Oak^  was  decreed  and  published,  and  Doctor  Hudson 
was  invited  to  become  the  general  agent  of  the  society  and  regular 
contributor  to  its  monthly  issue;  which  invitation  he  accepted. 
Hence  he  laid  his  profession  upon  the  altar  of  humanity  and  justice^ 
and  in  1838  entered  the  lecturing  field  with  the  expectation  that  all 
of  Christendom  would  rally  to  such  a  philanthropic  cause  with  one 
accord,  and  the  work  would  spedily  triumph.  He  expected  that  the 
clergy  and  the  army  of  recent  converts  which  had  appeared  in  the 
revivals  of  religion  would  rally  to  such  a  cause  with  alacrity;  that  ^// 
who  truly  loved  the  philanthropic  teachings  of  the  Son  of  man  could 
by  no  means  be  persuaded  to  stand  aloof  from  it.  He  was  accompanied 
in  his  first  tours  by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Colver,  a  Baptist  clergyman, 
agent  of  the  American  anti-slavery  society  of  New  York,  who,  in  his 
very  pleasant  way,  frequently  introduced  the  doctor  to  his  Baptist 
brethren  as  "an  upland  Baptist."  They  were  directed  to  commence 
their  work  in  Fairfield  county,  the  very  Georgia  of  Connecticut,  full 
of  drunkenness,  and  of  those  who  had  obtained  their  great  gains  from 
slavery.  They  visited  the  various  towns  of  the  county  from  their 
northern  entrance  to  the  sea,  and  encountered  the  fierce  and  blood- 
thirsty opposition  and  mobs  at  every  step,  which  sheared  their  horses, 
pelted  meeting  houses,  halls  and  private  dwellings,  where  they  were 
holding  meetings  and  stopping,  with  stones,  clubs,  and  the  like.  The 
mob  blew  up  one  meeting  house  and  one  private  dwelling  with  gun 
powder,  where  they  were  holding  meetings'.  The  opposition  was 
so  fearfully  great  that  Mr.  Colver  retired  from  the  field  and  settled  as 
pastor  in  Boston,  leaving  the  doctor  single-handed.  He  was  there- 
after commissioned  by  the  society  to  make  the  entire  state  his  field 
of  labor. 

The  doctor  adopted   a  thorough  system  of  evangelization  in  the 


Un  the  town  of  Wolcott,  in  1839,  they  burned  the  church  to  the  ground. 


Biographies.  507 

work,  for  on  entering  a  place,  his  first  visit  was  to  the  clergy  ;  and 
with  the  Bible  as  his  text-book,  his  appeals  were  made  to  the  Christian 
sense  of  clergymen  and  the  membership  of  the  churches  with  a  rea- 
sonable expectation  that  they  would  be  noticed  with  respect,  and  re- 
ceive their  support.  They  not  only  turned  a  deaf  ear  but  treated 
him  with  the  most  cold-hearted  contempt,  with  intimations  of  mob 
violence  ;  men  of  the  baser  sort  being  used  as  tools  by  those  who 
were  interested  by  every  other  relation  financial  and  political,  religious, 
social  and  domestic  to  the  peculiar  institution.  Wherever  he  went, 
in  the  face  of  the  most  dangerous,  disheartening  and  sickening  op- 
poosition  he  sought  to  drive  an  entering  wedge,  knowing  and  pro- 
claiming that  the  day  would  come  when  the  people  must  consider  the 
subject  or  lose  their  freedom.  He  enlisted  every  philanthropist  pos- 
sible to  circulate  papers  and  tracts  on  the  subject,  and  sought  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  future  effort  and  access  to  those  who  might  be  wil- 
ling to  hear  and  investigate.  His  communications  to  the  Charter  Oak 
were  no  unmeaning  rebukes  or  ill  timed  exposures  of  the  corrupted 
clergy  and  churches  by  the  unholy  institutions.  His  entire  efforts 
were  purely  Christian,  sustained  by  a  practical  use  and  application  or 
the  great  Christian  principles,  law  of  love,  of  justice,  judgment,  truth 
and  equity. 

Under  such  efforts  the  cause  prospered  in  his  hands  ;  societies 
were  multiplied  ;  anti-slavery  literature  circulated  ;  funds  were  contri- 
buted ;  additional  laborers  were  temporarily  supplied  ;  here  and  there 
a  clergyman  dared  to  lift  his  voice,"  against  the  sin  of  slavery,  though 
generally  at  his  peril.  In  spite  of  the  current  of  opposition,  obloquy 
and  outrage,  the  cause  was  making  such  progress  as  to  create  an 
alarm,  on  the  part  of  slave  holders,  their  aiders,  abetters  and  apolo- 
gists. Abolitionists  were  too  invincible  ;  too  strongly  fortified  with 
the  panoply  of  truth  and  righteousness  to  be  put  down  ;  and  what 
was  more,  they  were  commanding  a  large  portion  of  the  active  living 
Christian  philanthropy  and  energies  of  the  churches.  Then  the 
spirit  of  slavery  in  the  church  and  ecclesiastical  bodies,  commenced 
anew  its  tactics,  to  divide  the  abolitionists  and  conquer  them,  by 
raising  the  issue  of  slavery  as  an  evil,  not  sin  per  se ;  that  they  could 
not  "join  with  Garrison  infidels,  woman  lecturers,  petticoat  govern- 
ment, Amazons  and  Jezebels  ;"  and  by  such  methods  did  affect  the 
community  largely  ;  and  for  a  time,  divided  the  strength  of  the  an- 
ti-slavery people.  That  cry  proved  to  be  what  it  had  been  predicted 
a  false  and  pro-slavery  issue.  Doctor  Hudson  pushed  on  the  work  • 
though  entreated,  and  admonished,  threatened  and  finally  proscribed 


5o8  History  of  Torrington. 

by  the  executive  committee  of  the  Connecticut  society,  which  had 
ever  highly  commended  him  ;  but  were  deceived  by  the  clerical  appeal ! 
The  doctor  was  dismissed  ;  but  immediately  appointed  lecturing  agent 
of  the  American  Anti-slavery  Society  with  headquarters  at  New  York 
and  correspondent  of  the  National  Anti-slavery  Standard^  the  organ  of 
the  society. 

After  continuing  his  labors  in  Connecticut  another  year,  he  was 
sent  with  Charles  C.  Burleigh  to  labor  one  year  in  Ohio,  Indiana 
and  Michigan.  His  wife  and  two  sons  accompanied  him,  and  were 
located  at  Oberlin,  for  advantages,  which  he  had  supposed  were  there 
to  be  obtained  ;  and  when  his  mission  expired  they  returned  to  North- 
ampton, Mass.  He  was  next  sent  to  the  states  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire  ;  attending  conventions,  forming  anti-slavery  organiza- 
tions ;  in  1843,  was  joined  to  a  corps  of  lecturing  agents,  to  hold 
meetings,  and  attend  a  series  of  conventions,  of  two  and  three  days' 
session,  in  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  and  some  portions  of  Con- 
necticut and  Rhode  Island. 

In  1844,  a  series  of  one  hundred  consecutive  conventions  were 
appointed  to  be  held  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and  two  sets  of 
lecturing  agents  were  assigned  to  hold  meetings  in  the  various  towns, 
cities,  and  villages,  in  the  county  in  which  the  convention  was  to  be 
held  to  secure  the  attendance  of  the  people,  and  sustain  the  conven- 
tions, which  were  of  two  and  three  days'  sessions,  and  Dr.  Hudson 
was  designated  to  this  work.  In  1845,  Abby  K.  Foster,  Elizabeth 
Hitchcock,  and  the  doctor  were  assigned  to  do  duty,  lecturing,  hold- 
ing meetings,  and  attending  a  series  of  county  conventions  in  the 
state  of  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware,  which  they  assiduously  performed. 
In  1846,  the  doctor  was  assigned  to  labor  in  the  border  counties  of 
southern  New  York,  where  little  work  had  been  attempted.  Lewis 
Hayden,  now  holding  an  honorable  position  in  the  General  Court  of 
Massachusetts,  a  fugitive  slave  from  Kentucky,  accompanied  him  to 
be  initated  into  the  work.  In  1847,  his  labors  were  mainly  in  the 
northern  part  of  central  New  York,  in  conventions  and  local  meet- 
ings. In  1848,  they  were  in  Connecticut  and  western  Massachusetts, 
continuing  until  in  1849  and  1850,  when  his  nervous  system  became 
so  wrought  upon,  prostrated  and  partially  exhausted,  a  serious  mis- 
fortune befalling  his  son,  that  he  decided  to  retire  from  the  lecturing 
field,  continuing  to  sustain  a  lively  working  interest  in  the  great 
cause  until  after  the  proclamation  of  emancipation  was  issued,  and 
American  slavery  was  abolished.      He  was  one  of  the  executive  com- 


Biographies.  509 

mittee  of  the  American  society  who  decreed  the  continuance  of  the 
society  and  its  organ,  the  Anti-slavery  Standard. 

In  1850,  Doctor  Hudson,  in  considering  the  proposition  of  re- 
newing his  profession  concluded  to  adopt  as  a  specialty,  Reparative 
Surgery,  for  general  and  special  physical  disabilities  and  deformi- 
ties, caused  by  injuries  or  disease,  and  commenced  his  operations 
at  Springfield,  Mass.,  where  he  remained  until  1855  j  when  by  the 
solicitations  of  Drs.  Parker,  Mott,  Van  Buren  and  other  leading 
surgeons  of  New  York,  he  removed  to  that  city  and  instituted  an 
office  business.  The  object  of  this  practice  is  to  radically  restore 
functional  impairments,  caused  by  disease,  and  joints  and  long  bones, 
dislocated  diseases,  fractured  and  ununited,  also  to  compensate  for 
mutilations  by  amputation,  or  resections,  with  representative  prothetic 
apparatus,  and  appliances  which  he  devised,  had  constructed  and 
adapted  under  his  special  and  personal  attention,  by  ingenious  artisans 
in  his  employ  \  and  to  fulfill  every  special  object  for  the  compensa- 
tion of  lost  parts,  and  reparation  of  injured,  diseased  and  deformed 
parts.  He  espoused  and  treated  philosophically  the  first  cases  of 
ankle  and  knee  joint  amputations  which  were  performed  in  this 
country,  so  as  to  render  those  mutilations  of  the  least  possible  loss 
and  disability  to  the  subjects  ;  and  wrote  monographs  in  support  of 
that  improvement  of  surgery.  He  also  invented  apparatus  for  cases 
of  resections  of  the  arm,  elbow  and  shoulder  joints,  and  wrote  and 
published  a  monograph  to  "  save  the  arm,"  by  resection,  which  was  in- 
strumental of  saving  scores  of  arms  injured  by  gun  shot,  in  the  war 
of  the  rebellion.  He  was  commissioned,  by  the  surgeon  general  of 
the  United  States  army,  to  have  charge  of  the  mutilated,  disabled  and 
deformed  cases  assigned  to  the  military  hospital  at  Central  Park, 
New  York  ;  and  of  other  hospitals,  where  the  wounded  soldiers  and 
sailors  of  the  army  were  sent.  The  soldiers  who  had  survived  hip 
joint  amputation,  and  resections,  were  exclusively  assigned  to  the 
care  and  treatment  of  Doctor  Hudson,  by  special  orders  of  the  sur- 
geon general  of  the  U.  S.  army.  Doctor  Hudson  made  extensive 
reports  of  surgical  cases  of  amputations,  resections  and  distortions  to 
the  surgeon  general ;  and  also  contributed  casts,  profiles,  and  photo- 
graphs of  surgical  cases  for  the  army  medical  museum  at  Washington, 
D.  C.  He  also  contributed  to  the  surgical  literature  of  the  war  de- 
partment, monographs  on  sundry  topics  ;  on  amputations,  resections, 
Symes  amputation  at  ankle-joint,  and  other  subjects  under  various 
surgical  subjects,  which  have  been  commended  and  placed  in  the 
army   library  at  Washington,  and   complimentally  acknowledged  by 


ijio  History  of  Torrington. 

the  surgeon  general  as  valuable  contributions.  He  contributed  the 
histories  of  some  six  hundred  cases  of  amputations  of  the  thigh, 
knee-joint,  leg,  and  ankle-joint,  to  the  making  of  the  surgical  report 
of  the  United  States  sanitary  commission,  which  were  highly  com- 
mended by  foreign  and  United   States  medical  and  surgical  journals. 

The  apparatus  which  he  has  from  time  to  time  devised  and  pre- 
scribed for  amputated  limbs,  of  both  inferior  and  superior  extremities  ; 
for  resections  of  shoulder,  elbow  and  hip-joints  ;  for  ununited  fractures 
of  thigh,  and  leg,  to  create  reunion  ;  for  hip  disease  ;  dislocation  of 
knee  and  ankle  joints  ;  ruptures  of  the  tendons  of  the  knee  ;  for 
diseased  and  curved  spine,  paralysis  of  the  leg,  foot  and  arm  ;  for 
lead  palsy  of  wrist  and  hand  ;  for  club  feet  with  or  without  dividing 
the  tendons  ;  for  deformities,  and  diseased  bones  of  legs,  and  thighs  ; 
chronic  affections  of  knee  and  ankle  joints  ;  and  other  cases  of  much 
interest,  have  proved  eminently  successful,  and  have  been  accepted 
and  approved  as  the  most  useful  and  important  surgical  devices  of 
modern  surgery. 

In  1877,  ^^'  Hudson  received  the  prize  medal,  and  minor  medal, 
and  diploma  of  the  Universal  Exposition  at  Paris,  for  the  superiority 
of  his  apparatus  ;  also  on  the  same  great  occasion,  a  medal  and 
diploma,  awarded  by  the  conference  of  the  International  Sanitary 
commission  of  all  nations,  "  for  the  services  he  had  rendered  to  the 
cause  of  universal  humanity,"  In  1876,  he  was  invited  to  contribute 
surgical  apparatus  to  the  department  of  the  surgeon  general,  United 
States  armv,  in  the  government  building  at  the  International  Exhibi- 
tion, Philadelphia,  and  received  the  award  of  the  medal  and  diploma 
of  the  centennial  commission  of  the  United   States. 

In  1872,  Doctor  Hudson  made  a  European  tour  through  Ireland, 
Eno^land,  Scotland,  Holland,  Germany,  Switzerland  and  France,  in- 
dustriously improving  all  opportunities  to  observe  natural  scenery, 
the  condition  of  the  human  family,  progress  of  civilization,  and 
Christian  humanity.  He  is  still  prosecuting  his  work  with  untiring 
application  and  energy,  interested  withal  in  every  work  of  Christian 
philanthropy,  and  the  progress  of  an  enlightened  human  civilization. 

Mrs.  E.  D,  Hudson, 

Martha  Turner,  wasthe  daughterof  Deacon  Isaac  and  Martha  (Hum- 
phrey) Turner,  of  Marlboro,  Berkshire  county,  Massachusetts  ;  a 
highly  respectable  family  of  Puritan  ancestry.  In  1 827,  she  allied 
herself  in  marriage  to  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson,  then  a  fresh  graduate 
medical  doctor,  of  the  Berkshire    Medical   college,  and   nephew   of 


C/ZiQe^'l/AtZ    c/u4^€.^    ^^^i/diX'n, 


Biographies.  511 

Dr.  R.  M.  Fowler,  who  was  at  that  time  her  father's  family  phy- 
sician. She  was  every  way  fitted  to  be  his  companion  ;  eminent  in 
character  ;  possessing  good  intellectual  endowments  and  culture  ; 
associated  in  wealth  and  high  toned  moral,  social,  and  psychological 
excellence,  she  was  well  qualified,  as  the  sequel  proved,  for  the  posi- 
tion she  was  to  occupy  in  life.  Although  constitutionally  cautious, 
and  apprehensive,  yet  she  possessed  a  so  well  balanced  mind,  that 
whatever  good  work  for  human  progress,  comfort  and  happiness,  in 
physical,  intellectual,  moral  and  genuine  Christian  reform,  presented 
itself  to  her  general  perceptions,  she  conscientiously,  lovingly  and 
uncomplainingly  devoted  herself  to  it  with  the  utmost  self-sacrifice. 
Her  spirit  was  ever  gentle,  and  amiable  ;  her  mind  ingenuous,  and 
without  compromise.  Her  physiognomy  was  comely,  always  admired 
for  its  thoughtful,  benevolent,  social  and  kind  expression,  ever 
accompanied  by  a  pure  melodious  voice.  She  was  a  gracious  wife, 
aff^ectionate  and  devoted  mother  ;  a  generous  and  hospitable  house 
keeper  ;  and  always  united  hand  to  hand,  heart  to  heart  and  head  to 
head  with  her  husband  in  his  profession  ;  and  the  temperance,  reli- 
gious and  anti-slavery  reforms,  and  weighty  moral  warfare  of  the  day  ; 
when  one's  life  became  the  test  of  character.  Then  was  the  day  to 
face  the  hostile  multitude,  and  to  array  one's  self  on  the  side  of  truth 
and  share  the  wretched  crust,  ere  it  was  popular  to  be  just.  She  was 
among  the  first  to  take  such  a  stand  in  the  anti-slavery  warfare  not- 
withstanding the  obloquy  thereby  incurred.  One  noble  woman  of 
the  society  of  Friends,  was  moved  to  stem  the  popular  prejudice, 
dogmas  and  anathemas;  and  the  odium  of  society,  church,  clerical 
appeal,  and  of  the  black  laws  of  Connecticut,  and  plead  deliverance 
for  the  slave,  sister,  mother  and  child,  and  then  Martha  Turner 
Hudson  was  the  first  of  the  women  of  Connecticut  to  extend  a 
welcome  hand  to  Abby  Kelly,  to  take  her  to  her  home,  and 
accept  a  seat  by  her  side  in  public  assemblies,  and  stay  up  her  hands 
in  that  hour  of  grave  trial  and  peril.  Then  she  proved  herself  a 
moral  heroine  in  the  face  of  popular  coldness,  moral  cowardice  and 
clerical  rebuke. 

Although  she  was  greatly  beloved  by  the  people  of  Torringford 
and  the  church,  yet  her  consistency  to  maintain  the  right  in  truth  and 
justice,  refusing  to  strike  hands  with  the  supporters,  aiders  and 
abetors  of  slavery,  and  slave  holders  ;  the  church,  led  and  instigated 
by  a  minister  not  a  member  thereof  excommunicated  her  and  her 
husband,  for  no  reason  except  that  they  declared  all  slave   owning 


512  History  of  Torrington. 

and  holding  a  sin  per  se ;  and  demanded  of  the  church  that  it  should 
wash  its  hands  clean  of  this  sin  ;  cut  loose  from  its  affiliation  with 
every  church  and  ecclesiastical  body  which  gave  support  to  this  sin  j 
and  refused  to  recognize  the  church  as  Christian  ;  and  to  receive 
letters  of  credence  from  it,  until  it  should  bear  unequivocal  testimony 
against  the  sum  of  all  villianies,  American  slavery.  For  these  and 
other  moral  reasons  she  and  her  husband  were  recorded  and  published 
as  excommunicated  from  the  church  ;  thereby  rendering  the  mem- 
bers as  a  church,  liable  to  action  in  a  civil  court,  for  high  damages. 
To  write  excommunicated  on  a  church  record  opposite  the  names 
of  persons  still  living,  without  due  process  in  discipline  and  proof  of 
moral  delinquency,  is  a  proceeding  not  sufferable  under  the  existing 
laws  of  the  land.  Had  the  church  seen  fit  to  drop  the  names  of  these 
persons  as  absent  members,  as  it  did  in  many  other  cases  the  matter 
would  stand  far  different ;  but  this  was  not  the  case,  and  no  notice 
was  ever  given  to  the  parties  of  the  fact  of  the  excommunication. 

Mrs.  Hudson's  self  possession,  calmness  and  intrepidity  in  any 
emergency  of  great  affliction,  were  commendable  and  eminent.  At 
all  times  in  her  husband's  professional  business,  and  in  his  fearless 
moral  warfares,  and  in  her  dear  family  circle  under  afflictions,  her 
spirit  was  ever  staved  and  buoyant,  equal  to  the  occasion. 

In  religious  revivals,  church  and  maternal  meetings  she  was  a 
constant  attendant  an  active  participant  and  intelligent  worker,  and 
all  enterprises  of  education,  Sunday  schools,  Bible  classes,  and  the 
general  welfare  of  society  received  her  cordial  support. 

John  Hungerford 

Was  born  in  Southington,  Ct.,  in  1787  ;  resided  a  time  in  Harwinton  ; 
married  a  Miss  Elizabeth  Webster  of  Albany  ;  came  to  Wolcott- 
ville  soon  after  the  first  woolen  mill  was  built,  and  started  a  store 
south  side  of  the  bridge  on  Main  street,  the  red  building,  second  south 
of  the  brick  academy  building  where  he  continued  a  iQ-w  years, 
then  occupied  what  is  now  the  Coe  furniture  rooms,  during  the  time 
he  was  building  the  store  now  occupied  by  Workman  and  Weeks, 
where  he  continued  until  1836,  when  the  store  was  united  with  the 
woolen  mill  and  he  became  largely  interested  in  the  manufacturing 
business.  He  built  the  store  building  now  occupied  by  Agard  and 
Church,  and  in  it  his  son  Walter  kept  store  until  1852  or  3,  and  he 
removed  the  dwelling  built  by  John  Brooker,  and  on  its  site  built  the 
house,  now  the  residence  of  L.  W.  Coe.  When  that  first  mill  was 
burned  in  1844,  he  united  with  F.  N.   Holley  in  forming  the  Union 


Biographies.  513 

Manufacturing  Company,  and  started  what  is  the  present  woolen  mill. 
Previous  to  this  he  had  become  one  of  three  equal  stock  owners  of 
the  brass  mill,  in  which  he  took  more  and  more  interest  and  finally 
purchased  the  whole  of  that  property.  From  these  items,  the  in- 
ference is  very  clear  that  Mr.  Hungerford  was  during  thirty  years  a 
leading  business  man  of  the  place,  and  during  considerable  of  the 
time  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  such  ;  and  it  is  pleasing  to  add 
maintained  an  honorable,  upright  and  benevolent  character  to  the 
last.  Steadily  did  he  pursue  the  path  given  him  to  tread,  and  care- 
fully managed  the  interests  entrusted  to  his  stewardship  until  1856, 
when  he  departed  this  life  for  the  great  future.  The  next  year  the 
great  financial  crisis  came,  but  his  family,  left  with  a  large  amount 
of  business  responsibility,  struggled  through  to  success  and  victory. 

Rev.  Edward  Hungerford, 
Son  of  John  and  Charlotte  (Austin)  Hungerford,  was  born  at  Wolcott- 
ville,  Sept.  20,  1828,  and  attended  school  at  Norfolk,  Ellington  and 
Hartford  in  his  preparatory  course  for  higher  institutions.  He  en- 
tered Yale  college  in  1846,  but,  in  consequence  of  ill  health,  passed 
one  year  out  of  study,  graduating  in  1851  ;  and  spent  the  following 
winter  in  Lowville,  Ky.,  studying  chemistry  under  Prof.  B.  Silliman. 
In  the  autumn  of  1852,  he  went  to  Germany  and  entered  the  uni- 
versity of  Gottingen,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  higher  studies  remained  in 
Germany  nearly  four  years,  and  after  devoting  a  short  time  to  travel, 
especially  in  Italy,  returned  to  Wolcottville,  in  1856.  In  his  studies 
abroad  he  had  devoted  himself  more  especially  to  natural  science, 
and  on  his  return  was  appointed  in  the  autumn  of  1856,  to  the  geo- 
logical survey  of  Iowa,  on  which  work  he  continued  until  the  sum- 
mer of  1857,  when  receiving  an  appointment  to  a  professorship  in 
the  university  of  Vermont,  at  Burlington,  he  repaired  to  that  place 
and  entered  upon  his  work.  In  1859,  ^^  married  Maria  Buell  of 
Burlington. 

In  consequence  of  financial  embarrassments  of  the  university  he 
retired  from  the  professorship,  purchased  a  place  in  the  country  with 
the  intention  of  devoting  himself  to  favorite  studies,  but  his  interest 
and  activities  soon  became  engaged  in  Christian  work  in  various  parts 
of  Vermont. 

Being  introduced  to  this  work  thus  unintentionally  he  was  led  on 
by  gradual  stages  until  his  plans  of  life  were  entirely  changed  and  he 
was  ordained  to  the  gospel  ministry  m  1871,  and  was  settled  as  pastor 

65 


514  History  of  Torrington. 

of  the  Center  (Congregational)  church  in  Meriden,  Ct.,  in  February, 
1872,  where  he  still  continues  with  good  success.  Besides  various 
sermons  published  in  the  secular  papers,  there  have  been  published 
of  his  writings,  an  article  on  glacial  markings  on  the  summits  of  the 
green  hills,  in  the  Ainerican  'Journal  of  Science  ;  Chr'ntianity  and  Bud- 
dhism^ in  the  New  Englander ;  Centennial  sermons  on  the  Center 
church  in  Meriden  1877. 

George  O.  Jarvis,  M.D., 

Was  born  July  14,  1795,  and  was  the  son  of  John  Jarvis  of  New 
Canaan,  Conn.  He  taught  school  two  years  and  pursued  the  study 
of  medicine  with  Dr.  Freeman  S.  Wetmore  of  Winchester,  Ct. 
He  also  attended  lectures  at  Yale  college.  In  18 17,  he  received 
license  to  practice  medicine  from  the  Connecticut  Medical  Society, 
and  commenced  his  professional  labors  in  the  town  of  Torrington, 
taking  the  place  of  Dr.  Elijah  Lyman  who  had  just  removed  to 
Warren.  While  here  he  married  Philomela,  daughter  of  Raphael 
Marshall,  by  whom  he  had  six  children  ;  four  daughters,  of  whom 
three  are  deceased,  and  two  sons,  one  of  whom,  Charles,  resides  in 
Portland,  Ct.,  the  other.  Dr.  George  C.  Jarvis,  is  a  physician  in 
Hartford. 

While  in  this  town  Dr.  Jarvis  was  prosecuted  for  malpractice 
after  treating  a  case  of  fracture  of  the  thigh  bone.  It  was  proved  in 
court  that  the  boy  having  the  fracture  was  thrown,  with  the  box 
containing  the  limb,  from  his  bed  to  the  floor,  and  therefore  the 
doctor  was  acquitted.  After  a  it.'fj  years'  stay  in  Torrington  he  re- 
moved to  Colebrook  and  continued  there  until  1840,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Portland,  Conn.,  where  he  died  of  a  combined  attack  of 
erysipelas  and  diphtheria,  Feb.  3,  1875,  after  an  illness  of  about  one 
week,  having  been  in  active  professional  life  fifty-eight  years.  He 
received  the  degree  of  M.D.  from  Yale  college  in  1846. 

In  the  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Annual  Convention  of  the 
Connecticut  Medical  Society,  in  a  memoir  it  is  said  of  him  : 

In  his  intellectual  capacity,  Dr.  Jarvis  was  above  the  average  man.  His 
intuitions  were  active,  his  logic  clear,  and  his  judgment  correct.  He  had  strength 
of  will,  fixity  of  purpose,  and  energy  of  action.  He  was  decided  and  positive 
in  his  opinions,  but  not  without  good  and  sufficient  reasons  for  entertaining  them. 
His  inventive  turn  of  mind,  and  a  faculty  of  adjusting  means  to  ends,  gave  him 
an  inclination  to  the  practice  of  surgery  ;  and  at  one  period  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  surgical  business  of  his  section  came  into  his  hands.  His  attention 
to  some  cases  of  fracture  about  the  year  1843  led  to  the  invention  of  his  appa- 
ratus known  as  the  "Jarvis  Adjuster"  for  the  reduction  and  treatment  ot  fractures 


Biographies.  515 

and  dislocations.  This  invention  met  the  approval  of  i-.iany  of  the  first  surgeons 
of  the  country,  and  was  introduced  largely  into  public  iiospitals. 

In  1845,  the  doctor  went  to  Europe  with  his  invention,  spending  six  months 
in  introducing  it  to  the  notice  of  the  profession  in  England  and  on  the  continent. 
It  was  well  received  ;  and  he  was  awarded,  by  the  society  for  the  promotion 
of  arts  and  commerce,  the  largest  gold  medal  which  to  that  time  had  been  given 
to  an  American  citizen.  The  presentation  was  made  by  Prince  Albert,  then 
the  president  of  the  society.  Dr.  Jarvis  was  entitled  to  be  proud  of  this  dis- 
tinguished honor. 

Rev.  Harvey  Loomis, 

Son  of  Joseph  and  Rhoda  (Starks)  Loomis  was  born  in  Torringford 
in  1786;  was  graduated  at  Williams  college  in  1809  ;  studied  theo- 
logy with  his  pastor  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  and  with  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Porter  of  Washington,  Ct.  ;  was  licensed,  and  went  under  a  com- 
mission of  the  iMaine  Missionary  Society  to  Bangor,  Me.,  where  he 
gathered  a  church  of  which. he  was  ordained  pastor  November  27, 
181 1,  and  died  there  in  that  office  January  2,  1825,  aged  forty  years. 
He  published  a  sermon  preached  before  the  Maine  Missionary 
Society  in  1832.  During  his  pastorate  one  hundred  and  seven  mem- 
bers were  added  to  the  church  by  profession  and  forty  by  letter. 

Rev.  David  B.  Lyman' 
Was  born  in  New  Hartford,  Ct.,  July  28,  1703,  and  was  a  son  of  a 
farmer,  David  Lyman,  who  was  son  of  David  of  Bethlehem,   who 
married  Mary  Gitteau,  of  Huguenot  descent. 

He  was  graduated  at  Williams  college  in  1828  ;  studied  theology 
at  Andover  seminary  ;  married  Sarah  Joyner,  of  Royalton,  Vt.,  and 
sailed  soon  after,  as  a  missionary  of  the  American  Board,  to  the 
Sandwich  islands  where  he  was  engaged  many  years  as  principal  of 
the  Missionary  High  school  for  the  natives  at  Hilo,  Hawaii. 

He  had  seven  children. 

Frederick  Schwartz  Lyman,  born  at  Hilo,  in  1837,  married  Isa- 
bella, daughter  of  Levi  Chamberlain,  one  of  the  earliest  missionaries 
to  the  Sandwich  islands,  and  was  in  1870  circuit  judge  of  Hawaii; 
residing  on  his  plantation  in  Kau,  Hawaii. 

David  Brainard  Lyman  born  at  Hilo  in  1840,  removed  to  the 
United  States,  June  i860,  was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1864, 
and  at  Harvard  Law  school  in  1866,  and  became  a  practicing  attor- 
ney in  Chicago,  111.  Rufus  Anderson  Lyman,  was  the  lieutenant 
governor  of  the  island  of  Hawaii  in  1870. 


■  Lyman  Genealogv,  I  34. 


5i6  History  of  Torrington. 

Francis  Ogden  Lyman,  born  at  Hilo  in  1847,  removed  to  the 
United  States  in  1866,  entered  Harvard  college  in  1867;  and  was 
one  of  the  famous  boat  club  in  the  race  at  Oxford  in  1869. 

Elijah  Lyman,  M.D., 

Was  the  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman  of  New  Hartford, 
Conn.,  born  August  16,  1773.  ^^  studied  with  Dr.  Samuel  Wood- 
ward, and  commenced  practice  as  a  physician  in  Warren.  In  1807, 
he  purchased  the  house  and  lot  of  Dr.  William  Bostwick  in  Torring- 
ton near  Levi  Thralls  (now  Willard  Birges),  and  settled  here  as  a 
physician.  In  1813,  he  was  elected  deacon  of  the  Torrington 
church,  and  was  a  man  of  great  excellency  of  character  and  moral 
worth,  and  was  highly  esteemed  as  a  physician  and  citizen.  He  was 
noted  for  his  success  as  a  physician,  in  the  treatment  of  the  spotted 
fever  in  1812  and  13,  which  prevailed  at  that  time  to  a  fearful  ex- 
tent in  the  town.  In  18 18,  he  sold  his  place  and  removed  to  War- 
ren, where  he  died  November  5,  18 19,  aged  forty-six  years. 

Dr.  Lyman's  grand  mother  was  Mary  Gitteau  daughter  of  Francis 
Gitteau,  a  distinguished  physician  of  Woodbury,  who  was  banished 
from  France  during  the  persecutions  of  the  Huguenots  in  connection 
with  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  and  his  mother  was  a  relation  of  Owen 
Brown  the  father  of  Capt.  John  Brown.      [See  genealogies.) 

Dr.  Norman  Lyman 
Was  born  in  Torringford,  Litchfield  Co.,  Ct.,  September  6,  1787. 
He  early  distinguished  himself  at  school,  by  his  great  proficiency  in 
his  studies.  He  was  at  school  one  year,  after  which,  by  his  unassisted 
application,  he  prepared  himself  for  entering  the  junior  class  in 
college.  After  obtaining  his  profession,  he  found  time,  under  the 
cares  of  a  family  and  the  pressure  of  a  large  professional  business,  to 
prosecute  his  classical  and  mathematical  studies,  until  he  attained  the 
full  college  course,  and  made  himself  one  of  the  most  perfect  scholars 
of  his  time.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he  was  licensed  to  practice 
medicine,  by  a  board  of  censors  ;  and  in  1813,  by  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  president  and  fellows  of  the  Connecticut  Medical  Society, 
received  the  honorary  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine  from  Yale  college. 

Dr.  Lyman  was  endowed  with  faculties  of  mind  which  fitted  him  for  emi- 
nence in  his  profession.  He  possessed  great  powers  of  memory  ;  so  much  so, 
that,  when  he  commenced  the  study  of  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages,  he  com- 
mitted to  memory  the  whole  grammar  andsinall  dicdonaries  of  these  languages. 


Biographies.  517 

His  memory  was  as  retentive  as  it  was  strong  ;  for  in  reading  the  Greek 
Testament,  with  a  Latin  translation,  he  so  read  it  that  he  could  recite  the  whole 
Testament  in  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  English  languages,  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
and  was  so  familiar  with  the  Latin  and  Greek  classics,  that  he  could  recite 
whole  pages,  often  putting  to  the  blush  those  who  had  received  a  full  collegiate 
education,  by  his  accuracy  in  classical  literature.  His  strong  and  retentive 
memory  enabled  him  to  gather  all  the  different  systems  and  theories  of  medical 
writers,  and  the  most  successful  treatment  of  diseases,  from  the  earliest  annals 
of  medicine  to  the  present  time.  He  practiced  successfully,  about  seventeen 
years  in  Glastonbury,  Connecticut,  and  afterward  tor  more  than  twenty  years 
in  the  town  of  Warren,  Ct.,  making  more  than  thirty-seven  years  in  which  he 
had  been  constantly  engaged  in  the  ordinary  duties  of  his  profession.  He 
married  Eunice  Smith  of  Litchfield,  September  12,  1812,  by  whom  he  had 
six  children. 

Rev.  Orange  Lyman 
Was  born  July  26,  1780,  in  Torringford  or  in  New  Hartford,  a 
short  time  before  his  father  removed  to  Torringford,  He  was  one 
of  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  one  daughter,  two  of  his  brothers  being 
physicians  of  special  note  and  character.  He  was  the  son  of  David 
Lyman,  a  puritan  of  double  quality,  through  his  ancestry  from  Eng- 
land and  the  Huguenots  of  France,  The  days  of  his  youth  were 
spent  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  by  whom 
the  sterling  worth  of  a  true  Christian  character  was  never  depreciated. 
He  was  graduated  at  Williams  college,  and  studied  theology  under 
Rev.  Dr.  Porter  of  Catskill,  New  York,  and  became  a  Presbyterian 
minister.  He  married  Sept,  13,  18 14,  Maria,  daughter  of  Stephen 
Dewy,  of  Sheffield,  Mass,  Her  brother  was  a  classmate  of  Mr.  Ly- 
man's and  was  afterwards  professor  in  Williams  college,  many  years, 
and  was  also  professor  in  the  Rochester  university,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Lyman  was  a  man  of  great  energy  of  character,  sterling  worth  and  emi- 
nent piety.  He  enjoyed  the  acquaintance,  friendship  and  confidence  of  a  very 
large  number  of  the  best  men  of  his  time.  Prompted  by  a  desire  to  do  the 
greatest  amount  of  good,  and  having  a  fondness  for  rural  life,  he  chose  the  life 
of  a  pioneer  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  from  the  time  when  the  west 
meant  western  New  York  state,  afterwards  northeastern  Ohio,  and  in  the  even- 
ing of  his  life,  northern  Illinois,  he  was  always  one  in  the  fo rein ost  ranks  of  the 
onward  moving  armv.  He  possessed  a  rare  fund  of  anecdotes,  always  appro- 
priate, of  which  he  made  good  use  in  social  company,  and  especially  with  some 
old  classmate  or  cherished  friend  around  the  cheerful  fire  in  the  great  fire  place 
in  the  new  country.  His  wife,  one  of  old  Berkshire  county's  most  gifted 
daughters,  was  a  joy  in  his  house  in  the  fullest  sense  ;  and  his  home,  though 
some  times  onlv  a  log  house,  was  always  graced  by  her  presence  and  presented 
the  charms  of  a  refined  New  England  home.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one, 
beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

His  children  were  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 


5i8  History  of  Torrington. 

George  Lyman, 
The  fifth  child  and  second  son  of  Caleb  and  Hannah  (Loomis)  Ly- 
man, was  born  in  Torrington,  on  the  old  Lyman  place  August  I, 
1790,  and  is  therefore  now,  1877,  ei?;hty-seven  years  of  age,  and  re- 
sides in  Wadsworth,  Medina  county,  Ohio.  The  Wadsworth  Me- 
morial szy  9,  of  him  :  "  Capt.  George  Lyman  came  to  Wadsworth  in 
1817.  He  was  the  first  township  clerk  and  one  of  the  earliest  school 
teachers.  In  182 1,  he  went  to  Canton,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
teaching,  three  years,  and  then  returned  to  Wadsworth  and  engaged 
in  the  manufacture  of  fanning  mills  and  in  mercantile  business,  and 
by  his  energy  and  enterprise  he  did  much  toward  the  business  pros- 
perity of  the  place  in  its  early  history." 

Capt.  Lyman  has  been  a  worthy  son  of  his  native  town  and  of  his 
noble  ancestors. 

The  following  account  of  his  removal  west  will  be  interesting  to 
those  who  never  made  the  journey,  under  like  circumstances  : 

In  I  8 16,    he  sold  his  interest  in  his  father's  estate,    and  determined  to  find  a 
home  in  Ohio,  where  Joseph  Loomis  and  Benjamin  Agaid  of  Torrington  had 
already   settled.      Accordmgly,   having  one   horse  and  a  one   horse  wagon,   and 
Guerdon  Hilliard  one  horse,  a  team  was  arranged  with  which  to  drive  to  Ohio. 
They  started  on  Thursday,   the  25th  of  February,    1817  ;   reached  Albany  on 
Saturday  afternoon  and   put  up  at  a  tavern  two  miles  west  of   the  town  to  stay 
over  the  Sabbath.      During   the  next  two   days  there  was  a  great  fall  of  snow. 
On  Tuesday    they  started,    drove  a  few  miles,    bought  a  sleigh,    put  the  wagon 
on  it  and   continued  their  journey  until  the  snow  disappeared,    when  they    left 
the   sleigh    and  went   on  with  the    wagon.      They    reached  Buffalo,    on  Friday 
about  noon,  where  they  learned  that  there  was  good  traveling  on  the  ice  on  the 
lake.      Saturday  morning  they  started  early,   in  company  with  two  other  teams 
with  wagons,    following  the  beaten  track   which  was  hedged   in  on   either  side 
with  large  pieces  of  ice,    making   about  forty  miles  that  day,   and  drove  to  the 
land,  to  a  tavern  for  the  night.     On  Sabbath  morning  the  other  teams  went  on, 
but  Mr.  Lvman  and  his  traveling  companion  "  would  not  so  profane  that  holy 
day.'"      On  Monday  they  started,   but  soon    found  the  ice  getting  very  smooth 
and  fearing  danger,  thev  went  to  the  shore  and  inquired  the  propriety  of  keep- 
ing on  the  ice.      They  were  told  that  there  was  no  danger,  if  they  kept  out  from 
the  shore,    unless    the  wind    should  change.      They   continued  on    the  ice  until 
within  sight  of  Erie,  when  looking  ahead  they  saw  that  beyond  a  tew  rods  from 
them  there   was  no  ice.      They  then  turned  toward  the  shore,  about  forty  rods 
distant,  but  had  gone  only  five  or  six  rods  when  the  horses'  feet  began  to  break 
through  the  ice.      The  men  jumped  from    the  wagon   and  loosened  the   horses 
from  the  wagon,  by  which  time  the  horses  were  both  under  water  except  their 
heads,  in  which  position    they  kept  them  by   holding  them  by  the  bridles,   and 
keeping  their    heads   on  the   unbroken  ice.      About  a  dozen   sailors  standing  at 
Erie  and  seeing   their   trouble  came    prepared  to   help   thein.      Putting  a    rope 
around  the  neck  of  one  of  the  horses   they  choked  him  until  he   floated  when 


'  So  he  wrore  to  the  author  in  1875. 


Biographies.  519 

they  slipped  a  plank  under  him  and  pulled  him  upon  the  ice,  and  then  the  other 
in  the  same  way.  They  drew  the  wagon  to  the  shore  by  hand  and  led  the 
horses,  though  one  of  them  fell  through  and  was  drawn  out  in  the  same  manner 
as  before.  The  cost  of  this  Lake  Erie  horse  bath,  was  two  gallons  of  whiskey 
at  one  dollar  per  gallon,  the  drinking  of  whiskey  on  such  occasions  being  a  part 
of  religious  as  well  as  profane  counesv,  in  those  days.  They  arrived  at  the 
town  ot  Hudson  in  the  fourth  week  from  the  starting,  and  the  next  week  they 
reached  the  homes  of  Mr.  Loomis  and  Agard,  in  Wadsworth.  He  soon 
bought  land  and  built  upon  it  a  log  house,  and  with  the  help  of  Mr.  Hilliard 
cleared  five  acres  planting  it  with  corn  and  potatoes.  The  clearing  consisted  in 
girdling  the  large  trees  and  cutting  and  burning  the  small  stuff. 

On  the  fifteenth  of  June  he  started,  on  horseback,  to  return  to  Torrington 
for  his  family,  coming  through  Pennsylvania  in  his  journey,  and  traveling  only 
six  days  in  a  week  making  about  forty  miles  a  day.  Arriving  at  his  native  town 
he  made  preparations  to  start  with  his  family,  for  the  west,  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber, but  just  before  the  time  came  his  little  daughter  fell  and  broke  her  wrist, 
which  delayed  the  journey  about  one  month.  They  started  finally,  with  a  good 
two  horse  wagon  and  three  good  horses  and  arrived  at  Albany  on  Saturday  after- 
noon, and  put  up  at  the  tavern  a  little  west  of  the  city  where  he  stayed  while 
on  his  first  journey.  On  the  same  evening  there  put  up  at  the  same  place  two 
men  with  a  team,  apparently,  much  better  than  that  of  Mr.  Lyman's,  and  a 
buggy  for  their  ladies  to  ride  in.  This  party  continued  their  travel  on  the 
Sabbath,  but  Mr.  Lyman  rested  on  that  day,  and  on  Monday  went  on  and  as 
he  traveled  the  same  road  he  frequently  heard  of  this  second  party,  and  on 
Friday  about  noon  he  passed  thein.  On  the  next  Sabbath  they  passed  where 
he  was  spending  that  day  in  rest,  but  the  following  Thursday  he  passed  them 
again,  and  they  on  the  following  Sabbath  passed  him  ;  but  on  the  next  Thursday 
he  passed  them  and  saw  them  no  more  and  concluded  that  he  lost  nothing  by 
resting  on  the  Sabbath  day.  At  Buffalo  he  put  his  goods  on  a  boat  for  Cleve- 
land, but  in  consequence  of  poor  roads  the  progress  was  slow.  In  one  place 
he  was  from  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  until  after  sundown  in  traveling 
four  miles,  and  others  who  inade  the  trial  did  not  get  through  this  place  in  a 
day.  When  he  reached  Cleveland  he  found  his  goods  safely  stored  in  the 
captain's  dwelling  house,  as  there  were  no  store  houses  there  at  that  time,  ard 
having  loaded  his  goods  on  his  wagon,  and  drove  two  miles  and  put  up  for  the 
Sabbath,  it  being  Saturday  evening.  His  home  was  thirty  miles  directly  south 
of  Cleveland  and  here  he  arrived  on  the  next  Thursday  night,  his  wagon  having 
been  turned  over  with  all  the  goods,  onlv  three  times  during  the  tour  days'  travel. 
In  summing  up  this  larter  part  of  his  journey,  he  says,  "  You  may  guess  what 
kind  of  roads  we  had  in  Ohio  in  those  times."  He  says  also,  "  there  was  not 
an  acre  of  land  in  Wadsworth  with  all  the  timber  cleared  from  it  in  the  spring 
of  18]  8,  when  Mr.  Agard  cleared  two  acres  of  all  the  girdled  timber.  There 
had  been  a  line  marked  through  the  centre  of  the  town  on  the  south  part  of 
Medina  county  but  not  a  tree  cut  on  that  line  for  fifteen  miles  west  of  Wads- 
worth." 

Rev.  Noah  Merwin 
Was  raised  in  Durham,  Ct.,   was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1773, 
and  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  church  in  Torrington  in  1776,  where 
he  labored  seven  years.      He  was  a  very  different  man  from  his  prede- 
cessor Nathaniel  Roberts,  and  the  times,  being  those  of  the  Revolution, 


520  History  of  Torrington. 

were  times  of  trouble  and  much  suffering  under  privations.  He  was 
a  man  of  ability  and  of  dignity  in  the  ministerial  office,  as  is  evinced 
from  his  views  given  before  the  church,  on  the  subject.  His  wife 
was  the  only  daughter  of  a  wealthy  layman,  and  had  spirit  and  energy. 
She  is  said  to  have  taken  upon  herself  the  entire  charge  of  household 
matters  (for  which  he  must  have  been  grateful)  upon  the  agreement 
that  the  salary  should  support  the  family,  and  that  she  fulfilled  her 
engagement.  It  is  said,  also;  that  there  was  some  strife  between 
Mr.  Merwin,  Daniel  Grant  and  Dr.  Hodges,  as  to  who  should  be 
the  wealthiest  man  ;  and  if  so,  then  they  three  should  have  footed 
the  bills.  It  is  quite  probable  that  there  was  some  feeling  all  around, 
that  did  not  arise  from  the  gospel,  and  thereby  trouble  arose  until 
Mr.  Merwin  desired  to  be  dismissed  and  the  church  acquiesced,  in 
1783.  During  the  year  1784,  Mr.  Merwin  preached  here  much  of 
the  time,  and  was  installed  pastor  at  Washington,  Ct.,  in  1 785,  where 
he  labored  ten  years,  with  good  success,  and  died  in  1795. 

He  married  Lucy  Pierce,  an  only  child  of  a  wealthy  farmer  in 
Cornwall.  She  was  a  fine,  dignified  appearing  woman,  and  in  Wash- 
ington, Ct.,  was  called  Madam  Merwin.  She  married  as  her  second 
husband  Daniel  Brinsmade  of  Washington,  and  after  his  death,  re- 
turned to  Cornwall  v^here  she  died.  Mr.  Merwin's  eldest  daughter 
married  Dr.  Ebenezer  Porter  ;  no  children.  His  second  daughter 
married  Timothy  Stone  of  Cornwall.  His  third  daughter  died  at 
Cornwall  not  married.  His  fourth  daughter  married  Daniel  B. 
Brinsmade  of  Washington,  Ct.' 

Mrs.  Sarah  (Battell)  McEwen, 
Daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Buckingham)  Battell,  was  born 
May  29,  1781,  married  Rev.  Robert  McEwen,  D.D.,  Jan.  21,  1807. 
He  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  New  London,  Oct.  22, 
1806,  and  continued  in  that  office  a  successful  and  extensively  known 
minister  of  the  gospel  until  his  death  Sept.  7,  i860.  She  died  March 
9,  1859,  ^§>^^  7^  years. 

Rev.  John  A.  McKinstry 
Was    born     in    Springfield    parish,    now    the    town    of    Chicopee, 
Massachusetts,  April  19,    181 1.      When  quite  a  youth,  desirous   of 
increasing  his  knowledge  of  the   English   branches,    he  attended   the 

DOC?  ' 


*  See  account  of  Torrington  church. 


Biographies.  521 

academy  at  Amherst,  Mass.,  for  two  winters,  where  he  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  attending  lectures  in  the  college,  to  which  students  of  the 
academy  had  access. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  engaged  in  teaching  the  district 
school  near  his  residence,  during  the  winter.  When  eighteen  years 
of  age,  his  father,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Chicopee,  died,  and  he 
himself  was  very  ill  with  fever  which  disqualified  him  for  his  accus- 
tomed labors  on  the  farm,  for  a  season.  While  engaged  as  a  teacher 
in  the  state  of  Delaware,  during  a  revival,  in  1832,  he  became 
savingly  interested  in  Christ,  as  he  hoped,  and  united  with  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  St.  George's,  Delaware. 

On  his  return  to  New  England  he  consulted  Dr.  Jenkins^  pre- 
sident of  La  Fayette  college  and  concluded  to  take  a  full  course  of 
study,  and  then  resumed  his  study  of  the  languages  in  1833  ;  and  in 
1834  entered  Amherst  college,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1838.  With  encouragement  from  his  mother  and  other  friends 
he  entered  the  Theological  institute  at  East  Windsor  Hill, 
Conn,,  making  arrangements  to  teach  school  near  the  institute.  On 
the  tenth  of  October,  1840,  he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel, 
by  the  Tolland  Association,  at  Ellington,  Ct.,  the  place  where  his 
great  grandfather  was  installed  as  the  first  pastor,  more  than  a  century 
before.  He  preached  his  first  sermon  at  Somers  on  the  following 
Sabbath.  At  the  close  of  his  theological  course  in  1841,  he  accepted 
an  invitation  to  supply  the  pulpit  a  few  Sabbaths  at  Ellsworth,  a 
society  in  Litchfield  county,  where  he  had  preached  during  a  vaca- 
tion. While  fulfilling  this  engagement  he  was  invited  to  preach  at 
Torrington.  He  commenced  preaching  here  on  the  last  Sabbath  of 
November.  1841,  and  on  the  fifth  of  October,  1842,  was  ordained 
pastor  of  that  church  and  society,  the  Rev.  Bennett  Tyler,  D.  D., 
preaching  the  sermon. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  August,  1843,  ^^  married  Mary  Elizabeth 
Morton,  of  Whitely,  Mass.,  a  graduate  of  Mt.  Holyoke  seminary, 
class  1840. 

After  a  pastorate  of  fifteen  years  he  received  an  invitation  to  become  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Harvvinton,  Ct.,  which  he  accepted.  He  preached  his  fare- 
well sermon  in  Torrington  on  the  last  Sabbath  in  September  and  was  installed 
in  Haruinton,  on  the  first  day  of  October,  1857,  Rev.  Nahum  Gale,  D.U., 
of  Lee,  Mass.,  preaching  on  the  occasion.  His  introductory  discourse  in  his 
new  field  was  delivered  on  the  succeeding  one  after  his  farewell  in  the  old  one. 
In  Torrington  he  labored  with  success  and  acceptability  to  the  people,  taking 
great  interest  in  the  Sunday    school,  and  all  other   enterprises  of  religious  and 


522  History  of  Torrington. 

social  improvement,  and  is  still  remembered  with  great  kindness  by  the  people 
of  that  parish. 

In  his  new  field  he  had  a  good  degree  of  success  but  certain  elements  which 
it  was  hoped,  would  be  harmonized  did  not  yield,  and  during  the  sixth  year  of 
this  pastorate  he  tendered  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted,  and  he  was  to 
close  his  labors  at  the  end  of  his  sixth  year  as  pastor,  and  eix  months  subsequent 
to  his  resignation. 

Previous  to  his  dismission  he  had  received  an  invitation  from  the  Theological 
institution  of  Connecticut,  to  engage  in  the  interests  of  that  institution.  Interested 
in  the  seminary  as  a  graduate,  and  for  several  years  as  a  trustee,  he  accepted 
the  appointment  devoting  himself  to  this  work  for  six  months.  Before  this 
service  was  ended  he  received  an  invitation  from  the  first  Congregational  church 
in  Richfield,  Summit  county,  Ohio,  to  preach  for  them.  He  commenced  his 
labors  in  that  place  on  the  second  Sabbath  of  August,  1864,  and  where  he 
still  continues. 

By  the  ordering  of  a  kind  hand,  he  has  been  in  constant  service  since  his 
first  entrance  upon  the  ministry  ;  having  been  laid  aside  by  illness  not  to  ex- 
ceed six  Sabbaths  during  the  thirty-four  years  of  labor. 

Henri  Migeon 
Was  born  Sept.  n,  1799,  in  Haraucourt,  department  of  Ardennes, 
near  Sedan,  France,  and  was  the  son  of  Jacques  Migeon,  a  strong 
friend  and  personal  acquaintance  of  General  Lafayette,  the  great 
friend  of  America.  Mr.  Migeon  was  a  self  made-man.  Although 
his  advantages  for  early  schooling  were  limited,  yet  he  was  a  thorough 
student  of  his  own  inclinations,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of 
the  sciences  ;  and  especially  as  connected  with  the  manufacture  of 
woolen  cloths  in  his  native  country  ;  and  also  to  general  literature. 
He  was  employed  for  a  time  by  a  woolen  house,  as  traveling  agent  in 
the  sale  of  their  goods  in  his  native  country.  By  such  a  course  of 
life  he  became  a  proficient  in  the  methods  of  the  production  of  such 
cloths,  and  this  being  known  to  General  Lafayette,  he  warmly  re- 
commended the  youno;  man  to  go  to  America  where  his  skill  and 
labor  would  find,  not  only  a  large  field  for  occupancy,  but  larger  re- 
muneration and  reward.  Upon  his  decision  to  come  to  this  country. 
General  Lafayette  furnished  him  with  a  letter  of  introduction  and 
commendation  to  the  mayor  New  York  city,  Mr.  Hone,  through 
whom  he  was  favorably  introduced  to  leading  manufacturers  of  woolen 
cloths  in  the  country,  in  1828. 

After  a  stay  of  some  months  in  America,  Mr.  Migeon  returned  to 
his  native  country,  bearing  expressions  of  gratitude  from  leading  citi- 
zens here,  to  General  Lafayette,  for  sending  to  them  a  man  of  such 
ability  and  advantage  to  the  interests  of  that  branch  of  enterprise  in 
this  nation,  whereupon  General  Lafayette  sent  an  autograph  letter  to 
Mr.  Migeon's  father  as  follows : 


Biographies.  523 

"Paris,  July  8,  1829. 

Sir  :  It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  in  renewing  our  ancient  acquaintance.  I 
am  able  to  congratulate  you  upon  the  return  of  your  excellent  son.  I  have  re- 
cicved  news  bv  him  from  the  hiends  to  whom  I  have  written,  viz:  Mr.  Hone, 
one  of  the  most  respectable  gentlemen  in  the  state  ot  New  York,  expresses 
his  thanks  for  the  introduction  of  Mr.  Migeon  to  him,  and  hopes  he  will  soon 
return.  A  friend  of  the  manufacturer  informs  me  that  he  is  regarded  with  sen- 
timents of  esteem  and  approbation  in  his  employment.  Mr.  Hone  also  in- 
forms me  that  the  respectable  agent  ot  the  manufactory  is  much  attached  to 
him.  I  am  persuaded  that  these  expressions  of  approbation  and  friendship 
will  be  agreeable  to  you,  and  also  to  all  his  family.  I  beg  of  you  to  accept 
the  assurance  of  my  distinguished  consideration. 

Lafayette.'" 

Upon  Mr.  Migeon's  return  with  his  family  to  New  York,  in  1829, 
several  places  opened  before  him  for  employment,  among  them  was 
that  of  Wolcottville  by  Governor  Oliver  Wolcott,  and  he  finally  de- 
termined to  go  to  Milbury,  Mass.,  having  received  greater  pecuniary 
inducements  from  there.  But  this  decision  quite  disappointed  Gov- 
ernor Wolcott,  and  he  continued  at  intervals  to  write  to  Mr.  Migeon 
on  the  subject;  several  letters  concerning  the  matter  being  preserved 
and  dated  in  1831  and  1832,  From  Milbury  he  removed  to  New 
York. 

The  first  time  Mr.  Migeon  was  in  Wolcottville  he  came  from 
New  York  to  Litchfield  in  the  stage,  arriving  there  about  dark,  and 
as  the  stage  came  no  further  than  Litchfield,  determined  to  proceed 
on  foot  to  Wolcottville. 

The  road  from  Litchfield  to  Wolcottville  wound  among  the  hills, 
through  lonely  forests  and  deep  valleys,  and  it  being  a  very  windy 
night  various  disturbing  noises  were  heard  from  every  direction,  and 
Mr.  Migeon  being  in  a  strange  country,  among  a  people  whose  lan- 
guage he  did  not  well  understand,  and  possessed  naturally  of  a  nervous 
temperament,  he  was  very  much  disturbed  in  his  feelings  of  safety 
especially  as  he  remembered  that  he  had  with  him  all  the  capital  he 
possessed  in  the  world. 

In  after  life  he  often  alluded  to  this  journey  as  being  one  of  great 
terror  to  him,  and  stated  his  thankfulness  that  he  met  no  person  that 
night,  for  if  he  had  he  feared  that  in  his  nervous  state  of  mind 
he  might  have  shot  any  body  as  a  robber  although  they  might  have 
been  the  best  friends  in  the  world. 

In  1836,  after  having  been  engaged  in  the  woolen  mills  some  few 
years  with   Mr.  Groves,  he  purchased  his  house  and  lot,  which  he 


'The  original  letter  is  deposited  with  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society,  at  Hartford. 


524  History  of  Torrington. 

retained  until  his  decease  and  which  still  remains  in  the  possession  of 
the  family. 

During  the  financial  pressure  in  1837,  Mr,  Migeon,  removed  to 
New  York  to  prosecute  business  for  himself.  He  had  invented  a 
method  of  refinishing  broad  cloths  ;  an  invention  which  enabled  a 
great  saving,  and  one  which  entirely  revolutionized  the  trade  in  cloths, 
since  before  that  time  damaged  cloths  were  regarded  as  nearly  worth- 
less. Mr.  Migeon  established  his  new  enterprise  in  New  York  and 
was  eminently  successful  in  it.  The  value  of  this  invention  was  so 
much  appreciated  that  he  received  a  prize  medal  of  gold  from  the 
American  Institute.  He  continued  in  this  business  a  number  of 
years,  during  nearly  all  of  which  time  his  family  resided  in  Litchfield, 
Conn.,  where  he  had  purchased  the  Governor  Wolcott  place,  the 
ample  grounds  of  which  evidenced  his  fine  taste  and  fondness  for 
horticulture. 

In  his  work  in  New  York,  after  a  few  years,  he  associated  with 
him  in  business  two  of  his  nephews,  John  and  Eugene  Lenoir,  enter- 
prising young  men,  who,  with  their  young  wives,  were  on  the  ill 
fated  steamer  Arctic  in  1853,  on  their  way  home  from  France  after 
a  visit.  The  steamer  has  not  been  heard  from  since,  an  event  that 
is  remembered  by  this  family  with  peculiar  interest  and  sadness. 

This  event  so  disarranged  Mr.  Migeon's  business  relations  that, 
having  up  to  this  time,  accumulated  money  so  that  he  judged  he 
might  retire  from  business,  he  sold  the  establishment  to  his  son  and 
son-in-law,  and  made  Wolcottville  his  permanent  home.  Here  he 
purchased  considerable  lands,  and  entered  upon  improvements  such 
as  have  been,  and  will  be  for  many  years  to  come  an  ornament  and 
honor  to  the  village.  Many  of  the  trees  along  the  streets  near  his 
late  residence  were  planted  by  him,  and  are  now  in  a  thrifty  state, 
and  if  cared  for  as  they  are  likely  to  be,  will  be  an  ornament  a  hun- 
dred years  to  come.  One  of  the  finest  avenues  in  the  village  which 
he  had    done  so  much  to  improve  is  justly  named  after  him. 

Mr.  Migeon  was  an  enthusiastic  citizen  in  favor  of  his  adopted 
country.  Born  in  the  time  of  the  French  revolution  •,  his  father  an 
actor  in  that  revolution  and  a  special  admirer  and  friend  of  Lafayette, 
who  had  strong  leanings  towards  republican  principles  and  institu- 
tions, he  became  thoroughly  educated  to  republican  freedom,  and 
after  being  in  this  country  a  short  time  became  familiar  with  political 
opinions  aud  took  his  position  with  the  old  whig  party,  and  therein 
became  a  great  admirer  of  Henry  Clay.  When  Mr.  Clay  was  north 
on  a  certain  occasion  Mr.  Migeon  made  him  cloth   for  a  fine  suit  of 


Biographies.  525 

clothes,  and  some  years  after,  when  Mr.  Clay  was  in  New  York  at 
a  great  dinner,  Mr.  Migeon  being  present  reminded  him  of  the  suit. 
"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Clay,  "  they  still  hang  in  my  wardrobe  not  worn  out." 
In  satisfying  his  patriotic  zeal  Mr.  Migeon  found  much  pleasure  for 
a  number  of  years  in  aiding  the  children  in  the  celebration  of  the 
Fourth  of  July  in  Wolcottviile  by  giving  each  child  fire  crackers. 
When  the  hard  times  came  he  gave  them  the  price  of  a  pack, 
thinking  the  money  might  be  of  more  advantage  to  tlie  families.  In 
1876,  he  distributed  coins  of  the  United  States,  from  the  mint,  with 
the  date  of  that  year,  to  each  child  of  the  public  school  to  be  kept  in 
remembrance  of  that  day.  To  the  more  advanced  classes  he  gave 
pieces  of  more  value,  and  on  that  occasion  made  the  following  re- 
marks, which  have  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  principal. 

"  Mr.  Fellows,  principal,  and  young  ladies  and  gentleman  scholars  of  the 
Wolcottviile  academy.* 

On  this  memorable  epoch  of  our  centennial,  and  Fourth  of  July,  1876,  I 
am  happy  to  see  you  all  on  such  an  occasion,  as  it  affords  me  opportunity  to 
congratulate  you  all  upon  the  result  of  your  studies  and  good  behavior  during 
this  your  last  term  of  scholarship  ;  in  consideration  of  which  I  beg  you  to 
accept  from  me  a  small  piece  of  silver  as  a  souvenir.  After  the  report  of  your 
excellent  teacher,  which  I  see  in  the  Wolcottviile  Register,  I  thought  it  due  to 
those  who  are  best  noted  in  that  report,  to  call  them  out  by  name  that  they 
may  first  receive  said  souvenir. 

H.   Migeon." 

WoLCOTTviLLE,  July  4,  1876. 

Mr.  Migeon  was  well  read  in  the  general  literature  of  the  day,  and 
in  all  practical  applications  of  science  was  greatly  interested.  His 
personal  appearance  was  that  of  familiarity  with  business  life  ;  dis- 
criminating judgment ;  self-reliant  and  courageous,  but  with  due 
deference  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  others. 

He  retired  from  business  early  in  life,  and  the  remainder  of  his 
days  were  far  from  being  unprofitably  occupied.  A  fine  cabinet  of 
mineralogical  and  fossilliferous  specimens  gave  evidence  of  his  esthetic 
disposition.  He  also  made  an  extensive  collection  of  ancient  coins 
and  other  antiquities,  for  the  reception  of  which  he  built  a  little 
museum  to  his  house.  xMr.  Migeon  was  favored  in  forming  the 
acquaintance  of  many  public  and  distinguished  men,  in  consequence 
of  his  frequent  journeyings,  he  having  crossed  the  Atlantic  about 
forty  times,  and  his  reminiscences  of  them  were  very  entertaining. 
He  was  presented  at  the  court  of  Napoleon  Third,  during  the  height 
of  that  emperor's  power  and  prosperity. 


•  The  school  was  at  first  an  academy. 


^26  History  of  Torrington. 

The  following  was  published  in  the  Courier  des  Etats  Unis^  the 
leading  French  paper  of  this  country  : 

"  Mr.  Henri  Migeon,  one  of  the  oldest  French  residents  of  the  United 
States,  died  at  his  residence  at  Wolcottville,  Conn.,  Dec.  24,  1876,  in  the 
seventy-eighth  vear  of  his  age.  Mr.  Migeon  was  born  in  Haraucourt,  Depart- 
ment of  the  Ardennes,  France  ;  came  to  America  in  1829,  with  letters  of 
recommendation  from  General  Lafayette.  His  residence  in  this  country  was 
a  long  life  of  industry  and  probity.  He  was  the  first  to  introduce  machinery, 
which  with  his  skill  greatly  promoted  the  manufacture  of  cloths  in  Massachu- 
setts and  Connecticut.  He  died  Inved  and  honored  by  all  those  who  knew 
him  both  in  business  and  social  relations.  His  liberality  was  proverbial,  and 
there  was  not  a  philanthropic  or  patriotic  object  to  which  he  did  not  contribute 
generously." 

During  the  late  French  war  with  Germany,  he  actively  promoted 
the  rising  and  contributed  large  sums,  specially  for  the  relief  of  the 
suffering  near  Sedan,  where  his  daughter  Madame  Baudelot  resides. 
Her  house  was  protected  by  the  American  flag,  and  was  the  daily 
resort  of  many  persons,  both  as  fugitives,  and  the  almost  starving 
people  of  the  vicinity.  This  sympathy  for  his  native  region  he  con- 
tinued until  his  decease,  keeping  a  deposit  of  money  in  that  country 
the  interest  of  which  was  regularly  appropriated  to  such  ends.  The 
same  thoughtfulness  for  the  needy  was  manifested  in  his  own  com- 
munity during  many  years.  Mr.  Migeon  married  Marie  Louise, 
daughter  of  Francois  Baudelot  of  Haraucourt,  France.  Her  father 
was  a  distinguished  man  in  his  time  for  science  and  patriotism,  in 
1792,  he  was  mayor  of  Vendresse,  and  took  all  the  available  men  to 
cut  down  the  forests  of  Mazaim  to  blockade  the  passage  of  the  ene- 
mies. His  eldest  son  was  decorated  on  the  field  of  battle  by  Napoleon 
First,  who  himself  placed  the  cross  of  chevalier,  the  legion  of  honor 
upon  him,  in  recompense  for  his  bravery.  His  second  son  was  the 
originator  of  the  idea  of  utilizing  the  gases  of  furnaces  as  fuel,  which 
formerly  were  allowed  to  escape.  This  invention  is  now  in  univer- 
sal   use.      He   also  invented    the    beer  cooler    which    is   celebrated 

the  world  over. 

iMrs.  Mio-eon  was  a  noble  and  honored  companion  of  her  husband. 
Although  raised  in  comparative  affluence,  yet  during  the  first  years 
of  their  residence  in  this  country,  though  placed  under  straitened 
circumstances,  she  cheerfully  rendered  all  possible  assistance  to 
him,  and  by  their  united  efforts,  comfort  and  enjoyments  crowned 
their  closing  years.  While  returning  from  France  in  the  steamer 
Lafayette  on  June  30,  1871,  she  died  on  the  ocean;  her  remains 
being  brought  to  Wolcottville  and  interred. 


Biographies.  527 

Rev.  Jonathan  Miller, 

Son  of  Dea,  Ebenezer  and  Thankful  (Allen)  Miller,  of  Torringford, 
was  born  Nov.  26,  1761  ;  was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1781  ; 
was  ordained  pastor  at  Burlington,  Nov.  26,  1783,  and  died  there  in 
that  office  July  21,  1831,  aged  seventy  years. 

He  preached  a  concio  ad  clerum  in  1812,  which  was  published. 
He  also  published  the  substance  of  forty  sermons  in  the  Connecticut 
Evangelical  Maga-zine. 

He  possessed  a  clear,  strong,  active  mind,  and  was  fond  of  study  ; 
was  a  discriminating  and  instructive  preacher,  and  held  a  prominent 
place  among  his  brethren.  The  overflowing  fountain  of  good  feeling 
in  his  soul  seconded  always  by  the  utmost  sincerity  and  agreeable 
frankness  in  look  and  language,  more  than  compensated  for  some 
lack  of  refinement,  and  a  sort  of  noble  contempt  of  etiquette.  If  his 
composition  lacked  polish  and  embellishment,  it  had  the  more  valuable 
qualities  of  solid,  sterling  matter,  logically  arranged  and  clearly  ex- 
pressed. He  might  plead  also  the  fashion  of  the  times,  for  any  want 
of  elegance  in  his  large  amount  of  rapid  writing,  for  the  pulpit  and 
the  periodical  press.  Mr.  Miller  was  of  medium  height  and  dark 
complexion.  His  large,  round  fleshy  face  of  high  color  ;  his  short 
neck  and  broad  shoulders  ;  his  compact  and  corpulent  form,  joined 
to  a  great  flow  of  animal  spirits,  and  to  social  powers  of  high  order, 
were  admirably  suited  to  disappoint  the  phrenologist.  About  the 
time  of  passing  his  grand  climacteric,  his  hard  worked  mind  suddenly 
and  seriously  failed.  A  colleague  was  provided,  after  which  he  rarely 
attempted  any  public  service.  It  was  delightful,  as  the  powers  of 
his  intellect  waned  in  subsequent  years,  to  witness  the  abounding  of 
his  love  to  God  and  man,  more  and  more. 

Rev.  David  Miller, 

Son  of  David  and  Clarissa  (Moore)  Miller,  was  born  in  Torringford 
Nov.  24,  1793.  He  taught  school  in  early  life  in  Virginia  ;  entered 
the  itinerant  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  New  York 
conference,  in  1816  ;  was  ordained  deacon  in  1818,  and  elder  in 
1820,  and  labored  in  the  following  pbces  ;  in  1816,  Granville, 
Mass.;  1817-18,  Durham,  Ct. ;  1819-20,  Stratford  ;  1821,  Pittsfield, 
Mass.  ;  1822,  Goshen,  Ct.  ;  1823,  Winsted  ;  1824-25,  Salisbury  ; 
1826,  Granville,  Mass.;  1827-33,  I'^cated  at  Windsor;  1834, 
Burlington;    1835-36,  Stratford;    1837-38,   Derby;    1839-40,  Sag 


5^8  History  of  Torrington. 

Harbor,  L.  I,;  1841-42,  Burlington;  1843-44,  New  Britain; 
1845  -50,  chaplain  at  states  prison  at  Wethersfield ;  1 850-51,  Gashen ; 
1852,  Pleasant  Valley  and  New  Hartford  ;  1855,  was  presiding  elder 
of  Hartford  district  in  New  York  East  conference,  and  in  this  office 
he  died  at  Bristol  Dec.  21,  1855,  aged  sixty-three  years. 

Mrs.  Marcia  (Whiting)  Miller, 

Daughter  of  Hervey  and  Olive  (Barber)  Whiting,  married  Rev. 
David  Miller  in  1816.  She  died  April  20,  1863,  aged  71.  [See 
biography  of  Mr.  Miller.) 

Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills, 
Son  of  John  and  Jane  (Lewis)  Mills,  was  born  in  Kent,  Ct.,  May 
17,  1743,  and  was  the  fifth  child  and  fourth  son  In  the  family. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Windsor  and  his  mother  of  Stratford. 
The  family  was  somewhat  celebrated  for  its  proclivity  to  ministerial 
life.  Two  of  his  uncles  and  one  cousin  were  ministers.  Jane,  a 
sister  of  Samuel  J.,  married  Rev.  Joel  Bordwell,  long  the  pastor  at 
Kent  ;  Sarah,  another  sister,  married  Rev.  Jeremiah  Day  of  New 
Preston  ;  Edmund  Mills,  a  younger  brother,  was  a  well  known  min- 
ister in  Massachusetts  ;  and  the  widowed  mother  married  Rev.  Phile- 
mon Robbins  of  Branford,  when  she  was  sixty-six  years  of  age,  and 
lived  to  be  eighty-six,  dying  in  1798. 

Samuel  John  Mills  (for  so  he  wrote  his  own  name  very  frequently, 
although  there  is  no  John  in  the  name  on  the  original  family  record), 
was  thoroughly  schooled  in  the  religious  principles  and  practices  of 
the  age  of  his  youth  as  is  evident  from  the  remark  he  made  while 
walking  with  a  friend  by  the  house  in  which  he  was  born,  "  Yonder :  " 
said  he,  "  did  my  father  direct  my  little  brother  to  go  night  and  morn- 
ing, and  call  upon  God;  and  yonder,  behind  that  other  object  did  he 
charge  me  to  go  and  perform  the  same  service."  After  spending 
some  of  his  years  in  work  upon  his  father's  farm,  he  was  fitted  for 
college  under  the  instruction  of  the  Rev.  Joel  Bordwell,  the  pastor  of 
his  native  place,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1764,  at  the 
age  of  twenty -one,  and  outlived  all  his  classmates.  He  was  licensed 
by  the  Litchfield  South  Association  at  Kent,  Feb.  7,  1766,  having 
pursued  a  course  of  theological  studies  during  the  two  preceding 
years,  with  his  pastor  Rev.  Joel  Bordwell.  In  the  spring  of  1767, 
iVlr.  Mills  was  preaching  as  a  candidate  at  Wilton,  Fairfield  county, 
and  on   the  fifth  of  March  that   society   "voted   to  call   Mr.  Mills; 


Biographies.  529 

fifteen  in  the  negative."  This  invitation  was  not  accepted  and  on 
the  first  of  the  next  July  they  renewed  the  invitation,  by  "a  great 
majority,"  says  the  record,  only  fourteen  in  the  minority  ;  and  in 
October  they  repeated  the  call,  only  fourteen  in  the  minority.  Still 
the  invitation  was  not  accepted,  and  in  February  the  society  made 
another  effort,  appointing  a  large  committee  to  call  upon  him  and  if 
he  could  not  be  obtained,  to  seek  another  candidate."'  But  they  did 
not  prevail,  Mr.  Mills  evidently  being  determined  not  to  become  the 
pastor  of  a  divided  people,  and  yet  his  excellence  was  so  apparent 
that  the  people  of  that  place  persisted  in  giving  him  a  call  about  once 
a  quarter  during  a  whole  year. 

From  the  records  of  the  Litchfield  Association,  it  appears  that 
according  to  their  rules  Mr.  Mills  offered  himself,  Sept.  20,  1768, 
for  examination  in  order  to  being  approved  of  for  ordination  in  the 
work  of  the  gospel  ministry  over  the  church  and  people  of  Torring- 
ford  and  was  examined  and  approved  and  recommended  to  them  as  a 
meet  person,  qualified  to  settle  with  them  in  that  work,  and  probably 
began  to  preach  in  that  place  about  that  time.  In  February,  1769, 
the  people  of  that  parish  gave  him  a  probationary  call,  and  in  March 
a  call  to  settle.  They  offered  him  a  settlement  of  two  hundred 
pounds,  to  be  paid  in  three  years  in  annual  instalments,  and  a  salary 
of  fifty-five  pounds  to  be  increased  five  pounds  yearly  until  it  reached 
seventy  pounds,  to  be  paid  one-half  in  money  and  the  other  half  in 
wheat,  rye  and  Indian  corn  at  the  market  price,  and  his  firewood. 
Mr.  Mills  accepted  the  call  and  the  society  appointed  Shubael  Gris- 
wold,  Elijah  Gaylord,  Jabez  Gillett  and  John  Strong  tavern  keepers 
for  the  ordination,  and  the  consociation  of  Litchfield  county  met  at 
the  house  of  Nehemiah  Gaylord  on  Tuesday  June  27,  and  examined 
the  candidate,  and  on  Wednesday  June  28,  1769,  he  was  ordained  to 
the  work  of  the  pastorate  among  this  people,  there  being  eleven 
ministers  present  and  thirteen  delegates,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Lee, 
moderator.  Rev.  Daniel  Farrand,  scribe,  and  Rev.  Joel  Bordwell  of 
Kent  preaching  the  sermon. 

At  this  time  Torringford  had  been  settled  about  twenty-five  years, 
the  forests  much  of  them  had  been  cleared  away,  several  mansion 
like  framed  houses  had  been  erected,  the  meeting  house  was  stand- 
ing, though  in  an  unfinished  state,  and  the  general  community  was 
composed  of  such  a  number  of  families,  of  such  substantial  charac- 


»  Wilton  Records. 

67 


530  History  of  Torrington. 

ters  and  qualities  of  mind,  to  whom  to  preach  should  inspire  the 
energy,  intellect  and  heart  of  any  man,  at  any  time  and  any  where, 
and  Mr.  Mills  knew  that  he  had  a  strong  parish  and  a  noble  people, 
for  he  had  sufficient  discernment  to  judge  intelligently  on  such  a 
matter,  and  hence  he  began  his  ministry  with  great  courage  and  re- 
solution as  being  assured  of  success  in  his  high  calling  and  of  doing 
much  good  to  his  fellow  men,  for  without  such  endowments  of  mind 
he  would  never  have  made  the  record  he  did,  and  this  inbred  victory 
and  strength  went  with  him  through  life.  He  was  not  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  to  do  or  whither  to  go  to  find  some  work  to  do,  but  was 
always  pushing  on,  as  if  already  too  much  work  was  laid  before  him 
and  he  must  hasten  or  some  part  of  the  harvest  field  would  suffer 
loss,  and  hence  the  perpetual  inspiring,  new  life  in  his  soul,  grasping 
the  world  of  nature  as  intellectual  food,  and  throwing  out  light  and 
life  until  every  man,  woman  and  child,  and  all  classes  and  conditions, 
all  circumstances  and  places  felt  the  inspiration  of  his  inward,  yet 
outgoing,  conquering  victory  over  sin  and  death,  through  the  might 
of  the  gospel  which  he  preached.  Such  was  the  beginning  of  this 
man  of  God  who  went  out  on  one  mission,  determined  on  having 
but  one,  and  in  that  one  to  devote  all  of  life,  all  of  powers  and 
faculties,  all  of  sentiments  and  sensibilities,  and  aspirations  and  in- 
terests for  two  worlds  or  for  thousands,  if  there  might  be  as  many, 
that  the  great  end  sought  should  not  fail  for  lack  of  oneness  and 
purpose  on  his  part,  and,  as  Alexander  conquered,  he  conquered,  as 
Napoleon  triumphed  he  triumphed,  and  as  Wellington  rested,  so  he 
rested,  at  the  end,  before  he  was  glorified. 

This  oneness  of  purpose  with  high  courage  and  love  for  the  work, 
was  the  secret  of  his  great  success,  and  that  also  of  his  son,  the 
missionary  prince. 

Mr.  Mills,  after  preaching  two  years  in  this  parish,  married  Esther 
Robbins  of  Canaan,  Nov.  19,  1771,  a  woman  of  most  amiable  quali- 
ties, and  possessing  very  appropriate  qualifications  for  the  position 
which  she  so  honorably  filled  many  years.  She  was  the  great  angel 
of  comfort,  strength,  support,  guide  and  help  to  her  husband  and 
family,  and  standing;  in  such  relations  and  rendering  such  aid,  she  did 
the  highest  work  that  woman  can  do  in  the  life  that  now  is,  which 
work  is  equal  to  anything  that  man  can  do,  only  that  the  man  takes 
the  heaviest  of  the  work  and  the  hardest  of  the  toil  while  the  woman 
takes  the  lighter  and  easier  part.  Mrs.  Mills  was  honored,  loved 
and  appreciated  while  living,  and  greatly  missed  and  lamented  when 


Biographies. 


53^ 


gone.     She  died  Dec.   30,    1809.     The    following    extract    reveals 
still  further  the  character  and  life  of  this  truly  noble  woman  : 

"  I  remember  very  well  Mr,  and  Mrs.  Mills  and  their  family,  for  I  lived 
near  neighbor  when  young  and  in  after  life  lived  in  their  family  some  years. 
Mrs.  Mills  was  slight  built,  fine  cut  features,  mild  and  lovely  in  appearance  ;  a 
perfect  lady.  I  can  hear  her  gentle  '  how  do  you  do  Fanny,'  even  now,  spoken 
when  I  was  a  little  girl  and  used  to  go  in  there.  She  was  a  true  Christian  ;  a 
thorough  student  of  the  Bible,  and  practiced  daily  what  she  studied,  and  to  her 
was  intrusted  the  principal  management  of  the  family,  owing  to  her  husband's 
many  duties  and  his  perfect  confidence  in  her  skill  and  ability  for  the  responsi- 
bility. Her  influence  was  everywhere  that  of  a  refined  Christian  woman. 
She  was  sometimes  called  stingy  but  that  was  not  true.  She  gave  as  the  Bible 
teaches.  To  the  needy  she  was  very  generous,  but  was  not  always  inclined  to 
give  to  the  rich.  She  was  a  close  calculator,  and  necessarily  so,  for  her  hus- 
band was  a  careless  giver,  giving  to  any  one  who  asked,  yet  he  had  the  utmost 
confidence  in  her  judgment  on  such  occasions,  and  when  she  would  gently  re- 
monstrate saying,  '  I  don't  believe  it  is  best  this  tiine'  he  would  reply  '  I  believe 
you  are  right  ma'am,  1  think  you  are  right  ma'am  !'" 

Such  was  the  impress  of  this  woman  in  her  home,  inwrought 
there  by  her  marvelous  sweetness  of  spirit,  wonderful  skill  and  Chris- 
tian love  that  the  inspiration  still  abides  on  the  community,  and  will 
for  many  years  to  come.  Everywhere  she  is  spoken  of  in  the  same 
spirit  of  admiration  and  sweet  remembrance,  and  every  year,  by 
strangers  from  afar  as  well  as  neighbors  in  the  old  parish,  is  her 
grave  stone  the  witness,  by  the  moistened  eye  and  quivering  lip,  of 
the  far  reaching  influence  of  her  life,  in  her  home  and  in  her  hus- 
band's parish.  Nearly  seventy  years  after  she  ceased  to  toil  on  earth, 
is  the  fragrance  of  her  life  a  balm  for  the  consolation  and  inspiration 
of  great  numbers  who  through  seas  of  conflict  are  following  her  to 
the  land  of  fame  and  eternal  peace  ;  yes,  even  the  far  off*  islands  of 
the  sea,  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  have  heard  of  the  fame  of  the 
mother  of  Samuel  J.  Mills^  'Junior. 

Mr.  Mills's  pastorate  extended  through  many  years  of  peculiar  difficulties  and 
trials  as  connected  with  the  history  of  the  community  and  the  country.  While 
the  southern  part  of  Torringford  parish  had  been  settled  twenty-four  or  five 
years  yet  much  of  the  northern  portion  had  been  but  recendy  taken  up,  and  the 
settlers  were  in  their  log  houses,  clearing  away  the  forests,  and  were  not  under 
circumstances  to  render  that  support,  materially  to  a  minister  and  parish,  as 
would  have  been  advantageous,  even  in  a  cominunity  where  such  wants  were 
few.  Five  years  only  had  passed,  in  which  but  little  had  been  accomplished 
except  the  preparations  to  live  and  commence  his  work,  when  the  rumblings 
of  the  war  chariots  of  the  Revolution  began  to  be  heard,  and  the  fearful  con- 
flicts which  were  to  continue  seven  long  and  dreary  years,  were  introduced  ; 
and  when  that  exhausting  conflict  was  past,  there  came  another  wave  of  disin- 
tegration  of  religious  society,  that  was  worse  than   the  war  to   dishearten  the 


532  History  of  Torrington. 

minister,  regarded  by  a  large  proportion  of  the  people  as  the  "  prevailing  infi- 
delity of  the  age,"  during  which  the  constitutional  law  of  the  commonwealth  in 
regard  to  the  support  of  the  gospel  ministry  was  changed,  and  a  number  of  the 
most  able  and  influential  members  of  the  community  withdrew  their  allegiance 
to  the  standing  order  of  religious  societies  and  gave  heed  to  anything  they  chose, 
save  only  that  it  was  outside  of  the  old  forms.  A  growing  dissatisfaction  with 
the  established  forms  of  church  support  and  rule  had  been  experienced  from 
1741,  until  it  culminated  in  the  change  of  the  state  constitution  in  1784,  and 
from  that  time  it  took  new  force,  assumed  new  prerogatives,  and  marched  on 
with  greater  rudeness  toward  the  established  order,  until  it  reached  its  second 
triumph  in  full  denominational  equality  in  the  new  constitution  of  18  18.  The 
parties  both  misunderstood  each  other,  and  neither  understood  themselves. 
The  spirit  and  principles  of  freedom  which  drove  the  pilgrims  from  the  old 
world  to  the  new,  was  destined  to  overthrow  the  order  of  the  churches  which 
had  reigned  more  than  a  hundred  years,  almost  without  an  objection,  as  cer- 
tainly as  effect  followed  cause,  but  the  fathers  of  1790  saw  it  not,  nor  knew 
the  power  that  was  moving  in  the  midst  of  them  although  they  had  planted  and 
cherished  it  from  the  first.  The  law  of  freedom  that  would  uphold  a  puritan 
in  withdrawing  from  the  established  church  in  England  would  uphold  an  Epis- 
copalian, or  one  of  any  denomination,  in  withdrawing  from  the  established 
church  in  Connecticut  or  America  ;  but  this  was  not  generally  perceived,  and 
when  it  began  to  be  felt  the  faithful  church  member  was  greatly  grieved  and 
dissatisfied. 

On  the  other  hand  the  dissenter  to  the  established  order  scarcely  knew  the 
power  that  moved  him  or  what  he  wanted  save  his  own  choice  and  judgment 
about  something  connected  with  religious  life.  He  was  called  "  infidel/'  or 
"free  thinker"  and  accepted  the  name,  and  then  joining  himself  to  another 
denomination  did  double  duty,  supposing  he  had  escaped  some  grievous  op- 
pression, scarcely  knowing  what.  In  Newfield  in  this  town  this  was  peculiarly 
illustrated  in  1803,  when  a  man  dissenting  from  supporting  the  old  church, 
subscribing  towards  the  building  of  a  new  church,  signed  himself  "  a  free 
thinker,"  and  explained  the  ineaning  by  saying:  "that  is,  if  I  think  wrong  at 
first  I  have  a  right  to  think  again."  It  is  very  evident  that  this  man  did  not 
know  what  he  thought,  only  that  he  wanted  to  enjoy  his  inherited  right  to  think 
for  himself,  and  least  of  all  does  it  appear  that  he  was  infidel. 

Of  those  who  withdrew  from  the  support  of  the  Torringford  church  Dr. 
Samuel  Woodward  was  the  most  prominent,  but  several  others  were  decidedly 
of  the  first  class  of  mind.  Dr.  W  jodward  was  called  "infidel,"  but  was  as 
far  from  rejecting  the  Bible  as  anybody  in  Torringford.  Yet  he  did  object 
with  a  muhiude  of  others,  many  of  whom  did  not  withdraw  from  the  society, 
to  the  fatalism  preached  in  those  days  as  the  highest  honor  to  an  omnipotent 
Jehovah,  and  as  a  matter  settled  in  theology,  which  no  man  had  a  right  to 
question.  Instead  of  being  infidel,  it  is  stated  that  he  was  at  one  time  at  least, 
so  exercised  in  religious  things  that  he  was  almost  incapacitated  for  the  regular 
performance  of  his  professional  duties,  and  to  the  close  of  life  manifested  the 
greatest  respecc  for  and  confidence  in  true  Christian  life.  But  in  those  days  a 
man  could  not  object  to  the  formulated  statements  of  doctrine,  without  being 
called  "  infidel,  freethinker,"  or  worse  names,  for  there  were  worse  used,  that 
had  no  more  foundation  in  truth  than  these,  when  applied  as  they  frequently 
were,  to  the  most  trifling  objections  to  theological  stateinents.  There  were 
then  two  causes,  which  led  directly  to  the  withdrawing  of  quite  a  number  of 


Biographies.  ^^3 

substantial  men  from  the  support  of  the  Torringford  church  ;  the  interpreta- 
tions of  freedom,  as  maintained  in  political  economy,  applied  to  the  privileges 
o^  religious  life  ;  and  under  this  application  there  grew  up  a  decided  objection 
to  some  of  the  doctrines  taught  by  the  standing  order.  Through  all  these  pecu- 
liar difficulties  Mr.  Mills  moved  with  steadiness,  fidelity,  and  a  large  degree  of 
conservative  social  kindness,  but  never  wavering  a  single  moment  from  the  doc- 
trinal line  on  which  he  started,  but  if  anything,  held  closer  thereto,  as  if  very 
life  depended  upon  the  questions  against  which  objections  were  made  ;  nor 
did  the  community  here  (as  well  as  everywhere',  become  fullv  settled  in  its 
relations  to  ecclesiastical  privileges  until  i8i8,  and  soon  after  which  Mr.  Mills 
was  supplied  with  a  colleague.  Notwithstanding  the  times  and  circumstances 
which  surrounded  Mr.  Mills  in  his  labors,  the  church  prospered  more  than 
many  that  surrounded  it  in  neighboring  towns,  and  came  to  have  a  name  more 
illustrious  than  most  others  in  the  county  or  in  the  state. 

It  is  said  that  there  was  some  considerable  revival  in  1773,  1782, 
and  1793  '  ^"^  ^^^^  °^  ^799?  ^^^  ^^'7  remarkable  and  brought  with 
it  permanent  and  lasting  blessings  to  the  people,  and  prosperity  and 
increased  strength  to  the  church,  for  after  it  the  withdrawing  from 
the  support  of  the  society  almost  entirely  ceased  for  many  vears.^ 
There  were  also  revivals  to  some  considerable  extent  in  the  years 
1816,  1821,  1827,  and  1831. 


*  The  following  account  of  that  revival  was  given   by  Rev.    Father   Mills,    in  the   E'van- 
gelical  Magazine  in  July,  1800. 

"In  the  latter  end  of  August,  1798,  unusual  religious  appearances  commenced  in  this 
place,  especially  among  the  young  people.  They  met  weekly  by  themselves.  Their  num- 
ber constantly  increased,  until  it  was  found  that  a  private  room  would  not  contain  them. 
They  then  repaired  to  the  meeting. house,  where  they  prayed,  sang,  and  conversed  on  re- 
ligious subjects.  An  event  so  extraordinary  excited  a  spirit  of  general  inquiry  throughout 
the  society,  and  several  weeks,  and.  even  months  passed  away,  while  as  yet  one  was  scarce 
able  to  decide  whether  any  deep  or  powerful  impressions  were  on  their  minds  or  not,  unless 
in  a  very  few  instances.  In  the  meantime  an  unusual  solemnity  appeared  on  the  counte- 
nances of  the  people  in  general.  And  those  who,  antecedently  to  all  this,  had  been  much 
in  prayer  to  God  for  a  day  of  his  divine  power,  "  thanked  God  and  took  courage."  Of 
course,  conference  meetings  of  a  more  general  nature  were  appointed,  and  crowds  were  wont 
to  assemble  at  such  seasons.  Thus  things  passed  on,  with  but  few  instances  of  hopeful  con- 
versions, until  about  the  middle  of  the  following  winter.  While  our  hopes  and  our  fears 
had  thus  long  been  very  sensibly  excited  by  turns,  as  appearances  varied,  at  this  memorable 
period,  it  pleased  the  Great  Head  of  the  church,  in  a  very  peculiar  manner,  to  show  forth 
his  presence  and  power  in  the  midst  of  the  people.  So  extraordinary  a  season  for  weeks,  and 
we  may  say  for  months,  we  never  witnessed.  An  answer  to  the  inquiry  whether  the  Lord 
was  indeed  among  us  or  not,  was  now  attended  with  no  difficulty.  The  minds  of  many 
were  greatly  agitated,  and  unusual  attention  was  paid  to  means  of  instruction.  In  the  time 
of  this  extraordinary  visitation,  a  goodly  number  of  the  people  obtained  hope  of  their  recon- 
ciliation to  God. 

Having  made  this  general  statement,  I  shall  now  descend  to  some  particular  observations. 

I.   It  is  worthy  of  particular  notice,   that  the  work  has  been  carried    on    with   remark- 
able regularity.     Little  or  nothing  has    been   discovered    of  wild  enthusiasm  or  disorder. 


534  History  of  Torrington. 

Mr.  Mills  as  a  Man.' 
On  this  topic  the  Rev.   Abel    McEwin,  D.D.,  who  in   his  child- 
hood and  youth  saw  much  of  Mr.  Mills,  because  living  in  an  adjoin- 
ing parish  writes  : 

"In  person  he  was  tall,  large  with  well  proportioned  limbs;  in  attitude  and 
action  graceful.  His  face,  large  and  round,  in  which  was  set  a  pair  of  bold, 
yet  benignant  eyes,  was  at  once  attractive  and  impressive.  His  gait,  though 
stately  was  natural  and  easy.  His  finest  appearance  out  of  the  pulpit  was  on 
horseback.      He  was  a  good  judge  and  a  better  manager  of  a  horse.     Dressed 


The  subjects  of  the  work  have  been  as  able  and  ready  in  any  stage  of  it,  to  inform  of 
the  ground  of  their  distress,  as  a  patient  to  tell  what  part  of  his  body  was  in  pain.  This, 
perhaps,  may  account  for  it,  in  a  measure,  that  there  has  been  so  little  open  opposi- 
tion to  the  work.      Such  as  wished  to  censure  and   reproach  it,  were  confounded. 

It  may  be  observed  — 

II.  As  to  the  nature  of  the  work,  that  it  has  been  such,  in  the  course  and  issue  of  it,  as 
wonderfully  to  display  divine  power  and  grace,  and  to  bring  out  to  view  the  human  heart. 
The  subject  of  it,  in  the  first  stages  of  their  concern,  have  generally  been  filled  with  surprise 
and  astonishment  at  themselves  and  their  past  lives  ;  and  seeing  themselves  in  danger,  have 
formed  resolutions,  and  entered  on  measures  to  amend  their  situation.  When  led  to  a 
more  full  discovery  of  their  own  hearts,  and  to  an  increasing  conviction  of  the  impossibility 
of  ever  obtaining  relief  in  their  own  w.iy,  they  have  felt  very  sensibly  disturbed.  They 
have  been  ready  to  plead  in  their  own  defence,  while  they  dared  to  do  it,  that  they  could  do 
no  more  than  they  could  — that  they  never  made  their  own  hearts  —  and  that  it  was  out 
of  their  power  to  change  them.  They  have  contended  also  against  God  for  showing  mercy 
to  others,  while  they  were  left  —  and  even  for  giving  them  existence.  But  as  their  con- 
victions increased,  they  became  sensible  of  the  dreadful  obstinacy  of  their  own  hearts,  and 
found  themselves  growing  worse  and  worse,  till  finally  all  hope  disappeared,  except  what 
arose  from  the  sovereign  grace  of  God  —  from  the  consideration  that  he  could,  and  that  he 
would,  have  mercy  on  whom  he  would  have  mercy.  They  found  their  hearts  so  much 
opposed  to  God,  to  his  law,  and  to  the  gospel,  as  to  see  that  nothing  short  of  divine  power 
could  ever  subdue  them.  In  the  midst  of  all  this,  their  proud  and  obstinate  spirits  would 
rise  against  that  very  sovereign  grace  which  secured  them  from  despair,  and  contained  their 
only  remaining  hope  of  escaping  divine  wrath.  But  no  sooner  were  they  led  to  a  discovery 
of  the  justice  of  God  in  their  condemnation  —  to  see  and  to  feel  that  the  law  was  right  and 
holy,  and  hell  their  proper  place —  than  they  found  their  mouths  shut,  and  their  complaints 
at  an  end.  They  have  readily  acknowledged  that  God  would  be  glorious  in  executing  sentence 
against  them.  Thus  have  they  been  brought  to  resign  themselves  cheerfully,  without  any 
reserve,  into  the  hands  of  God,  to  be  disposed  of  as  may  be  most  for  his  glory  —  rejoicing 
that  they  were,  and  might  be,  in  the  hands  of  such  a  holy,  just,  and  wise  God,  let  their 
future  situation  be  what  it  might.  There  have  been  among  them  such  like  expressions  as 
these  — '  The  character  of  God  has  appeared  inexpressibly  beautiful,  even  in  the  view  of  his 
pronouncing  sentence  against  me  ;'  '  I  wish  that  others  might  praise  God,  though  I  should 
perish.' 

It  has  been  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  subjects  of  the  work,  whose  chief   distress  and 


•  The  paintings  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills  were  burned  with  their  house  in  1822,  and  there- 
fore no  portraits  could  be  obtained  for  this  work. 


Biographies.  ^25 

in  clothes  of  good  material,  well  cut  and  adjusted  ;  his  legs  and  feet  decked  with 
white  topped  boots  and  spurs  ;  a  white  wig  upon  his  head  in  ringlets  not  lacking 
powder,  over  his  broad  shoulders,  and  crowned  with  a  large  smooth  beaver; 
in  one  hand  a  polished  cane,  in  the  other  the  bridle,  he  sat  in  the  saddle,  the 
boys  thought,  the  generalissimo  of  Connecticut  clergymen.  On  one  occasion 
I  rode  at  his  left  hand,  his  aid-de-camp.  Familiarly  he  accosted  adults  and 
children  of  all  classes  by  the  way.  At  length,  with  all  the  presence  of  horse 
arid  man  he  reigned  up  to  a  house  and  called.  A  young  lady  presented  her- 
self: "Daughter,"  said  he,  "give  us  a  good  noggen  of  cold  water." 

Dr.  Charles  Woodward  M.D.,  who  lived  many  years  next  door  to  him,  says  : 
"  he  had  a  stalwart  form  and  I  think  the  most  remarkable  physique  I  ever  be- 
held." 


anxiety  antecedently  arose  from  a  sense  of  their  being  in  the  hands  of  God,  unexpectedly  to 
find  themselves  rejoicing  in  that  very  consideration  —  contemplating  the  glory  and  happi- 
ness of  God  as  an  object  of  higher  consequence,  and  more  precious,  than  their  own  personal 
salvation;  and  all  this,  while  as  yet  they  have  had  no  idea  of  having  experienced  any  saving 
change  of  heart.  They  have  in  various  instances  apparently  rejoiced  in  God's  supremacy, 
and  in  being  at  his  disposal,  calmly  leaving  their  case  to  his  wise  and  holy  decision,  and 
have  conversed  in  a  language  to  which  they  never  before  was  accustomed,  and  have  gained 
the  favorable  opinion  of  others,  while  they  have  had  no  such  thought  respecting  themselves. 
Instead  of  this,  jealousies  have  often  been  excited  in  their  minds,  on  finding  themselves  so 
calm  and  peaceful,  that  God  had  left  them  — that  their  concern  was  over,  and  have  wished 
it  to  return  again.  And  when  at  length,  reflecting  on  their  views  and  feelings,  or  by  con- 
versing with  others,  they  have  ventured  to  entertain  some  feeble  hope  about  themselves,  it 
has  been  in  various  instances  of  short  continuance.  Within  the  course  of  a  few  days,  or 
perhaps  a  shorter  period,  they  have  had  such  an  overwhelming  sense  of  the  extreme  sinful- 
ness and  corruption  of  their  own  hearts,  as  to  be  ready  to  conclude  it  to  be  utterly  impossi- 
ble that  they  should  have  any  grace.  This  may  account  for  a  remark  frequently  made  by 
themselves,  and  circulated  by  others,  that  they  had  given  up  their  hope. 

In  consequence  of  becoming  reconciled  to  the  divine  character,  law,  and  sovereignty,  to 
which  before  they  were  so  much  opposed,  the  character  and  work  of  Christ  have  been  wont 
to  appear  unspeakably  glorious  and  beautiful,  as  magnifying  the  divine  law,  and  opening  a 
way  for  the  acceptance  of  sinners  in  such  a  manner  as  glorifies  God,  and  exalts  the  grace 
and  work  of  Christ,  and  lays  them  prostrate  at  his  feet. 

The  great  and  essential  difference  between  their  former  and  present  views  and  feelings, 
has  very  sensibly  affected  their  own  minds  as  well  as  the  minds  of  others,  especially  in  those 
instances  in  which  they  had  antecedently  distinguished  themselves  by  their  opposition  to  the 
doctrines  of  decrees,  divine  sovereignty,  the  absolute  dependence  of  the  creature  on  God,  and 
his  universal  providence,  and  the  duties  of  unconditional  submission  and  disinterested  affec- 
tion. To  find  themselves  now  attached  to  those  very  doctrines  and  duties,  and  lamenting 
their  former  blindness,  has  served  to  excite  peculiar  admiration  and  gratitude. 

III.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  proper  to  notice  that  the  Great  Head  of  the  church  has  by  no 
means  confined  himself  in  the  display  of  his  grace  to  persons  of  any  particular  rank  or  age. 
Children  and  young  people  of  both  sexes,  and  heads  of  families  of  different  ages,  and,  in  one 
or  two  instances,  such  as  were  far  advanced  in  life,  are  among  the  number  who  hope,  though 
they  once  were  blind,  that  now  they  see.  The  impressions  were  such  on  the  minds  of  the 
children,  in  different  schools,  as  led  them  to  lay  aside  their  customary  diversions,  and  some- 
times to  pass  their  intermissions  in  prayer,  reading,  or  religious  conversation  among  themselves. 
Such  as  were  capable,   requested  it  as  a  privilege  that  they  might  be  allowed  at  school  to 


536  History  of  Torrington. 

Rev.  Luther  Hart,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  him  says  :  "  His 
personal  appearance  was  of  no  little  advantage  to  him  as  a  preacher. 
With  a  large  frame  and  well  proportioned,  tall,  erect,  and  with  a 
countenance  expressive  of  intelligence  and  mildness,  he  stood  before 
his  congregation  as  if  he  had  been  the  personification  of  dignity  itself. 
His  features  too  in  all  their  diversified  changes,  were  a  striking  index 
of  the  successive  emotions  excited  in  his  breast  by  the  theme  he  was 
discussing,  and  by  the  combined  influence  of  his  looks,  his  whole 
manner  and  the  nature  of  the  truths  he  proclaimed,  he  exerted  under 
God  a  three-fold  power  on  the  understanding  and  moral  susceptibilities 
of  his  auditors." 

The  impression  his  personal  appearance  made  upon  all  classes  was 
very  remarkable,  and  what  Dr.  Charles  Woodward  said,  thousands 
of  others  could  have  said  with  great  propriety  :  "  The  most  remarka- 
ble physique  I  ever  beheld." 


read  in  their  Bibles.     Several  of  the  scholars  obtained  hope  respecting  themselves,  some  under 
twelve  years  of  age,  but  the  greatest  number  between  twelve  and  eighteen. 

IV.  The  uniformity  every  where  observable  as  to  the  views,  and  exercises  of  the  work 
is  a  circumstance  particularly  to  be  noticed,  both  antecedent  to  their  obtaining  relief  as  well 
as  afterwards.  Most  generally,  let  any  person  become  informed  in  respect  to  a  single  in- 
stance, of  the  views  and  feelir.gs  of  a  sinner  under  concern,  and  of  his  consequent  exercises 
and  different  views  and  apprehensions,  and  he  would  for  substance  learn  what  others  could  say. 
The  same  excuses,  pleas,  cavils,  and  objections,  against  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  the 
gospel  while  under  conviction,  and  the  same  kind  of  submission,  when  brought  to  a  cheer- 
ful surrendery  of  themselves  to  God,  which  were  found  in  one  case  were  to  be  looked  for  in 
another.  To  find  persons  who  never  conversed,  one  with  the  other,  communicating  the 
same  ideas,  has  been  very  striking  to  many.  And  it  ought  to  be  particularly  observed  here, 
that  this  is  not  the  case  merely  in  neighborhoods  or  societies,  but  in  distant  and  different 
quarters,  wherever  the  work  has  spread,  amongst  those  who  never  saw  nor  heard  of  each 
other.  The  observations  already  made  respecting  the  nature  of  the  work  in  this  society, 
apply  with  equal  truth  to  other  societies,  so  far  as  can  be  known,  both  far  and  near.  All  are 
made  to  drink  into  one  spirit,  and  to  speak  one  language.      After  all  — 

V.  It  is  by  no  means  pretended  that  the  wheat  is  wholly  free  from  a  mixture  of  tares,  or 
that  all  who  entertain  hope  of  themselves  are  really  friends  to  Christ.  The  parable  of  the 
sower  may  doubtless  be  applied  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  ;  and  -it  is  to  be  feared  that  more 
or  less  will  finally  wither  away.  Sufficient  to  such  is  the  evil  thereof  It  is  very  gratify- 
ing to  the  friends  of  Zion  that  there  are  so  few  instances  of  this  nature,  where  apparent 
evidence  of  a  change  of  heart  has  been  exhibited.      One  observation  farther. 

VI.  It  is  conceived,  and  it  is  thought  no  more  than  proper  to  acknowledge  it,  that  the 
measures  which  have  been  adopted  by  the  state  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel  —  the  address 
from  tile  general  assembly,  recommending  a  more  careful  observation  of  the  Sabbath  —  the 
regulations  respecting  schools  —  together  with  the  various  late  publications  —  have  been 
employed  under  Providence  to  promote  and  spread  this  great  and  glorious  work  which  God 
hath  already  wrought,  and  is  still  accomplishing." 


Biographies.  537 

A  lady  still  living,  who  was  brought  up  near  neighbor  to  him,  and 

whose  family  was  very  intimate  with  that  of  Mr.  Mills,  has  attempted 

many  times  to  describe  him  but  always  ends  by  saying,  "when  I  used 

to  see  him  while  I  was  very  young,  I  always  thought  of  him  as  God." 

"  In  person  he  was  tall  and  strongly  built.  His  bearing  was  dignified,  and  on 
horseback  his  appearance  was  commandiug.  His  eyes  were  large  and  expres- 
sive and  his  voice  was  rich  and  tull.  His  prominent  natural  traits  were  a 
childlike  simplicity,  drollness,  impulsiveness,  tenderness  and  a  large  hearted 
benevolence.  He  was  sound  in  the  doctrines  and  devoted  to  his  flock.  As  a 
speaker,  he  was  at  times  memorably  eloquent,  and  swayed  his  hearers  power- 
fully by  the  wit  or  pathos  of  his  discourse.  He  had  a  glowing  interest  in  the 
evangelizing  enterprises  which  sprung  up  about  the  opening  of  the  present  cen- 
tury, and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  missionary  work  in  Vermont.  He 
enjoyed  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  brethren,  and  was  one  of  the  editors 
of  the  Connecticut  Evangelical  Maga7ii7ie.  "Father  Mills  of  Torringford  ;" 
his  name  confers  honor  on  the  place  where  he  served  so  long  and  so  faithfully 
in  the  gospel ;  and  a  grateful  people  may  well  celebrate  the  centennial  of  his 
settleinent."' 

Mr.  Mills  as  a  Pastor. 

While  possessing  unusual  dignity  of  personal  appearance  his  great- 
ness of  soul  rendered  him  capable  of  meeting  in  the  kindest  and  most 
gentle  manner  any  and  all  classes  of  persons  under  all  circumstances 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  attract  them  to  himself  and  to  the  cause  he 
represented,  and  to  leave  the  impression  on  every  mind  of  his  very 
deep  sincerity  as  a  gospel  minister,  and  his  great  desire  to  do  good  to 
all  men.  If  in  the  impression  he  made  on  others  there  was  one 
thing  more  prominent  than  another,  it  was  his  very  great  anxiety^  and 
eagerness  to  lead  men  from  the  danger  of  a  sinful  life  to  safety  under 
the  light  of  the  gospel,  and  so  fully  was  this  true  that  the  uncon- 
verted seemed  almost  anxious  to  help  him  and  willing  to  become  the 
subjects  of  saving  grace,  so  as  to  relieve  the  concern  which  he  felt 
in  their  behalf  and  to  cause  him  to  rejoice.  Every  body  was  made 
to  feel  this  by  his  constant  manner  of  life  and  conversation.  Going 
out  one  morning  on  horse  back  he  met  a  young  lady  also  on  horse 
back,  and  addressed  her  with  a  sweetness,  and  melodiousness  of  voice 
that  no  one  could  imitate  :  "  Good  morning  my  daughter,  I  started 
out  this  morning  to  see  if  I  could  find  any  body  that  was  anxious 
about  their  souls ;"  giving  a  very  deep  and  full  emphasis  to  the  last 
word.  Nearly  seventy  years  have  passed  since  those  words  were 
spoken,  but  they  are  fresh  in  the  mind  of  her  who  was  then  the 
young  lady,  and  she  can  repeat  them  in  the  same  measured  style  and 


'  Torringford  Centennial,   p.  27. 

68 


S2^  History  of  Torrington. 

somewhat  of  the  same  emphasis  with  which  they  were  originally 
spoken.  They  have  been  living  characters  upon  the  tablet  of 
memory  as  the  hand  writing  upon  the  wall  of  the  ancient  king's 
palace,  growing  none  the  less  since  that  day.  This  was  the  great 
theme  :  Souls  and  salvation!  He  took  a  great  interest  in  the  pios- 
perity  of  the  people,  and  sympathized  with  them,  "  as  bound  with 
them"  in  their  misfortunes  and  sorrows  ;  he  was  jo)ful  with  them  ; 
was  witty,  amusing,  and  full  of  anecdote,  and  curious  representations  ; 
but,  he  seemed  never  to  lose  sight  of,  and  never  willing  that  others 
should  entertain  the  impression  that  he  could  deviate  from,  the  one 
great  object  and  mission  of  his  life,  to  save  men  from  the  second 
death.  His  common  address  to  all  the  young  was,  my  daughter^  my 
son^  with  a  modulation  of  voice  as  though  he  was  really  the  father 
of  every  one  of  them,  and  had  all  the  responsibility  as  such  to  lead 
them  from  earth  to  heaven. 

As  illustrative  of  these  statements,  the  following  letter  of  his, 
written  about  the  year  1800,  to  Rev.  Alexander  Gillett,  with  whom 
he  seems  to  have  had  some  previous  arrangement  or  plan  as  to  some 
meeting  to  be  held  elsewhere  than  at  home.  It  was  written  on  a 
part  of  a  sheet  of  paper  and  is  preserved  among  the  papers  of  the 
Torrington  church. 

"Dear  Brother.  It  is  time  for  every  one,  even  for  the  whole  world  to 
awake  from  their  slumberings.  A  little  more  sleep,  a  little  more  folding  the 
hands,  will  not  answer.  It  ought  not  to  answer.  I  have  never  done  any  thing 
yet  worth  being  born  for.  I  have  sometimes  thought,  had  I  never  been  born*, 
the  world  would  have  lost  nothing.  After  all  I  do  not  know  as  I  can  go  next 
Wednesday  ;  possibly  I  may.  You  must  come  on.  It  I  can  go  I  will  ;  If 
not  I  will  exchange  with  him  on  the  Sabbath,  or  with  you  both,  any  way  that 
will  best  commode.  Yours,  S.-^ml.  J.  Mills." 

From  every  source  the  testimony  is  the  same  and  direct  as  to  this 
one  thing  that  in  the  parish,  in  the  home,  and  everywhere  he  carried 
with  him  the  one  great  thought  of  saving  the  people  from  the  way 
of  sin  and  death.  His  sympathies  were  with  the  people  j  with  the 
poor  and  suffering,  and  he  scarcely  knew  any  limit  to  benevolence 
where  relief  to  the  suffering  was  the  object.  At  a  certain  time  in 
the  winter  it  came  to  his  mind  that  a  certain  poor  woman  in  the 
parish  might  be  in  want  of  food,  and  taking  his  saddle  bags  he  filled 
them  with  provisions  and  went  to  her  house  in  the  morning  and  told 
her  he  had  come  to  take  breakfast  with  her.  ^'  Well,"  said  she  -'you 
are  welcome  to  such  as  I  have,  but  I  have  nothing  but  roast  potatoes." 
"  That  will  do,"  said  he,  and  after  sitting  down  and  eating,  he  brought 


Biographies.  539 

in  what  he  had  with  him,  finding  thus  that  he  had  not  come  any  too 
soon. 

A  poor  woman  of  the  neighborhood  was  present  one  day  while  his 
wife  was  setting  the  table,  and  as  she  put  on  a  loaf  of  bread  and  left 
the  room,  he  seizjd  it,  handed  it  to  the  woman  and  told  her  to  cover 
it  with  her  apron  and  carry  it  home.  Mrs.  Mills  came  in  soon  after 
and  asked  what  had  become  of  that  loaf  of  bread,  and  he  replied, 
"  Madame,  are  you  sure  you  put  any  bread  on  the  table  ?" 

A  worthy  man  in  the  parish,  of  Arminian  views,  refused  to  pay  his 
rate  for  the  support  of  the  pastor,  and  for  this  he  was  arrested,  bound, 
and  placed  on  a  horse  that  he  might  be  carried  away  and  dealt  with 
according  to  the  law.  But  just  then  Father  Mills  came  up,  his  great 
heart  swelling  with  emotion,  and  exclaimed  ^'  Untie  him,  untie  him  ; 
take  him  ofF,  take  him  off;"  and  the  man  was  released. 

A  colored  man  came  to  his  back  door  on  an  errand  and  Mr.  Mills 
said  to  him,  "  Why  did  you  come  to  the  back  door  ?  When  you 
come  to  my  house,  come  to  the  front  door,  for  we  shall  all  go  into 
heaven  by  one  door." 

Rev.  Abel  McEwin,  D.D.,  says  :  "  In  hospitality  he  was  not  sur- 
passed. Food  and  fuel,  and  provender  for  horses,  were  without  stint. 
The  host  was  generous  in  all  things  ;  especially  in  fruit,  both  to 
himself,  and  in  the  distribution  of  it  to  others.  One  autumn  the 
boys  stole  his  peaches.  In  a  sermon  soon  after,  he  reported  a  visit 
which  he  made  in  a  neighboring  town,  where  the  people  complained 
that  the  boys  stole  peaches.  Hearing  this  he  said  he  expressed  his 
surprise  and  abhorrence  of  such  conduct.  The  reply  was  ;  "  But 
Mr.  Mills,  don't  the  boys  steal  peaches  in  Torringford  ?"  "  Dear 
me,"  said  he,  "  what  could  I  say,  I  could  not  tell  a  lie  ;  I  was  obliged 
to  say,  yes." 

^Ir.  Mills  as  a  Preacher. 

To  preach  the  gospel  seems  to  have  been  his  greatest  joy  and 
delight,  and  to  this  work  he  devoted  his  life.  On  this  topic,  the 
Rev.  Noah  Porter,  D.D.,  writes: 

"Some  things  in  Fatlier  Mills  were  too  prominent  for  even  a  stranger,  who 
had  the  slightest  personal  acquaintance  wiih  him,  soon  to  forget.  His  tall,  well 
proportioned  form  and  dignified  bearing  gave  him  a  princely  air.  His  voice, 
too,  so  deep  toned  and  mellow,  was  very  commindiiig.  He  was  often  tender 
in  his  addresses,  and  even  in  his  remarks  in  conversation  on  evangelical  subjects: 
and  was  often  mehed  to  tears,  thou2;h  rartly,  if  ever,  interrupted  by  emotion 
in  his  utterances.  Such  tenderness  in  so  gigantic  a  frame,  and  £0  powerful 
intellect,  was  exceedingly  winning  and  impressive.      His  sermons  abounded  in 


540  History  of  Torrington. 

anecdotes  and  other  illustrations  taken  from  common  life,  drawn  out  in  collate- 
ral and  rather  homely  style,  and  adapted  to  the  comprehension  and  habits  of 
a  plain,  agricultural  people,  shut  out  from  the  busy  world  ;  such  as  were  the 
people  of  his  charge.  Yet  if  I  do  not  mistake,  his  sermons  were  not  commonly 
loose  or  immethodical  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  were  closely  argumentative,  and 
powerfully  convincing.  This  was  particularly  the  case  on  subjects  pertaining 
to  the  sovereignty  of  God,  which  were  leading  topics  in  "  the  Litchfield  county 
Divinity  "  that  was  so  often  talked  of  in  his  day,  as  having  been  connected  with 
the  revivals  for  which  the  county  was  distinguished. 

Mr.  Mills,  I  believe,  spent  much  of  his  time  among  his  people,  preaching  from 
house  to  hous'.' ;  had  few  books  and  read  but  little;  drew  his  discources  from 
the  resources  of  his  own  mind,  enlightened  by  the  word  and  spirit  of  God,  and 
in  consequence  was  able  to  give  to  every  one  a  portion  in  due  season."* 

The  Rev.  Abel  McEwin,  D.D.,  of  New  London,  writes  Decem- 
ber 1 8,  1848: 

"  Rev.  Samuel  J,  Mills  was  of  the  same  age  of  my  father  ;  they  lived  in  ad- 
jacent parishes  and  were  intimate  friends.  In  my  childhood  and  youth,  I  saw 
much  of  Mr.  Mills  at  his  home  and  at  my  own  home. 

"The  mind  of  Mr  Mills  was  peculiar,  In  him  we;-e  combined  strength  of 
intellect,  comic  powers,  and  deep  sensibility.  As  a  sermonizer  he  was  eccen- 
tric, ever  original.  Drollery  undesigned,  and  sometimes  perhaps  designed 
which  would  have  marred  the  service  oi  any  other  man,  in  his  were  not  merely 
effective,  but  turned  to  serious  account.  People  who  hearing  his  ordinary  dis- 
courses, inadvertently  laughed  inside  or  out,  often  wept  before  he  closed.  He 
was  always  grave  ;  his  hearers  could  not  always  conceal  their  amusement.  His 
brethren  sometimes  admonished  him  that  liis  sayings  were  too  ludicrous  for  the 
pulpit;  yet  they  all  received  him  as  a  lover  of  truth  and  of  souls,  and  as  a  dex- 
trous, faithful  and  powerful  preacher.  The  pious  Jeremiah  Hallock  denomi- 
nated him  •  the  godly  Mr.  Mills.' 

"  My  wife,  before  marriage,  belonged  to  a  family  in  his  neighborhood.  After 
our  settlement  in  a  distant  part  of  the  state,  we  made  frequent  visits  to  her  for- 
mer home.  Soon  after  our  arrival,  we  were  greeted  by  our  venerable  friend. 
The  prime  object  of  the  call  was,  after  the  salutation,  to  ask  me  whit  I  had 
lately  preached.  I  must  give  an  outline  of  two  or  three  sermons.  This,  on 
his  part,  and  mine  was  merely  to  give  him  opportunity  to  detail  twice  or  thrice 
as  many  of  his.  The  report  though  laconic,  was  graphic.  Usually  after  my 
return  home,  the  clues  which  he  had  drawn  from  his  texts,  the  plans  of  his 
discourses,  and  the  Millsish  illustrations,  so  haunted  me  that  I  could  do  little 
else,  until  I  had  attempted  to  make  two  or  three  sermons  out  of  the  exotics 
which  he  had  pitched  into  my  mind.  Once  our  arrival  in  Torringford  was  in 
April,  a  time  of  mud  and  a  great  scarcity  of  forage.  Before  I  alighted  from 
the  carriage,  he  was  present  on  horseback.  '  Come,'  said  he,  '  I  have  a  lec- 
ture in  West  street  ;  and  the  people  are  now  waiting.  Where  is  a  horse  for 
Mr.  McEwin?'  We  were  soon  on  our  way,  and  the  services  were  in  due 
time  performed.  Returned  to  the  house  of  our  friends,  he  went  to  my  wife 
and  said  ;  '  It  was  kind,  very  kind  ot  your  husband,  before  he  took  his  tea,  to 
go  and  help  mc  out  of  the  lurch  ;  it  was  worth  a  stack  of  hay.' " 


•  Sprague's  Annals,  I,  672. 


Biographies.  541 

"The  famous  Roger  Griswold  heard  Mr.  Millspreach  at  Litchfield. 
On  his  return  to  New  London  county  he  said  to  me  :  *•  I  heard  a 
man  preach  at  Litchfield  ;  Mr.  Mills ;  I  never  heard  of  him 
before,  I  know  not  what  the  clergymen  think  of  him,  but  I  must  say 
that  I  never  heard  the  man  in  the  pulpit  or  out  of  it,  so  eloquent  as 
he  was  in  one  of  his  sermons.'  Some  time  after  this,  I  said  to  Mr. 
Mills;  'yousawour  Judge  Griswoldat  Litchfield,'  '  Yes,' he  replied, 
*- 1  looked  down  among  the  judges,  and  I  did  not  want  any  one  to  tell 
me  which  Judge  Griswold  was.'  I  added,  '  Mr.  Mills,  as  you  are  an 
elderly  man,  and  I  am  young,  I  will  venture  to  tell  you  what  he  said 
of  your  preaching.  He  said  that  in  one  of  your  sermons  you  was 
more  eloquent  than  any  man  he  had  ever  heard  in  the  pulpit  or  out 
of  it.'  He  replied  instantly,  'I  know  which  sermon  it  was.  Monday,' 
he  added,  '|I  went  with  Mr.  Huntington  to  dine  with  the  court.  They 
said,  the  judges  are  coming  ?  I  was  determined  not  to  be  introduced 
to  him  ;  so  I  placed  myself  by  the  side  of  the  door,  and,  as  he  en- 
tered, seized  his  hand  and  said  ;  Judge  Griswold  how  do  you  do  ?  I 
am  glad  to  see  your  face  and  eyes.  With  a  grasp  as  hard  as  mine, 
the  judge  replied  ;  Mr.  Mills,  how  do  you  do  ?  I  am  glad  to  see 
you.' 

"  The  English  language  did  not  seem  to  be  copious  enough  for  the 
old  gentleman's  eccentricity.  He  coined  words,  and  he  used  current 
language  with  a  very  equivocal  meaning.  He  was  sent  bv  the  clergy 
of  Connecticut  on  a  summer's  mission  to  Vermont.  When  he  re- 
turned, he  was  asked  what  sort  of  a  jaunt  he  had.  '  Fatiguing, 
fatiguing,'  was  his  reply ;  '  it  was  so  tremendolous  hot.'  '  Hot 
in  Vermont  ?  "  said  the  inquirer.  '  Hot  ?  yes,  and  mosquitoes.' 
'  Mosquitoes  in  Vermont  ? '  '  Yes,  a  great  many  of  them  would 
weigh  a  pound.'  '  O,  no,  Mr.  Mills,  not  a  pound.'  'Yes,'  said 
he,  '  I  can  testify  that  a  great  many  of  them  would  weigh  a  pound.' 
A  neighbor  called  on  him  one  morning,  and  to  him  Mr.  Mills  said  : 
'  I  have  been  to  work  to  day  like  a  dog.'  '  Not  like  a  dog, '  re- 
sponded his  friend.  '  Yes,'  said  he,  '  like  a  dog  ;  but  of  dogs  there 
are  many  kinds  ;  and  one  sort  never  go  a  step  beyond  where  they 
are  driven.'  His  oddity  was  not  affectation.  He  was  ludicrous 
without  design,  and  without  consciousness  of  the  fact.  His  very 
griefs  he  sometimes  expressed  in  terms  and  by  figures  which  made 
those  who  sympathized  with  him  laugh.  He  and  his  wife  lost  their 
first  infant  child.  Then  the  second  was  taken  away.  Some  female 
friends  came  in  to  express  their  sympathy.  One  of  their  number 
commenced  their  condolence  ;  '  You  lost  your  first  child.'     '  Yes,' 


542  History  of  Torrington. 

he  replied  with  a  gush  of  tears,  '  and  now  the  fat  is  all  in  the  fire 
again.'  . 

*'To  find  subjects  for  sermons  and  to  plan  them  was  his  pastime. 
Though  this  exercise  appeared  in  him  like  play,  the  result  of  it  showed 
the  work  of  a  man.  Writing  a  sermon  after  the  frame  of  it  was  set 
up,  did  not  agree  with  his  constitution.  He  could  preach  on  any 
emergency.  Well  was  it  for  him  that  he  could  make  passing  events 
or  objects  that  met  his  eye  serve  for  illustrations.  '  Once,'  said  he, 
'  I  went  up  to  B to  preach  ;  my  pocket  was  full  of  written  ser- 
mons. But  one  text  which  I  had  never  used  would  employ  all  my 
thoughts.  I  culled  over  all  my  manuscripts  ;  but  God  would  have 
me  take  that  new  text :  '  Wherefore  do  the  wicked  live  ?'  I  went 
into  the  pulpit  all  raw  and  dark.  My  doctrine  was,  the  wicked  live 
for  the  benefit  of  the  righteous.  As  I  went  on  to  illustrate,  I  looked 
out  at  the  window  and  said,  '  the  wicked  live  to  cut  down  these  great 
hemlock  trees  for  the  righteous.  Much  as  ever,'  'said  he,  have  the 
people  of  B forgiven  me  to  this  day.' 

"He  was  passionately  fond  of  music,  though  he  could  sing  but  in- 
differently himself.  Sacred  music  was  a  feast  of  fat  things  to  his 
soul.  He  must  have  in  his  parish,  during  the  three  winter  months, 
a  singing  school  headed  by  a  skillful  master.  At  the  close  of  this 
term,  he  appointed  what  he  called  a  singing  lecture.  On  one  of  these 
occasions,  he  invited  his  neighbor,  Dr.  Lee  of  Colebook,  a  writer  of 
music,  to  preach.  His  text  was ;  'and  it  came  to  pass  when  the 
spirit  from  God  was  upon  Saul,  that  David  took  a  harp  and  played 
with  his  hand.  So  Saul  was  refreshed  and  was  well,  and  the  evil  spirit 
departed  from  him.'  At  the  close  of  the  discourse,  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  old  pastor,  he  presented  himself  in  the  pulpit.  'This,' 
said  he  'is  true  doctrine,  I  have  come  into  this  meeting  house  a  great 
many  times,  and  I  saw  that  the  devil  was  here.  I  wished  to  begin 
service,  but  I  did  not  like  to  introduce  the  worship  of  God,  while 
the  devil  was  in  the  people.  1  took  up  the  Psalm  book  and  read  ; 
but  I  could  see  him  skipping  about  from  pew  to  pew  in  the  galleries  ; 
but  the  instant  the  chorister  got  up  and  blew  the  pitch  pipe,  he  quit, 
and  all  was  sobriety  and  decorum  among  the  young  people  and  child- 
ren.' 

"  I  have  seen  this  man  in  the  days  of  affliction.  He  was  an  affec- 
tionate father  ;  but  he  loved  Christian  missions  better  than  his  own 
children.  About  to  leave  his  neighborhood  after  a  visit,  I  was  stand- 
ing with  him  upon  the  broad  street  j  a  horseman  rode  up  and  handed 


Biographies.  543 

to  him  a  letter.  He  broke  the  seal  and  read  a  few  lines  ;  stopped  -, 
and,  with  the  letter  in  one  hand  and  spectacles  in  the  other,  his  face 
filled  with  astonishment  and  consternation,  he  said,  'Samuel  is  dsad. 
This  beats  all.  When  Obookiah  died,  I  thought  that  beat  every- 
thing ;  but  this  beats  that.'  At  this  time  the  rider  took  out  a  watch 
and  handed  him  saying,  'this  was  his  watch.'  The  patron  of  mis- 
sions gave  place  to  the  father.  He  took  the  watch,  and  with  streaming 
tears  and  a  voice  choked  with  grief  his  lament  burst  forth:  'Samuel 
is  dead  ;  I  shall  never  see  Samuel  again  ;  he  is  in  the  bottom  of  the 
sea  !  ' 

"This  surviving  parent  lived  to  a  great  age.  In  the  last  stage  of  his 
life  his  house  was  burnt  and  a  new  one  built.  I  made  my  last  call. 
He  was  sitting  among  the  shavings,  watching  the  workmen  who  were 
finishing  the  interior  of  the  building.  His  eyes  were  dim  j  his  memory 
had  failed.  When  I  accosted  him,  he  took  my  hand,  but  I  perceived 
he  did  not  recognize  me.  In  his  hand  he  had  Woodbridge's  small 
geography.  He  gave  it  to  me,  and  our  conversation  began.  '  Did 
you  ever  see  that  book  sir?'  'O  yes,  it  is  Woodbridge's  Geography, 
ym  children  use  it.'  '  The  world,  sir,  is  round,  is  it  not  ?'  '  Yes 
sir.'  'Rolls  over  does  it  not  ?'  '  Yes  sir.'  'Is  it  not  a  miracle 
that  when  we  get  on  the  downward  side,  we  don't  fall  off?'  '  No 
sir,  if  we  should  fall  off,  that  would  be  a  miracle  ;  because  the  law 
of  gravitation  would  be  counteracted,  which  draws  us  to  the  center 
of  the  earth.'  'True  sir,'  said  he  'but  I  don't  know  who  you 
are.'  I  told  him  my  name.  It  was  in  vain.  '  You,  sir,  recollect  my 
father,'  said  I ;  '  Robert  McEwin  of  Winchester  ?'  '  Much  as  ever,' 
he  replied.  I  pulled  another  cord.  I  have  been  much  at  your  house 
in  early  life.  I  was  a  companion  of  Jerry,  and  Flora,  and  Samuel.  You 
married  me.  My  wife  was  S.  B.  I  have  often  preached  for  you.  I 
live  at  New  London.'  He  rose  up,  girded  his  huge  arms  around 
me,  laid  his  broad  chin  on  my  shoulder  and  wept." 

A  grand  daughter  used  to  relate  the  following  as  coming  under  her 
knowledge.  While  preaching  on  a  theological  topic,  which  greatly 
displeased  some  of  the  congregation,  one  of  the  prominent  men  rose 
in  the  audience  and  exclaimed  "  Mr.  Mills,  you  make  machines  of 
us  all,  you  do,"  and  stamped  out  of  the  church  in  the  midst  of  the 
service. 

As  showing  his  great  love  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  he  con- 
tinued to  desire  to  preach  when  his  mind  had  become  unreliable. 
In  his  last  attempt  he  forgot  his  text  after  having  started  quite   well 


544  History  of  Torrington. 

in  the  sermon,  and  turning  to  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman  said,  "  My  son  I 
have  forgotten  my  text."  Mr.  Goodman  repeated  it  and  he  went  on 
a  little  time  and  said  ''  I  must  stop."  Thus  closed  the  preaching  of 
one  who  had  moved  the  hearts  of  thousands  by  his  eloquence. 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  funeral  sermon  of  Father  Mills, 
by  Rev.  Luther  Hart  of  Plymouth. 

"Father  Mills!"  why  this  is  an  appellation  designating  the  wonderful  man 
that  has  greeted  my  ears  ever  since  my  earliest  childhood,  and  inspired  affection 
and  reverence  at  every  successive  repetition.  With  hundreds  of  others,  I 
have  cause  to  remember  him  with  deep  emotion  on  more  accounts  than  one. 
It  was  he  that  some  thirty  years  ago,  in  discoursing  on  the  distinguishing  grace 
of  God,  was  the  instrument  in  God's  hand  of  showing  me  the  perversity  of 
my  heart,  by  waking  into  action  its  latent  enmity  against  divine  sovereignty. 
And  if  ever  my  poor  soul  bowed  at  the  feet  of  Christ,  it  was  in  connection 
with  his  faithful  and  affecting  disclosure  of  that  humiliating  doctrine. 

I  exceedingly  lament  that  I  am  not  able,  on  this  solemn  occasion,  to  give 
as  minute  an  account  as  will  probably  be  expected,  of  a  minister  who  for 
many  years,  and  for  many  reasons,  attracted  more  attention  than  perhaps  any 
other  clergyman  in  this  region,  and  whose  praise  is  still  in  all  the  churches. 

When  I  entered  into  the  ministry,  his  sun  had  already  declined  in  the  far 
west.  He  belonged  also  to  a  different  association,  and  a  different  circular 
meeting,  so  that  I  had  little  opportunity  to  enjoy  his  society.  And  had  I  been 
familiar  with  him  during  the  last  ten  years,  I  should  have  seen  little  of  those 
commanding  traits  which  once  so  eminently  distinguished  him  as  a  man,  and  a 
minister,  in  the  days  of  his  undecayeu  vigor.  It  is  long  since  he  entirely  forgot 
me  and  almost  every  other  person  he  did  not  see  daily.  Much  important 
matter  respecting  him  might  have  been  afibrded  me  by  numbers  of  his  people 
who  formerly  hung  on  his  lips  with  deliglit,  had  I  had  time  to  apply  to  them 
for  the  requisite  information.  But  notwithstanding  my  conscious  incompetence 
to  delineate  satisfactorily  the  life  and  character  of  the  venerable  Mr.  Mills,  I 
venture  with  not  a  little  diffidence  to  submit  the  following  sketch.  Concerning 
Mr.  Mills's  personal  piety  I  never  heard  but  one  opinion.  He  was  eminently  a 
man  of  prayer.  His  habitual  deportment  was  grave  and  solemn,  peculiarly 
accordant  with  the  dignity  of  the  sacred  office.  His  conversation  related 
almost  exclusively  to  subjects  connected  with  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  With 
worldly  afi-airs,  whether  domestic  or  cixil,  he  had  little  concern.  His  thoughts, 
affections,  conversations,  and  labors  were  chiefly,  nay,  almost  exclusively,  de- 
voted to  matters  of  infinitely  higher  moment.  He  was  pre-eminently  a  pro- 
fessional man.  Some  other  pastors  have  been  among  their  people  more,  and 
have  been  more  sociable  and  familiar;  but  what  one  has  ever  been  more  ready 
to  visit  the  sick,  the  sorrowful  and  the  poor  ;  and  to  administer  religious  in- 
struction, Christian  consolation,  or  temporal  relief,  according  to  the  various 
wants  of  his  people,  and  his  own  ability  to  supply  them.?  At  the  side  of  what 
sick-bed  did  he  neglect  to  perform  the  appropriate  office  of  an  ambassador  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?  By  the  dwelling  of  what  broken-hearted  widow  was 
he  accustomed  to  pass,  without  at  least  coming  up  to  her  door  to  impress  in  a 
few  words  on  her  heart  for  her  instruction  or  comfort,  some  weighty  truth 
which  she    could  scarcely    ever   forget?     And    what  child  of  misfortune  and 


Biographies.  545 

want  ever  applied  to  him  for  relief  of  real  necessities,  and  went  from  his  door 
without  abundant  reason  for  leaving  many  thanks  behind  ? 

He  had  constitutionally,  a  remarkable  susceptibility  to  impressions  from  a 
view  of  the  wants  and  woes  of  mankind.  Bu:  there  was  something  beyond 
nature  in  all  this.  His  uncommon  benevolence  towards  the  needy  was  not  so 
much  an  instinct  as  an  enlightened,  evangelical  sympathy.  And  1  know  not 
where  to  look  for  a  brighter  practical  exemplification  than  he  furnished,  ot  the 
import  of  the  sacred  injunction,  '  Be  ye  kind  to  one  another,  tender  hfnrled* 
His  house  was  the  abode  of  hospitality  alike  to  the  friend  and  the  stranger; 
and  his  heart  the  seat  of  good  will  to  his  people  and  the  world. 

On  no  subject  did  jic  seem  to  meditate  and  converse  so  much  as  upon  re- 
vivals of  religion,  and  the  ultimate  diffusion  of  the  light  of  the  gospel  among 
all  nations.  The  beauty  of  the  church  in  the  millcnium,  the  peace  and  happi- 
ness of  the  world  which  it  will  secure,  and  the  consequent  glory  of  the  son  ot 
God,  filled  his  eye,  fired  his  soul,  animated  his  prayers,  and  led  him  not  only 
to  advocate  and  rejoice  in  the  great  benevolent  operations  of  the  present  age, 
but  cheerfully  to  give  up  a  beloved  son  as  an  instrument  to  facilitate  the  arrival 
of  that  blessed  period  by  traversing  the  distant  forests  of  the  west,  and  by  en- 
countering the  perils;  alas  to  that  dear  missionary  ;  the  perils  of  the  deep. 
And  when  the  tidings  of  the  death  of  that  son,  who  fell  a  sacrifice  to  the  cause 
of  humanity,  were  brought  to  his  ears,  there  was  witnessed  as  noble  a  demon- 
stration of  personal  piety  in  the  striking  expressions  of  resignation  which  he 
poured  forth  from  his  heart,  as  there  was  of  paternal  grief  in  the  tears  that 
gushed  from  his  eyes. 

His  popularity  as  a  preacher,  and  his  great  influence  with  his  ministerial 
brethren,  instead  of  generating  elation  and  arrogance,  were  connected  with  an 
uncommon  degree  of  self  distrust  and  humility.  While  others  were  ready 
to  applaud  his  talents  and  ingenuity,  he  was  meditating  on  his  own  sinful- 
ness and  ready  to  smite  on  his  breast  with  the  abashed  and  abased  publican. 
And  here  I  cannot  do  better  than  to  recite  two  or  three  sentences  from 
a  note  received  last  Saturday  from  your  pastor,  informing  me  of  the  de- 
cease of  our  reverend  friend.  '•  Of  himself,"  says  the  letter,  "  he  often 
remarked  with  emphasis,  that  he  could  not  find  the  man  on  the  face 
of  the  earth  to  whom  he  could  say,  '  stand  by  thyself,  J  am  holier  than 
thou.'  No  subject  would  seem  to  awaken  his  apparently  torpid  sensi- 
bilities, as  he  drew  near  the  close  of  life,  like  the  mention  of  Christ's  kingdom 
from  the  efforts  now  made  for  its  advancement.  And  his  sense  of  his  own 
unworthiness  seemed  to  arise  chiefly  from  the  reflection  that  he  had  done  no 
more  in  this  service  when  in  the  vigor  of  life.  On  asking  him  at  my  last  in- 
terview with  him,  if  he  felt  ready  and  willing  to  depart,  his  characteristic  re- 
ply was,  '  No  objections.' 

What  he  was  as  a  preacher,  it  is  less  necessary  for  me  minutely  to  describe, 
because  very  many  of  us  often  heard  him  while  in  full  vigor,  and  none  can  be 
ignorant  of  his  high  eminence  in  the  pulpit.  Still  it  may  be  interesting  to  ad- 
vert a  few  moments,  to  some  of  the  peculiar  traits  to  which  that  eminence  was 
in  a  great  degree  owing.  His  mind  was  more  distinguished  by  the  clearness 
of  its  perceptions,  and  the  quickness  of  its  operations,  than  by  its  comprehension 
or  profoundness,  although  it  was  not  deficient  in  these  respects.  It  was  culti- 
vated less  by  extensive  reading  than  by  independent  reflection.  His  was  an 
uncommonly  original  mind.  In  his  views  of  truth,  he  depended  on  nothing 
but  the  word  of  God  ;  and  with  the  whole  of  it,  and  especially  with  the  his- 
torical parts  of  it,  he  had  a   more  minute   and  familiar   acquaintance  than  any 

69 


546 


History  of  Torrington. 


other  minister  within  my  knowledge,  one  individual  only  excepted.  A  large 
proportion  of  the  texts  which  he  selected  were  short,  and  such  as  most  other 
ministers  would  have  overlooked  as  containing  nothing  worthy  of  special  atten- 
tion ;  and  the  plans  of  his  sermons  were  at  once  exceedingly  simple  and  strik- 
ing, and  yet  such  as  with  all  their  excellence,  almost  no  other  man  would  have 
though:  of  Still  they  were  not  far  fetched  nor  forced.  His  inferences, 
whether  derived  from  the  Bible  and  constituting  the  main  points  of  discussion, 
or  derived  from  the  body  of  the  sermon  itself  and  constituting  its  close,  while 
they  would  have  been  made  by  almost  no  other  preacher,  were  when  stated  by 
him  obviously  just  in  the  estimation  of  the  merest  child. 

His  original  manner  of  treating  subjects  sometimes  seemed  to  border  on 
oddity,  and  his  expressions  were  too  often  of  a  nature  to  awaken  a  smile,  and 
sometimes  to  excite  our  laughter.  This  it  must  be  admitted  was  a  defect. 
But  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  when  momentary  levity  was  excited, 
it  was  never  an  object  at  which  he  aimed,  but  the  undesigned  effect  of  the 
presentation  ot  his  own  thoughts  in  his  own  peculiar  manner.  Or,  if  he  ever 
aimed  for  a  moment  at  the  ludicrous,  it  was  but  for  a  moment.  With  a  con- 
summate knowledge  of  the  intimate  relations  between  the  passions  of  laughter 
and  weeping,  it  was  often  the  case  that  no  sooner  did  he  perceive  that  he  had 
awakened  a  smile  than  by  a  sudden  transition  to  some  rcle\ant  but  unexpected 
reinark,  he  caused  the   assembly  to  be  at  once  bathed  in  tears. 

He  excelled  most  men  also  in  the  power  o'i  deicription  ;  and  this  was  of  great 
service  to  hiin  in  the  pulpit.  When  he  described  God,  or  the  creature,  the  saint 
or  the  sinner,  heaven  or  hell,  so  vivid  were  his  own  apprehensions  of  the  sub- 
ject set  forth,  so  ready  was  his  imagination  to  stretch  its  pinions  and  soar,  and 
such  was  ills  command  of  language  ;  not  indeed  the  most  classical  and  refined, 
but  fullv  adequate  to  express  the  precise  shade  of  the  thought  that  glowed  within 
him,  that  whatever  he  undertook  to  portray  was  as  distinctly  apprehended  by 
his  hearers,  as  if  he  had  delineated  all  that  he  had  in  view  on  canvass  immedi- 
ately before  their  eyes. 

He  derived  great  advantage  from  his  skill  in  illustration.  In  this  happy  art, 
the  vast  body  of  the  ministers  in  his  day  were  lamentably  deficient.  Ttiey  had 
little  to  do  with  reference  to  the  common  business  of  life,  and  the  analogies 
found  in  the  physical  world,  in  order  to  impart  to  their  hearers  clearer  notions 
of  spiritual  things.  They  did  not  so  extensively  as  is  the  case  at  the  present 
dav,  allude  like  their  Lord  and  Master  to  the  field  of  nature,  and  the  every 
day  occurrences  of  common  life  and  thus  familiarize  the  mind  to  religious 
truths  through  the  medium  of  resemblances  which  natural  objects  sustain 
to  them.  Theology  was  not  only  made  a  distinct  science  that  bore 
no  relations  to  any  other,  and  was  incapable  of  borrowing  useful  exem- 
plifications from  any  other.  But  Mr.  Mills  was  a  diligent  student  of  nature, 
a  careful  observer  of  men  and  things  ;  and  never  was  he  more  successful  in  the 
pulpit  than  when,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  notions  of  sacred  truth  to  the 
minds  of  his  audience,  he  seized  upon  some  analogy  derived  from  some  familiar 
occurrence,  or  from  some  object  palpable  to  the  senses.  If  the  justice  of  God 
in  his  dealings  with  men  was  to  be  illustrated  or  defended,  he  reasoned  from 
what  all  admit  to  be  equitable  in  human  courts  and  human  families.  If  God's 
long  suffering  and  compassion  towards  guiltv  men  were  to  be  set  forth  in  an  af- 
fecting manner,  then  he  would  depict  before  the  assembly  the  obstinacy  of  a 
wayward  child  and  the  parent  all  in  tears  expostulating,  beseeching,  hoping  and 
waiting  long  for  the  ultimate  return  of  the  young  offender  to  duty.  Multitudes 
of  us  can  never  forget  how  in  other  year.s,  he  held  and  charmed  us,  and  caused 


Biographies.  547 

our  tears  to  flow  by  the  vivid  representation  of  these  and  thousands  of  other 
simple  bur  striking  analogies,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  us  clearer  conceptions  of 
the  character  and  dealings  of  God,  the  wonders  of  redeeming  mercy,  or  the 
recklessness  of  the  hard  hearted,  obstinate  perishing  sinner. 

Another  thing  which  contributed  to  his  eminence  in  the  pulpit  was,  if  I  mis- 
take mt,  the  habit  of  speaking  extemporaneously.  How  early  in  his  ministry 
he  commenced  this  practice,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn.  Owing  to  the 
failure  of  his  memory,  he  was  necessitated  to  write  out  his  sermons,  during 
several  of  the  last  years  of  his  labors  ;  and  when  he  resorted  to  this  course, 
there  was  evidently  less  animation,  originality  and  force  than  he  had  long  been 
accustomed  to  exhibit.  But  when  for  a  long  series  of  years  before,  he  only 
sketched  the  leading  topics  of  his  discourses  on  paper,  having  wrought  out  all 
the  subordinate  matter  in  his  mind  and  treasured  it  in  his  memory,  and  stood 
before  the  listening  throng,  and  gave  them  tlie  whole  influence  of  his  e/es,  and 
receiyed  in  return  the  kitidling  influence  of  his  gaze,  and  his  attention  was 
untrammelcd  by  his  notes,  so  that  he  could  allow  both  excitement  and  range  to 
his  imagination,  then  it  was  that  he  disclosed  the  full  majesty  and  power  of  his 
noble  mind  ;  then  it  was  that  the  genuine  Samuel  John  Mills  was  seen  and  felt 
to  be  a  great  man  in  Israel.  Nor  am  1  alone  in  this  estimate  of  him  as  a  com- 
manding speaker  and  preacher.  There  are  hundreds  before  me,  who  from 
their  own  recollected  emotions,  excited  by  his  instructive  voice,  are  ready  to 
concur  with  me.  And  p.nhaps  it  is  proper  for  me  to  say,  it  has  long  been 
currently  reported  as  a  declaration  of  the  late  distinguished  Governor  Griswold, 
that  if  eloquence  consists  in  completely  enchaining  the  attention  of  an  audience, 
Mr.  Mills  was  the  most  eloquent  preacher  he  had  ever  heard,  " 

It  is  doubtless  true  that  the  great  theme  in  his  conversation  was 
revivals  of  religion,  and  he  delighted  in  being  present  in  such  meet- 
ings, and  participating  in  the  preaching,  and  particularly  because  it 
was  judged  in  those  times  to  be  very  essential  to  a  successful  revival, 
as  is  indicated  in  his  account  of  the  revival  of  1799,  to  preach  most 
earnestly  the  doctrines  of  God's  "  Sovereignty  and  distinguishing 
grace,"  and  that  these  were  best  calculated  to  break  and  humble  the 
sinners'  heart,  so  that  he  would  be  capable  of  valuing  the  mercy  of 
God  as  offered  to  those  who  were  appointed  to  be  saved.  It  is  quite 
evident  that  if  in  any  one  point  of  doctrine  Mr.  Mills  excelled  this 
was  it,  and  he  preached  it  with  all  its  objectionable  features.  It  did 
not  matter  to  him  how  angry  men  became  under  such  preaching,  for 
he  charged  them  with  being  angry  with  God  ;  not  with  the  interpre- 
tations the  minister  gave  but  with  God,  and  that  it  was  a  very  strong 
evidence  of  their  very  great  hardness  of  heart  and  the  greater  need 
that  they  should  be  humbled  under  just  such  arbitrary  dictation  of 
the  Almighty  ;  and  he  also  believed  that  such  manifestation  of  re- 
sistance was  indicative  of  hope  of  final  conversion.  One  example, 
as  given  by  Dr.  Charles  Woodward,  is  illustrative,  and  is  confirmed 
by  his  own   account  of  the   revival,  and  from  many  other   sources. 


548  History  of  Torrington. 

••'  A  young  woman  who  offered  herself  for  admission  to  the  church 
in  1818,  said  at  her  examination,  that  she  had  thought  little  of  God 
until  she  was  awakened,  when  her  feelings  against  his  government 
rose  to  such  a  degree  that,  if  possible,  she  would  have  torn  him  from 
his  throne  ;  and  from  that  the  transition  was  so  great  that  she  beheld 
him  in  every  thing,  and  was  willing  to  be  damned,  if  he  decreed  it. 
Mr.  Mills  pronounced  the  experience  '  glorious. '  " 

A  woman  now  living  uniting  with  the  church  about  the  same  time 
was  asked  as  she  now  says,  "  If  she  was  willing,  if  it  should  be  for 
the  glory  of  God,  to  go  to  hell  forever  ?  "  Upon  an  affirmative 
answer,  from  which  her  heart  revolts  with  a  shudder  to  the  present 
day,  she  was  judged  acceptable,  and  received.  Another  person  who, 
nearly  at  the  same  time,  became  much  exercised  as  to  a  religious 
life,  when  the  feeling  of  rebellion  against  partial  grace  subsided,  she 
became  persuaded  that  she  had  committed  the  unpardonable  sin  ; 
that  she  had  "  grieved  the  Holy  Spirit,"  and  that  was  the  end  of  it, 
and  thus  she  has  remained  to  the  present  time,  although  her  life  is  as 
exemplary  as  any  person  in  the  town. 

It  is  a  matter  of  rejoicing  that  the  first  Congregational  council  that 
was  held  in  America,  while  standing  on  old  Piymouih  rock,  voted 
unanimously  that  it  did  not  hold  the  doctrine  of  "  fatalism." 

The  only  remark  necessary  in  these  days  is  that  Father  Mills's 
heart  was  vastly  larger  than  this  point  in  his  theology. 

Mr.  Mills  as  a  writer,  it  is  evident  even  from  his  account  of  the 
revival,  given,  was  very  able  and  competent  in  regard  to  any  question 
of  theology  or  of  grace,  as  held  in  those  times  ;  and  could  make  as 
close,  clear  and  definite  discriminations  and  observations,  as  religious 
thought  demanded  or  allowed,  and  hence  had  he  directed  the  energy 
of  his  mind  to  theological  discussion  as  he  did  to  the  saving  of  men, 
he  might  have  had  a  lasting  name  in  that  direction. 

Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  Jr., 
Was  born  April  21,  1783,  in  Torringford  society,  and  was  the  seventh 
child  of  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Mills,  pastor  of  the  Torringford  church 
more  than  fifty  years,  and  who  was  a  very  remarkable  man  in  many 
respects,  being  great  in  goodness  and  love  for  the  salvation  of  man. 
Young  Samuel's  mother  was  noted  also  for  symmetry  of  character, 
excellency  of  judgment,  and  largeness  of  Christian  love  and  sympathy 
toward  all  men,  and  it  might  be  expected  that  such  a  scion,  reared 
under   such  favoring  circumstances  would  eventuate   in  some  great 


Biographies.  549 

and  noble  end.  Torringford  is  a  very  advantageous  place  to  be 
reared  and  educated  in,  if  nature's  grandeur  may  have  any  pouter  to 
mould  and  fashion  the  mind  and  enlarge  the  heart  of  the  intelligent 
beings  to  whom  the  infinite  has  subjected  all  created  things.  From 
the  old  parsonage  where  this  man  was  born,  the  view  extends  in  every 
direction  over  the  surrounding  country  to  the  distance  of  between  ten 
and  thirty  miles,  revealing  a  large  portion  of  the  intervening  valleys 
and  hills,  and  this  scenery  was  the  topic  of  frequent  remark  by  the 
father;  it  having  been  that  which  charmed  him  the  first  time  he  was 
in  the  place  ;  and  it  is  very  possible  that  this  scenery  had  much  to 
do  in  fixing  upon  the  mind  of  young  Mills  that  enlarged  interest 
which  he  afterwards  manifested,  for  the  salvation  and  well  being  of 
the  whole  world.  The  childhood  and  youth  of  this  man  were  chiefly 
spent  under  his  father's  roof  amid  these  surroundings  in  the  possession 
of  the  most  faithful  instructions  which  were  of  the  best  kind,  both  as 
to  intellectual  and  heart  cultivation.  When  quite  a  child,  his  mind 
exhibited  no  common  sensibility  to  the  concerns  of  relio[ion,  and  was 
easily  and  some  times  deeply  afi^ected  with  the  importance  of  them, 
and  the  advantage  to  be  secured  by  a  careful  attention  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  divine  word.  These  impressions  however  were  not  as 
carefully  cherished  as  they  probably  would  have  been  but  for  the 
prevailing  opinion  of  that  day  that  nothing  availed  toward  salvation 
without  first  experiencing  a  marvellous  and  almost  miraculous  change 
of  heart,  which  change  young  people  were  supposed,  as  a  general  rule, 
to  be  nearly  incapable  of  properly  entertaining.  But  when,  in  1798, 
the  religious  interest  in  his  father's  parish  began  to  be  recognized  by 
special  meetings  and  an  unusual  attendance  on  their  meetings  by  the 
community,  he  being  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  was  moved,  with  many 
others,  by  the  anxious  inquiry  whether  the  great  provisions  of  the 
gospel  were  likely  to  avail  any  thing  in  his  behalf.  The  inquiry  was 
not  whether  he  would  accept  the  abundant  provisions  of  the  gospel 
for  the  salvation  of  all  men  but  whether  the  very  limited  provisions 
of  salvation  included  hirn^  as  well  as  some  others."  To  ascertain 
the  right  to  answer  this  inquiry  almost  drove  him  to  distraction  and 
infidelity.     In  regard  to  this  point  his  Memoir  gives  some  light. 

"  But  such  were  his  views  of  his  own  sinfulness,  so  severe  his  distress,  and  so 
bitter  his  opposition  to  God,  that  he  would  someiimes  '  break  out  in  expressions 
of  unyielding  rebellion.'  With  nothing  was  his  dissaiisfaction  more  painful, 
than  the  discriminations  of  the  divine  favor  in  showing  mercy  to  those  who  were 
around  him,  while  he  himself  was  apparently  left  lo  obduracy  and  ruin.  He 
had  beheld  many  of  his  companions  in  years  and  in  sin,  together  with  an  elder 


550  History  of  Torrington. 

brother,  a  sister  and  a  niece  of  his  mother,  all  residing  under  the  same  roof, 
and  all  that  remained  o\  his  father's  family,  rejoicing  in  hope,  and  united  to  the 
visible  church,  while  he  himself  obtained  no  relief  from  his  agony,  but  remained 
in  'the  gall  of  bitterness  and  the  bonds  of  iniquity.'  Such  was  his  state  of  mind 
for  many  months,  and  such  it  continued,  when  the  revival  began  to  decline, 
and  when  it  was  gone.  Two  full  years  he  remained  in  this  dismal  frame  of 
mind,  still  refusing  to  bow  at  the  footstool  of  mercy  ;  and  to  adopt  his  own 
sentiment,  *  at  heart  still  cursing  the  day  in  which  he  was  born.'  "  ' 

This  language  is  peculiar  yet  in  perfect  accord  with  the  doctrines 
held  at  that  time.  Here  he  is  represented  as  greatly  distressed  two 
years,  because  he  obtained  no  evidences  that  he  specially  was  included 
in  the  number  of  the  elect,  while  others  received  those  evidences,  and 
yet  he  is  represented  as  ^'  refusing  to  bow  at  the  footstool  of  mercy." 
The  question  was  not  whether  he  was  willing  or  not,  but  whether 
there  was  any  "  footstool  of  mercy  "  for  him  to  bow  to,  for,  if  he  was 
not  of  the  elect,  then  there  was  no  such  place  for  him,  and  his  will- 
ingness to  curse  the  day  he  was  born  was  the  soundest  wisdom  pos- 
sible. This  was  seen  by  Dr.  Spring,  and  hence  he  says  (page  i6), 
"  It  is  far  from  being  indispensable  to  our  cordial  acquiescence  in 
God's  character  and  government,  to  be  persuaded  that  we  are  inter- 
ested in  his  mercy."  This  was  the  precise  quiistion,  Did  the  mercy 
of  God  include  Samuel  J.  Mills  Jr..''  He  had  no  assurances  that  it 
did  and  hence  he  said  to  his  mother  :  "  O  that  I  had  never  been 
born  !  O  that  I  had  never  been  born  !  For  two  years  I  have  been 
sorry  God  ever  made  me."  All  the  theological  discussions  in  the 
universe  could  not  change  the  soundness  of  this  logic  ;  and  it  was  not 
until  months  after,  that  Mr.  Mills,  by  taking  a  very  different  view  of 
the  mercy  of  God  ;  until  he  by  dwelling  upon  the  goodness  of  God 
as  sufficiently  large  so  as  to  include  him,  at  all  risks,  that  he  dared 
entertain  a  hope  of  salvation.  And  this  case  was  not  an  isolated  one, 
for  that  which  he  experienced  many  others  passed  through  in  that 
revival  in  179B  and  9,  according  to  the  account  given  by  Father 
Mills,  wherein  it  is  indicated  that  the  dread  horrors  of  despair  abode 
upon  the  trembling  penitent  for  months,  because  he  could  not  tell 
whether  he  was  included  in  the  covenant  of  mercy  or  left  out  ;  and 
it  was  also  thought  that  the  genuineness  of  the  conversion  depended 
on  the  greatness  of  the  horrors  experienced. 

After  nearly  three  years  of  dreadful  suffering  in  mind,  this  youth, 
not  quite  eighteen  years  of  age,  became  a  trusting  arid  obedient  servant 
of  the  gospel  of  promise^  and  henceforward  walked  in  hope. 


Memoir  by  Re-v.  Dr.  Spring,  p.  12. 


Biographies. 


5S^ 


When  Mr.  Mills  entered  into  this  hope,  he  was  attending  school 
at  Litchfield  ;  and  the  first  intimation  his  father  had  of  any  change 
arose  from  an  observation  he  made  that  '■^  he  could  not  conceive  of  any 
course  of  life  in  xvhich  to  pass  the  rest  of  his  days^  that  would  prove  so 
pleasant^  as  to  go  and  communicate  the  gospel  salvation  to  the  poor  heathen^ 

Thus  did  the  spirit  and  ambition  to  help  a  ruined  world,  take 
possession  of  this  young  man's  heart  and  life,  as  soon  as  he  appre- 
hended the  benefits  of  the  gospel  in  his  own  personal  well  being,  and 
from  that  time  onward,  ever,  they  were  his  guiding  stars  until  his  life 
work  was  ended. 

"It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  from  this  same  hour,  he  never  once  lost 
sight  of  this  great  thought.  Though  but  a  youth  of  seventeen,  he  discovered  a 
zeal  in  the  missionary  cause,  an  eagerness  in  the  pursuit  of  missionary  intelli- 
gence, and  an  enlargement  of  though:  in  his  plans  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  true  state  of  the  unevangelized  world,  which  left  little  doubt  that  he  was 
chained  to  this  purpose  by  a  superior  power. 

It  was  a  heart  yearning  over  the  miseries  of  perishing  millions,  that  first  led 
him  to  think  of  acquiring  an  education  with  a  view  to  the  gospel  ministry. 
Having  consulted  his  parents,  and  unfolded  all  his  purpose,  which  should  God 
permit,  was  no  less  than  to  devote  his  life  to  the  cause  of  missions  in  foreign 
lands  ;  and  having  received  their  approbation  and  their  blessing,  he  resobcd  on 
measures  for  changing  his  course  of  life.  The  spirit  of  God  came  over  him 
like  Elisha  in  the  field.  While  toiling  at  the  plough,  was  his  heart  touched  with 
compassion  tor  the  heathen  world,  and  he  bid  adieu  to  his  farm,  to  obtain  an 
education  on  purpose  to  carry  the  gospel  to  millions  who  perish  for  lack  of 
knowledge.  Thus  in  a  retired  field  in  Litchfield  county,  was  the  King  of  Zion 
beginning  that  grand  course  of  operations  which  have  produced  such  a  mighty 
revolution  in  the  American  churches,  and  which  bear  so  intimate  a  relation  to 
the  progressive  glories  of  his  kingdom.  Having  put  his  secular  concerns  into 
other  liands,  and  having  previously  connected  himself  with  the  church,  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  his  father,  Mills  became  a  member  of  Williams  college,  in 
Massachusetts,  in  the  autumn  of  1805.  As  a  scholar,  he  was  of  respectable 
standing,  but  as  a  youth  who  "v.alked  with  God,''  and  whose  uniform  deport- 
ment evinced  that  he  was  devoted  to  interests  superior  to  his  own,  he  shone  as 
a  light  in  the  earth. 

Ardent  and  matured  as  his  piety  was  at  more  advanced  periods,  it  may  be 
said  of  him,  that  he  began  his  career  very  much  as  he  ended  it.  At  this  early 
period  his  piety  was  of  that  strong,  yet  fervent;  that  unostentatious,  yet  practi- 
cal and  efficient  kind,  that  gave  the  highest  evidence  that  he  was  a  child  of 
God.  Engaged  in  pursuits,  in  which  many  a  godly  youth  is  allured  from  duty, 
by  the  glare  of  science  and  the  love  of  fame,  he  not  only  retained  his  integrity, 
and  made  sensible  progression  in  holiness,  but  by  a  deportment  so  circumspect 
and  kind,  that  even  the  enemies  of  religion  could  not  but  respect  him  ;  and  bv 
a  consistency  and  sweetness  of  character,  which  gave  so  much  lustre  to  vital  piety, 
that  his  friends  felt  the  reproach  of  his  example,  did  he  become  the  means  of 
conversion,  steadfastness  and  zeal,  and  will  be  long  remembered  as  a  distin- 
guished blessing  to  the  seminary  of  which  he  was  a  member." 


SS'^ 


History  of  Torrington. 


There  are  some  characteristics  here  revealed  that  are  worthy  of  imi- 
tation, and  history  reveals  the  satisfying  fact  that  whenever  and  wherever 
followed  they  always  bring  their  reward  of  usefulness,  success  and 
honor.  Having  committed  himself  to  a  life  for  the  purpose  of  spread- 
ing the  gospel  news,  there  was  to  him  no  honorable  way  to  be  pur- 
sued but  to  fulfill  the  engagement  to  the  utmost  of  his  ability  as  if 
assured  all  the  time  of  certain  success,  and  yet  not  caring  as  to  the 
success  in  regard  to  personal  honor  if  only  duty  should  be  done. 
Such  negation  of  self  while  moving  as  if  inspired  by  the  highest  am- 
bition or  honor  is  the  richest  glory  of  man,  and  is  the  spirit  that 
makes  martyrs  for  country  and  religion  and  every  thing  in  life.  To 
him  there  was  no  charm  in  anything  except  it  was  in  the  line  of  life 
which  he  had  chosen  and  to  which  he  had  devoted  all  his  powers, 
and  to  be  unfaithful  to  such  an  engagement  was  a  thing  too  humiliat- 
ing to  be  entertained  by  one  destined  to  a  life  in  a  future  state  of 
being. 

Then  also  if  the  life  he  had  engaged  in,  had  any  foundation  in 
realities  as  he  himself  and  thousands  of  others  professed  to  know,  it 
was  reasonable  that  he  should  pursue  that  life  with  as  much  energy, 
and  determination  and  forethought,  as  any  business  engagement  that 
could  be  presented  to  the  necessity  or  ambition  of  men.  This  re- 
veals the  secret  of  his  life  -,  one  perpetual  onward  movement  in  the 
same  line,  as  though  there  could  be  no  other  possible  way  for  him 
to  move,  and  as  though  he  never  once  stopped  to  think,  whether 
there  could  be  any  other  way,  and  yet  as  knowing  all  the  time  that 
life  to  him  would  be  an  utter  failure  except  he  should  attain  the  end 
for  which  he  had  started. 

It  is  not  surprising  therefore  to  learn  that,  "  to  him  nothing  had 
charms  so  powerful  as  the  glory  of  his  Redeemer  and  the  salvation 
of  men.  The  conversion  of  a  sinner  from  the  error  of  his  way,  the 
deliverance  of  one  immortal  being  from  the  indescribable  consequences 
of  sin,  was  to  his  benevolent  mind  enough  to  compensate  a  thousand 
fold  for  the  loss  of  all  the  laurels  of  a  Caesar.  While  he  was  a 
member  of  college,  there  was  a  revival  of  religion  in  the  institution, 
of  which  he  was  the  chief  instrument  ;  and  afterwards  there  were 
not  a  few  of  his  fellow  students  in  the  ministry,  who  owed  their 
hopes  of  heaven,  and  their  usefulness  on  earth,  to  his  instrumentality. 
Nor  should  it  be  forgotten  that  quite  many  of  those  beloved  men 
whom  the  American  church  has  been  permitted  to  send  into  the  se- 
clusions of  the  wilderness  of  this  country,  as  well  as  those  who  went 


Biographies.  ^^2 

to  plant  the  standard  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges  and  the  Indus,  long 
remembered  his  instrumentality  in  their  conversion  and  missionary 
zeal.  His  cotemporaries  at  the  college  delighted  to  linger  on  the 
recollection  of  his  excellence  ;  and  could  never  forget  how  the  sal- 
vation of  the  dear  youth  with  whom  he  was  associated,  the  revival 
of  pure  and  undefiled  religion,  and  the  desolations  of  the  heathen 
world,  were  themes  that  often  drew  tears  from  his  eyes  and  persuasion 
from  his  tongue,  as  he  visited  from  room  to  room,  and  walked  from 
grove  to  grove. 

As  illustrative  of  the  epergy  and  zeal  with  which  he  pursued  his 
relitrious  life  the  followins:  extracts  from  his  journal  are  yiven. 

"June  25,  1806.  I  hope  I  shall  I'avc  an  oppoituniiv  to  retire  and  address 
the  Throne  of  grace  to  day  without  molestation.  O  tlat  God  would  be  with 
me,  and  assist  me  in  the  performance  of  duty  !  It  will  be  a  stupid  time  indeed, 
if  the  Lord  docs  not  pour  down  liis  spine  and  convince  me  of  my  unworthi- 
ness  and  dependence.  O  how  unworthy  we  are  at  this  institution  to  partake 
of  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  our  Master's  table  !  Blessed  be  God,  he  has,  as  I 
trust,  wrought  a  good  work  upon  the  hearts  of  some,  and  is  forcing  conviction 
and  light  upon  the  minds  of  others.  I  hope  nothing  may  retard  the  progress 
of  this  most  glorious  work. 

Thursday,  26.  Attended  conference  this  evening,  composed  principally  of 
the  Freshman  class.  A  very  good  meeting  Many  very  solemn;  K —  much 
cast  down.  It  was  very  evident  God  was  striving  with  some  of  his  disobedient 
creatures.  The  work  is  the  Lord's,  and  he  is  abundantly  able  to  carry  it  on. 
Arise,  O  Lord,  thou  and  the  ark  of  thy  strength.  It  seems  to  me  I  never 
longed  so  much  for  the  Sabbath  as  1  do  now.  I  am  afraid  the  impressions  of 
my  classmates  will  wear  off.     But  all  thii  gs  are  possible  with  God. 

Saturday,  28.  Think  I  feel  something  ut  a  praying  frame  this  morning. 
O  for  more  fervour,  more  engagedness,  more  activity,  in  the  cause  of  the 
blessed  God  !  I  hope  this  may  be  a  sweet  day  to  my  soul.  Think  I  see 
something  of  my  unworthiness. 

Sabbath  morning,  29.  Have  some  view  of  my  dependence  upon  God  and 
of  my  awful  stupidity.  I  pray  God  to  be  with  ine  to-day,  and  keep  me  from 
injuring  his  cause,  and  preserve  me  in  a  praying  frame,  y//  noi)/i,jmt  returned 
from  meeting — an  uncommon  time  with  me — think  I  have  never  been  so 
carried  above  this  world  before;  never  found  myself  so  nigh  the  cross.  Come 
Holy  Spirit,  heavenly  Dove,  give  me,  unworthy  me,  a  spirit  of  prayer!  O 
humble  me — keep  me  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Grant  that  I  may  always  feel 
uneasy  when  1  wander  from  that  delightful  place!  Grant  that  I  may  make  ic 
my  hoine  there,  and  never  wound  my  Redeemer  in  the   house  of   his   friends ! 

November  10.  [After  vacation]  I  have  been  in  town  two  weeks.  Pro- 
fessing Christians  not  so  much  alive  as  they  generally  were  last  term.  O  that 
God  would  revive  us  again !  that  his  saints  might  rejoice,  and  that  immortal 
souls  might  be  ransomed  from  eternal  death.  O  that  he  would  make  his 
children  feel  their  dependence,  and  bring  them  to  cast  themselves  at  his  foot- 
stool. All  our  strength  is  from  the  Lord  ;  I  hope  he  will  not  cast  us  ofF 
forever,  but  carry  on  his  work  as  best  pleases  him.  We  are  brought  very  low; 
and  if  the  Lord  look  not  upon  us,  where  is  our  hope?  Where  can  wc  look 
but  to  the  holy  hill." 

70 


554  History  of  Torrington. 

The  revival  referred  to  was  not  extensive,  but  the  part  which  Mr. 
Mills  took  in  the  work,  and  the  peculiar,  earnest  interest  which  he 
manifested  for  the  good  of  others,  is  quite  appropriately  presented  by 
one  of  his  most  valued  classmates,  who  afterwards  was  successfully 
engaged  in  the  ministry.  '' During  the  last  term  of  his  first  year, 
there  was  a  revival  of  religion  in  college,  which  commenced  in  his 
class.  It  was  then  my  opinion,  and  I  believe  the  general  opinion, 
that  Mr.  Mills  was  principally  instrumental  in  the  hands  of  God,  in 
producing  the  blessed  work.  Certain  it  is,  that  no  one  was  so  much 
resorted  to  as  he  by  those  under  serious  impressions.  He  was  singu- 
larly devoted  and  engaged,  a  little  before  the  revival  commenced,  and 
while  it  lasted.  Nor  did  he,  after  it  had  ceased,  relapse  into  that 
state  of  apathy  and  indifference  so  common  with  many,  and  to  which 
there  are  so  many  temptations  in  college.  It  may  well  be  said  of 
him,  that  he  walked  with  God,  and  I  trust  his  footsteps  were  seen 
long  after  he  left  the  college." 

It  is  important  to  the  understanding  of  some  parts  of  his  subse- 
quent history,  to  observe  the  invariable  tendencies  of  his  mind 
toward  the  grand  objects  of  benevolence  to  which  his  life  was  so 
sacredly  devoted,  and  upon  this  another  extract  from  his  journal 
while  in  college  will  throw  some  light  on  this  subject. 

"  O  that  I  might  be  aroused  from  this  careless  and  stupid  state, 
and  be  enabled  to  fill  up  my  life  well  !  I  think  I  can  trust  myself 
in  the  hands  of  God,  and  all  that  is  dear  to  me,  but  I  long  to  have 
the  time  arrive,  when  the  gospel  shall  be  preached  to  the  poor  Africans 
and  likewise  to  all  nations" 

Here  is  exhibited  the  onward  moving  of  an  unyielding  mind  of  a 
philanthropist,  almost  unequaled  among  men  except  under  special 
Divine  inspiration,  grasping  with  marvelous  eagerness  for  the  instru- 
mentalities by  which  to  lift  a  degraded  world  to  affluence,  righteous- 
ness and  holiness.  Said  ]ie  to  a  brother  of  kindred  spirit  in  the 
ministry,  "  Brother,  though  you  and  I  are  very  small  beings,  we  must 
not  rest  satisfied  until  we  have  made  our  influence  extend  to  the  re- 
motest corner  of  this  ruined  world."  This  was  the  real  man,  though 
one  of  the  most  modest  of  men,  yet  this  was  the  largeness  of  his 
heart  and  his  purpose  in  the  exercise  of  his  responsibility  as  an  in- 
telligent being.  Simply  to  becoine  a  missionary  himself,  and  live  and 
die  in  pagan  lands,  surrounded  with  all  the  evidences  of  successful 
labor,  was  with  him  a  very  small  matter.  His  charities  were  the 
most  exalted,  and  his  plans  most  sublime,  and  he  knew  how  to  labor 


Biographies.  ^^^ 

for  an  interest,  distant  enough  to  bring  nothing  to  himself,  and  form 
a  purpose  to  feel  and  act  efficiently  for  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 
human  race,  never  baptized  by  the  Christian  name.  If  it  be  asked, 
why  this  man,  knowing  so  much  less  of  the  needs  and  conditions  of 
the  heathen,  stretched  out  his  liands  to  such  a  mighty  work,  the 
answer  comes  from  thousands  of  years  gone  by,  why  should  Moses, 
a  stranger  forty  years,  go  back  to  Egypt  to  lead  the  people  to  de- 
liverance, or  why  should  John  the  Baptist  preach  in  the  wilderness 
more  than  others  ? 

Mr.  Mills  and  Foreign  Missions. 

From  the  very  first  dawn  of  hope  of  his  own  interest  in  saving 
grace,  Mr.  Mills's  mind  was  directed  to  the  heathen  world,  and  from 
that  hour  his  interest  in  its  behalf  continued  to  increase,  and  to  the 
work  of  their  enlightenment  his  life  seemed  consecrated.  It  was 
this  that  led  him  to  leave  his  farm  and  enter  school  and  college,  and 
while  laboring  in  the  revival  in  college  in  behalf  of  those  immediately 
around  him  the  great  study  of  his  mind  was  for  those  far  away  in  the 
shadow  of  death,  and  under  impressions  his  mind  was  directed  more 
and  more  to  the  design  of  propagating  the  gospel  among  the  heathen 
in  foreign  lands,  by  means  of  missionaries  from  this  country.  And 
it  is  remarkable  that  his  mind,  then  that  of  but  a  youth  in  college, 
should  have  been  directed  in  those  channels,  which  the  missionary 
enterprises  of  the  western  world  have  followed  ever  since. 

"The  dawn  of  a  missionary  spirit  had  begun  to  appear  in  some  of 
the  American  churches  before  this  period.  To  those  who  have  ob- 
served the  signs  of  the  times  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  a  new  era 
had  dawned  on  the  otiier  side  of  the  Atlantic  before  the  cominw  in 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  In  the  year  1792,  the  first  missionary 
society  was  established  by  Carey,  Fuller,  Pcarce,  and  Ryland,  at 
Kettering,  in  England.  In  1795,  the  London  Missionary  Society 
was  instituted,  and  from  tliat  period  missionary  institutions  have  been 
increasing  in  number  throughout  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe. 
America  began  gradually  to  participate  in  the  sacred  spirit.  Aside 
from  an  establishment  formed  by  the  Moravians  in  1734,  and  a 
branch  of  the  society  in  Scotland  for  propagating  Christian  knowledge 
among  the  Indians  in  North  America,  which  was  instituted  at  Boston, 
in  1787,  the  honor  of  commencing  the  first  missionary  exertions  in 
the  United  States  belongs  to  the  general  assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  At  their  first  session,  as  early  as  the  year  1789,  that  body 
passed  an  order  requiring  the  churches  under  their  care  to  take  col- 


S5^  History  of  Torrington. 

lections  for  a  missionary  fund  ;  and  in  1802,  they  established  a  stand- 
ing committee  of  missions,  which  has  been  in  successful  operation 
since  that  time.  The  New  York  missionary  society  was  instituted 
in  1796  ;  the  Connecticut  missionary  society  in  1798  ;  the  Massa- 
chusetts missionary  society  in  1799  ;  and  the  New  Jersey  missionary 
society  in  1801. 

Hitherto,  however,  the  attention  of  the  western  world  had  been 
exclusively  directed  to  domestic  missions,  among  the  new  settlements 
and  Indians.  To  the  eye  of  the  few  who  watched  its  growth,  it  was 
obvious  that  the  germ  of  this  tree  of  life  had  been  gaining  strength 
and  activity,  but  it  was  not  destined  to  shoot  out  its  branches  to  the 
river,  and  its  boughs  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  until  the  period  at 
which  we  have  now  arrived.  That  she  had  a  distinguished  part  to 
act  in  the  conversion  of  six  hundred  millions  of  our  guilty  creation 
abroad,  beyond  her  destitute  at  home,  was  a  thought  that  had  never 
till  nov.'  sunk  into  the  bosom  of  the  American  church.  Why  was  it 
so?  Surely  no  nation  possessed  greater  advantages  for  disseminating 
religious  truth,  whether  we  rcgaid  resources  or  men  ;  and  no  nation 
was  under  greater  obligations  to  make  many  and  great  obligations 
for  this  exalted  object.  Why  should  the  nations  of  Europe,  in  the 
midst  of  all  their  conflict  and  blood,  have  been  sending  their  sons 
through  different  continents  and  to  the  islands  of  the  sea,  while 
America,  this  land  of  freedom,  peace,  wealth,  and  privilege,  circum- 
scribes her  exertions  to  a  handful  of  men  within  her   own  territory  ? 

In  tracing  the  progress  of  the  missionary  spirit  in  this  coimtry,  in 
respect  to  foreign  missions,  we  have  little  else  to  do  than  follow  the 
leading  events  of  Mr.  Mills's  life  from  his  first  year  in  college  to  the  em» 
barkation  of  the  American  missionaries  for  Calcutta,  under  the 
direction  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners,  in  the  year  1812. 
As  already  intimated  his  devotion  to  the  missionary  cause  was  early 
and  invincible.  It  was  not,  however,  until  he  became  a  member  of 
college  that  his  spirit  in  regard  to  missions  came  to  view.  Then  the 
subject  took  a  definite  form  in  his  mind,  engrossed  the  meditations 
of  his  serious  hours,  took  deep  hold  of  his  feelings,  and  became  the 
burden  of  his  prayers  and  heart.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  peculiar 
visitation  of  the  Spirit  of  God  that  turned  all  the  solicitude  and  affec- 
tion of  his  heart  to  this  subject.  He  reflected  lung  and  prayed  much, 
before  he  disclosed  his  views  and  when  he  determined  to  unburden  his 
mind,  by  conversing  with  two  or  three  of  his  more  intimate  fellow  stu- 
dents, it  was  in  a  manner  that  deserves  to  be  related.  He  led  them  into 
a  meadow  at  a  distance  from  the  college,  to  a  retirement,  probably 


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Biographies.  557 

familiar  to  himself,  though  little  exposed  to  observation  or  liable  to 
be  approached,  where,  by  the  side  of  a  large  stack  of  hay,  he  devoted 
the  day  to  prayer  and  fasting,  and  familiar  conversation  on  this  new^ 
and  interesting  theme  ;  when,  much  to  his  surprise  and  gratification, 
he  found  that  the  spirit  of  God  had  been  enkindling  in  their  bosoms 
the  flame  which  had  so  long  been  burninp;  in  his  own.  It  will  not 
be  surprising  to  learn,  that  from  this  hour,  this  endeared  retreat  was 
often  made  solemn  by  the  presence,  and  hallowed  by  the  piety  of 
these  dear  young  men.'  It  was  to  this  consecated  spot  they  repaired 
to  cherish  the  high  born  influence,  and  dedicate  themselves  re- 
newedly  to  Christ  in  this  blessed  cause;  to  spend  many  a  precious 
day  in  humiliation,  fasting  and  prayer,  and  there  to  offer  to  a  present 
God  those  early  and  fervent  supplications  to  which  may  be  traced 
the  institution  of  foreign  missions  in  the  new  world. "^ 

When  Mr.  Mills  had  made  known  his  mind,  and  had  found  these 
companions  in  the  spirit  of  the  missionary  work  for  heathen  lands  ; 
and  when  they  had  fully  devoted  their  lives  to  this  work,  he  commu- 
nicated the  intelligence  to  his  parents  and  family  at  home.  These 
tidings  greatly  affected  the  heart  of  his  affectionate  mother,  and  to 
find  comfort  with  a  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Austin,  she  took  the  letter 
and  repaired  to  her  house  and  read  it.  Here  she  gave  free  expres- 
sion to  the  feelings  of  her  ht-art  and  while  walking  back  and  forth  in 
the  house,  the  tears  falling  as  if  she  were  heart  broken,  she  exclaimed, 
"  But  little  did  I  know  when  I  dedicated  the  child  to  God  what  it 
would  cost  and  whereunto  it  would  end."  It  has  been  said  that  his 
mother  had  dedicated  iiim  to  the  service  of  God  as  a  missionary,  but 
it  does  not  appear  that  she  had  any  idea  of  the  service  of  a  mission- 
ary to  foreign  lands.  She  intended  him  for  the  ministry,  and  possi- 
bly for  the  ministry  in  new  parts  of  this  country,  but  as  there  is  a 
living  witness  to  the  occurrence  at  the  house  of  her  sister-in-law,  and 
to  the  surprise  she  then  manifested  that  her  son  might  be  taken  far 
away  to  a  strange  land,  it  is  evident  that  she  was  now  realizing  that 
the  cost  to  her  heart  was  far  greater  than  she  had  ever  imagined  it 
might  be.  "  How  little  did  I  know  what  it  was  going  to  cost,"  was 
her  repeated  exclamation.  The  spirit  and  enterprise  of  foreign 
missions  were  scarcely  known  through  the  country  until  brought  to 
the  attention  of  the  people  by  these  young  men  ;  for  when  they 
formed  themselves  into  a  society  for  inquiry  concerning  missions, 


*  These  young  men  were  San)uel  J.  Mills,  Jr.,  Gordon  Hall,  and  James  Richards. 
'Memoir,  p.  27. 


^^S  History  of  Torrington. 

the  movement  was  judged  to  be  the  offspring  of  an  over  heated  zeal 
that  would  soon  cool  and  be  forgotten,  and  none  probably  were  more 
surprised  at  the  idea  than  his  mother  alchough  she  looked  upon  it  as 
the  call  of  God,  while  others  laughed  that  the  heathen  should  be 
noticed  in  the  call  of  God. 

The  mind  of  Mr.  Mills  had  now  received  a  new  impulse,  and  his 
paramount  object  was  to  devise  measures  to  carry  the  plans  which 
had  begun  to  present  themselves  in  some  definite  shape,  into  immediate 
execution.  Having,  as  he  supposed,  accomplished  what  he  could 
for  the  cause  in  Williams  college,  he  feh  that  institution,  and  became 
a  resident  graduate  a  few  months  at  Yale  college.  His  ostensible 
object  was  the  study  of  theology,  but  his  real  object  was  to  ascertain 
whether  there  were  not  some  kindred  spirits  in  that  institution,  who 
could  be  excited  and  encouraged  to  participate  in  this  glorious  enter- 
prise. While  here  he  became  acquainted  with  Obookiah,  a  youth 
from  the  Sandwich  Islands,  whom  Rev.  Edwin  W.  Dwight  had 
found  in  the  streets  of  New  Haven  and  taken  him  in  charge  with  the 
purpose  of  instructing  him  in  letters  as  he  was  greatly  desirous  of  ob- 
taining an  education.  By  a  pleasing  coincidence  of  circumstances, 
Mr.  Mills,  on  his  arrival  at  New  Haven  became  the  companion  of 
Mr.  Dwight  and  was  deeply  interested  in  this  youth.  He  soon  con- 
ceived the  plan  of  educating  him  as  a  missionary  to  his  native  islands, 
and  took  him  in  the  course  of  the  winter  to  his  father's  at  Torringford 
and  afterwards  to  Andover,  patiently  instructing  him  in  the  knowledge 
of  what  is  useful  in  this  life,  and  momentous  to  the  life  to  come.  It 
was  in  consequence  of  the  design  to  educate  this  youth  as  a  mission- 
ary that  the  plan  of  a  missionary  school  was  conceived  and  finally 
established  at  Cornwall,  Ct. 

The  following  spring  Mr.  Mills  became  a  member  of  the  Theo- 
logical seminary  at  Andover,  soon  after  which  his  mother  died, 
which  was  a  sore  bereavement  to  him.  Hearing  of  her  sickness  he 
hastened  home  and  coming  up  the  old  road  to  Torringford,  past  the  > 
burying  ground,  he  saw  her  newly  made  grave,  and  stopped  to  visit 
it.     ''Here,"  he  says,  "I  gave  vent  lo  the  most  impassioned  woe." 

In  i8i  I,  he  and  others  formed  at  Andover  the  Society  of  Inquiry 
concerning  missions;  from  which  as  early  as  1829,  over  thirty  had 
gone  out  as  missionaries  under  the  American  board. 

In  i8i2and  1813,  he  made  a  missionary  tour  through  some  of  the 
southern  and  western  states  in  company  with  the  Rev.  John  F.  Scher- 
merhorn  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  church,  and  in  1814  and  1815,  he 


Biographies.  559 

made  a  second  tour,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Smith  of 
Natchez,  going  as  far  as  New  Orleans  and  returning  through  the 
western  parts  of  Georgia,  the  Carolinas  and  Virginia.  Five  or  six 
hundred  miles  of  this  route  was  a  mere  wilderness.  In  New  Orleans, 
in  March,  1815,  he  found  no  Bibles  for  gitt  or  for  sale,  but  being 
particularly  entrusted  by  the  Philadelphia  Bible  Society  with  the  dis- 
tribution of  a  quantity  of  French  Bibles,  he  readily  appropriated  them 
according  to  directions,  and  they  were  received  with  great  eagerness 
by  the  people. 

In  connection  with  the  efforts  then  being  made  in  regard  to  Bible 
distribution  Mr.  Mills  is  credited  with  exerting  much  influence  to 
hasten  the  organization  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  an  institution 
which  has  done  and  is  doing  a  marvelous  great  woik  in  publishing 
and  distributing  Bibles. 

Mr.  Mills  was  ordained  as  a  missionary  with  Messrs.  Richards, 
Bardwell,  Poor,  Warren  and  Meigs,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1815,  at 
Newburyport,  Mass. 

In  1816,  he  secured  the  formation  of  the  African  school,  under 
the  care  of  the  Synods  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  to  fit  colored 
young  men  to  preach  and  become  missionaries. 

It  appears  that  at  this  time  Mr.  Mills  was  very  much  interested  in 
and  devoted  to  a  plan  of  his  own  proposing,  of  a  missionary  tour  into 
South  America,  with  a  view  to  explore  the  country,  and  prepare  the 
way  for  missionary  enterprise  in  that  interesting  part  of  the  world. 
He  made  overtures  of  this  nature  to  the  American  Board,  and  the 
plan  for  such  a  tour  was  once  in  a  very  considerable  degree  matured, 
but  it  was  found  necessary  to  abandon  it  for  a  time. 

While  some  of  his  plans  were  ripening  for  execution,  he  spent  the 
summer  and  autumn  of  1816,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he 
devoted  himself  to  inquiries  into  the  moral  condition  of  the  poor,  with 
a  particular  view  to  supply  them  with  Bibles  and  tracts.  His  judg- 
ment of  the  importance  of  this  work,  and  of  the  moral  state  of  society 
in  the  cicies,  are  seen  somewhat  in  his  journal  kept  at  the  time,  and 
indicates  that  there  was  a  great  necessity  for  such  a  work  as  he  at- 
tempted to  do. 

His  Interest  in  Africa. 

From  the  very  first  of  Mr.  Mills's  meditations  on  missionary  in- 
terests, his  mind  was  directed  toward  the  African  race  ;  and  after- 
ward more  and   more,  the   civil,  moral,  and   spiritual   degradation  of 


560  History  of  Torrington. 

the  children  of  Africa,  both  in  this  land  of  civilization  and  Christianity, 
and  their  own  native  regions  of  darkness,   lay  with  continual  weight 
upon  his  mind,  and   particularly  after  his  first  visit  to  the  middle  and 
southern  states.     Those  to  uhom  he  unbosomed  himself  on  this  sub- 
ject, could  easily  perceive  that  he  was  actuated  by  a  power  of  feeling, 
and  a  confidence  of  faith,  and  a  disinterestedness  of  desire,  that  pre- 
pared him  to  compass  sea  and  land,  to  perform  any  labor,  to  endure 
any  losses,  to  sustain  any  sacrifices  in  the  prosecution  of  his  design, 
and,  if  it  were  necessary,  to  die  in  the  service  of  Africa.     With  the 
piety   of  the  Christiaii,  and   the  wisdom   of  the  statesman,   he  early 
suggested,  as  one  of  the  means  of  accelerating  this  work  ot   benevo- 
lence, the  establishment  of  a  school,  to  quality  young  men  of  color 
for  preachers  and  teachers  to  the  African  race.     While  he  was  linger- 
inw   in  New  York  and    New  Jersey,  in  the  summer  and  autumn  of 
1 8 16,  he  suggested  and  matured  this  plan.     In  his  itineration  through 
the  states,  he  had    been   preparing  the  minds  of  many  gentlemen  of 
influence  to  favor  such  an  establishment,  and  had  received  from  them 
so  much    encouragement,   that    he  was   heard    to  say,  that  if  only  a 
treasury  was  opened  at  the  north,  it  would  be  filled  irom  the  slave- 
holding  states.'     By  very  wise  methods  the  subject  was  brought  before 
the  synods  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  and  the  school  was  estab- 
lished and  successfully  conducted  several  years.    The  agency  of  Mr. 
Mills  in  giving  existence  to   this   institution  was   very  afl:ectionately 
acknowledged  by  the  board  of  directors  in  their  report  to  the  synod  in 
18 1 8,  soon  after  the  tidings  of  his  decease. 

That  portion  of  the  report  reads  as  follows  :  "  But  while  the  board  refer  to 
these  encouraging  events,  they  cannot  pass  over  one  •.•  liich  has  filled  them  and 
many  of  the  friends  of  Zion  with  sorrow.  They  allude  to  the  death  ot  him 
to  whom,  though  his  modesty  and  retiring  nature  concealed  his  agency  from 
the  world,  the  praise  really  belongs  of  originating  the  African  school,  as  well  as 
several  other  institutions,  which  rank  among  the  most  important  and  beneficial 
in  our  country,  who  died  in  the  service  ot  Africa.  The  name  of  Samuel  J. 
Mills  ought  to  be  known  to  the  churches,  and  to  be  had  in  grateful  remembrance, 
while  worth  is  honored,   and  humble,    ditinterestcd,   laborious  piety  is  btloved. 

For  a  mind  teeming  with  plans  to  extend  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  wholly 
devoted  to  that  single  object,  and  incessantly  eng<iged  to  rouse  others  to  the 
same   spirit,    they  fear  they  shall    not  soon  look   upon   his  like  again.      When 


»  This  was  while  the  abolition  societies  were  encouraged  in  several  of  the  southern  states, 
and  before  the  change  of  sentiment  morally  and  politically  in  that  part  of  the  nation  had 
taken  place. 


Biographies.  561 

Africa  has  lost  such  a  friend,  her  helpless  and  wretched  state  is  more  than  ever 
to  be  pitied.  Who  will  catch  his  falling  mantle,  and  rise  up  to  plead  the  cause 
of  a  poor  outcast  race  !" 

Soon  after  the  organization  the  board  of  direcrors  for  this  school, 
Mr.  Mills  accepted  an  appointment  as  their  agent,  to  solicit  dona- 
tions in  the  middle  states,  and  in  this  work  was  very  successful. 
Soon  after  this,  in  January,  18 17,  the  American  Colonization  Society 
was  organized  in  Washington,  D.C.,  and  if  there  was  one  object  to 
which  Mr.  Mills  considered  himself  chiefly  devoted,  it  was  the  in- 
terest and  success  of  this  society.  Wherever  he  went,  this  object 
was  kept  in  view  ;  and  the  hope  of  doing  something  to  promote  it, 
was  one  of  the  reasons  which  induced  him  to  take  the  tour  of  the 
states.  While  engaged  in  the  different  states  he  manifested  his  won- 
derful skill  to  collect  facts  and  to  influence  men  with  arguments  and 
draw  them  to  his  views. 

In  the  commencement  of  their  operations,  no  small  degree  of  em- 
barrassment was  felt  through  want  of  information  as  to  the  most 
eligible  places  for  the  establishment  of  a  colony.  With  a  view  to 
obviate  this  embarrassment,  it  was  resolved  to  commission  persons 
of  suitable  qualifications  to  explore  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 
This  commission,  replete  as  it  was  with  responsibility,  was  put  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Mills.  No  sooner  had  he  accepted  it,  than  he  saw 
the  importance  of  having  a  colleague  to  share  the  burden  with  him 
in  his  arduous  mission,  and  he  selected  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Burgess 
then  late  professor  of  Mathematics  and  Natural  Philosophy  in  Bur- 
lington college,  in  Vermont. 

All  things  being  arranged,  the  day  before  sailing,  in  writing  to  his 
father  he  said  :  "  My  companion  and  myself  engage  in  this  mission 
with  perfect  cheerfulness.  I  hope  we  feel  that  unless  the  Lord  is 
with  us,  all  is  in  vain.  If  the  colonization  plan  be  of  God,  sooner 
or  later  it  will  prosper  ;  if  not  approved  by  him,  let  it  fail."  He  left 
America  on  the  1 6th  of  November,  181 7,  and  after  a  short  and 
perilous  voyage,  arrived  in  England  in  December. 

Having  tarried  in  England  a  time  he  proceeded  to  Africa,  where 
he  spent  over  two  months  in  visiting  different  localities  and  made  his 
selection,  where  now  Liberia  rests  as  a  nation. 

Mr.  Mills's  work  was  well  nigh  done.  Few  men  apparently  were 
more  matured  for  "the  glory  of  the  revealed"  than  he.  For  several 
of  the  last  weeks  of  his  life  particularly  he  enjoyed  peculiar  mani- 
festations of  the   Divine   glory  and  favor.      While  in  waiting  for  a 

71 


562  History  of  Torrington. 

passage  to  England,  it  was  his  happiness  to  be  the  guest  of  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Brown,  an  English  missionary  from  the  Methodist  connec- 
tion, a  man  of  an  excellent  spirit,  and  who  "knew  the  heart  of  a 
stranger."  Both  Mr,  Brown  and  Mr.  Burgess  were  led  to  take 
notice  of  the  spirituality  of  Mr.  Mills  during  that  period,  and  even 
to  make  it  the  subject  of  private  remark.  At  their  stated  seasons  of 
prayer,  these  brethren  expressed  great  delight  when  the  duty  devolved 
on  him  to  lead  in  the  devotions,  and  great  satisfaction  in  his  peculiar 
nearness  to  God,  and  his  sweet  and  delightful  views  of  another 
world.  To  adopt  the  sentiment  of  his  colleague,  "Notwithstanding 
my  own  apprehensions  while  in  Africa,  there  was  something  in  Mills, 
while  we  were  at  Sierra  Leone,  which  left  the  impression  on  my 
mind  that  he  was  ripe  for  heaven,  and  would  go  before  me." 

Having  finished  his  inquiries  in  Africa,  and  become  convinced  that 
he  could  do  no  more  to  promote  the  objects  of  the  American  Society, 
as  there  was  no  American  ship  in  the  vicinity,  he  improved  the  only 
opportunity  for  leaving  the  coast  before  the  rainy  season  set  in  with 
violence,  and  took  passage  for  London,  in  the  brig  Success,  on  the 
22d  of  May,  1818.  It  was  a  delightful  evening  when  he  took  his 
final  leave  of  Africa.  The  sun  was  just  going  down,  and  the  moun- 
tains of  Sierra  Leone  appeared  in  great  majesty  and  beauty.  As  he 
stood  on  the  quarter-deck,  taking  a  last  glance  at  unhappy  Ethiopia, 
his  bosom  began  to  heave  with  the  thoughts  of  home.  "We  may 
now,"  said  he  to  his  colleague,  "be  thankful  to  God,  and  congratu- 
late each  other  that  the  labors  and  dangers  of  our  mission  are  past. 
The  prospect  is  fair,  that  we  shall  once  more  return  to  our  dear 
native  land,  and  see  the  faces  of  our  beloved  parents  and  friends." 
To  all  human  appearance  it  was.  ^ 

The  health  of  Mr  Mills  before  he  left  the  United  States  was 
slender,  having  a  stricture  on  the  lungs,  and  a  dangerous  cough.  In 
England  he  complained  much  of  the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere, 
though  on  the  Atlantic,  and  during  his  residence  in  Africa,  he  enjoyed 
excellent  health.  On  the  evening  of  June  5th,  two  weeks  after  he 
sailed  from  Sierra  Leone,  he  took  a  heavy  cold,  became  ill,  and 
expressed  some  apprehensions  of  a  fever.  The  ordinary  antidotes 
were  employed  with  apparent  success.  An  irregular  fever,  however, 
lodged  about  him,  sometimes  attended  with  severe  pains  in  his  head. 
It  was  soon  evident  that  he  began  to  decline. 

On  Saturday  the  13th,  he  sat  up  a  part  of  the  day,  but  was  in 
Considerable  pain,  and  very  restless. 

On  Lord's  day  the   14th  he  had  little  or  no  fever,  and  was  very 


Biographies.  563 

composed  and  much  refreshed.  He  conversed  freely  on  religious 
topics,  and  could  not  rest  satisfied  without  it.  In  the  afternoon  and 
evening  he  was  in  some  pain,  his  thoughts  were  confused,  and  a 
distressing  hiccough  came  on,  which  filled  all  his  fellow  passengers 
with  alarm. 

On  Monday  the  15th,  he  had  a  restless  night;  the  hiccough  was 
painful  and  almost  incessant.  On  Tuesday  morning  the  hiccough 
abated  ;  he  slept,  with  short  intervals  of  wakefulness,  and,  though 
his  strength  was  gradually  declining,  he  knew  those  around  him,  and 
gave  correct  answers  to  all  enquiries.  About  noon  he  spoke  with 
some  freedom,  and  his  sentiments  were  full  of  piety  and  trust  in  God. 
Between  two  and  three  in  the  afternoon  his  hiccough  ceased.  There 
was  no  convulsion  ;  no  deep  groan.  He  gently  closed  his  hands  on 
his  breast,  as  if  to  engage  in  some  act  of  devotion,  and,  while  a  ce- 
lestial smile  settled  upon  his  countenance,  and  every  feature  expressed 
the  serenity  and  meekness  of  his  soul,  he  ceased  to  breath. 

Thus  in  the  fifty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  did  this  beloved  man  of  God 
close  his  life  of  distinguished  piety  and  usefulness,  and  leave  Africa 
and  the  world  to  mourn.  As  the  sun  was  going  down,  all  on  board 
assembled  with  great  seriousness,  when,  with  painful  solemnity,  and 
tender  supplications  to  the  God  of  heaven,  his  body  was  deposited 
beneath  the  mighty  waters,  there  to  rest  until  that  great  day  when 
the  sea  shall  give  up  the  dead  which  are  in  it. 

The  Republic  of  Liberia 

is  a  "  Free^  Sovereign^  and  Independent  State^  and  is  so  acknowledged 
by  the  leading  nations  of  Europe  and  by  the  United  States  ;  and,  in- 
cluding its  aboriginal  inhabitants,  the  African  Republic  now  contains 
a  population  of  more  than  half  a  million  of  the  children  of  Africa, 
living  under  a  government  modeled  after  that  of  the  United  States. 
Within  the  limits  of  the  republic  three  missionary  boards  of  the  United 
States  have,  for  many  years,  annually,  expended  in  their  mission  work 
more  than  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

Now,  a  civilized  people  is  there  ;  the  English  language  is  there  ; 
the  mechanic  arts  are  there  ;  a  growing  commerce  is  there  ;  churches 
and  Sunday  schools  are  there  ;  other  schools,  and  a  college  are  there; 
five  missionary  boards  in  this  country  have  missions  there  ;  connected 
with  those  as  clergymen  and  Christian  workers,  over  one  hundred 
and  thirty  of  the  emigrants,  or  their  children,  sent  by  the  Colonization 
Society  are  there ;  all   the   means  and   appliances   necessary  to   the 


564  History  of  Torrington. 

growth  and  permanency  of  a  powerful  nation  are  there,  and  the 
prospect  for  Liberia  is  not  only  hopeful,  but  very  promising  as  a 
nation. 

Such  is  but  a  brief  picture  of  one  of  the  societies  and  objects  for 
which  Samuel  J.  Mills  put  forth  his  peculiar  energy.  A  summary 
of  the  American  Board,  and  the  American  Bible  Societies  would  be 
equally  honorable  and  praiseworthy.  It  is  not  claimed  that  Mr. 
Mills  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  organization  of  these  societies,  but 
that  he,  as  possessing  great  foresight,  as  to  the  moral,  religious,  and 
civil  needs  of  humanity,  gave  all  his  energy  and  faith  to  these  enter- 
prises in  the  day  when  they  first  began  to  move  the  minds  of  Christians. 

Rev.  William  H.  Moore 

Was  born  in  East  Lyme,  Aug.  24,  1820,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale 
college  in  1841  ;  studied  theology  at  New  Haven,  from  1843  ^^ 
1846  ;  was  licensed  by  the  New  Haven  west  association  Aug.  13, 
1845.  He  was  ordained  pastor  at  Torringford,  Sept.  30,  1846,  and 
dismissed  Sept.  26,  1854.  He  edited  the  Examiner  at  Norwich, 
from  Aug.  1854  to  Sept.,  1855;  was  pastor  at  Newtown  from  Nov. 
12,  1856  to  Sept.  30,  1862;  at  which  time  he  entered  the  service 
of  the  Connecticut  Home  Missionary  Society,  as  secretary,  and  still 
continues  in  that  office. 

Mr.  Moore  is  a  man  of  great  energy  and  perseverance  in  his  work, 
and  has  effected  very  much  in  combining  the  influences  and  powers 
of  the  Congregational  churches  of  Connecticut,  in  sustaining  the  or- 
dinances and  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  the  weaker  churches 
throughont  the  state.  He  has  also  taken  a  prominent  part  in  es- 
tablishing the  Memorial  Hall  at  Hartford. 

Rev.  Charles  Newman 

Was  born  in  Egremont,  Mass.,  April  9,  1831  ;  was  graduated  at 
Williams  college  in  1851  ;  was  graduated  at  Andover  theological 
seminary  in  1857;  was  licensed  by  Andover  association  Feb.  10, 
1857  ;  was  ordained  pastor  at  Torringford,  May  18,  1858  and  dis- 
missed Oct.  28,  1862,  and  commenced  labor  as  acting  pastor  at 
Lanesboro,  Mass.,  in  Oct.,  1863. 

While  in  Torringford  two  of  his  discourses  were  published  ;  one 
delivered  at  the  funeral  of  Charles  Roberts,  in  June,  1858,  and  the 
other  at  the  funeral  of  Dea.  Thomas  A.  Miller  and  his  wife,  in 
1861. 


Biographies.  565 


Rev.  Franklin  Noble 

Was  born  at  Washington,  D.  C,  May  25,  1837  ;  was  graduated  at 
Williams  college  in  1856  ;  studied  at  Union  theology  seminary  ;  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  the  district  of  Columbia,  March  5, 
1861  ;  was  ordained  pastor  of  a  Presbyterian  church  in  Sandusky,  O., 
April  30,  1862  and  dismissed  July  I,  1864  ;  was  pastor  at  Tor- 
ringford  from  June  7,  1865  to  Nov.  30,  1866,  and  took  charge  of 
the  Atlantic  avenue  mission,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  i,  1866,  in 
which  the  church  of  the  Covenant  was  organized  March  10,  1868. 

Noah  North, 
Son  of  Ebenezer  North,  was  born  in  January,  1733,  in  Farmington, 
and  came  to  Torrington  when  about  ten  years  of  age  ;  married  Jemi- 
ma Loomis  March  25,  1756,  and  settled  on  a  farm  across  the  road 
from  Solomon  Loomis's  house,  half  a  mile  south  of  the  Newfield 
burying  ground,  and  was  among  the  first  settlers  in  that  part  of  the 
town. 

He  began  an  account  book  as  he  says  in  "  1760"  and  seems  to 
have  had  a  small  store  in  his  dwellino-  where  he  exchanged  various 
commodities  of  farm  and  mechanical  produce,  and  some  imported 
articles  as  tea,  indigo  and  sugar,  and  by  which  he  paid  for  labor  in 
many  forms  as  the  accounts  show.  For  ten  years  he  employed 
numbers  of  laborers  in  various  kinds  of  work,  such  as,  "  cutting  wood, 
logs  and  timber,  rolling  logs,  picking  brush,  mowing,  reaping,  making 
hay,  plowing,  hoeing  corn,  threshing,"  and  the  like.  He  had  a  saw 
mill  and  sold  considerable  lumber  and  sawed  boards  of  various  kinds 
of  wood  for  individuals.  In  1770,  if  not  before,  he  had  a  cider  mill 
and  sold  thereafter  many  barrels  of  cider  a  year,  and  received  pay  for 
the  use  of  the  mill  for  others  to  make  their  own  cider. 

In  1767,  his  business  transactions  had  attained  to  quite  formidable 
proportions.  His  sales  were  large  in  wheat,  rye,  and  other  grains, 
butter,  cheese,  tallow,  pork  and  considerable  sugar,  although  this  last 
commodity  was  sold  in  small  quantities,  mostly,  one,  two  and  three 
pounds.  Indigo  was  quite  an  item  of  sale,  because  many  families 
colored  their  own  linen  and  tow  yarn,  to  make  streaked  and  checked 
cloth  for  summer  clothes,  and  also  woolen  yarn  in  a  variety  of  colors 
for  stockings  and  mittens,  and  for  women's  dresses  ;  most  of  the 
plain  woolen  cloth  for  men's  wear  being  dyed  at  the  carding  mill,  or 
fulling    mill.      The   quantity  of  venison  he   sold  is   quite   surprising, 


^66  History  of  Torrington. 

especially  when  it  appears  that  he  uses  the  word  in  Its  definite  sense, 
meaning  deer  meat,  for  when  he  sells  bear  meat  he  says  so.  He  does 
not  appear  to  have  been  a  great  hunter,  for  he  was  too  busy  at  all 
times  of  the  year  to  spend  much  time  in  hunting. 

He  sold  various  kinds  of  linen  and  woolen  cloths  ;  raised  the  flax 
and  the  wool  and  engaged  different  families  to  spin  and  weave,  and 
paid  for  this  work  from  his  store.  This  shows  how  much  of  the 
labor  of  women  (for  they  did  the  spinning  and  much  of  the  weaving) 
went  directly  for  the  support  of  the  family  ;  and  in  this  they  gloried, 
having  an  ambition  to  be  help  mates,  even  in  toil,  when  occasion  re- 
quired, and  to  do  something  besides  reading  novels. 

Mr.  North  was  quite  a  mechanic,  making  plows,  oxyokes  and 
bows,  and  doing  various  kinds  of  carpenter  work.  He  charges  the 
dressing  of  skins  ;  deer  skins,  fawn  skins  and  sheep  skins,  but  does 
not  appear  to  have  had  a  full  tannery. 

Much  has  been  reported  of  the  small  amount  of  money  in  circu- 
lation in  those  days,  yet  it  is  impossible  to  conceive  how  the  busi- 
ness transactions  of  more  than  forty  families  could  be  conducted  at 
such  a  store,  as  exhibited  in  this  book  of  Mr.  North's  for  ten  years 
without  one-fourth  of  the  money  that  one  ordinary  mechanic's  family 
would  use  in  one  year  at  the  present  day,  even  in  hard  times.  What 
patience  it  must  have  required  to  live  in  those  times;  patience,  so 
long,  that  the  thought  of  it,  pains  the  imagination,  as  with  mental 
backache.  If,  at  that  time,  summer  clothes  were  wanted,  provision 
must  be  made  the  year  before  they  were  wanted.  The  flax  seed 
must  be  sown,  then  they  must  wait  for  it  to  grow,  then  pull  it  and 
thrash  it ;  spread  it  on  the  meadow  to  rot,  take  it  up  and  store  it 
until  the  winter  or  spring  and  then  dress  it,  and  deliver  It  to  the 
women  to  be  spun,  then  go  into  the  woods  and  procure  bluebeach, 
or  other  kinds  of  bark,  boil  it  and  make  a  dye;  color  some  of  the 
yarn  and  the  rest  bleach  ;  the  process  securing  to  the  mother's  hands 
as  decided  a  color  as  the  yarn  would  get,  wearing  off  about  the 
time  the  cloth  would  be  worn  out,  then  weave  the  yarn  into  cloth 
and  make  the  garments.  At  the  present  day  if  we  need  garments, 
we  go  to  the  store  and  buy  them  ready  made,  even  a  whole  outfit 
for  a  gentleman  or  lady,  and  go  to  the  centennial,  the  same  day. 

Alfred  North,  M.D., 

Son  of  Phineas  and  Louisa  (Wetmore)  North,  was  born  October  5, 
1836,  In  Torrington.      He  went  to  Norfolk  to  school  when  twelve 


Biographies.  567 

years  of  age,  thence  to  Goshen,  thence  to  East  Windsor,  and  thence 
to  Brown  university,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1857.  I"  i860,  he 
entered  the  college  of  physicians  and  surgeons  in  New  York  city 
where  he  graduated  three  years  afterwards,  and  then  served  two  years 
as  resident  surgeon  in  the  New  York  hospital,  and  one  year  in  the 
New  England  hospital  for  disabled  soldiers.  He  then  became  attend- 
ing surgeon  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  hospital  at  Frederick 
city  Maryland,  where  he  remained  two  years,  or  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

Since  that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  Waterbury  as  a  practicing 
physician  ;  taking  a  prominent  place  in  the  profession  ;  having  quite 
an  extensive  practice,  and  in  which  he  has  secured  an  extensive, 
favorable  reputation  both  as  physician  and  surgeon. 

Dr.  North  is  descended  from  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  energetic 
families  in  Torrington  and  Wethersfield,  and  the  same  is  true  of  his 
maternal  ancestry,  and  hence  the  inheritance  of  his  own  physical  and 
intellectual  energy,  application  and  success. 

Paul  Peck, 
Probably  a  descendant  of  the  Deacon  Peck  family  of  Hartford, 
made  his  home  beside  the  Naugatuck  river  a  little  below  the  present 
site  of  Wolcottville,  very  early,  probably,  before  any  settlement  was 
made  in  the  town  of  Torrington.  His  cabin  was  built  on  the  east 
side  of  the  hill,  now  in  Valley  Park,  wherein  he  dwelt  with  his 
dogs  as  his  companions,  and  the  wild  beasts  for  his  neighbors,  except 
when  the  Indians  made  him  a  call.  With  the  exception  of  planting 
a  little  corn  on  the  river  flats,  and  attending  perhaps  to  a  small 
amount  of  gardening,  he  devoted  his  days  to  hunting. 

One  tradition  says  that  Paul  Peck  shot  the  Indian  on  Red 
mountain,  by  which  act  the  mountain  received  its  name.  If  so 
Paul  Peck  was  hunting  in  these  regions  before  Torrington  was  first 
surveyed  and  laid  into  lots,  for  in  the  first  survey  the  name  Red 
mountain  is  used.  Northwest  of  Burrville  was  a  hunter's  lodge, 
said  to  have  been  Paul  Peck's,  well  known  to  the  early  inhabitants 
of  that  region,  and  near  it  has  since  been  found  a  bear  trap  with  the 
letters  on  it,  P.  P.,  which  were  the  initials  of  this  hunter.  Another 
trap  has  been  found  near  Orson  Barber's,  and  one  or  two  have  been 
dug  up  near  his  hut  below  Wolcottville.  Another  hunter's  lodge  is 
supposed  to  have  been  established  on  the  hill,  a  mile  and  a  half  south- 
west of  Wolcottville,  where  the  old  cellar  place  was  still  to  be  seen 


568  History  of  Torrington, 

not  long  ago.  It  is  said  also  that  Peck  used  to  encamp  with  the 
Indians  on  Sucker  brook  in  Winchester. 

At  one  time,  while  he  was  following  the  tracks  of  three  deer,  on 
the  hill  north  of  Burrville  pond,  he  saw  another  track  come  into  the 
trail,  and  he  knew  it  to  be  a  panther's.  After  traveling  to  a  certain 
position  Peck  hid  himself  and  watched  for  his  prey.  Soon  he  saw 
the  panther  coming  on  the  back  track  with  a  deer  on  his  back,  and 
at  a  certain  point  of  elevation,  he  lay  down  the  deer,  looked  in  every 
direction  as  in  triumph,  then  returned  on  his  hunt  for  another  deer, 
which  he  soon  captured  and  brought  to  the  same  place  and  lay  it 
with  the  first.  When  he  had  brought  the  third  deer,  laying  it  with 
the  other  two,  and  stepping  upon  them,  lifting  his  head  high  in 
triumph,  and  looking  abroad  for  intruders,  Paul  thought  it  was  his 
turn,  and  raising  his  trusty  gun  he  piled  the  panther,  dead  upon  the 
three  deer,  making  a  successful  day's  hunt. 

When  the  Revolution  came  the  patriotism  of  his  heart  was  stirred, 
equally  as  though  he  lived  in  a  splendid  mansion.  On  hearing  of 
the  invasion  of  Danbury,  Ct,,  by  the  British  in  1777,  he  hastened  to 
that  place  with  his  often  trusted  gun,  and  arriving  in  season  to  have 
some  part  in  resisting  the  invasion,  he  took  his  position,  independently 
in  the  battle,  where  he  remained,  never  retreating,  doing  the  best 
service  he  could  with  his  gun  until  he  was  shot  by  the  enemy. 
Brave  as  a  wild  hunter,  in  the  forests,  true  to  his  country  in  the  time 
of  her  peril,  he  is  remembered  with  much  interest  and  kindly  feeling 
by  the  people  of  the  surrounding  region. 

Rev.  Lavalette  Perrin,  D.D., 

Son  of  Aaron  and  Lois  (Lee)  Perrin,  was  born  May  15,  18 16,  at 
Vernon,  Ct,;  was  graduated  at  Yale  college  in  184.0  ;  and  in  Yale 
seminary  in  1843,  and  was  ordained  pastor  at  Goshen,  Ct.,  Dec. 
13,  1843,  where  he  remained  fourteen  years,  performing  the  duties 
of  his  office  with  great  satisfaction  to  his  people.  Impaired  health, 
or  general  prostration  of  vital  forces,  led  him  to  ask  a  dismission 
from  this  parish,  which  the  consociation  granted,  but  to  which  the 
church  never  consented. 

After  a  rest  of  nearly  two  years,  during  which  he  preached  at 
various  places  as  a  supply,  not  consenting  to  be  a  candidate,  he 
accepted  the  invitation  of  the  Congregational  church  at  New  Britain, 
and  was  installed  there  February,  1858.  Here  his  labors  were  very 
acceptable   to   the   people  until  1870,  when  his  health  again  became 


Biographies.  569 

so  impaired  that  rest  became  an  imperative  necessity.  The  church 
were  uiiwiUing  to  release  him,  but  the  council  granted  it.  He  went 
to  Europe,  visiting  Scotland,  France,  Switzerland,  Italy,  Germany, 
England,  and  Ireland  ;  a  tour  of  some  five  months.  During  this 
journey  he  fully  recovered  his  health,  and  since  that  time  has  pos- 
sessed better  health  than  in  any   former  period  at  his  lite. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  summer  he  received  and  accepted  an 
invitation  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  Wolcottville,  and 
was  installed  July  31,  1872,  where  he  is  still  laboring  with  success, 
and  very  constant  application  as  a  pastor. 

He  has  acted  as  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Religious  Herald^  at 
Hartford,  several  years,  and  has  been  a  prominent  agent  in  the  recent 
effort  to  establish  a  Congregational  Memorial  Hall  at  Harttord,  which 
effort  has  been,  to  a  considerable  extent,  successful. 

He  has  a  very  interesting  family. 

Dr.  Jeremiah  W.  Phelps 

Was  born  at  Norfolk,  February  29,  1824,  his  father  having  died  in 
the  preceding  January,  leaving  a  daughter  two  years  older  than  this 
son.  His  mother  was  married  a  second  time  to  John  P.  Warner,  of 
Norfolk,  in  1840.  Most  of  his  early  life  was  passed  at  Winchester 
Centre  with  his  uncle,  Lemuel  Hurlbut,  until  nineteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  H.  Cockey, 
then  of  that  place,  but  now  of  Rye,  New  York.  Having  attended 
medical  lectures  at  Castleton,  Vermont,  where  he  graduated  in  1846, 
he  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Colebrook,  but  remained 
there  only  three  years,  when  he  removed  to  Wolcottville.  Here  he 
remained  but  a  short  time  and  removed  to  Chicago,  111.,  from  which 
he  returned  to  Wolcottville  in   1851. 

Since  that  time  the  doctor  has  remained  here  in  the  active  duties 
of  his  profession,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  and  a  half  spent 
in  his  profession  in  New  Haven.  In  1871  he  went  to  California  to 
attend  the  United  States  Medical  Convention,  and  was  present  at  the 
first  meeting  of  the  California  State  Medical  Society,  of  which  he 
was  made  an  honorary  member.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Medical  Society,  which  was  organized  during  the  meeting 
of  the  California  Medical  Convention.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
several  medical  societies  in  the  Eastern  states,  and  is  a  successful, 
and  highly  esteemed  physician  of  Torrington. 

72 


570  History  of  Torrington. 

J.  O.  Pond,  M.D. 

The  ancestry  of  Dr.  Pond  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  New 
England.  His  father  Elijah  Pond  was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of 
nine  sons  and  two  daughters.  All  these,  except  one  who  was  drowned 
when  sixty-tour,  lived  considerably  over  seventy  years,  some  over 
ninety.  Elijah  Pond  was  the  son  of  Ezra,  4th  in  descent  from  Daniel 
Pond,  the  first  progenitor  of  the  name,  as  we  believe,  in  this  country. 

Daniel  Pond  appeared  in  Dedham,  Norfolk  Co.,  Mass.,  early  in 
1652.  Ezra  Pond,  son  of  Robert,  and  grandson  of  Daniel  Pond, 
was  born  about  i6g8  in  Wrentham  now  Franklin,  Mass.,  passed  his 
long  life  there,  and  was  for  many  years  town  clerk.  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  ot  the  2d  church  in  Medway,  and  acquired  a  fine  estate 
and  a  respectable  standing  in  community.  His  numerous  progeny 
settled  in  Wreniham,  and  the  neighboring  towns  and  adjacent  states. 

His  youngest  son  Elijah  continued  a  resident  of  Wrentham  until 
1785.  Early  in  1761,  when  about  twentv-one  years  of  age,  he 
married  his  first  wife,  Margaret,  daughter  of  Eleazer  Metcalf,  by 
whom  he  had  a  son  and  three  daughters.  The  oldest  dauo;hter  died 
in  childhood  ;  the  son  Lewis,  and  the  other  two  daughters,  Olive 
and  Esther,  attained  maturity  and  removed  to  the  state  of  Vermont, 
where  they  married  and  had  all  of  them,  large  families  of  children. 
The  record  of  his  first  wife's  death  is  not  ascertained. 

Dec.  i8th,  1777,  he  married  his  second  wife,  Mehitabel,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Silas  Pratt.  She  was  born  Oct.  21,  1733,  and  died  of  dysentery 
at  Torrington,  Sept.  8th,  1815.  When  married  she  was  twenty- 
four  years  old.  She  was  a  most  noble,  modest,  aff'ectionate  and  de- 
voted wife  and  mother. 

Elijah  Pond  became  possessed  of  the  homestead  and  extensive 
lands  of  his  father  while  he  resided  in  Wrentham  and  before  his 
father's  death.  Here,  for  a  number  of  years,  he  was  employed  in  a 
flour  mill  and  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  husbandry.  While  here,  at  the 
Concord  and  Lexington  alarm,  April  19th,  1775,  on  the  eruption  of 
the  British  soldiers  from  Boston,  he  commanded  a  company  of  minute 
men  that  went  to  Roxbury  and  Dorchester  heights,  to  watch  and 
resist  their  hostile  incursions.  After  remaining  in  the  vicinity  some 
two  weeks  without  collisions  with  the  enemy,  they  returned. 

About  1785,  Capt.  Pond  sold  his  possessions  in  Wrentham  in 
parcels  to  several  individuals,  and  removed  to  Grafton  on  the  Black- 
stone,   in  the  county  of  Worcester,  where  he  purchased   a  flouring 


JAMES   O.  POND,  M.  D., 

327  -W.  23d  St..  ISr.  Y. 


Biographies.  571 

mill  and  lands  of  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Leland.  His  residence 
in  Grafton  was  about  nine  years,  whence  in  the  fall  of  1794,  at  the 
solicitation  of  his  brother-in-law,  Abijah  Holbrook,  he  removed  to 
Torrington  on  the  Naugatuck  river. 

During  his  residence  in  Wrentham  (Franklin)  and  Grafton,  all  his 
children  by  the  second  marriage  were  born  ;  first,  a  son  that  died  in 
infancy  ;  second,  James,  born  Sept.  11,  1779,  died  in  infancy  ;  third, 
Nancy,  who  married  Jacob  Kimberly,  had  a  large  family  of  children, 
and  died  at  St.  Johnsville,  New  York,  1862;  fourth,  Ferdinand, 
born  1782,  and^died  of  measles,  1815  ;  from  infancy  he  was  utterly 
helpless  by  reason  of  spasmodic  contraction  of  the  muscles  of  the 
entire  body  ;  fifth,  Abijah  Holbrook  born  1785,  and  died  of  dysentery, 
at  New  Haven,  1806;  sixth,  James  Otis,  born  Aug.  21,  1790  ; 
seventh  and  eighth,  Prescott  and  Preston,  twins,  born  Sept.  22,  1792, 
(Prescott  died  at  Wolcottville,  Nov.  22,  1855  ;  Preston  at  Twins- 
burg,  Ohio,  May  2,  1830)  ;  and  ninth,  Elijah,  born  June,  1794,  and 
died  at  Concord,  Penn.,  July,  1865. 

Mr.  Pond's  residence  at  Torrington  was  in  a  small  village  on  the 
Naugatuck  or  Waterbury  river,  affording  water  power  for  several 
mills  and  other  machinery.  It  was  formerly  a  rustic,  pleas int  little 
village  of  ten  or  twelve  families  ;  but  at  present  is  very  much  dilapi- 
dated and  deserted,  affording  an  impressive  contrast  to  the  thrift  and 
life  of  seventy  years  ago. 

A  district  school  at  which  the  children  of  the  village  received  their 
early  education,  was  situated  on  the  road  leading  from  Torrington  to 
Winchester,  at  a  distance  of  one  and  a  half  miles.  Here  the  child- 
ren of  Mr.  Pond  received  their  primary  instruction  in  the  mysteries 
of  reading,  spelling  and  writing. 

James  Otis  having  suffered  many  months  from  pain  in  the  head, 
when  fourteen  years  of  age,  passed  a  summer  at  Branford  on  the 
sea  side,  for  the  benefit  of  his  enfeebled  health.  Believing  that  a 
marine  atmosphere  was  favorable  to  his  improvement,  a  situation  was 
obtained  on  board  a  vessel  that  plied  as  a  packet,  between  New 
Haven  and  New  York.  He  made  several  trips  through  Long  Island 
Sound,  much  to  his  vigoration  and  benefit,  after  which  he  returned 
to  Torrington,  and  commenced  a  preparatory  study  for  college. 

He  received  instruction  at  Morris'sacademy,  at  Litchfield,  and  from 
several  private  teachers,  among  them,  the  late  Rev.  Frederick  Marsh 
of  blessed  memory.  About  1 806-7,  young  Pond  returned  to  New 
Haven,  and  entered,  as  a  clerk,  the  grocery  store  of  the  gentlemen 


572  History  of  Torrington. 

who  owned  the  packet,  in  which  some  year  or  two  before,  he  had 
obtained  the  recovery  of  his  health.  During  the  period  of  his  resi- 
dence in  New  Haven,  there  occurred  a  season  of  special  attention  to 
the  subject  of  religion  in  the  First  Congregational  church,  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Moses  Stuart,  afterwards  professor  of  sacred  lite- 
rature in  the  Theological  seminary  at  Andover.  James  Otis  had  never 
seen  a  time  like  this,  had  never  witnessed  the  movement  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  the  heart,  developing  a  state  of  depravity  and  corruption, 
which  he  did  not  before  believe  could  exist,  and  the  discovery  gave 
him  exquisite  distress.  Whether  through  the  assiduity,  skillful  labors 
and  earnest  admonitions  of  the  pastor,  during  the  many  weeks  of  his 
anxiety,  he  repaired  to  the  fountain  which  alone  could  cleanse  his 
moral  pollution,  is  not  quite  certain,  but  during  these  weeks  of  his 
anxiety  and  after  a  continuance  of  fifteen  or  eighteen  months  in  the 
grocery  store,  he  returned  to  Torrington.  Here  on  every  hand  he 
found  himself  surrounded  by  profound  religious  insensibility  and  de- 
clension. The  contrast  between  the  religious  condition  here  and 
that  of  New  Haven,  instead  of  inducing  an  apathy,  the  natural  result 
of  worldly  intercourse,  seemed  in  this  case,  to  arouse  to  more  energy 
of  action.  He  held  frequent  conversations  on  the  subject  of  religion 
with  an  intimate  companion,  and  they  together  made  many  visits  to 
their  pastor.  Rev.  Alex.  Gillett,  for  conversation  and  instruction,  and 
the  young  man  became  deeply  impressed,  but  at  length  relapsed  into 
insensibility  and  indifference;  James  Otis  did  not  lose  his  religious 
interest,  but  in  the  summer  following  the  spring  of  his  return  from 
New  Haven  in  1808,  made  public  profession  of  faith  in  Christ,  and 
united  with   the  Congreoational  church  in  Torrington. 

In  a  region  sparsely  populated,  like  that  containing  the  village  in 
which  was  his  parental  home,  and  in  which  were  centred  many  dear 
associations,  it  could  not  be  expected  that  he  should  find  many  friends 
or  associates.  Yet  here  were  a  few  valuable  friends,  and  one  in 
particular  who  was  able  to  give  moral  and  religious  counsel,  such  as 
would  be  suited  to  encourage  a  young  man  to  withstand  the  difficulties 
in  his  pathway  of  duty.  Of  this  friend,  a  revered  officer  in  the  church, 
long  since  gone  to  his  rest,  he  has  often  thought  both  in  his  sleeping 
and  waking  moments,  and  trusts  that  the  influence  of  his  example 
and  precepts  will  not  soon  be  eradicated  from  his  memory. 

P'rom  1808  to  181 1  he  devoted  his  studies  to  improving  his  know- 
ledge of  mathematics  and  English  grammar,  and  also  to  the  acquire- 
ment of  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages.      With  the  study  of  grammar 


Biographies.  573 

and  the  languages  he  was  highly  gratified.  At  that  period  (1811) 
Dr.  Elijah  Lyman  was  the  only  physician  in  Torrington  proper. 
He  was  a  well-educated,  scientific  practitioner,  possessing  in  com- 
parison with  his  fellow  physicians  around  him,  a  library  large  and 
well-selected.  His  locality  was  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  between 
it  and  the  little  stream  crossing  the  road  that  leads  from  the  church 
to  Wolcottville.  Here  were  assembled  some  five  or  six  young 
gentlemen,  pursuing  the  study  of  medicine,  full  of  hilarity  and  strangers 
to  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  mature  life.  Among  them  James  Otis 
entered  his  name  and  commenced  the  study  of  that  profession,  which 
for  more  than  sixty  toilsome  years,  has  been  the  object  of  his  pursuit. 

These  young  men,  although  diligent  students,  were  pleasant  com- 
panions, and  would  relax  with  great  good  nature  and  facility  from  the 
rigors  of  study  to  thoughtlessness  and  amusement,  as  though  they 
were  the  chief  objects  of  pursuit.  They  boarded  with  various  families 
in  the  vicinity  and  assembled  at  the  doctor's  office  in  the  morning. 
One  of  their  number,  a  little  more  pedantic  than  his  associates,  was 
accustomed  to  enter  the  courtyard  with  the  salutation, —  "•  Es  ne  in 
salutem,  hodie,  Domine  ?"  or  with  some  phrase  of  equal  elegance 
and  gravity.  But  he  and  his  preceptor  are  now  gone,  and  all  that 
company,  a  single  one  excepted,  with  the  years  beyond  the  flood. 

The  natural  result  of  reflection  on  the  loss  of  friends  is  to  cast  a 
sombre  shade  over  the  affections,  were  it  not  compensated  with  the 
hope  that  they  have  gone  to  "■a  better  country,  even  a  heavenly." 

After  Mr.  Pond  h;.d  been  a  student  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Lyman 
about  two  and  a  half  years,  he  accepted  an  invitation  to  teach  a  select 
school  for  two  or  three  months  ending  in  the  spring  of  18/4,  in  Canton, 
after  which  he  returned  to  the  oflice  of  Dr.  Lvman,  and  continued 
his  studies  till  the  subsequent  autumn,  when  he  entered  the  Medical 
institution  of  Yale  college.  Two  of  his  fellow  students  in  the  office 
of  Dr.  Lyman  matriculated  at  the  same  time  with  himself.  The 
annals  of  that  period  inform  us,  that  it  was  expected  each  room  of 
the  medical  department  would  furnish  closets  and  other  accomodations 
for  four  students,  but  the  arrangement  of  a  portion  of  the  building 
was  such  that  three  rooms  could  be  most  conveniently  occupied  con- 
jointly. Here,  therefore,  instead  of  twelve,  eight  young  medics 
initiated  their  occupancy  for  the  term.  They  consisted  of  the  three 
friends  from  the  office  of  Dr.  Lyman,  and  five  strangers  ;  but  pleasant 
acquaintance  soon  resulted  and  continued,  as  circumstances  favored, 
for  many  subsequent  years.      Indeed,  the  entire  period  spent  in  this 


574  History  of  Torrington. 

institution  was,  on  many  accounts,  the  happiest  portion  of  his  life. 
His  application  to  study  and  lectures  was  devoted  and  his  intercourse 
with  the  professors  and  many  of  the  students,  very  pleasant  and 
profitable.  The  reminiscence  of  these  experiences  impresses  the 
mind  vividly  and  in  many  of  their  details  they  contrast  strongly  with 
the  events  of  mature  life. 

The  examination  which  followed  the  termination  of  the  course 
occupied  several  days,  and  was  manifestly  not  wholly  unattended 
with  forebodings  of  disappointment,  as  the  rejoicings  at  its  close 
clearly  showed.  Supplied,  at  length,  with  a  parchment  initiating 
him  into  the  fraternity,  claiming  the  right  to  be  called  doctor,  and 
well  furnished  with  professional  dignity  and  hope  of  future  professional 
distinction,  on  the  5th  of  April,  18 15,  he  left  his  Alma  Mater  for 
his  parental  home. 

Here  was  a  circle  in  which  he  was  affectionately  welcomed  and 
most  cordially  congratulated  ;  but  it  was  not  the  field  in  which  to 
display  that  professional  knowledge  which  had  cost  him  so  much 
time  and  study  to  acquire.  It  behooved  him  therefore,  to  use  his 
diligence  to  obtain  a  situation,  where,  with  industry,  he  might 
reasonably  expect  employment  and  remuneration  for  service  rendered. 

But  such  a  situation,  at  that  time,  it  was  by  no  means  easy  to 
find.  Many  reasons  combining,  however,  to  urge  him  forth  in  quest 
of  one,  mounted  on  horse-back,  then  the  most  common  mode  of 
locomotion  for  a  single  individual,  he  set  forth  and  made  his  way  by 
the  river  towns  and  villages,  into  the  interior  of  New  York.  His 
peregrinations  and  investigations  embraced  nearly  every  prominent 
village  of  the  interior,  and  occupied  a  space  of  several  weeks.  The 
receptions  and  courtesies  with  which  he  was  everywhere  greeted,  were 
cordial  and  pleasant,  yet  at  no  point  were  the  prospects  sufficient  to 
induce  him  to  make  atrial  to  obtain  practice.  It  was  a  happy  relief, 
in  his  discouragement  and  destitution,  to  know  that  in  his  father's 
family  he  could  receive  asylum  and  sympathy,  and  he  therefore  re- 
turned to  Torrington  and  was  informed  that  in  Granby  was  an  eligible 
location  for  a  physician.  Thither,  therefore,  with  little  delay,  he 
made  his  appearance,  and  after  investigation,  selected  the  pleasant 
village  of  Salmon  Brook,  in  Granby,  as  a  situation  where  he  made 
effort  to  obtain  professional  business. 

He  was  fortunate  in  forming  a  few  influential  personal  acquaintances 
especially  of  an  intelligent  married  gentleman  without  children,  a 
merchant   retired    on  account  of   ill    health.      In  this    family  he  was 


Biographies.  575 

fortunate  in  obtaining  board.  Both  the  gentleman  and  lady  exerted 
a  salutary  influence  in  his  favor,  and  he  soon  began  to  receive  pro- 
fessional calls,  which  rendered  him  buoyant  and  cheerful. 

Here,  more  than  at  any  other  point,  were  concentrated  the  life 
and  intelligence  of  the  town  ;  here  was  an  academy  or  select  school  ; 
here  the  rising  generation  was  much  more  numerous,  and  here,  also, 
were  held  the  communications  of  a  masonic  lodge,  with  many  of 
whose  members  he  formed  acquaintance,  and  by  whose  eulogy  of  the 
order  he  was  induced  to  join  fellowship  with  the  institution. 

And  now,  after  a  residence  of  some  six  months,  and  at  a  period 
when  his  prospects  began  to  brighten  and  give  promise  of  ultimate 
success,  he  received  a  delegation  of  three,  the  most  prominent  gen- 
tlemen from  the  neighboring  parish  of  East  Granby,  four  miles  from 
Salmon  Brook,  with  a  cordial  and  respectful  invitation  to  remove  to 
their  village  and  enterprise  a  trial  under  better  auspices  than  were 
afforded  here.  This  was  not  only  intrinsically  a  surprise,  but  particu- 
larly so,  as  he  had,  before  taking  station  at  Salmon  Brook,  visited  and 
examined  its  facilities  and  advantages  for  a  young  physician,  and 
would  have  made  trial  for  success,  had  he  not  been  received  with 
coldness  and  discouragement  by  the  inhabitants.  But  now  a  respect- 
able delegation  appearing  before  him,  presenting  a  unanimous  invitation 
from  the  parish  to  become  their  physician,  placed  the  case  in  a  more 
favorable  aspect,  and  he  felt  almost  sure  that  his  interest  required  him 
to  return  a  favorable  answer.  He  informed  the  delegation,  that 
although  he  was  inclined  to  think  favorably  of  the  proposition,  yet  as 
it  involved  interests  vital  to  himself,  he  hoped  they  would  allow  a 
few  days  in  which  to  consider  the  case  more  maturely  before  returning 
a  decided  answer. 

This  being  conceded,  he  lost  no  time  in  informing  his  friends,  and 
in  making  arrangements   for  removal  to  his  projected  new  location. 

Now,  fully  prepared  to  call  on  the  delegation  with  an  answer  of 
acceptance,  he  was  received  with  hearty  congratulation  and  welcome. 
The  next  object,  a  place  to  board,  was  readily  obtained  in  the  family 
of  his  predecessor.  Dr.  Potter,  who,  a  few  months  previous,  had  died 
of  consumption.  The  family  consisted  of  the  widow  and  her  four 
children,  situated  on  the  cross  street  connecting  the  two  parallel 
streets  before  described.  This  having  been  the  location  of  a  former 
physician,  well  known  to  the  inhabitants,  was  as  eligible  and  promi- 
nent as  the  village  afforded.  He  removed  his  effects  from  the  family 
in  Salmon  Brook,  where  he  had  been  so  pleasantly  domiciled,  with 
feelings  of  regret.  A  mutual  friendship  and  attachment  were  ever 
after  maintained. 


576  History  of  Torrington. 

Dr.  Pond  now  considered  himself  fairly  initiated  into  the  com- 
mencement of  a  respectable  practice.  Though  not  at  first  lucrative, 
it  gradually  became  sustaining.  But,  withal,  he  felt  much  need  of 
friendly  encouragement,  and  an  atmosphere  of  cheerfulness.  One, 
depending  on  the  favor  and  patronage  of  the  public  for  support,  is 
placed  in  an  eligible  position  for  observing  the  developments  of  human 
nature,  and  will  often  need  a  commendable  share  of  forbearance  and 
charity  to  sustain  his  equanimity. 

Having  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  number  of  intelligent  young 
gentlemen  who  were  freemasons.  Dr.  Pond  became  a  member  of  St. 
Mark's  Lodge,  and  in  process  of  a  few  months,  by  unanimous  request 
delivered  an  oration  before  the  masonic  body,  on  their  celebration  of 
the  anniversary  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  24th  June,  1819,  at  Salmon 
Brook,  and  on  the  following  election  of  the  lodge,  he  was  chosen 
Master,  and  was  reelected  three  consecutive  years. 

The  meetings  were  monthly  and  tended  to  enlarge  the  circle  of 
acquaintance  and  friendship. 

The  tone  of  religious  interest  in  the  community  at  that  period,  was 
not  very  high  and  scarcely  up  to  the  standard  of  the  adjacent  churches. 
A  limited  number  were  members  of  the  Congregational  church,  but 
they  were  the  best  and  most  reputable  part  of  the  community  and 
were  sometimes  called  to  withstand  the  aggressive  movements  of 
Universalism  and  infidelity. 

Dr.  Pond  presented  his  letter  from  the  church  in  Torrington  to 
the  church  in  Turkey  Hills,  and  immediately  identified  himself  with 
its  interests.  A  weekly  prayer  and  conference  meeting  was  generally 
sustained  and  sometimes  with  considerable  interest,  but  ordinarily 
supineness  and  indifi^erence  countervailed  its  religious  influence.  The 
circle  of  the  doctor's  professional  acquaintance  enlarged,  until  he 
could  number  among  them,  as  special  and  reliable  friends,  Everest 
of  Canton,  Todd,  of  Farmington,  Bestor,  of  Simsbury,  Pierson,  of 
Windsor,  Pease,  ■  of  Suffield  and  Sumner,  of  Hartford.  Besides 
meeting  with  these  gentlemen  in  professional  consultation,  he  was 
accustomed  to  see  them  and  many  others  in  the  county  medical  so- 
ciety. He  was  also  repeatedly  sent  a  delegate  to  the  medical  con- 
vention of  the  state,  where  the  facility  was  still  enlarged  for 
professional  improvement. 

The  financial  and  commissariat  affairs  of  the  state  prison  were 
entrusted  to  three  commissioners  called  "  overseers."  Dr.  Pond 
became  acquainted  with  these  gentlemen,  and  from  his  own,  and  the 


Biographies.  577 

influence  of  friends,  he  obtained  the  appointment  of  physician  to  the 
prison.  This  was  an  event  of  no  small  importance  to  him,  confer- 
ring as  it  did,  distinction  and  affording  remuneration,  though  small, 
then  very  acceptable.  His  business  gradually  extended  around,  until 
it  reached  in  many  instances,  the  adjoining  villages  of  Rainbow, 
Scotland,  The  Falls  and  Salmon  Brook,  and  he  was  at  length  prompted 
to  gratify  his  long  deferred  desire  of  entering  into  family  relationship. 
He  therefore  consummated  his  engagement  with  Miss  Pluma  Merrell, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Merrell,  of  Canton,  and  removed  her  to  his  home 
in  Turkey  Hills. 

She  was  a  woman  of  superior  mind  and  of  religious  proclivities, 
ever  ready  to  enter  into  schemes  of  active  benevolence,  and  particu- 
larly prominent  in  the  society  formed  for  the  reformation  of  erring 
females  in  New  York  and  in  efforts  in  the  Sabbath  school.  Mrs. 
Pond  became  the  mother  of  two  children,  a  daughter  (the  mother  of 
two  sons  and  a  daughter  in  New  York  city),  and  a  soa  in  business, 
with  a  family  of  two  daughters  and  a  son,  in  New  Jersey. 

In  1825,  Dr.  Pond  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  with  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  unanimity. 

Politics  was  a  subject  which  did  not  primarily  occupy  the  attention 
of  Dr.  Pond.  As  a  candidate  of  this  election  he  was  not  consulted; 
he  did  not,  however,  deny  that  his  vanity  was  somewhat  stirred  in  the 
result.  ■ 

Much  of  the  business  of  the  ensuing  session  of  the  legislature  being 
entrusted  to  committees,  the  doctor  was  appointed  upon  four,  of 
two  of  which  he  was  chairman.  The  consideration  of  many  of  these 
subjects  occupied  considerable  time,  and  often  elicited  much  in- 
terest in  the  investigation. 

The  session  was  a  pleasant  one,  comprising  among  the  members 
many  former  acquaintances,  especially  a  young  personal  friend,  re- 
presentative from  Waterbury,  since  a  member  of  the  senate.  Allu- 
sion is  made  to  Hon.  Israel  Coe,  many  years  an  enterprising 
manufacturer  in  Connecticut,  whose  business  called  him  to  a  resi- 
dence of  some  few  years  in  Europe,  but  who  is  now,  in  the  vale  of 
years,  retired  to  Bloomfield,  N.  J.,  where  he  exercises  the  office  of 
a  magistrate.  Through  all  these  years  their  friendship  has  been  un- 
suspended,  and  it  is  fain  believed  it  will  not  cease  in  that  better  land. 

Among  the  prisoners  at  Newgate  was  one  of  the  few  remaining 
aborigines  of  New  England,  a  taciturn,  inoffensive  fellow,  assigned 
to  the  shoe-making  department.      His  crime  was  manslaughter,  and 

73 


578  History  of  Torrington. 

his  sentence,  imprisonment  for  life.  He  had  ah^eady  been  incar- 
cerated many  years  ;  his  forlorn,  imploring  look  could  not  fail  to  ex- 
cite sympathy  and  commiseration.  On  learning  his  history  since 
his  imprisonment,  which  was  one  of  uniform  submission  and  obedi- 
ence, it  became  a  question  whether  the  demands  of  justice,  or  the 
law  of  humanity  should  be  sustained.  The  keeper  and  the  guard, 
with  a  number  of  individuals  acquainted  with  this  case,  united  in  a 
petition  to  the  legislature  for  his  release.  Dr.  Pond  submitted  this 
petition  to  the  house,  and  advocated  its  favorable  consideration,  and 
the  petition  was  granted. 

On  the  announcement  of  the  news  to  the  simple  hearted  Indian,  that 
he  was  once  more  free,  and  could  again  breathe  the  free  air  of  heaven, 
his  joy  and  gratitude  knew  no  bounds,  and  he  wept  like  a  very  child. 
Dr.  Pond  could  scarcely  repress  the  swelling  of  his  own  heart  in 
sympathy.  If  we  are  sometimes  permitted  to  witness  such  occcur- 
rences  in  the  midst  of  depravity,  can  we  wonder  that  there  should 
be  joy  in  heaven  over  a  sinner  that  repents? 

The  physicians  of  Connecticut  of  sixty  years  ago,  were  a  social, 
friendly  body,  accustomed  to  hold  meetings  for  mutual  improvement 
and  amusement.  The  county  meetings  were  periodical,  and,  in 
Hartford  county,  attended  with  a  good  degree  of  punctuality. 
Members  resorted  to  them  as  a  relaxation  from  the  toil  and  anxieties 
of  professional  occupation  and  a  retreat,  where  the  responsibilities, 
inseparable  from  a  country  practice,  could  be  temporarily  thrown  off 
and  where  the  genial  countenance  of  a  fellow  physician  gave  assur- 
ance of  readiness  to  rejoice  at  the  narration  of  success  in  an  im- 
portant operation,  or  the  favorable  issue  of  a  dangerous  case  of 
epidemic,  or  as  readily  condole  in  professional  trouble  and  in  a  certain 
sense,  obey  the  apostolic  injunction  to  bear  one  another's  burdens. 
Reading  one  or  more  papers  on  some  medical  or  kindred  subject 
was  not  an  unfrequent  occurrence  and  occasionally  elicited  consi- 
derable interest  and   discussion. 

Formerly  it  was  the  practice  to  hold  semi-annual  meetings  of  the 
state  medical  convention,  at  which  the  graver  interests  of  the  pro- 
fession were  considered.  This  body  consisted  of  three  to  five  de- 
legates elected  from  each  county  according  to  size.  Of  this  body  it 
was  justly  considered  an  honor  to  be  chosen  a  member.  Their 
sessions  continued  from  two  to  three  days  and  were  held  alternately 
at  Hartford  and  New  Haven. 

Early  on  a  May  morning  1827,  reading  the  news  of  the  day,  Dr. 


Biographies.  579 

Pond  cast  his  eyes  on  the  transactions  of  the  state  medical  conven- 
tion and  was  surprised  to  see  his  own  name  announced  as  a  candidate 
for  the  honorary  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine,  at  the  ensuing  com- 
mencement of  Yale  college  in  Sept.  This  to  a  physician  would  be 
considered  an  announcement  of  interest,  applied  to  any  individual  of 
his  acquaintance,  but  applied  to  himself,  it  would  be  likely  to  stir  his 
feelings  of  gratitude  and  literary  ambition  and  especially  when  it  is 
considered  that  such  men  as  Todd,  Peters,  Woodward,  Sumner, 
Nathan  Smith  and  other  distinguished  men,  constituted  the  body 
conferring  the  honor.  What  individuals  assumed  the  initiative  in 
this  compliment  to  Dr.  Pond  is  unknown  to  him  to  this  day. 

The  relatives  of  Dr.  Pond  were  numerous,  but  none  of  them  so 
situated  in  contiguity  to  him  as  to  be  of  the  least  available  benefit. 
The  same  was  true  with  nearly  all  those  of  Mrs.  Pond.  But  there 
were  intelligent  friends  of  the  latter  residing  in  New  York,  with 
whom  was  sustained  a  friendly  intercourse,  both  by  visits  and  cor- 
respondence. These  friends  often  expressed  a  desire  that  the  doctor 
would  take  residence  in  the  city.  This  expression  so  entirely  ac- 
corded with  the  desire  both  of  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Pond,  that  thev  at 
length  subjected  its  feasibility  to  a  deliberate  and  careful  investiga- 
tion, the  result  of  which  was  a  fair  probability  of  successful  issue. 
Arriving  at  such  a  conclusion,  they  began  so  to  shape  their  affairs 
as  to  secure  its  consummation. 

The  intimate  friends  of  Dr.  Pond  in  Turkey  Hills  were  not  nu- 
merous but  they  were  intelligent  and  valuable.  On  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  the  doctor's  intention  to  remove  to  New  York,  they 
manifested  more  feeling  than  was  expected  which  stirred  in  response, 
a  deeper  feeling  in  his  own  heart,  than  he  was  before  aware  existed 
there.  Particularly  was  this  the  case  with  the  young,  pious,  intelli- 
gent pastor  of  the  little  church  of  the  parish.  It  was  discovered  that 
he  had  placed  more  confidence  in  his  phvsician  as  an  influential  friend 
than  wisdom  would  dictate,  since,  however  well  inclined  to  subserve 
his  interest,  unforseen  change  of  circumstances  may  destroy  his  power 
to  do  so. 

Having  arrived  at  a  conclusion  to  remove  to  New  York  in  the 
spring  of  1827,  Mrs.  Pond  with  her  two  little  children,  accepted 
the  invitation  of  her  parents  to  take  temporary  residence  with  them, 
until  the  doctor  could  prepare  for  them  in  the  city.  He  hired  an 
office  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  where  on  the  6th  avenue,  he 
subsequently  occupied  a  house  many  years.      Having  arranged   his 


580  History  of  Torrington. 

office,  erected  his  sign  and  rendered  himself  generally  conspicuous, 
he  assumed  a  position  of  readiness  to  prescribe  for  the  real  or  imagi- 
nary ills  of  citizen  or  denizen.  Few,  however,  gave  him  opportunity 
to  exercise  his  skill  in  restoring  health  to  body  or  soundness  to  limb. 
For  many  consecutive  months,  he  had  at  his  disposal,  more  leisure 
than  occupation.  The  doctor,  however,  did  not  pass  his  time  in 
idleness.  In  the  intervals  of  reading,  he  formed  a  number  of  valu- 
able acquaintances. 

After  a  few  weeks'  residence  in  the  city,  he  was  casually  introduced 
to  a  young  gentleman,  a  merchant  in  Maiden  lane,  a  resident  of 
Hudson  street.  This  gentleman  had  received  a  polished  education 
and  his  demeanor  was  very  courteous  and  affable. 

In  the  course  of  conversation  it  was  stated  that  a  small  Presbyterian 
church  had  recently  been  organized  and  was  worshiping  in  the  base- 
ment of  one  of  the  public  school  buildings.  He  gave  the  doctor  a 
warm  invitation  to  visit  them  at  their  place  of  worship,  on  the  ap- 
proaching Sabbath.  He  accepted  the  invitation  and  found  a  small 
congregation,  assembled  on  plain  seats,  with  an  extemporized  desk 
for  the  preacher.  The  entire  service  of  this  little  Christian  body, 
made  a  favorable  impression  on  the  mind  of  Dr.  Pond.  Following 
its  close  were  mutual  recognitions  which   seemed  very  cordial. 

The  gentleman  by  whose  invitation  the  doctor  attended  the  service, 
was  prompt  to  introduce  him  to  the  pastor  and  many  members  of  the 
church,  and  with  an  easy  frankness  that  banished  constraint,  and 
made  one  feel  the  freedom  of  his  own  domicil.  Thus  pleasantly 
introduced,  though  to  a  weak  and  infant  church.  Dr.  Pond  continued 
to  worship  with  them  for  a  number  of  weeks,  until  he  felt  identified 
with  the  congregation.  In  the  meantime  he  was  elected  to  the 
eldership,  which  was  urged  upon  his  acceptance  with  a  degree  of 
pertinacity,  he  did  not  feel  warranted  to  resist.  He  therefore  pre- 
sented his  letter  from   the  country  and  embarked  in  their  enterprise. 

The  pastor  was  a  married  gentleman  of  perhaps  thirty-five  years 
of  age.  He  had  conciliated  the  affections  of  his  church,  and  indeed, 
harmony  and  Christian  love  appeared  to  pervade  the  entire  congre- 
gation. 

They  were  destitute  of  a  suitable  place  of  worship.  The  trustees 
held  many  meetings  to  devise  the  way  by  which  they  could  build  a 
house.  While  this  was  in  progress,  a  Presbyterian  church  in  Pro- 
vost street,  destitute  of  a  pastor,  pecuniarily  and  numerically  feeble, 
but  possessing  a  very  convenient  church  building  and  a  fine  organ, 
communicated  a  cordial  invitation  to  the  little  church  to  unite  with 


Biographies.  581 

them  and  amalgamate  into  one  body.  The  inception  of  the  measure 
appeared  like  a  providential  interposition,  and  was  received  with  unan- 
imous approval.  Arrangements  of  union  having  been  adopted  with 
favorable  auspices,  on  the  morning  of  the  following  Sabbath,  the 
united  body  assembled  at  their  house  of  worship,  desirous  to 
acknowledge,  with  gratitude,  that  "  hitherto  had  the  Lord  helped 
them,"  and  that  His  hand  had  led  them  — and  for  the  encouraging 
attitude  in  which  they  were  placed,  to  indulge  the  hopes  of  prosperity 
for  the  future. 

Soon  It  became  obvious  to  those  who  were  critical  in  their  obser- 
vation, that  the  pastor  was  becoming  less  spiritually  minded,  less 
deeply  interested  in  the  prosperity  of  the  church,  and  ere  long  this 
condition  became  too  obvious  to  the  most  charitable  to  be  denied. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  Simon  Fraser,  a  na- 
tive of  the  highlands  of  Scotland,  of  classical  education,  but  corrupt 
and  reckless  principles,  was  installed  thirteenth  Lord  Lovat.  For 
numerous  acts  of  treason  against  the  reigning  dynasty  of  England,  he 
was  after  long  concealment  apprehended,  transported  to  London  and 
after  a  trial  of  ten  days  in  the  house  of  lords,  was  convicted,  at- 
tainted and  decapitated  on  Tower  Hill  at  eighty  years  of  age.  For 
some  reason,  not  explained,  about  1827-8,  the  title  of  nobility,  it 
was  said,  was  restored  and  advertisements  inserted  in  various  papers 
for  the  appearance  of  the  heir.  This  development  stirred  up  the 
enquiry  of  their  pastor,  who  ascertained  from  records  in  his  own 
possession  that  himself  was  the  legal  heir  to  the  lordship  of  Lovat. 
This  discovery  completely  addled  his  brain  and  secularized  his  affec- 
tions, entirely  disqualifying  him  for  the  discharge  of  all  clerical  duties. 
Yet  in  this  condition  he  did  not  submit  his  resignation,  nor  request 
the  church  to  unite  with  him  in  petition  to  the  presbytery  to  dissolve  the 
pastoral  relation,  but  requested  leave  of  absence  for  six  months,  in 
which  to  prosecute  his  investigations  in  England.  This'request  was 
granted,  though  with  misgivings  of  propriety. 

A  substitute  was  procured  who  discharged  his  duties  nobly  ;  but  the 
attraction  of  cohesion  was  weakened,  and  the  energies  they  exerted 
were  heartless  and  devoid  of  that  vigor  which  hope  inspires.  The 
material  composing  the  church,  however,  was  excellent,  and  full  of 
those  Christian  principles  which  distinguishes  the  f<;llowers  of  Christ 
from  other  men  ;  but  their  dawning  hopes  were  being  tried  from  a  source 
so  unexpected,  that  it  was  feared,  instead  of  increase,  an  unavoidable 
disintegration  would  commence  before  the  return  of  their  pastor. 

The  motto  of  their  church   seal   was  "  Nil  desperandum,  Christo 


582  History  of  Torrington. 

duce,"  and  they  still  expressed  confidence  in  this  sentiment ;  but  they 
could  not  necessarily  discover  the  foot-prints  of  Christ  in  a  course 
necessary  to  sustain  this  church  in  all  the  difficulties  in  which  it  was 
now  involved.  Notwithstanding  discouragement,  their  number  re- 
mained nearly  intact  till  the  return  of  the  pastor  from  England.  His 
report  to  the  church  was  that  the  title  of  nobility  of  which  he  claimed 
to  be  the  legal  heir,  was  restored,  but  that  it  was  involved  in  litiga- 
tion, and  that  the  estates  formerly  belonging  to  the  title,  were  not  yet 
restored. 

In  this  condition,  he  presented  his  resignation  of  the  pastorate,  and 
united  with  the  church  in  a  petition  to  the  presbytery  for  a  dissolution 
of  the  pastoral  relation.  The  process  is  unpleasant,  and  not  unlike 
a  case  of  divorce. 

Then  followed  a  period  of  a  few  months,  in  which  there  was  a 
struggle  for  life,  but  which  ended,  as  everyone  foresaw,  in  dissolu- 
tion. They  scattered  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd  :  yet,  as  con- 
venience and  other  motives  operated,  they  united  with  churches 
around  them.  Dr.  Pond  and  a  few  others  from  the  disorganized 
little  church,  landed  with  a  small  number  who  had  procured  the  hall 
of  a  hotel,  where  they  held  sweet  communion  and  worshiped  God 
for  a  series  of  mouths.  The  entire  number  of  church  members 
amounted  to  nineteen. 

This  small  number  was  constituted  "  the  West  Presbyterian 
church,"  and  their  names,  with  other  memorials,  were  afterwards 
deposited  under  the  southeast  corner  stone  of  the  church  building. 
Of  this  little  church.  Dr.  Pond  was  constituted  an  elder. 

The  church  was  commonly  known  as  "  the  Carmine  street 
church."  In  this  location  they  continued  and  prospered  many  years, 
and  their  membership  increased  to  a  multitude.  At  length  the  spirit 
of  migration  came  over  them,  and  they  left  their  location  in  Carmine 
street,  and  obtained  an  eligible  site  in  4.26  street,  near  5th  avenue, 
where  they  erected  an  expensive  church  building,  and  have  culmi- 
nated into  one  of  the  most  powerful  churches  in  the  city. 

Some  years  after  the  disorganization  of  the  Provost  street  church, 
the  former  pastor  called  on  Dr.  Pond  and  informed  him  that,  after 
long  and  extensive  litigation,  he  had  obtained  the  title  of  nobility, 
but  not  the  estates  to  sustain  it.  He  appeared  care-worn  and  in  need 
of  sympathy. 

Late  in  1846,  with  the  violation  of  many  tender  attachments.  Dr. 
Pond  applied  to  the  session  of  Carmine  street  church,  for  a  letter  of 


Biographies.  583 

dismission  to  unite  with  the  church  in  Houston  street,  believing  that 
his  Christian  influence  would  be  more  useful  in  a  feeble  church, 
needing  numerical  and  pecuniary  aid,  than  in  a  cultivated  one,  full 
of  members,  with  ample  means  of  support. 

He  remained. a  member  of  Houston  street  church  through  the 
pastorates  of  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Haines,  Rev.  R.  S.  Storrs  Dickenson,  and 
Rev.  S.  Ralston  Smith.  In  the  minsitry  of  the  last  named  clergyman, 
the  church  was  disbanded,  and  the  building  sold  to  cancel  debts 
which  had  long  crippled  its  energies. 

A  surplus  of  a  little  less  than  two  thousand  dollars  was  entrusted 
to  Dr.  Pond  and  two  others,  with  which,  in  their  discretion,  to  aid 
feeble  churches. 

Nearly  the  entire  church  with  the  ex-pastor  at  their  head,  accepted 
the  kind  invitation  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church  in  6th  avenue, 
opposite  Amity  street,  to  occupy  their  house,  at  intervals  not  occupied 
by  themselves.  Here  they  continued,  held  by  mutual  attachments, 
until,  after  some  months.  Dr.  Smith  received  a  call  from  Broome 
street  church,  which,  being  accepted,  was  the  signal  for  a  general  dis- 
persion. Many  united  with  the  church  in  whose  building,  through 
their  Christian  courtesy,  they  had  for  months  been  worshiping.  Dr. 
Pond  remained  with  them  with  warm  attachment,  for  about  two 
years,  and  until,  in  the  spring  of  i860,  he  purchased  a  house  and  re- 
moved to  it,  in  West  23d  street.  Here,  through  Divine  mercy,  he 
continues  to  the  present  time,  1877. 

The  doctor  next  presented  his  letter  from  the  Dutch  church,  to 
Chelsea  Presbyterian  church,  West  22d  street.  Rev.  E.  D.  Smith, 
D.D.,  pastor.  Here  he  continued  his  membership,  until  the  disso- 
lution of  the  church  in  1870. 

Dr.  Smith  is  possessed  of  more  than  a  common  degree  of  eloquence 
and  talents.  From  ill  health,  he  was  obliged  to  tender  his  resignation 
more  than  a  year  previous  to  the  dissolution  of  the  church. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Smith,  Rev.  Mr.  Rowell  was  installed 
colleague  pastor,  for  about  two  years. 

Soon  after  tlie  dissolution  of  Chelsea  church.  Dr.  Pond  removed 
his  church  relationship  to  the  North  Presbyterian  church,  9th  avenue 
and  31st  street.  Rev.  Thomas  Street,  D.D.,  pastor,  who  on  account 
of  the  ill  health  of  his  family  was  dismissed  in  1873,  and  in  the  same 
year,  Rev.  S.  B.  Rossiter  was  installed  fourth  pastor,  and  continues 
to  the  present  time,  1877.  The  church  has  prospered  under  his 
ministry,  and  he  is  a  highly  popular  pastor. 


584  History  of  Torrington. 

At  the  time  of  Dr.  Pond's  introduction  to  the  little  church  worship- 
ing in  the  basement  of  a  public  school  building,  his  medical  business 
was  very  small,  but  as  his  personal  acquaintance  became  more  inti- 
mate in  the  congregation,  the  members  employed  him  as  their 
physician.  It  is  interesting  to  one  concerned  in  an  event,  to  witness 
how,  in  concatenation,  one  cause  may  operate  on  a  second,  and 
sometimes  a  third  or  more,  to  secure  a  result  in  one's  favor.  One 
disposed  to  recognize  the  hand  of  Providence  in  some  results  of  per- 
sonal interest,  rather  than  the  agency  of  his  own  sagacity,  may  often 
have  opportunity  to  do  so,  in  reminiscences  of  his  own  history. 

In  the  summer  following  the  spring  of  Dr.  Pond's  removal  to  the 
ciiy,  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  young  physician  of  fine  educa- 
tion, who  afterwards  became  a  professor  and  a  voluminous  writer  of 
celebrity.  He  had,  for  some  days,  been  in  medical  attendance  on  a 
laborer,  who,  from  a  punctured  wound  in  the  foot,  died  of  tetanus. 
The  doctor  obtained  permission  from  some  of  the  relations,  to  per- 
form an  autopsy,  and  requested  Dr.  Pond's  presence.  At  the  hour 
appointed,  the  physicians  and  an  attendant  repaired  to  the  room  of 
the  deceased  (the  attic  of  a  two-story  house).  The  doctor,  proceed- 
ing to  the  examination,  made  a  crucial  incision  of  the  abdomen,  and 
removed  some  of  the  viscera,  I  think  the  stomach,  when  a  loud 
knock  at  the  door  interrupted  and  disconcerted  the  doctor.  He  went 
to  the  door,  and  holding  it  ajar,  mildly  expostulated  with  the  intruder, 
who,  in  an  obstreperous  manner,  demanded  what  he  was  doing.  The 
doctor  informed  him  that  he  was  performing  a  necessary  duty  and 
would  soon  be  done,  and  that  no  indignity  or  disrespect  was  intended 
or  should  be  shown.  At  length,  the  irascible  Hibernian  was  per- 
suaded to  withdraw. 

The  doctor  returned  to  his  post  mortem  examination,  but  scarcely 
had  a  half  hour  passed,  before  their  ears  were  assailed  by  confused 
vociferations  from  the  stairway,  and  immediately  there  emerged  from 
the  same  a  mixed  mass  of  humanity,  male  and  female,  with  a  pre- 
ponderance of  the  latter,  armed  with  bludgeons,  pokers  and  fire 
shovels. 

If  their  imaginations  had  been  excited  to  fury  by  the  glowing  re- 
presentations of  friends,  what  must  have  been  their  feelings  from  the 
ocular  exhibition  before  them  ! 

The  lives  of  the  doctors,  for  a  while,  were  in  imminent  peril.  The 
doctor  who  had  been  the  attending  physician,  lost  no  time  in  making 
his  way  toward  the  door  and  stairway,  exculpating  himself  with 
adroitness. 


Biographies.  585 

They  next  fell  upon  the  assistant  who  was  an  Irishman,  and 
therefore  too  well  acquainted  with  his  danger  to  remain  a  moment 
longer  than  necessity  compelled.  He  wriggled  his  way  toward  the 
door  and  down  the  flight  of  stairs  with  all  convenient  expedition. 
Dr.  Pond  was  now  the  only  remaining  victim  of  vengeance.  It  had 
been  circulated  in  the  crowd  that  he  was  not  the  principal  offender  ; 
that  at  the  worst  he  was  but  ''^  particeps  c?'imifiis."  However  this 
might  modify,  it  would  by  no  means  avert  personal  violence  ;  but  an 
unexpected  incident  afforded  him  a  much  needed  protection.  A 
woman,  whose  child  the  doctor  had  recently  attended  through  a 
dangerous  illness,  came  forward  in  the  crowd,  and  exclaimed,  "  he 
is  a  good  doctor,  and  ye  shall  not  harm  a  hair  of  his  head."  Not- 
withstanding her  fiendlike  surroundings,  the  woman  appeared  to  the 
doctor  like  a  guardian  angel. 

Often  has  Dr.  Pond  in  his  lonely  thoughts  reverted  to  this  scene 
of  danger,  and  always  with  gratitude  to  the  brave  and  friendly  woman 
who  protected  him  in  this  time  of  peril.  The  doctor  did  not  embrace 
this  opportunity  to  form  new  acquaintances  in  this  amiable  group, 
but  with  all  convenient  expedition,  left  these  dear  friends  to  finish 
up  their  business  in  their  own  way.  Making  his  way  to  the  sidewalk, 
he  was  astonished  to  witness  the  immense  mob  which  filled  the  street 
many  rods  each  way  from  the  house.  The  city  watch,  then  the  ap- 
pellation for  police,  formed  a  line  in  tront  of  the  house,  and  another 
in  front  of  the  physicians  who  made  the  examination.  The  reader 
may  be  at  a  loss  to  perceive  what  should  be  a  cause  adequate  to  stir 
up  such  a  mob.  In  answer  it  may  be  stated,  that  the  prejudice  per- 
vading even  the  enlightened  class  fifty  years  ago,  was  vastly  different 
from  the  liberal  and  scientific  views  which  now  prevail.  Then, 
among  the  lower  class  of  catholic  Irish,  a  post  mortem  examination 
was  considered  an  offence  little  less  than  a  heinous  crime.  Hence 
the  outrage  of  sentiment  among  them. 

The  increase  of  the  mob  became  fearful,  and  its  dimensions  almost 
beyond  precedent.  In  addition  to  the  police,  the  mayor  called  out 
a  military  force  of  cavalry  and  infantry.  Bishop  Du  Bois,  the  Roman 
catholic  prelate,  issued  a  pastoral,  imperatively  enjoining  upon  people 
of  his  denomination  to  deport  themselves  peaceably,  disperse  and 
resort  to  their  homes. 

The  tumult  gradually  subsided  without  the  perpetration  of  any 
open  outrage,  the  poor,  persecuted  doctor,  however,  dared  not  occupy 
his  own  bed  for  many  successive  nights. 

74 


586  History  of  Torrington. 

By  report  the  house  was  haunted  for  years,  to  the  serious  loss  of 
the  proprietor  in  rent. 

After  three  days,  in^the  lull  of  the  storm,  an  immense  procession 
attended  the   funeral.      By    an  absurd  arrangement,    the    viscera  of 
the  deceased  were  carried  in  front  of  the  procession,  as  a  rebuke  to 
the  offending  doctors.      Thus,  at  length,  subsided  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  popular  agitations  of  the  day. 

A  period  ensued,  which,  with  leisure  and  opportunity,  was  embraced 
to  extend  the  doctor's  professional  acquaintance,  and  improve  it  to 
advantage.  He  united  with  a  literary  club  of  limited  membership, 
holding  weekly  communications  for  the  relation,  discussion  and  treat- 
ment of  cases  in  -practice.  The  meetings  were  held  in  alternation 
at  the  dwellings  of  the  members.  It  is  believed  that  these  meetings 
were  of  signal  mutual  benefit  in  practical  knowledge,  to  the  members 
of  the  entire  club. 

At  irregular  periods  of  long  distance  (never  oftener  than  three 
months)  the  club  indulged  in  a  supper  given  by  a  member,  at  which 
discussions  took  a  winder  range.  Any  literary  subject  was  legitimate, 
provided  it  were  not  immoral.  Occasionally,  a  paper  on  some  pro- 
fessional subject  was  read,  and  then  subjected  to  criticism  and  dis- 
cussion. Also,  each  member,  in  rotation,  assumed  the  editorial  duty 
of  producing  one  number  of  a  medical  magazine,  which  consisted  of 
a  single  sheet  of  foolscap,  in  manuscript,  issued  monthly.  This 
sheet  afforded  both  instruction  and  amusement,  and  was  always  ex- 
pected with  interest.  It  was  ordinarily  made  up,  in  part  by  contri- 
butions from  the  members.  The  editor's  duty  consisted  chiefly  in 
securing  the  completeness  of  the  sheet. 

At  one  meeting  of  the  club,  for  which  a  repast  was  provided  by  a 
distinguished  member.  Dr.  Pond  was  expected  to  present  some  poetical 
effusion,  of  which  task  he  acquitted  himself  as  follows: 


Excellences  of  the  Onion.      {Bombastic,^ 

Ye  piping  Nine,  ye  song-inspiring  train, 

Ye  dwellers  fair  in  old  Parnassus,  deign 

Your  potent  influence,  inspire  my  soul, 

That  I  your  lofty  numbers  may  control : 

Or,  as  in  nitrous  oxyd,   steep  my  brain. 

That  I  your  thrumming  lyre,  in  lofty  strain, 

With  bold,  adventurous  hand  may  brush,  on  theme 

Which  ne'er  was  subject  of  a  poet's  dream  j 

On  theme,  tho'  grand,  no  poet  ever  sung; 

The  Onion  i  beauties  rare,  that  urge  my  song. 


Biographies.  587 


In  days  of  yore,  when  erst  the  Hebrew  race 

In  land  of  Nilus  fix'd  their  dwelling-place; 

Ere  Moeris  or  Sesostris  fill'd  the  throne, 

The  Onion's  gustful  qualities  were  known. 

Emancipated  from  old  Egypt's  land. 

And  scap'd  oppression  from  the  tyrant's  hand, 

How  lung'd  the  chosen  tribes  again  to  bear 

The  yoke  of  bondage,  and  afBictifn's  care; 

How  long'd,  their  lives  in  servitude  t'employ. 

So  they  their  fragrant  Onions  might  enjoy. 

This  od'rous  root  from  embyro  minute. 

Its  proud  cerulean  germ  does  upward  shoot ; 

The  crescent  trunk   no  petals  vain  supply 

With  gaudy  umbrage  ;   no,  it  scorns  to  vie 

With  sage  or  crocus,  poppy,  dill  or  fennel, 

Or  any  plant  that  grows  in  plain  or  dell. 

With  native  beauty,  the  majestic  cone 

Canspicuous  shines  in  grandeur  all  its  own. 

Full  on  its  summit,  with  superior  grace 

And  broad  rotundity  sedate,  the  environs  place 

A  crown  assumes,  not  such  as  monarchs  wear. 

Beset  with  shining  gems,  and  diamonds  rare, 

Oft  setting  heavy  on  the  wearer's  head, 

Inducing  frenzy  and  a  restless  bed  ; 

Nor  like  the  olive,  bay  or  oaken  crown 

Which  orators  and  warriors  of  renown 

And  poets  fam'd,  and  sage  civilians  wear, 

Bestow'd  for  wisdom  and  for  talents  rare  ; 

But  chaste,  unostentatious  and  demure, 

And  stor'd  with  seed  prolific,  here  secure. 

The  foliated,  smooth  and  bulbous  base, 

As  if  it  scorned  its  lowly  native  place, 

Heaves  out  its  swelling  sides  of  sheeny  red. 

So  that  it  scarcely  makes  the  earth  its  bed. 

O,  noble  root!   how  fit  it  is  the  fair,  ' 

Should  for  thy  growth  bestow  their  willing  care; 

Should  weed  thee,  hoe  thee,  and  with  dext'rous  toil, 

With  their  soft  hands  extract  thee  from  the  soil. 

Now  fit  for  use,  from  epidermis  freed. 

Or  from  th'  external  folds,  if  there  be  need. 

And  smother'd,  fried,  or  from  the  boiling   pot, 

Plac'd  on  the  gen'rous  board,  all  smoking  hot. 

Can  aught  —  ye  Nine  —  of  culinary  fare, 

However  zested,  with  this  root  compare  } 

Can  aught  to  equal  tone  or  pleasant  height 

Th'  olfactory  or  lingual  nerves  excite  ? 

Say  not  that  odors  from  the  citron  grove 


'  In  Wethersfield,  on    the  Connecticut,  large  quantities  of  this  vegetable  were  formerly 
cultivated  by  young  ladies,  probably  in  greater  amount  than  in  all  the  state  beside. 


588  History  of  Torrington. 

That  rife  on  oriental  Zephyrs  move, 
Or  flavor  of  the  orange,  grape  or  pine 
That  ripen  in  a  tropic  sun,  are  fine  ; 
Say  naught  is  fine,  when  in  a  parallel 
The  onion's  sav'ry  qualities  we  tell. 
Fair  was  the  subject,  and  the  artist  fair  ' 
Who  trac'd  with  magic  skill  thy  beauties  rare ; 
Who,  to  preserve  the  mem'ry  of  thy  name. 
Gave  symmetry  and  grace  and  living  fame, 
And,  with  a  spell,  few  vers'd  in  painting  know, 
Bade  semblance  in  perpetual  verdure  grow. 

In  the  year  preceding  the  visitation  of  the  cholera,  in  the  summer 
of  1832,  the  professional  business  of  Dr.  Pond  had  increased  to  a 
degree  that  required  a  horse  and  carriage  to  enable  him  to  perform  it. 
As  the  fell  destroyer  appeared  in  the  city  the  latter  part  of  June,  the 
citizens  were  filled  with  consternation. 

A  physician,  for  the  first  time  to  meeting  a  patient  with  a  dark, 
anxious,  pinched  countenance  ;  damp,  cold,  corrugated  skin,  raucus 
voice,  and  other  forbidding  appearances,  might  well  be  filled  with  ap- 
pre'hension. 

Like  this  ;  in  most  cases,  however,  lighter  and  milder,  being  easily 
controlled,  was  the  experience  of  Dr.  Pond  for  many  consecutive 
weeks. 

If  prompt  and  suitable  attention  was  given  to  the  first  aberration 
from  a  state  of  ordinary  health,  especially  in  case  of  a  diarrhoea,  with 
or  without  pain  in  the  abdomen,  the  graver  disease  of  which  it  was  a 
precursor  was  ordinarily  averted.  In  some  cases,  however,  these 
premonitory  symptoms  were  so  very  brief,  that  the  physician  did  not 
see  his  patient  before  commencing  or  confirmed  collapse  had  been 
ushered  in. 

The  recollections  of  a  series  of  weeks  of  Dr.  Pond's  experience 
during  that  fearful  period  of  his  life,  are  among  a  few  painful  im- 
pressions on  the  memory  that  will  never  be  obliterated  while  !ife 
continues.  During  the  prevalence  of  that  epidemic,  the  medical 
calls  on  Dr.  Pond  were  very  numerous,  especially  in  the  night.  It 
may  be  stated  that  from  the  4th  of  July  to  the  24th  of  the  following 
August,  no  night  passed  in  which  there  was  not  at  least  one  call  for 
medical  advice.  It  may  be  imagined  that  the  amount  of  sleep  must 
have  been  small  in  proportion  to  the  demands  of  nature.     Added  to 


'  After  the   recitation  of  this    ode,  a  resolution    was  passed    to  present   the  doctor   with  a 
painting  of  his  subject.      The  artist  selected  was  a  lady. 


Biographies.  589 

the  deprivation  of  sleep  was  the  solicitude  inseparable  from  the  care 
of  a  disease  novel  and  fearful  in  its  character.  As  the  malady  pro- 
gressed, its  developments,  in  addition  to  what  have  been  already 
enumerated,  were  profuse  alvine  evacuation  of  an  appearance  like 
rice  water,  followed  by  great  prostration,  cramp  of  the  bowels  and 
of  the  upper  and  lower  limbs.  Ordinarily  there  was  great  scantiness 
or  entire  suppression  of  the  secretion  of  the  kidneys.  The  pulse  was 
nearly  always  small  and  weak.  The  intellect  was  clear,  the  thirst 
tormenting,  and  if  freely  indulged  almost  certainly  followed  by 
copious  vomiting.  When  patients  were  seen  under  such  circum- 
stances, the  result  was  ominous, 

A  case  in  point  may  be  detailed.  The  doctor  was  urgently  re- 
quested to  visit  a  poor  Irish  laborer  who  lived  in  a  low,  damp  cellar, 
dark  and  comfortless.  No  appendage  appeared  in  the  apartment  ex- 
cept a  woman  and  three  or  four  children,  and  as  many  rickety  chairs. 
The  poor  man  was  on  a  low  bed  in  a  dark  corner  of  the  room, 
tossing,  sighing  and  vomiting.      Mike  was  in  a  deep  relapse  of  cholera. 

At  this  time  there  was  in  the  ofRce  of  Dr.  Pond  a  young  gentle- 
man, son  of  Col.  Barber  of  Connecticut,  pursuing  the  study  of 
medicine.  He  took  an  interest  in  the  case  of  poor  Mike,  and  gave 
his  personal  assistance  to  relieve  him  if  possible  from  his  collapse. 
Appliances  of  medicine  internally,  and  of  heat  to  the  surface,  were, 
after  persevering  patience  followed  by  some  signs  of  reaction  ;  the 
alvine  evacuations  became  less  frequent  and  less  copious,  the  eyes 
began  to  emerge  from  their  deep  retreat  in  the  sockets,  and  to  assume 
their  natural  position,  the  blue  and  cadaverous  appearance  to  give 
place  to  a  natural  expression,  and  the  action  of  the  heart  to  fill  the 
artery  at  the  wrist.  In  short,  the  patient  began  to  assume  the  appear- 
ance of  a  man^  which  was  by  no  means  the  case  two  short  hours 
before.  A  calm  sleep  now  supervened  and  operated  like  a  cordial. 
He  soon  recovered  and  returned  to  his  ordinary  labor. 

A  few  weeks  subsequent,  he  stopped  the  doctor's  horse  on  the 
street,  and  said  he  had  five  dollars  of  which  he  urged  the  doctor's 
acceptance,  stating  that  when  he  got  more  he  would  give  it  to  him. 
The  doctor  informed  him  that  in  his  case  he  had  made  no  charge  as 
his  family  at  that  time  needed  it  more  than  he  (the  doctor)  did,  but 
that  when  he  became  fully  able,  he  might  pay.  Mike  showed  his 
gratitude  and  kindness  of  heart  by  commending  the  doctor's  skill  and 
procuring  his  professional  employment  by  his  friends. 

The  doctor's  student,  after  his  graduation,  removed  to  Milwaukee, 


590  History  of  Torrington. 

Wisconsin,  where  he  settled  and  was  almost  immediately  elected  a 
member  of  the  legislature  of  the  state,  and  speaker  of  the  house,  over 
which  he  presided  with  great  dignity. 

Let  it  be  noticed,  that  amidst  the  consternation  and  delirium  of 
fear  which  everywhere  prevailed  during  this  season  of  cholera,  the 
familiar  notes  of  the  hand-organ  could  be  heard  in  the  streets,  and 
we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  its  influence  may  have  been  even 
salutary,  tending  to  divert  attention  from  the  morbid  and  depressing 
influence  of  terror  on  the  mind. 

Shortly  following  Mike's  case  came  a  multitude  of  others  that  ur- 
gently demanded  the  professional  service  of  Dr.  Pond,  and  amidst 
this  hurry,  and  his  greatest  need  of  help,  he  was  deprived  of  the  valu- 
able assistance  of  his  intelligent  student.  His  relatives  in  Connecticut, 
under  the  influence  of  the  all-pervading  fear  of  contagion,  imposed  an 
imperative  demand  for  his  return  home.  Single-handed,  therefore, 
the  doctor  was  henceforth  compelled  to  discharge  his  duty. 

Among  many  interesting  cases  that  came  under  the  professional 
care  of  Dr.  Pond,  was  one  of  an  intellectual  young  gentleman  of 
lofty  aspirations  for  the  future  in  life  ;  his  attack  was  violent  and  far 
advanced  in  collapse.  On  the  doctor's  second  visit,  he  found  that 
the  entire  family,  filled  with  terror,  had  left  the  poor  young  man  to  take 
care  of  himself  and  die  alone.  The  doctor  administered  his  medicins 
and  spent  what  time  was  in  his  power  to  bestow,  in  nursing  him. 
At  his  third  visit,  which  was  not  long  after  the  second,  the  doctor 
found  him  still  alone,  but  the  struggle  had  ended  ;  the  young  man 
now  lay  before  him  an  inert  mass.  He,  who  but  recently  was  so 
buoyant  and  cheerful,  so  full  of  hope  for  the  future,  had  now  closed 
his  eyes  on  time  and  all  its  interests.  The  doctor  adjusted  the  body 
of  the  young  man  properly  on  the  bed,  covered  it  with  a  linen  sheet, 
and  left  the  room  with  feelings  of  sadness. 

Closely  following  the  solitary  death  of  this  young  man,  was  the 
case  of  a  widow  woman,  whom  the  physician  in  attendance  wished 
Dr.  Pond  to  see  with  him,  in  consultation.  The  relatives  of  the 
patient  had  all  deserted  the  house  ;  the  patient  being  in  a  state  of 
advanced  collapse,  it  was  the  united  opinion  of  the  physicians  that 
there  could  be  but  one  result,  and  that,  not  long  delayed.  A  re- 
markable feature  in  the  history  of  this  case  was,  that  as  death  overtook 
her  in  her  solitary  condition,  her  head  was  turned  quite  on  one  side. 
The  body  remained  in  this  position  two  days,  as  could  be  plainly 
seen  through  a  window  in  the  apartment. 


Biographies.  591 

Although  painful  spasms,  excessive  thirst,  irrepressible  vomitting 
and  profuse  dejections,  might  at  the  same  time  harrass  and  weary  the 
patient,  yet  in  all  this  trouble  the  mental  functions  were  clear  and 
unembarrassed,  although  there  was  often  a  strange  manifestation  of 
apathy  in  the  result. 

The  abatement  of  this  terrible  scourge  on  our  city  afforded  an 
opportunity,  not  unlike  the  passing  over  of  a  tornado,  to  appreciate  in 
some  measure  the  desolation  it  had  left  behind. 

Of  the  various  benevolent  societies  of  which  Dr.  Pond  was  a 
member,  may  be  mentioned  the  Association  for  Improving  the  Con- 
dition of  the  Poor  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  committee  for  draft- 
ing the  constitution,  as  well  as  chairman  of  a  Ward  Advisory 
committee  for  a  series  of  years.  This  is  a  society,  of  its  kind,  the 
most  benevolent  in  the  city. 

For  many  years  he  was  an  acting  trustee  of  the  New  York  Public 
School  Society,  a  trustee,  and  member  of  the  finance  committee  of 
the  Atlantic  Savings  Bank,  and  a  member  and  physician  of  the  New 
England  Society.  He  was  also  a  member  and  first  president  of  the 
New  York  Medical  Association,  and  one  of  the  founders  and  fellows, 
and  for  twenty-nine  consecutive  years,  treasurer  of  the  New  York 
Academy  of  Medicine.  For  the  faithful  discharge  of  Dr.  Pond's 
official  duties,  the  Academy,  upon  his  resignation  of  the  treasurer- 
ship,  passed  a  series  of  commendatory  resolutions,  which  were  pub- 
lished in  the  medical  journals  of  the  city,  and  a  copy  beautifully 
engrossed  and  framed  presented  to  the  doctor. 

It  may  be  stated  with  more  distinctness,  that  the  children  of  Capt. 
Elijah  Pond  by  his  first  marriage  were,  Tryphena,  born  at  Franklin 
in  1762,  died  in  childhood  ;  Lewis,  born  at  Franklin  in  1764,  died 
at  Whiting,  Vt.,  in  1831  ;  Olive,  born  at  Franklin  in  1771,  married 
Simeon  Keith,  removed  to  Vermont,  had  two  daughters,  died  in  1839  ; 
Esther,  born  at  Franklin  in  1773,  r^'^rried  Aaron  Harrington,  removed 
to  Vermont,  had  five  sons  and  seven  daughters  ;  Lewis,  son  of  Lewis 
and  grandson  of  Capt.  Elijah  Pond,  born  at  Whiting,  Vermont,  in 
1808,  removed  to  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  where  he  resided  many 
years  ;  he  has  recently  removed  to  live  with  his  son.  Dr.  Fred  Lewis 
Pond,  at  Aurora,  111.  The  latter  is  the  proprietor  and  physician  of  a 
large  and  successful  hospital  establishment  at  Aurora. 

Benjamin  F.  Pond,  only  son  of  Dr.  James  O.  Pond,  was  one  of 
a  company  formed  in  New  York  of  about  ten  young  men,  that  went 
to  California  for  mining  purposes,  at  the  commencement  of  the  gold 
excitement. 


592  History  of  Torrington. 

The  party  commenced  operations  in  the  mountains  under  many 
discouragements.  Soon  there  commenced  a  disintegration  in  their 
company  which  continued  until  it  gradually  dwindled  to  two  individu- 
als, one  of  whom  was  Benj.  F.  Pond.  These  two  continued  to  pro- 
secute the  object  for  which  the  company  was  formed  until  they 
obtained  from  those  rugged  mountains  gold  amounting  in  value  to 
several  thousand  dollars  each  ;  at  length  they  ceased  to  delve  the 
earth  for  gold.  From  the  mountains  Mr.  Pond  made  his  way  to 
Sacramento  city  and  other  inhabited  towns  and  entered  into  various 
kinds  of  business,  with  various  phases  of  success. 

In  San  Francisco,  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  young  gentle- 
man by  the  name  of  Henry  Wetherbee  with  whom  he  entered  into 
mercantile  and  shipping  business.  They  owned  a  line  of  ships  that 
traded  between  San  Francisco  and  Australia.  Of  one  of  these  ships, 
the  Julia  Ann,  Mr.  Pond  was  the  commander.  On  her  return 
passage  from  Sydney  (Australia)  to  San  Francisco,  when  twenty-seven 
days  at  sea,  in  mid  ocean,  in  a  dark  night,  the  ship,  under  full  sail, 
ran  upon  a  sunken  coral  reef,  incorrectly  laid  down,  on  the  chart. 
The  ship  and  cargo  were  a  total  wreck,  and  five  out  of  fifty-six  on 
board,  were  lost.  The  returning  light  of  the  morning,  revealed  their 
standing  to  be  a  submerged  coral  reef,  with  land  in  the  low  distance, 
about  ten  miles  away.  They  had  but  a  single  boat  remaining  and  it 
was  seriously  damaged.  How  to  transport  this  large  number  of  in- 
dividuals to  terra  firma,  with  the  only  means  in  their  possession,  be- 
came a  problem  of  interesting  solution.  Their  necessity  was 
imperative.  In  addition  to  their  boat,  which  would  hold  but  a  small 
number,  they  constructed  a  raft  of  materials  from  the  ship  and  by 
diligence  and  perseverance,  succeeded  in  transporting  all  safely  to  the 
shores  of  a  desolate  island  or  group  of  islands,  where  they  remained 
eight  weeks  and  from  which  they  were  rescued  in  a  providential 
manner.  An  interesting  narrative  of  the  wreck  and  various  incidents 
connected  with  it,  was  written  by  her  commander,  Capt.  B.  F.  Pond. 
Notwithstanding  the  heavy  loss  on  the  ship  and  cargo,  beyond  what 
was  covered  by  insurance,  Capt.  Pond  was  fortunate  in  being  able 
to  return  to  his  parental  home  with  so  large  a  sum  as  between  twenty 
and  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

After  deliberate  investigation,  he  became  a  partner  in  a  cotton 
manufactory,  Bloomvale,  Dutchess  county,  and  on  the  death  of  his 
partner,  a  few  years  subsequent,  sole  proprietor  of  the  business. 

While  in  Bloomvale,  he  married  Miss  Carrie,  daughter  of  Mr. 
Henry  Frost  of  Poughkeepsie. 


Biographies.  593 

A  favorable  opportunity  at  length  presenting,  he  sold  his  property 
in  Bloomvale  and  has  become  an  active  proprietor  in  a  stock  com- 
pany, denominated  the  "  Pond  Manufacturing  Company,"  Tenafly, 
New  Jersey  ;  which  has  become  a  lucrative  enterprise.  The  child- 
ren of  Capt,  and  Mrs.  Pond  are  two  daughters  and  a  son  and  they 
have  been  afflicted  by  the  loss  of  a  son  and  daughter. 

Harriet  Lemira,  only  daughter  of  Dr.  Jas.  O.  Pond,  was  born  in 
Connecticut  and  removed  to  New  York  city,  with  her  parents  in 
childhood.  Her  education  therefore,  which  was  liberal,  was  almost 
wholly  received  in  the  city.  She  married  her  third  cousin  Samuel 
Metcalf  Pond,  son  of  Hon.  Samuel  Metcalf  Pond  of  Maine.  He 
was  industrious  and  persevering  in  business,  until  he  fell  a  victim  to 
that  ruthless  disease,  the  consumption  of  the  lungs,  which  annually 
consigns  so  large  a  portion  of  our  race  to  the  land  of  silence.  He 
died  April,  1875,  and  was  buried  in  Woodlawn  cemetery,  leaving 
two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Capt.  Elijah  Pond,  some  account  of  whose  children,  and  other  de- 
scendants, has  been  given  in  this  sketch,  was  a  man  whose  domestic 
proclivities  and  retiring  disposition  did  not  incline  him  to  seek  that 
notoriety  which  is  so  common  a  trait  in  town  and  hamlet  in  our 
land.  His  kindhearted,  simple  disposition  prepared  him  to  expect 
and  receive  more  happiness  in  the  bosom  of  his  large  family,  than 
from  all  other  sources.  Mr.  Pond  did  not  make  open  profession  of 
experimental  religion,  yet  such  were  the  influence  of  religious  train- 
ing and  the  Puritan  atmosphere  from  which  he  emigrated,  that  the 
truths  of  Christianity  were  indelibly  impressed  upon  his  mind.  He 
imbibed  them  as  principles,  by  which,  to  some  good  extent,  his  course 
in  life  was  guided.  Hence  may  be  seen  why  he  inculcated  upon  the 
minds  of  his  family,  lessons  from  the  shorter  catechism,  and  the  habit 
of  attending  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath,  and  why,  also,  he  en- 
joined the  commitment  to  memory,  by  his  children,  of  the  Decalogue 
by  Moses. 

Mr.  Pond,  according  to  town  records  of  Wrentham  (now  Franklin), 
was  born  1738,  but  from  domestic  records  1740.  He  died  at  Tor- 
rington,  June,  1831. 

His  trust  for  salvation  was  in  the  atoning  righteousness  of  a 
crucified  Saviour,  appropriated  by  faith,  as  we  firmly  believe. 

Mr.  Pond's  physical  formation  and  development  were  excellent, 
such  as  with  temperance  and  regular  habits  (and  these  he  invariably 
observed)  to  secure  good  health  and  longevity. 

75 


594-  History  of  Torrington. 

His   thorax  was   capacious,  his    shoulders   broad,  his   height   over 
five  feet  and  ten  inches,  his  countenance  florid  and  clear. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Roberts, 

Was  born  in   1704,  in  Simsbury,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale  college 
in  1732;  and  it  is  most  probable  that  he  studied  theology  with  Rev. 
Jonathan  Marsh  of  Windsor.      He  was  ordained  October  21,  1741, 
pastor  of  the   Torrington    church,   having  preached    here,  probably, 
nearly  a  year  previous  to  being  installed,  and  it  is  very  likely  he  was 
the  first  and  only  candidate  the  new  church  had,  as  quite  a  number 
of  the  settlers  were  from  his  part  of  ancient  Windsor.     It  is  said  also 
that  Moses  Loomis  married  his  sister  or  near  relative.      He  married 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Rev.  Jonathan   Marsh  of  Windsor,  and  pur- 
chased  and    settled  on    the  farm   now  owned  and   occupied   by  Mr. 
Alonzo  Whiting   about    half  a   mile   north   of  the   site  of  the   first 
church,  the  house  of  worship  where  Mr.  Roberts  preached  as  long 
as  he   lived.      By  this  marriage   he  was  brother-in-law  to  Rev.  Mr. 
Marsh  of  New  Hartford  and    Rev.  Mr.    Heaton  of  Goshen.      His 
wife  Margaret  died  Oct.  i,  1747,  and  he  married  Esther,  probably, 
daughter  of  Aaron  Loomis,  Nov.   7,  1748.      Her  father  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  the  town  on  the  farm  next  north  of  Mr.  Roberts, 
now  owned  by  Mr.  Willard   H.  Barber.      The  Rev.    Mr.  Marsh  of 
Windsor  died   Sept.  8,  1747;   his  daughter  iMrs.   Roberts  died  Oct. 
I,  same  year,  and  her  mother  died  Dec.  8,  of  the  same  year  ;   which 
seems   a   little  remarkable.      When  the  church  was  organized,  and 
Mr.  Roberts  ordained  it  consisted  of  seventeen  persons,  but  others 
soon  united  and  it  gradually  increased  in  membership  and  importance 
until  some  years  after  his  decease,  and  was  a  church  of  considerable 
importance  and  strength  at  his  death.     There  were  no  revivals  under 
his  ministry,  and  in  1741  and  2,  when  there  was  considerable  religious 
awakening  throughout   New  England,  this  society  was  too  small  to 
be  affected  by  it. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  an  eccentric  man,  characterized  in  the  general 
by  sincerity,  honesty,  and  uprightness,  and  a  little  humor  peculiar  to 
himself.  He  was  not  an  intellectual  preacher,  nor  a  great  scholar, 
but  sought  by  more  practical  lessons  to  guide  the  people  in  the  way 
of  shunning  evil  and  doing  some  good.  His  religious  life  and  teach- 
ing consisted  more  in  avoiding  and  escaping  evil,  or  as  he  would  put 
it,  "the  devil,"  than  in  doing  positive  good,  and  this  was  the  type  of 
religion  in  that  age,  and  was  of  great  value  so  far  as  it  went  j  a  revival 


Biographies. 


595 


of  this  kind  at  the  present  age  would  be  hailed  with  joy.  He  believed 
in  harmony  with  his  age,  in  a  personal  devil,  who  went  about  not 
always  as  a  roaring  lion  ;  and  a  burning  hell,  and  the  wrath  of  a  holy 
God,  and  hence  to  avoid  the  last  and  keep  out  of  the  power  of  the 
two  former  he  gave  his  counsels  as  a  minister. 

His  preaching  so  much  against  the  devil  and  his  works  was  ob- 
served by  the  young  who  made  some  sport  about  it.  On  one  Sabbath 
Joel  Loomis,  a  young  man  sitting  in  the  gallery  at  the  side,  and  near 
the  pulpit,  scratched  with  a  pin  every  time  Priest  Roberts  said  devil 
in  his  sermon,  and  reported  the  number  of  times,  as  beiiig  very  large. 
This  fact  reached  Mr.  Roberts's  ears  before  the  next  Sabbath  and  he 
guarded  himseU  accoidingly  while  preaching  the  next  sermons,  and 
as  he  closed,  he  turned  and  looking  direct  at  the  young  man  who  was 
sittmg  in  the  same  seat  as  the  Sabbath  before  and  said  ;  "  There, 
young  man,  I  have  preached  two  sermons  to-day  and  have  not  men- 
tioned the  name  of  your  father  once." 

His  motto  was,  "  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  works  of  the  devil," 
which  would  be  advantageous  to  many  besides  ministers  if  well 
followed.  On  a  certain  spring  Mr.  Roberts  had  tapped  his  maple 
trees,  but  the  weather  proved  unfavorable  for  several  days  until 
Sabbath  morning  when  it  became  warm  and  very  pleasant  and  the 
sap  filled  nearly  all  the  troughs  beyond  all  ordinary  days.  On  Mon- 
day morning  Mr.  Roberts  was  seen  going  from  tree  to  tree  turning 
the  sap  out  on  the  ground,  with  great  vigor  and  decision,  when  the 
neighbor  inquired  ;  "  Parson  Roberts,  what  are  you  doing .?  why  do 
you  throw  away  your  sap  so  .?  Ah  !  said  he,  "■  I'll  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  works  of  the  devil  j  nothing  but  sap,  sap  all  day  Sunday  ! 
I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  works  of  the  devil,"  and  on  he  went 
pouring  out  the  sap,  supposing  that  the  devil  made  the  sap  run 
abundantly  on  the  Sabbath  for  the  purpose  of  tempting  him,  and  he 
was  so  wary  of  his  snares  that  he  purposed  not  to  be  caught  in  that 
trap  even  though  it  was  a  sugar  one. 

It  may  be  proper  in  this  connection  to  relate  an  occurrence  that 
took  place  in  connection  with  the  Torrington  church,  which  illustrates 
the  doctrines  and  opinions  held  on  the  subject  of  the  human  person- 
ality of  the  devil,  and  his  real  appearance  on  earth.  A  man  by  the 
name  of  Culver,  while  engaged  in  the  field  for  Caleb  Lyman,  was 
addressed  by  a  stranger,  a  colored  man  who  came  along  the  road, 
with  the  inquiry,  if  he  was  satisfied  with  his  employer  and  the  wages 
he  was  then  receiving  ?     To  which  he  replied  that  he  was  quite  well 


59^  History  of  Torrington. 

pleased  but  that  if  he  could  do  better  he  should  be  glad  to  do  it. 
Upon  this  the  stranger  promised  to  obtain  work  for  him  with  much 
better  wages,  if  Culver  would  write  his  name  in  a  book  which  the 
stranger  carried  ;  and  advised  him  as  he  had  no  ink  to  prick  his  arm 
with  a  pin  and  write  his  name  with  the  blood.  This  Culver  did,  and 
the  stranger  fixed  a  day,  at  a  future  time,  when  he  would  call  for  him 
and  take  him  to  his  new  work,  and  urged  it  upon  his  mind  to  be  sure 
and  be  ready  at  the  day  specified.  The  stranger  then  went  on  his 
way,  and  Culver  after  reflecting  on  the  subject  became  much  exer- 
cised as  to  the  transaction  ;  left  his  work  and  followed  the  man  to 
find  if  possible  where  he  went  to,  and  if  others  had  been  engaged  as 
himself  for  work.  After  diligent  search  for  several  days,  and  nothing 
could  be  heard  of  the  man,  neither  as  to  where  he  came  from  nor 
whither  he  went.  Culver  gave  the  report  that  he  had  sold  himself  to 
the  devil  and  on  a  certain  day  he  must  be  ready  to  go  with  him 
without  fail. 

The  church  became  interested  in  the  matter ;  much  talk  was  had 
on  the  subject ;  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was  appointed  to  be  held 
on  the  day  that  was  set  for  Mr.  Culver's  departure  with  the  stranger, 
and  at  the  appointed  time  the  church  assembled  with  the  unfortunate 
man  who  seemed  to  think  his  last  day  of  happiness  had  come.  Mr. 
Culver  was  placed  in  the  gallery  of  the  church  and  a  very  strong 
man  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  armed  with  a  heavy  club,  and  another 
man  of  equal  ability  and  armor  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  to  de- 
fend the  innocent  and  beat  ofl^  the  devil,  if  he  should  come 
according  to  agreement. '  The  fast  was  held,  and  when  the  sun 
had  set,  and  therefore  the  day  gone,  the  two  strong  men  accom- 
panied Mr.  Culver  to  his  home  and  left  him  safe  and  delivered  from 
the  devil.  From  that  day  to  this  Torrington  people  have  neither 
heard  nor  seen  anything  of  Culver.  No  one  ever  knew  what  be- 
came of  him.  This  story  is  well  authenticated  by  the  oldest  people 
in  such  number  as  to  preclude  any  doubt,  and  it  was  published  in  a 
Litchfield  paper  about  forty  years  since,  when  there  were  many  liv- 
ing witnesses  to  the  occurrence. 

This  personality  of  the  devil,  with  ability  to  appear  in  all  forms  and 
shapes  and  for  any  and  all  purposes  under  the  sun,  to  do  that  which 


•  Jacob  Strong  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  men  who  stood  at  the  stairs.  He  died  in 
1776,  and  therefore  the  occurrence  took  place  in  Mr.  Roberts's  pastorate  and  in  the  old 
church. 


Biographies.  597 

was  both  good  and  bad,  was  most  fully  received  in  the  early  history 
of  the  colonies,  as  is  attested  by  many  court  records  still  preserved 
in  the  Connecticut  State  Library  ;  a  considerable  number  of  which 
are  by  far  too  immodest  to  be  written  in  a  book. 

There  was  a  very  dry  season  during  Mr.  Roberts's  pastorate  and 
a  day  of  fasting  was  appointed  and  the  people  were  to  assemble  at 
the  church  to  pray  for  rain.  At  the  appointed  time  minister  Roberts 
took  his  over  coat  on  his  arm  and  started  for  the  church.  Some  one 
asked  him  why  he  took  his  overcoat.  "  I  tell  you  I  shall  fetch  her!" 
"  I  tell  you  I  shall  fetch'er,"  and  before  he  reached  home  it  did  rain 
heavily. 

On  a  Sabbath  Parson  Roberts  was  returning  from  church,  and 
when  about  half  way  from  home  he  came  upon  three  large  bears 
which  climbed  a  tree  by  the  side  of  the  road.  He  hastened  home, 
obtained  his  gun  ;  returned  and  shot  two  of  them,  the  other  escaping 
into  the  woods. 

After  the  parson  was  married,  there  came  an  alarm  of  the  coming 
of  the  Indians,  and  his  wife  being  a  slight  woman  with  poor  health, 
he  took  her  on  his  back  and  carried  her  to  the  fort,  a  distance  of  over 
a  mile,  with  ease  and  safety. 

Parson  Roberts  was  quite  a  farmer,  but  his  peculiarities  were  seen 
as  well  on  the  farm  as  in  the  pulpit.  He  had  one  lot  of  about  three 
acres  that  he  devoted  year  after  year  to  the  raising  of  geese  ;  keep- 
ing large  numbers  of  them  most  of  the  time,  and  the  lot  held  its  name, 
the  goose  lot,  until  a  few  years  since,  when  tobacco  took  the  place 
of  the  geese. 

In  his  later  days  Mr.  Roberts  had  a  spell  for  doing  some  import- 
ant work  and  quietly  said  to  some  one,  "  don't  invite  grandpa  Hills, 
he'll  eat  mor'n  he'll  arn,"  Mr.  Hills  (Benoni)  heard  of  it  and  went 
but  took  his  dinner,  and  at  the  close  of  the  work,  he  said,  "  well  Mr. 
Roberts  I  didn't  eat  more  than  I  earned  " 

He  had  one  daughter,  and  Doctor  Bellamy's  son  came  to  see  her 
having  on  his  father's  boots.  When  Mr.  Roberts  met  him  he  said 
"who  be  you,"  and  he  replied,  "  I  am  Doctor  Bellamy's  son."  "  Ah," 
said  Mr.  Roberts,  "  I  thought  I  knew  the  boots." 

It  is  said  that  he  had  a  troublesome  case  of  discipline  in  his  church 
and  the  man  was  generally  believed  to  be  guilty,  but  after  repeated 
trials  the  testimony  was  insufficient  to  convict  him,  and  at  the 
closing  prayer  he  made  this  remarkable  reference  of  the  case  to  a 
higher    tribunal.     '•*  We    believe  O  Lord,   this  man  is    verily  guilty, 


59^  History  of  Torrington.  , 

but  we  fail  to  detect  his  wickedness.      If,  as  we  fear,  he  is  guilty,  we 
pray  thou   wilt  bring  him  to  repentance,  or  permit  him  to  sin  more,        j 
that  we  may  be  able  to  deal  with  him  according  to  his  deserts." 

In  the  scenes  introductory  to  the  American  Revolution,  he  was  a 
conspicuous  patriot,  and  was  very  much  dissatisfied  with  the  premier  i 
of  Great  Britain.  In  one  of  his  public  prayers,  he  is  reported  to  have  I 
offered  this  prayer  :  "  Great  God,  we  pray  thee  remove  that  Lord  j 
North  from  office,  by  death  or  otherwise."  He  did  not,  however,  j 
live  to  see  the  great  triumph  of  his  country,  for  his  ministry  and  life  j 
were  terminated  in  1776. 

Rev.   Warren  H.  Roberts, 

Was  the  son  of  Pelatiah  and  Sarah  Roberts,  born  in  the  town  of 
Torrington,  Litchfield  county.  Conn.,  in  1826.  At  an  early  age  he 
manifested  a  strong  desire  to  obtain  a  thorough  education  and  prepare 
for  a  professional  lite,  but  being  entirely  dependent  on  his  own  un- 
aided effort,  was  not  able  to  enter  upon  this  course  at  so  early  an  age 
as  he  desired. 

He  prepared  for  college  at  the  Wesleyan  academy  in  Wilbraham,        I 
Massachusetts,  and    graduated  at   Kenyon   college,  Ohio,  in    1856. 
Was  ordained  a  deacon  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  by  Bishop        1 
Mcllvaine  of  Ohio,  at  the  time  of  graduation. 

Was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  by  the  same  bishop  in  1857.      Was 
made  a  Bachelor  in  Divinity  by  Kenyon  college. 

The   ministry  of   Mr.  Roberts  embraces  a  period  of  a  little  over        I 
twenty  years,  most  of  which  has  been  spent  in  the  principal  cities  of 
Illinois  and   Indiana.      For  a  short  time  he  was  rector  of  one  of  the 
churches  in  the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

More  than  five  hundred  persons  have  been  brought  into  the  church 
through  his  ministry.      He  has  held  many   prominent  and  responsible 
offices  in  the  church,  having  represented  the  diocese  of  Illinois  three        i 
times,  and  the  diocese  of  Indiana  once  in  the  Triennial  conventions        ' 
of  the  Episcopal  church  in  the  United  States.      He  is  now  a  member        ^ 
and  president  of  the  standing  committee  of  the  church  in  the  diocese 
of  Indiana,  and  rector  of  St.  John's  church  in  the  city  of  La  Fayette        j 
in  the  same  diocese.  I 

He    married    Irene    Sophia,    daughter    of   Ralzamon    Loomis    of        j 
Charlestown,  Ohio,   Oct.  28,    1853.      ^^^  ^^^  been  a  great   help  to        ; 
him  in  his  ministry,  being  a  woman  preeminently   fitted  for  the  posi- 
tion of  the  wife  of  a  clergyman.  1 


Biographies.  599 

Nelson  Roberts, 
Son  of  Henry  and  Chloe  (Bunn)  Roberts,  was  born  Sept.  22,  18 14  ; 
and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  in  Torringford  until  twenty  years  of 
age.  He  then  taught  a  district  school  one  term  and  then  attended 
the  seminary  at  Amenia,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  three  terms.  On 
returning  to  Torringford  he  taught  school  in  the  north  district,  where 
he  had  resided  all  his  life.  Proving  himself  a  good  disciplinarian,  a 
quality  sometimes  needed,  he  continued  to  teach  with  success  that 
school  nine  consecutive  winter  terms.  The  school  then  numbered 
from  sixty  to  eighty  scholars,  and  many  of  them  grown  to  manhood. 
Of  his  remembrance  of  this  school  Mr.  Roberts  says  :  "  Since  then 
my  fellow  citizens  have  shown  their  confidence  in  me  by  appointing 
me  to  positions  of  trust,  but  this  is  not  as  satisfying  to  me  as  to 
know  that  many  of  those  boys  who  attended  school  at  the  old  school 
house  in  "  Green  Woods  street"  have  made  successful  and  honora- 
ble men.  In  1841,  he  married  Charlotte  daughter  of  Ralzamon 
Lomis  of  Charlestown,  Ohio,  but  formerly  of  Torringford.  He 
continued  as  a  farmer  until  1849,  when  he  engaged  in  the  grocery 
and  dry  goods  trade  at  Burrville  and  remained  there  fourteen  years. 
During  the  war,  he  was  engaged  two  years  in  the  milk  condensing 
business  in  Penn.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Conn., 
residing  about  one  year  in  Wolcottville  and  three  in  Winsted,  and  in 
1870,  he  removed  to  Vineland,  N.  J.,  and  has  been  engaged  mostly 
in  raising  fruits  for  the  New  York  market. 

In  1846,  he  was  elected  representative  to  the  legislature  from  Tor- 
rington,  and  was  reelected  in  1847  ^""^  i"  ^^55'  In  1866,  he  was 
elected  state  senator  for  the  15th  senatorial  district. 

Soon  after  going  to  Vineland,  in  187 1,  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  county  board  of  '■'■  Chosen  Freeholders  "  a  board  having  charge 
of  much  county  business,  and  has  been  elected  to  this  office  every 
year  since. 

In  1872,  he  was  made  chairman  of  the  township  committee  (Select- 
men) and  has  been  reelected  to  that  office  every  year  since. 

While  in  Burrville  his  first  wife  died  in  1858,  and  in  1859,  ^^ 
married  her  sister  Chloe  A.  Loomis,  a  graduate  of  the  Granville 
Episcopal  Female  Seminary,  of  Ohio. 

Mr.  Roberts  has  two  sons,  children  by  his  first  wife,  who  reside 
in  Winsted.  Harvey  L.,  was  chosen  representative  from  that  town 
to  the  legislature  in  187 1,  and  in  1873,  was  elected  state  senator  for 
the  15th  district. 


6oo  History  of  Torrington. 

Jesse  B.  Rose, 

Son  of  Bela  and  Mary  (Brockett)  Rose,  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Wolcott,  Ct,,  on  Pike's  hill,  afterward  more  familiarly  known  as 
Rose  hill,  Jan.  lo,  1821  ;  the  place  being  one  of  those  so  numerous 
in  the  state  from  which  a  most  interesting  and  charming  view  is  had 
in  every  direction.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Rose  was  from  Bran- 
ford,  Ct.,  and  his  ancestors  from  Massachusetts,  where  they  were 
among  the  early  settlers  and  influential  people.  Mr.  Rose's  father 
was  a  farmer  of  moderate  means,  all  obtained  by  his  own  exertions 
in  unremitting  toil ;  and  in  this  toil  the  young  Jesse  B.,  had  shared 
to  a  large  extent  before  he  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  at  which 
age  his  advantages  for  education  in  the  public  schools  closed. 

At  this  time  upon  the  direction  of  his  father  he  went  to  Water- 
bury  and  engaged  in  the  employ  of  Mark  Leavenworth,  in  work 
about  the  home  and  what  time  could  be  spared  he  worked  in  Mr. 
Leavenworth's  button  shop.  To  indicate  how  small  an  occurrence 
changes  the  life  path  of  an  individual,  whether  for  weal  or  woe,  un- 
known, it  is  proper  to  relate  why  Mr.  Rose  did  not  continue  in  the 
button  shop.  It  was  in  the  hard  times  of  1837,  and  Mr.  Leaven- 
worth was  in  straitened  relations  as  to  his  business,  and  in  arranging 
some  money  matters  which  were  troublesome,  he  sent  Jesse  to 
Litchfield  with  horse  and  carriage,  directing  on  his  return  to  drive  the 
horse  to  the  shop  where  he  (Mr.  Leavenworth)  could  use  him.  The 
journey  was  performed  ;  the  horse  driven  to  the  post  at  the  shop  and 
tied  according  to  orders,  and  Jesse  went  in  and  having  delivered  his 
message  stood  waiting  for  further  orders  while  Mr.  Leavenworth  ex- 
amined the  papers  brought  to  him.  Li  a  little  time  Mr.  Leavenworth 
said:  "  What  did  you  drive  the  horse  here  for.?"  "  Because  you 
directed  me  to."  "  I  told  you  to  leave  him  at  the  house,  its  a  lie," 
said  Mr.  Leavenworth.  Quietly  Mr.  Rose  replied,  "Mr.  Leaven- 
worth, you  told  me  to  drive  the  horse  down  here  so  that  you  could 
use  him,"  and  then  retired  from  the  room,  but  did  not  go  to  Mr. 
Leavenworth's  house  to  do  the  work  that  evening  as  had  been  his 
custom  on  other  days.  Mr.  Leavenworth  sent  his  men  after  Mr. 
Rose  in  various  directions  but  he  was  not  to  be  found.  The  next 
day  he  went  home,  and  before  night  seeing  Mr.  Leavenworth's 
carriage  coming  he  fled  to  the  woods  where  he  remained  until  even- 
ing and  then  returned  home.  His  mother  said,  "  where  have  you 
been,  we  have  been  looking  for  you  all  round.      Mr.  Leavenworth's 


^^^   /vi^^^^^^ 


Biographies.  6oi 

man  has  been  to  prevail  with  you  to  return."  He  said  "  I'll  never 
work  where  they  say  I  tell  a  lie."  The  next  day  his  father  said  rather 
sternly,  "  Jesse,  if  you  will  not  work  for  Mr.  Leavenworth,  you 
must  find  some  other  place  ;  whereupon  Jesse  B.  tied  all  his  goods 
in  a  pocket  handkerchief  and  leaving  home,  never  to  return  as  a  resi- 
dent, directed  his  steps  to  Bristol  which  was  about  five  miles  distant. 
What  he  should  do,  what  kind  of  employment  he  might  find,  or 
where  he  might  find  lodgings  even  for  a  night,  he  knew  not,  but  the 
world  was  before  him,  he  loved,  and  felt  ambitious  to  work  and 
secure  his  own  living  and  therefore  was  neither  discouraged  nor 
gloomy  although  he  telt  lonely  in  the  world.  At  Bristol  he  applied 
at  the  woolen  mill,  and  engaged  himself  as  an  apprentice  until  he 
should  become  twenty-one  years  of  age. 

Immediately  after  he  became  twenty-one,  he  was  employed  in  a 
woolen  mill  at  Naugatuck  as  foreman  of  the  carding  room,  where  he 
remained  nearly  two  years,  and  was  afterwards  employed  in  Terry- 
ville,  Bristol  and  Plymouth  Hollow,  in  the  same  department.  He 
came  to  Wolcottville  under  the  employ  of  W.  R.  Slade,  in  the 
Union  Manufacturing  company,  and  after  working  here  about  six 
months  the  mill  was  consumed  by  fire,  but  was  soon  rebuilt.  He 
occupied  the  position  of  foreman  of  the  carding  room  until  1859, 
when  he  became  a  stock  owner,  and  superintendent  of  the  manufac- 
turing work,  on  the  mill.  In  1873,  ^^  ^^^  chosen  president  of  the 
company,  still  having  supervision  of  the  work.  He  was  elected  repre- 
sentative to  the  legislature  in  1877.  He  has  now  been  in  Wolcott- 
ville nearly  thirty  years,  and  is  one  of  the  principal  stock  owners  in 
the  woolen  mill,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  all  his  goods  could  be  tied  up  in 
a  pocket  handkerchief  as  when  he  first  went  to  Bristol.  So  much 
for  steady  persevering  industry. 

Frederick  J.  Seymour, 
Son  of  Samuel  and  Lucy  (Taylor)  Seymour,  was  born  Oct,  14,  1825 
in  Wolcottville,  where  he  still  resides,  and  where  he  has  been  inti- 
mately connected  with  manufacturing  enterprises  which  have  given  to 
Wolcottville  some  of  its  impulses  to  prosperity.  He  has  been  in- 
terested thirty  years  in  the  manufacture  and  production  of  metals  and 
metal  goods,  as  a  specialty  connected  with  the  production  of  brass  and 
german  silver  wares.  He  was  engaged  with  the  Waterbury  brass 
company,  continuously  from  the  year  1847  ^°  1862,  and  during  the 
later  years  of  that  time  held  the  position  as  superintendent. 

76 


6o2  History  of  Torrington. 

Early  in  1862,  under  President  Lincoln's  call  for  300,000  volun- 
teers, he  gave  up  this  position  for  the  purpose  of  raising  a  company 
of  men  for  the  service  in  the  fourteenth  regiment,  C.  V.  ;  was  elected 
first  lieutenant,  and  in  August  of  the  same  year  the  regiment  to  which 
his  company  belonged  was  ordered  to  the  front  as  part  of  the  xVIorris 
brigade  of  French's  division  of  Sumner's  corps,  of  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  and  participated  in  nearly  all  the  engagements  of  that  event- 
ful year.  He  was  promoted  to  be. captain  of  Company  G,  of  the 
same  regiment  for  good  conduct  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  his  com- 
mission bearing  date  of  the  anniversary  of  that  celebrated  battle.  In 
December  of  1862,  and  after  the  battle  ot  Fredericksburg,  he  was 
attacked  by  typhus  fever,  which  after  partial  recovery,  was  followed 
by  fever  and  ague,  and  was  recommended  for  discharge  by  the  medi- 
cal director  of  the  division  to  which  his  regiment  belonged,  and  on 
the  24th  of  December,  was  honorably  discharged  for  disability. 

After  returning  home,  and  after  recoveiing  his  health  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  he  began  to  look  about  for  some  business  enterprise  in 
which  to  engage,  and  although  he  had  a  standing  invitation  to  return 
to  the  Waterbury  company,  yet  he  concluded  to  enter  upon  some 
enterprise  for  himself,  or  where  he  should  have  a  more  special  interest. 
Hence  in  the  spring  of  1863,  he  became  the  pioneer  of  certain  manu- 
facturing enterprises  in  Wolcottville,  which  have  been  followed  by 
great  advantage  and  prosperity  to  the  place  as  well  as  to  individuals. 
At  that  time  Wolcottville  was  in  a  state  of  almost  unbroken  sleep, 
if  not  approaching  decay,  property  of  every  description  being  at  its 
lowest  mark.  Almost  every  manufacturing  enterprise  in  and  around 
the  village  had  closed,  and  several  had  closed  in  bankruptcy  ;  the 
woolen  mill  and  brass  mill  held  on,  but  the  latter  held  by  doing 
almost  nothing. 

The  VVadhams  manufacturing  property  was  purchased  in  April  by  Mr. 
Seymour,  and  the  Seymour  Manufacturing  Company  organized,  and  the  manu 
facture  of  upholstery,  hardware,  and  other  metal  goods  of  a  similar  character 
was  commenced.  In  1866,  this  company  was  consolidated  with  the  company 
then  known  as  the  Turner  and  Clark  Company,  and  later  and  during  the  same 
year  consolidated  with  and  absorbed  the  Judd  Manufacturing  Company  of  New 
Haven,  and  the  name  of  the  company  became  the  Turner,  Seymour  and  Judd 
Company,  and  tliis  again  in  1873  was  changed  to  the  Turner  and  Seymour 
Company. 

It  was  during  Mr.  Seymour's  investigations  of  the  manufacturing  interests  in 
Wolcottville,  and  in  consequence  of  them  that  the  attention  of  Mr.  L.  W.  Coe 
was  turned  to,  and  his  purchase  of  the  brass  mill  property  finally  made  ;  the 
consequences  of  which,  because  of  the  success  of  that  enterprise,  have  been  very 
advantageous  to  the  community. 


Biographies.  603 

Mr.  Seymour  has  been  actively  engaged  in  business  during  a  notable  period 
in  the  history  of  the  development  of  manufacturing  enterprises  in  this  country, 
and  has  made  many  improvements  in  metals  and  appliances  for  working  metals, 
among  the  most  notable  is  the  improved  machine  for  spining  metals  ;  nearly  all 
sheet  metal  shell  work  used  in  this  country  for  chandeliers  and  lamps  beitig  made 
upon  these  machines,  nearly  forty  being  now  in  use.  He  has  secured  many 
patents  on  improvements,  some  of  them  having  been  used  with  success,  others 
superseded  bv  later  inventions  ;  and  of  the  study  of  these  improvements  there 
seems  to  be  no  end. 


Rev.  Henry  Martyn  Sherman, 

Son  of  Charles  H.  and  Lydia  (Crowfoot)  Sherman  of  Bridgeport, 
was  born  June  26,  1838.  He  prepared  for  college  at  West  Port 
academy,  a  classical  school  of  South  Port,  Ct.  He  then  took  a 
theological  course  of  study  at  the  Berkeley  Divinity  school  at  Mid- 
dletown,  Ct.,  and  was  ordained  deacon  in  the  Episcopal  church.  May 
25,  1864,  and  priest  March  8,  1865.  His  first  charge  was  in 
Colchester,  Conn.,  where  he  organized  a  parish  and  built  a  church. 
After  laboring  there  six  years  he  became  rector  of  Trinity  church  at 
TarifFville  where  he  remained  also  six  years  and  built  a  church.  He 
became  rector  of  Trinity  church  in  Wolcottville  September  i,  1876, 
and  is  successfully  and  energetically  prosecuting  the  work  for  which 
he  was  ordained. 

Elisha  Smith,  Esq^, 

Was  born  in  Farmington,  Ct.,  August  14,  1751,  and  came  to  Tor- 
rington  when  about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  married  Lucy, 
daughter  of  Aaron  Loomis  Jr.,  Nov.  25,  1773,  and  made  his  home 
with  his  father-in-law  ;  his  wife,  probably,  inheriting  most  of  the 
homestead  ;  the  house  standing  on  the  east  side  of  the  road.  He 
afterwards  built,  on  the  west  side  of  the  road,  the  house  still  standing  ; 
it  being  the  present  town  house.  It  was  a  commodious,  and  ample 
farmer's  house,  and  still  proclaims  somewhat  the  dignity  it  possessed 
when  its  builder  and  first  occupant  resided  in  it. 

Probably  no  man  has  enjoyed  higher  honors  and  had  them  con- 
tinued longer  to  him,  in  this  town,  than  Elisha  Smith  Esquire.  He 
was  elected  representative  the  first  time  in  1786,  and  the  last  time  in 
1812,  one  year  before  his  decease,  and  he  was  continued  in  that  honor 
a  large   proportion  of  the  intervening  years,   twenty-six   in  number. 

It  is  said  that  when  his  name  was  left  off  the  ticket  in  181 3,  tears 
expressed  the  sadness  of  his  heart  at  the  inevitable  decline  of  his  sun 


6o4 


History  of  Torrington. 


of  honor  and  association,  which  so  long  had  been  at  its  noon,  with  so 
clear  a  sky. 

He  was  town  clerk  eighteen  years,  to  the  time  of  his  decease. 
He  was  justice  of  the  peace  about  the  same  number  of  years  as  town 
clerk,  and  served  in  many  other  positions  of  public  trust,  during  the 
last  thirty-seven  years  of  his  life,  beginning  particularly  in  the  revo- 
lutionary war. 

Luring  the  time  of  the  laying  out  and  constructing  of  the  turnpikes  through 
the  territory,  the  town  was  in  litigation  with  the  turnpike  companies,  and  against 
other  road  projects,  and  Elisha  Smith  was  the  chosen  agent  of  the  town  in 
nearly  if  not  quite  all  those  cases,  showing  that  in  such  matters  no  man  was  re- 
garded as  well  qualified  as  he  to  defend,  and  secure  the  rights  of  the  town. 
This  was  a  great  compliment  to  his  knowledge  of  legal  matters  as  well  as  the 
command  he  had  of  the  confidence  of  the  people.  Nor  was  it  because  squire 
Smith  was  so  conservative  that  he  was  chosen  as  the  fit  agent  to  keep  the  town 
from  spending  a  dollar  towards  improvements,  that  he  was  thus  selected,  for  he 
is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  spirited  men  of  his  day, 
and  this  is  corroborated  by  the  style  and  appearance  of  his  own  dwelling  and 
farm. 

Taken  as  a  whole  he  was  one  of  the  most  intelligent,  reliable,  and  service- 
able men  the  town  ever  had,  and  in  return  it  did  well  in  bestowing  upon  him 
its  confidence  and  honor  to  a  greater  length  of  time  than  any  other  citizen  in 
the  territory. 

His  useful  and  honored  life  closed  January  9th,  1813,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years. 

His  widow,  Lucy  (Loomis)  Smith  survived  him  thirty-four  years,  dying  in 
1847,  at  the  house  of  her  son-in-law  in  Wolcottville,  General  Abernethy,  aged 
ninety-one  years.  She  was  a  remarkable  woman  ;  noble  in  character,  benevo- 
lent in  her  disposition,  possessing  a  great  memory,  even  to  the  close  of  life,  and 
an  agreeable  personal  appearance.  General  Abernethy  called  her  his  Dictionary 
for  if  he  failed  to  remember,  or  wanted  to  know  of  things  in  the  past  history 
of  the  town  or  country,  he  went  to  her,  and  with  such  unfailing  success  as  to 
merit  the  appropriated  name.  She  was  the  youngest  ot  those  tour  daughters  ot 
Aaron  Loomis  fr.,  who  married  so  remarkably  well  ;  their  husbands  all  being 
honored  with  public  office,  and  possessed  reliable,  disiinguished  characters,  and 
whose  names  were  Caleb  Lyman,  Wait  Beach,  Rial  Brace  and  Elisha  Smith. 
And  of  these  daughters  it  may  properly  be  said  there  was  not  "  a  black  sheep 
in  that  flock,"  neither  as  to  character,  nor  as  to  "  luck"  in  marriage. 

Charles  B.  Smith, 

Son  of  Nathaniel  and  Harriet  (Winchell)  Smith,  was  born  in  i8ro  ; 
and  educated,  and  trained  in  his  father's  store  to  be  a  merchant.  He 
possessed  well  balanced  and  noble  qualities  of  mind,  and  a  fine  per- 
sonal appearance.  He  also  possessed  musical  talent  and  during  many 
years,  as  a  young  man,  presided  at  the  organ  in  the  old  Torringford 
meeting  house  and  a  few  years  in  the  new  house,  and  thereby  greatly 


Biographies.  605 

aided  the  Rev.  Mr.  Goodman  in  the  Sabbath  services  of  the  house 
of  the  Lord.  About  1840,  to  '42,  Mr.  Smith  came  to  Wolcottville 
and  engaged  in  mercantile  business  for  himself,  in  the  old  store  on 
the  south  side  of  the  bridge  ;  now  the  Coe  furniture  building,  where 
he  continued  in  business. 

He  also  devoted  much  attention  to  raising  of  sheep  on  his  farm  in  the  edge 
of  New  Hartford,  and  also  considerable  attention  to  cattle.  He  or  his  father 
purchased  of  a  Winsted  farmer  one  of  the  first  or  the  first  Devonshire  cow  that 
was  brought  to  this  part  of  the  country  ;  and  this  cow,  after  remaining  on  this 
farm  a  few  years  was  purchased  by  John  Brown  (the  hero  of  Harper's  Ferry) 
and  taken  to  \*  estern  or  nortliern  New  York,  to  improve  the  stock  of  that  region. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Smith's  father,  he  also  continued  that  farm  for  the 
purpose  of  raising  sheep  and  cattle.  (Capt.  John  Brown  purchased  many 
sheep  and  cattle)  of  Mr.  Smith.  On  the  post  in  the  barn  now  standing 
in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Smith's  brick  house,  now  owned  by  Stanley 
Griswold,  is  the  following  record  made  by  Capt.  Brown  of  the  sheep 
he  bought  probably  at  onetime  ;  35  rams,  104,  50  ewes,  128  ;  80  ewes  (pro- 
bably of  another  sort)  158  ;  the  whole  amounting  to  $385.  On  another  post 
there  is  another  column  of  figures  amounting  to  762,  but  whether  these  mean 
animals  or  dollars  is  not  shown  ;  in  either  case  the  sum  was  considerable  ;  and 
reveals  somewhat  the  extent  of  farming  done  by  Mr.  Smith. 

He  was  also  employed  as  agent  to  buy  woo!  in  the  United  States  for  a  manu- 
facturing company  in  Rhode  Island  This  business  took  him  from  home 
some  two  or  three  months  in  a  year,  and  thereby  he  became  familiar  with  the 
wool  growing  business  throughout  this  country  and  Europe.  Hence  he  im- 
ported sheep  from  Europe,  and  was  constantly  improving  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  wool  on  his  own  farm,  and  selling  sheep  to  wool  growers  in  many 
parts  of  the  country,  specially  the  southern  and  western  states. 

In  consequence  of  this,  John  Brown,  while  engaged  in  the  wool  business,  was 
accustomed  to  call  on  Mr.  Smith,  once,  twice  and  sometimes  thrice  in  a  year, 
to  buy  wool  and  sheep  for  the  west  and  other  markets.  These  visits  are  well 
remembered  by  Mrs.  Smith,  who  says  the  old  captain  was  a  marvelously 
"  persevering  man,  always  on  the  go,  never  still,  never  idle.  He  would  be  up 
at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  or  earlier,  and  ofi^  to  the  lot  to  examine  sheep  ; 
be  out  all  day  in  rain  or  fair  weather  :  never  stopping  for  anything,  scarcely 
his  meals,  and  frequently  not  even  those."  Three  or  four  hours  of  sleep 
seemed  sufficient  for  him,  and  he  was  ready  for  a  marvelous  amount  of  "  go 
and  come"  or  nervous  endurance, 

Charles  B.  Smith  was  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  of  unusual  enterprise  as 
a  farmer,  and  of  noble  and  honorable  character. 

He  died  March  31,  1861,  leaving  a  widow  and  three  daughters,  but  one  of 
the  daughters  is  still  living. 

Jeremiah  Spencer 

Was  born  in  Bolton,  Ct.,  Feb.  5,  1770,  and  died  in  Torrington  Oct. 
22,  1863,  and  was  consequently  93  years  8  months  and  17  days  old. 
In  the  winter  of  1775  and  6,  his  father  removed  to  Wyoming,  taking 
with  him   six  of  his  eight    children,  Jeremiah   among  the   rest,  there 


6o6  History  of  Torrington. 

being  but  one  younger  than  he.  In  the  summer  after  their  removal 
the  father  died  of  small  pox. 

On  the  3d  of  July  1778,  occurred  the  terrible  battle  and  massacre 
of  Wyoming,  in  which  the  two  eldest  sons  were  killed,  leaving  the 
widow  with  four  children,  who  left  the  house  at  mi  Jnight,  when  the 
alarm  reached  them,  hastened  to  the  river,  and,  with  many  others, 
made  the  best  possible  speed  for  Harrisburg,  where  the  eldest  daughter 
was  taken  sick,  by  which  they  were  delayed  about  two  weeks,  after 
which  they  started  on  foot  for  their  old  home  in  Bolton,  crossing  the 
Delaware  at  Easton,  the  Hudson  at  Newburg,  and  on  the  fifth  of 
September  reached  the  Connecticut  at  Higley's  ferry,  having  been 
over  five  weeks  on  the  journey,  the  whole  of  which  Jeremiah  per- 
formed without  hat,  coat,  or  shoes. 

Mr.  Spencer  was  in  his  ninth  year  when  they  were  driven  from 
Wyoming,  and  though  not  in  the  battle,  nor  a  witness  of  it,  he  was 
old  enough  to  retain  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  trying  scenes  through 
which  he  passed,  and  during  the  more  than  sixty  years  which  he  spent 
in  Torrington,  he  loved  to  repeat  to  interested  listeners  the  tale  ot 
his  sufferings  on  that  long  and  dismal  journey,  though  his  lot  was 
pleasant  compared  with  that  of  the  people  who  came  directly  through 
the  wilderness,  or  "  shades  of  death,''  as  it  was  emphatically  called 
for  many  years. 

He  joined  the  church  in  Torringford  on  the  fourth  day  of  July 
1858,  just  eighty  years  from  the  day  he  left  Wyoming.  He  was  kind 
and  aftectionate  in  his  family,  pleasant  and  affable  in  his  intercourse 
with  the  world,  upright  in  his  dealings  ;  in  short  an  humble,  sincere 
Christian,  and  an  honest  man. 

Dr.  Bela  St.  John, 
Was  born  in  Wilton,  Fairfield  countv.  Conn.,  iMay  19,  1827.  His 
ancestors  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Norwalk,  Ct.,  are  traced 
back  to  William  the  Conqueror.  As  a  family  thev  have  been  noted 
for  their  firmness  to  their  convictions  of  what  was  right,  even  though 
the  right  was  with  the  minority.  It  is  said  of  the  doctor's  father  that 
when  criticised  at  a  church  meeting  because  he  alone  advocated  and 
voted  for  some  measure,  he  replied,  if  I  am  wrong  I  ought  to  be 
alone,  if  right  I  am  not  ashamed  to  be  alone. 

The  doctor  early  manifested  a  pleasure  in  taking  care  of  the  sick 
and  relieving  human  suffering,  but  from  circumstances  over  which 
he  had  no  control,  he  was,  in  1851,  compelled  to  relinquish  the  study 


Biographies.  607 

of  medicine  and  enter  upon  the  practice  of  dentistry,  with  the  late 
Doctor  H.  V.  Porter.  In  1857,  '"  Danbury,  Ct.,  he  made  the  first 
set  of  teeth  on  a  rubber  plate  ever  made  in  Fairfield  county,  and  in 
i860,  he  made  the  first  set  made  in  Litchfield  county.  He  has  lately 
secured  a  patent  for  a  new  plate  and  tooth,  said  by  all  dentists  to  be 
the  best  thing  yet  invented,  and  for  which  patent  he  is  offered  a 
liberal  price. 

In  1856,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  late  Dr.  William  E.  Buckley 
in  Danbury  and  began  the  study  of  homeopathic  medicine,  and  after- 
wards attended  lectures  at  the  New  York  Homeopathic  Medical 
college.  When  he  came  to  Wolcottville  homeopathy  was  a  big 
word,  and  only  a  thing  to  be  laughed  at,  there  being  only  two  persons 
in  the  village  who  used  strictly  homeopathic  medicines.  So  much 
prejudice  existed  in  the  community  that  during  the  first  year  or  two, 
persons  on  different  occasions  refused  to  go  tor  the  doctor  when  re- 
quested 10  do  so  by  their  sick  neighbors.  Others  said,  if  he  came 
into  their  yards  or  houses  they  would  kick  him  out,  and  various  ex- 
pressions of  the  kind  ;  all  indicating  only  the  opposition  to  that  system 
of  practice.  It  was  a  frequent  occurrence  for  persons  to  go  to  the 
sick  and  inform  them  and  their  friends  of  the  dangerous  course  they 
were  pursuing  in  trusting  to  a  homeopathic  physician,  and  in  one  case 
the  doctor  was  dismissed  by  a  neighbor  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
patient  or  his  family. 

But  quietly  and  devotedly  the  doctor  has  pursued  his  profession 
until  he  has  a  large  proportion  of  the  practice  throughout  the  region, 
and  the  general  sentiment  in  regard  to  this  system  of  practice  is  greatly 
changed  from  that  of  ten  years-  ago. 

Rev.  Jacob  Hurd  Strong, 

Was  born  December  26,  1828,  in  the  town  of  Haddam,  Ct.,  in  the 
ecclesiastical  society  of  Middle  Haddam,  and  was  the  son  of  Dea. 
Anson  and  Clarissa  (Hurd)  Strong.  His  paternal  grand  father  was 
David  Strong  of  East  Hampton,  Ct.,  and  his  maternal  grandfather 
was  Jacob  Hurd  of  Middle  Haddam. 

In  his  sixteenth  year  he  was  received  to  the  communion  of  the 
Congregational  church  of  his  native  place,  and  at  seventeen,  he  com- 
menced his  preparatory  course,  fitting  for  college  at  Brainard  academy 
in  his  native  town.  He  commenced  this  course  having  the  purpose 
of  becoming  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and  completed  this  preparation 
at   Monson  academy,  Mass.,  in  the  summer  of  1851,    and  in  the 


6o8  History  of  Torrington. 

autumn  following  entered  the  Freshman  class  in  Williams  college. 
Here  he  was  graduated  in  1854.  In  the  following  autumn  he  be- 
came connected  with  the  Theological  Institute  of  Connecticut,  then 
located  at  East  Windsor  hill,  where  he  was  graduated  in  July  1857. 
Mr.  Strong  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel  by  the  Franklin 
association  at  West  Hawley,  Mass.,  May  14,  1856,  a  little  more 
than  a  year  before  completing  his  theological  course.  In  September, 
following  his  graduation  at  the  seminary,  he  was  invited  to  preach  at 
New  Preston,  in  the  village  society,  where  he  was  ordained  pastor 
December  23,  1857.  Soon  after,  an  unusual  religious  interest  pre- 
vailed in  the  community,  and  as  the  result  twenty-seven  were  re- 
ceived to  the  church  on  profession  during  the  year,  of  all  ages  from 
fourteen  to  fifty. 

He  continued  pastor  of  this  church  until  May  1862,  when  this  relation  was 
dissolved  by  the  consociation.  In  August  following  he  received  an  invitation 
to  preach  at  Oxford,  where  he  was  installed  February  1  i,  1863,  where  he  con- 
tinued until  1865  ;  it  being  during  the  war  of  the  rebellion.  He  preached  his 
first  sermon  in  Torrington  November  12,  1865,  where  he  was  not  installed 
but  continued  as  acting  pastor  until  1869.  During  his  labors  here,  on  the 
week  of  fourth  ot  July,  Rev.  J.  D.  Potter  held  meetings  with  him  and  his  church 
five  days,  and  considerable  religious  interest  followed  ;  and  as  the  result,  twelve 
united  with  the  church.  Mr.  Strong  succeeded  in  raising  by  subscription  two 
thousand  dollars,  to  replace  that  amount,  which  had  been  used  of  the  perma- 
nent fund  of  the  society. 

As  the  result  of  mutual  advice,  the  incipient  steps  were  taken,  during  his  labors 
here,  for  removing  the  church  edifice  to  Torrington  hollow,  where  it  is  now 
located.  On  the  last  week  in  September,  1869,  Mr.  Strong  left  his  parish 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  youngest  .child,  to  go  to  California,  not  knowing 
but  that  he  might  return,  and  resume  his  labors.  During  the  next  six  months 
he  resided  in  Oakland,  Cal.,  and  preached  as  he  had  opportunity  in  different 
places.  In  March  the  next,  was  invited  to  preach  in  Soquel,  Santa  Cruz  Co., 
located  on  Monterey  bay.  Here  he  was  installed  over  the  Congregational 
church,  August  7,  1870,  where  he  remained  until  the  first  of  July,  1875. 
Having  resigned  this  relation,  he  removed  to  Santa  Cruz,  a  distance  of  three 
miles  where  he  conducted  a  classical  school  until  the  next  spring  In  April 
1876,  he  went  to  Ferndale,  Humboldt  county,  and  organized  in  that  place  a 
Congregational  church  and  society,  and  engaged  in  earnest  labor  in  a  rapidly 
increasing  community.  The  health  of  his  wife  has  very  much  improved,  and 
he  thinks  it  a  kindly  divine  Providence  that  guided  him  and  his  family  to  that 
climate,  and  the  good  work  which  he  is  enjoying  in  that  land  far  away  from 
the  home  of  his  early  days. 

Joseph  Taylor, 

Son  of  Ebenezer  Taylor  of  Litchfield,  came  to  Torrington  a  short 
time  before  his  marriage  in  1775.  His  father-in-law  Noah  Wilson 
gave  him  and  his  wife  five  acres  of  land  near  the  river,  on  the  west 


Biographies.  609 

side,  a  little  distance  above  the  old  saw  mill  ;  the  site  now  occupied 
by  an  old  barn,  at  the  foot  of  Allyn,  and  corner  of  High  streets. 
Mr.  Taylor  was  an  active,  energetic,  successful  farmer  and  business 
man,  and  made  himself  well  known  throughout  the  town,  as  such, 
in  regard  to  all  public  matters.  He  identified  himself  with  the  Tor- 
rington  church  about  the  time  of  the  building  of  the  second  meeting 
house  ;  was  elected  to  office  in  the  military  company  atter  the  Revo- 
lution. He  purchased  a  share  in  the  Wilson's  mill,  and  engaged 
more  specially  in  the  lumber  business  and  clearing  the  pine  swamp, 
and  probably  had  an  interest  in  the  first  and  second  carding  machines 
on  the  river.  He  and  his  wife  owned  considerable  land  in  the  pine 
swamp  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  some  of  which  was  partially  cleared 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  bridge  on  Main  street,  and  he  had  made 
some  preparations  for  building  a  tavern  on  the  site  of  the  Allen  House, 
and  most  likely  had  made  preparations  for  building  the  house  occu- 
pied by  his  son-in-law  Rockwell  about  1805  or  6. 

When  the  Torrington  turnpike  was  surveyed  in  1800,  he  was,  pro- 
bably, the  most  thorough,  and  capable  business  man  in  the  vicinity 
of  what  is  now  Wolcottville,  and  for  this  reason  was  sought  for  and 
employed  by  the  turnpike  company  to  build  that  road.  It  was  while 
engaged  on  this  road,  blasting  rocks  that  he  was  killed  by  a  blast, 
which  closed  his  energetic  and  useful  life.  Great  energy  and  per- 
severance seem  to  have  characterized  his  father's  family.  Two  of 
his  brothers  and  one  sister  went  to  Wyoming  before  the  Revolution, 
and  one,  Benjamin,  enlisted  in  that  war.  The  original  certificate  of 
dismission  of  Benjamin  Taylor  from  that  service,  signed  by  George 
Washington  is  in  the  possession  of  Charles  F.  Brooker  of  Wolcott- 
ville, and  reads  as  follows  : 

"By  his  excellency,  George  Washington,  Esq.,  general  and  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  forces  of  the  United  States  of  America  :  These  are  to  certify  that 
the  bearer  hereof  Benjamin  Taylor,  soldier  in  the  second  Continental  regiment, 
having  faithfully  served  the  United  States  from  Jure,  1777,  to  lune  1783,  and 
being  enlisted  for  the  war  only,  is,  hereby  discharged  from  the  American  army. 
Given  at  head  quarters,  the  9th  of  June,  1783. 

Go.  Washington. 

By  his  excellency's  command  ;  J.  Trumbull,  Jun.,  Sy.  registered  in  the 
books  of  the  regiment,  G.  Cuitiss,  adjutant. 

The  above  B.  Taylor  has  been  honored  with  the  badge  of  merit,  for  six 
years  faithful  service.  H.  Swift  Colo." 

That  was  a  sad  d.^.y  for  the  community  around  the  old  pine  swamp 
when  Joseph  Taylor  was  killed.  The  mantle  of  business  fell  on 
Ann  Wilson  Taylor,  and  she  was  equal  to  the  work  which  became 

77 


6io  History  of  Torrington. 

a  necessity.  Enterprising,  energetic  and  of  a  business  turn  of  mind, 
she  tooic  the  work  where  Mr.  Taylor  left  it  ;  bought  the  John 
Brooker  tavern  and  kept  it  as  such,  several  years,  then  she  and  her 
son  Uri,  resumed  the  work  her  husband  had  commenced,  and  built 
a  tavern,  the  first  that  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Allen  House, 
and  made  it  their  permanent  home. 

Mrs.   Ann  Taylor, 

Daughter  of  Noah  Wilson,  was  born  in  1751,  and  married  Joseph 
Taylor  in  1  775,  and  was  a  woman  of  very  decided  intellectual  ability, 
and  moral  character.  She  inherited  from  her  father,  that  steady, 
straight  forward,  persevering  character,  that  so  definitely  marked  his 
whole  life,  and  having  been  trained  in  the  puritanic  ideas  of  religion 
she  continued  in  them  to  her  latest  day.  The  keeping  of  the  Sab- 
bath was  a  law  never  to  be  broken  by  her,  and  some  of  her  grand- 
children can  tell  of  her  requirements  of  them  in  this  direction.  Her 
memory  was  very  tenacious  and  correct  as  she  often  demonstrated  by 
acting  as  a  concordance  to  the  Bible,  as  she  could  direct  where  to 
find  almost  any  passage  in  that  book,  and  she  could  tell,  it  is  said, 
most  of  the  public  occurrences  that  had  transpired  in  the  town  from 
its  first  settlement,  remembering  what  she  had  heard  as  well  as  what 
she  had  seen.  She  related  many  times  to  her  daughter  who  is  still 
living,  in  the  possession  of  very  excellent  memory,  also,  when  the 
Methodist  ministers  first  began  to  preach  at  her  brother's  house, 
Abijah  Wilson's,  about  1787  or  8,  and  when  the  Baptists  began  still 
earlier  to  preach  in  the  pine  grove  below  Wolcottville,  coming  from 
Litchfield  for  this  purpose. 

Her  brother  William  died  very  suddenly  and  she  suspicioned  that 
he  had  been  taking  mercury,  as  the  cause  of  some  peculiarity  in  his 
illness  in  the  last  twenty-four  hours.  Upon  this  she  obtained  the 
doctor's  prescription,  which  being  in  characters  she  could  not  read, 
and  then  rode  to  Litchfield  where  she  found  a  druggist  that  read  it, 
and  her  suspicions  were  fully  verified.  He  did  rot  know  that  he 
was  taking  such  medicine,  and  accidentally,  or  thoughtlessly,  sat  in  a 
carriage  while  making  a  call  a  little  time  on  a  very  damp  day,  and 
took  cold  in  consequence,  and  his  tongue  swelled  greatly,  and  he 
lived  only  about  twenty-four  hours  after  it. 

Her  husband  had  bought  a  yoke  of  oxen  about  a  year  before  he 
died,  and  she  knew  that  but  a  short  time  before  his  decease  he  went 
to  pay  the  note.      Some  few  months  after  his  death  the  note  was  pre- 


Capt.  URI  TAYLOR. 


Biographies.  6ii 

sented,  without  even  any  endorsement  on  it,  and  she  refused  to  pay 
it,  giving  as  a  reason  that  there  must  be  something  wrong  about  it.  In 
those  days  it  was  necessary  to  have  witnesses  to  a  note  to  make  it 
legal,  and  upon  examining  this  note  carefully  she  judged  that  one 
witness's  name  had  been  cut  off,  upon  which  suspicion  she  made  in- 
quiry as  to  who  signed  the  note,  and  after  some  weeks  ascertained 
that  the  name  of  one  witness  was  cut  off;  and  this  was  probably 
done  in  order  to  cut  off  the  indorsement.  She  then  employed  a 
lawyer  who  advised  her  to  let  the  note  come  into  court.  The  holder 
of  the  note  surmised  what  the  plan  was  and  that  the  witness  could 
be  found  whose  name  was  cut  off,  and  he  abandoned  the  case  and 
left  the  country.  Such  was  the  business  ability  and  persevering 
energy  of  this  woman. 

When  therefore  her  husband  was  departed  the  responsibility  of  the 
care  of  a  considerable  property,  and  business  enterprises  fell  to  her 
effort,  and  she  was  equal  to  the  work  placed  before  her.  She  did  not 
stand  in  amazement  repeating  the  forlorn  expression,  "  What  can  a 
woman  do  under  such  circumstances  ?"  but  took  the  work  where 
her  husband  left  it,  and  went  through  with  it  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  then  her  son  Uri  became  the  leader,  being  qualified  by  the 
practical  education  received  both  by  father  and  mother,  and  thus  a 
name  of  honor  and  benevolences  is  theirs  and  will  be  for  generations 
to  come. 

As  to  the  disastrous  consequences  to  physical  life  and  moral  char- 
acter, of  so  much  effort  of  mind  and  physical  endurance  the  only 
answer  necessary  to  be  given  is  that  she  lived  to  be  nearly  eighty- 
seven  years  of  age,  possessed  a  quiet,  contented  spirit,  and  clear  and 
valuable  intellectual  powers  to  the  last.      She  died  in  183S. 

Capt,  Uri  Taylor, 

Son  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (Wilson)  Taylor,  was  born  July  22,  1786, 
and  was  sixteen  years  of  age  when  his  father  was  killed  by  accident. 
His  only  brother  was  two  years  younger  than  himself,  and  henc^ 
much  care  and  responsibility  fell  upon  him,  as  to  his  mother's  family, 
and  the  business  enterprises  his  father  was  engaged  in  at  the  time  of 
his  decease.  Under  the  direction  of  his  mother  the  plans  of  his  father 
were  carried  forward  with  decided  energy  and  success,  and  when  he 
became  of  age,  he  moved  forward  in  the  same  line  of  progress  and 
improvement  for  the  village  and  the  town.  From  1812  to  1830, 
there  was  probably  no  man  that  did  as  much  directly  for  the  improve- 


6i2  History  of  Torrington. 

ment  of  the  village  as  he,  both  as  to  work  and  cheerful  good  will, 
and  also  the  use  or  giving  of  money.  He  was  one  of  the  first  officers, 
if  not  the  first  one,  of  the  village  school  district,  and  it  is  most  pro- 
bable that  the  first  school  house  was  built  mostly  at  his  expense, 
about  1 8 14.  He  built  several  dwelling  houses  and  sold  them  as  pur- 
chasers came  into  the  place,  and  also  put  up  buildings  at  the  require- 
ment of  others.  About  1819,  he  with  his  mother  erected  the  hotel 
called,  the  Taylor  House  ;  now  the  Allen  House-,  and  in  it  conduct- 
ed the  hotel  many  years.  His  mother  and  he  had  kept  the  tavern 
at  the  John  Brooker  house  south  of  the  bridge  from  about  1806,  until 
the  erection  of  the  new  one,  and  therefore  were  not  new  hands  at  the 
business. 

About  1827,  perhaps  earlier,  he  commenced  the  work  which  re- 
sulted in  giving  to  Wolcottville  its  first  church  edifice  and  parsonage. 
For  these  he  furnished  the  ground  ;  assumed  the  responsibility  of 
building  ;  accepting  such  contributions  of  material  and  labor  as  the 
friends  of  the  enterprise  were  able  to  furnish  ;  then  completed  the 
buildings  and  after  a  short  time,  during  which  a  legal  society  was 
organized,  turned  over  the  property  to  rhe  society  with  the  one  re- 
servation of  a  seat  for  his  descendants,  during  a  certain  length  of  time, 
two  or  three  generations.  The  society  is  still  fulfilling  its  part  of 
the  agreement. 

Mr.  Taylor  was  known  far  and  near  in  consequence  of  his  public 
position  as  hotel  keeper,  and  was  regarded  with  much  favor  by  the 
general  public.  In  1841  and  2,  he  was  a  representative  to  the  legis- 
lature, and  was  honored  at  other  times  by  elections  to  offices  in  the 
town,  of  responsibility  and  honor,  and  was  regarded  as  a  benevolent, 
kindly  disposed,  but  energetic  business  man. 

In  politics  he  was  a  federalist  and  whig,  until  about  1852,  when  he 
became  a  democrat,  and  in  the  anti  slavery  times  he  was  free  and 
earnest  in  his  denunciations  of  the  abolitionists,  whom  he  opposed 
with  a  hearty  relish  ;  nor  did  it  please  him  in  the  least  that  the  church 
he  with  so  much  cordial  good  feeling  had  built  was  some  times  used 
by  those  who  would  speak  against  slavery.  He  had,  it  is  said,  several 
talks  with  John  Brown,  in  which  the  excitement  ran  high.  Brown 
was  the  cooler  of  the  two  and  more  than  a  match  as  to  argument, 
but  Taylor  was  very  decided,  and  very  emphatic  in  his  fears  as  to  the 
consequences  such  agitation  would  bring  upon  the  country,  and  the 
last  talk  he  had  with  Brown,  when  driven  to  extremity  he  exclaimed, 
*'  why  Brown  if  you  go  on  in  this  way  you  will  end  your  days  on  the 


'.^;o>';^\>SK'. 


Biographies.  613 

gallows,"  and  so  it  was,  and  in  so  dying  his  name  has  become 
honored  as  a  hero,  beyond  that  of  almost  any  other  American  citizen. 

By  this  remark  it  is  clear  that  Captain  Taylor  was  not  slow  to 
discern  and  understand  the  mind  of  the  American  public,  and  that 
his  conservative  principles  had  their  foundation  in  conscientiousness 
and  fear  of  consequences,  rather  than  in  the  want  of  a  benevolent  dis- 
position, but  John  Brown  knew  no  such  caution  or  fear,  for  with  him 
only  one  question  merited  consideration  ;  what  was  right  must  be 
done  even  if  one  should  hang  for  it. 

Captain  Uri  Taylor  did  much  for  his  own  village  and  town,  was 
much  respected,  and  is  still  kindly  remembered  by  the  community 
generally. 

Elisha  Turner, 
Was    born  at    New  London,   Ct.,   Jan.    20,    1822,  and   received   a 
common  school  education  and  attended  the  academies  of  Suffield  and 
Colchester. 

Received  his  business  education  in  a  dry  good  store  at  New  London 
and  went  into  business  for  himself  before  he  was  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  and  had  considerable  interest  in  the  whale  fishing  some  years. 
In  consequence  of  poor  health  he  sold  his  business  at  New  London 
and  removed  to  Waterbury  in  the  spring  of  1846,  and  conducted  the 
dry  goods  trade  two  years,  when  with  others,  in  1848,  he  started  the 
hook  and  eye  business  under  the  name  of  the  Waterbury  Hook  and 
Eye  Company,  in  which  he  was  the  president  and  financial  manager, 
and  continued  as  such  to  the  removal  of  the  company  to  Wolcottville 
in  1864,  and  the  formation  of  the  new  company  called  Turner  and 
Clark  Manufacturing  Company,  which  js  now  the  Turner  and  Sey- 
mour Company. 

Mr.  Turner  has  represented  the  town  in  the  legislature  and  has 
always  been  prominent  in  all  public  enterprises  and  responsibilities 
of  high  moral  character,  and  is  a  most  reliable  and  substantial  citizen. 

Major  Isaiah  Tuttle, 

Was  born  in  North  Haven,  May  23,  1752,  and  came  to  Torrington 
about  1772,  on  the  west  side  of  the  town,  where  he  married  Ruth, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Amos  Wilson.  After  the  birth  of  three  children 
he  removed  to  Torringford  Society,  northeast  corner,  when  it  was 
a  wilderness,  and  built  a  house,  and  commenced  clearing  the  lands. 
It  is  said  that  before  removing  his  family  to  this  part  of  the  town  he 


6i4  History  of  Torrington. 

spent  some  time  here,  preparing  for  his  family,  and  that  he  was  obliged 
to  keep  fires  at  night  to  keep  the  wolves  at  a  distance,  as  they  were 
inclined  to  be  troublesome. 

Previous  to  burning  the  brush  on  the  land,  he  set  an  orchard, 
which  he  bent  to  the  ground  and  covered  with  earth  to  prevent  the 
fire  from  burning  them.      The  orchard  is  still  in  a  bearing  condition. 

Major  Tuttle  was  a  hard  working  man  and  acquired  quite  a  landed 
property  ;  owning  lands  in  the  towns  of  Torrington,  Winchester, 
New  Hartford  and  Barkhamsted.  He  erected  the  first  house  in  that 
corner  of  the  town,  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  granddaughter, 
Mrs.  O.  L.  Hopkins.  In  1803,  he  built  a  large  two  story  house, 
opposite  the  original  one,  which  with  a  portion  of  the  land  of  the  old 
homestead,  was  inherited  by  his  son  Leverette  Tuttle,  and  in  turn 
was  inherited  by  his  grandson  John  L.  Tuttle,  who  now  owns  and 
occupies  the  homestead. 

Major  Tuttle  was  noted  for  his  wit  and  hospitality  ;  many  of  his 
sayings  are  quoted  still  by  the  old  people. 

From  the  Winchester  Annals^  the  following  is  illustrative.  "  A 
hardy  race  were  these  South  street  pioneers,  from  Still  river  bridge  to 
Major  Isaiah  Tuttle's,  who  sifted  their  corn  meal  for  hasty  pudding, 
'through  a  ladder.'"  The  major  remarked  that  by  working  bare- 
footed in  the  stubble  fields,  their  heels  became  so  hard  and  flinty 
that  if  they  happened  to  tread  on  the  feet  of  their  cattle  it  would 
make  them  bellow. 

"Apropos  of  the  major;  the  horse-tamer,  who  could  ride  any  thing  but 
chain-lightning  ;  was  with  his  bovs  felling  timber  on  the  top  of  the  rid^e  of 
mountains.  'Ihev  felled  a  tail  tree,  so  that  one-third  of  its  length  extended 
over  a  precipice  of  some  twenty  or  thirty  feet.  The  major  ordered  his  eldest 
son  to  go  out  on  the  trunk  and  cut  away  the  tTp.  Uriel  went  out  and  after 
striking  a  few  blows  came  back  with  a  swimming  head.  Daniel  was  sent  out  to 
finisii  the  job,  but  soon  came  back  equally  dizzv.  After  blazing  away  in  his 
characteristic  manner  at  his  bovs  for  their  want  of  pluck  the  major  took  his  axe 
and  went  out  himself,  and  chopped  away,  until  the  top  of  the  tree  unexpectedly 
yielded.  He  was  standing  with  a  foot  on  each  side  of  the  chopping,  and  as  the 
one  on  the  top  section  yielded  he  lost  his  presence  of  mind,  and  instead  of 
grasping  the  main  body  of  the  tree,  threw  his  arms  around  the  falling  section 
and  went  down  with  it.  The  boys,  hastening  around  the  precipice,  came  to 
the  landing  place  of  the  lop  of  the  tree,  and  found  the  major  bruised  and 
wounded,  but  on  his  feet,  wiping  away  with  green  leaves  the  blood  that  was 
flowing  into  his  eyes  and  mouth  from  a  wound  in  his  forehead.  '  Father,  said 
one  of  the  boys,  you  have  had  a  terrible  fall.'  'Yes!  yes!'  said  the  major, 
'  a  terrible  fall  !   Adam's  fall  was   nothing  to  this  !  '  " 

Major  Tuttle  had  a  ten  year  old  bull  in  the  lot  with    other  cattle, 


Biographies.  615 

which  he  ordered  his  son  and  hired  man  to  drive  out  of  the  lot,  and 
put  him  elsewhere.  They  went  and  after  chasing  him  around  in  the 
field  for  a  long  time  gave  it  up  and  reported  to  the  major  that  they 
could  not  get  him  out.  He  said  he  was  very  sorry  he  had  a  son  and 
hired  man  who  could  not  get  a  bull  out  of  a  lot  ;  he  would  try  what 
he  could  do  with  the  critter.  He  took  with  him  a  dish  of  salt,  and 
on  his  way  cut  two  large  clubs.  When  he  reached  the  lot,  having 
let  down  the  bars  on  his  way,  he  gave  the  cows  some  salt,  the  bull 
seeking  his  share  as  well,  and  watching  his  opportunity  the  major, 
with  a  single  leap,  sprang  to  the  back  of  his  bullship,  which  in  fright 
started  for  dear  lite  on  a  run,  making  a  hideous  bellowing  as  he  sped 
across  the  lot  ;  while  the  major,  with  a  club  in  each  hand,  tanned  his 
bulls  hide  vigorously,  and  by  hitting  him  on  the  side  of  the  head  as 
was  proper,  guided  him  across  the  field  under  full  sail  and  out  into 
the  highway. 

This  somewhat  indicates  the  spirit  and  energy  of  the  major,  and 
also  of  his  descendants.  They  were  prompt,  energetic,  spirited, 
courageous,  and  the  end  is  not  yet. 

General  Uriel  Tuttle, 

Son  of  Isaiah  and  Ruth  (Wilson)  Tuttle,  was  born  in  Torrington  in 
1774,  and  spent  his  life  at  the  north  end  of  Torringford  street,  as  an 
energetic,  industrious,  successful  farmer.  He  was  a  man  of  large  in- 
fluence, not  only  in  the  town,  but  throughout  the  county,  and  con- 
siderably so  through  the  northern  portion  of  the  state. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  on  the  death  of  Gene- 
ral Tuttle,  by  his  neighbor,  Dea.  Thomas  A.  Miller,  to  the  Repub- 
lican^ is  a  proper  tribute  to  the  character  of  this  good  and  great  man  : 

"  Of  the  numerous  virtues,  and  enlarged  philanrhropy  of  General  Tuttle, 
those  only  who  were  intimately  acquainted  with  him  can  form  a  jubt  appreci- 
ation. His  eye  was  quick  to  perceive,  his  heart  to  feel,  and  his  hand  to  relieve 
the  wants  of  his  fellow  men.  He  was  ready  to  enlist  in  any  effort  for  the 
amelioration  of  suffering  humanity.  Possessed  of  an  indomitable  energy  of 
character,  he  would  surmount  and  overcome  the  most  formidable  obstacles. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist  in  the  temperance  reform,  and  threw  his 
influence  into  that  cause  at  a  time  when  nothing  was  gained  but  obloquy  and 
reproach.  He  ever  remained  firm  and  undaunted  in  this  cause,  until  his  death  ; 
for  only  a  few  hours  before  he  was  stricken  down  by  the  hand  of  death,  he  was 
engaged  in  devising  plans  for  the  advancement  of  this  reform. 

His  efforts  and  untiring  zeal  in  the  cause  of  emancipation  are  too  well  known 
to  the  public  in  this  state  to  need  a  delineation.  Those  who  stood  with  him 
in  the  time  which  tried  men's  souls  know  as  no  others  can  the  value  of  his 
counsels  and  self-denying  labors.      For  many  years  and  until  his  death  he  was 


6i6  History  of  Torrington. 

president  of  the  Litchfield  County  Anti-Slavery  Society,  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  the  president  of  the  State  An'.i-Slavery  Society. 

His  house  was  literally  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  panting  fugitive,  and  his 
purse  and  team  were  often  employed  to  help  him  forward  to  a  place  of  safety. 
No  man  watched  with  more  interest  the  advance  of  t^iis  cause,  in  this  and  other 
lands,  or  longed  more  ardently  for  its  ultimate  success.  But  his  work  is  done. 
That  voice  so  often  raised  in  behalf  of  suffering  humanity  is  hushed  in  death  ; 
that  heart  which  was  wont  to  beat  quick  for  the  down  trodden  and  crushed  bond- 
man has  beat  its  last  ;  those  hands  which  were  prompt  to  relieve  the  wants  of 
the  distressed,  are  palsied  in  death. 

While  we  sympathize  with  the  afflicted  family,  and  while  we  deplore  our 
loss,  and  the  loss  which  every  philanthropic  cause  has  sustained,  let  us  who  sur- 
vive be  incited  to  do  with  our  might  what  our  hands  find  to  do." 

Rev.  Herman  L.  Vaill, 

Was  born  in  Litchfield,  Dec.  7,  1794;  united  with  the  Congrega- 
tional church  there  in  May,  1816  ;  was  disabled  by  ill  health  from  a 
collegiate  course  ;  began  the  study  of  divinity  under  Rev.  Joseph 
Harvey,  D.D.,  of  Goshen,  in  1821  ;  was  licensed  by  the  Litchfield 
South  Association,  Oct.  15,  1822;  was  ordained  pastor  at  Milling- 
ton,  April  6,  1825,  and  dismissed  April  i,  1828  ;  was  pastor  at  East 
Lyme  eight  years,  and  came  to  Torringford  and  was  settled  pastor 
two  years,  being  dismissed  Sept.  29,  1839.  He  was  afterwards  settled 
at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  three  years.  He  was  obliged  thereafter  to 
decline  several  invitations  to  settle,  because  of  enfeebled  health,  and 
returned  to  Litchfield  county  in  1848,  and  preached  at  Milton  two 
years,  after  which  he  preached  only  occasionally  until  his  decease. 
His  widow  resides  in  Litchfield. 

George  D.  Wadhams, 

Son  of  Seth  Wadhams  of  Goshen,  was  born  in  Cornwall  in  1800, 
and  became  clerk  for  R.  C.  Abernethy  at  Torrington  green,  some 
time  during  his  minority  and  came  to  Wolcottville,  about  1825,  and 
entered  the  store  with  John  Hungerford  as  partner,  where  Workman 
and  Weeks  now  are,  where  he  continued  many  years  in  the  mercantile 
business.  In  1836,  this  store  was  united  with  the  woolen  mill  and 
Messrs.  Hungerford  and  Wadhams  became  partners  of  the  mill  com- 
pany, and  the  former  giving  his  time  to  the  work  of  manufacturing, 
the  latter  gave  his  time  to  the  store,  and  other  enterprises  of  business 
but  did  not  long  continue  with  the  woolen  mill  company.  Mr. 
Wadhams  was  an  enterprising,  energetic  business  man  and  citizen, 
and  his  plans  and  methods  of  business  would  have  brought  him  better 


Biographies.  617 

remuneration  if  they  could  have  been  executed  fifty  years  later  or  in 
a  large  city,  for  all  his  work  was  thorough  and  honorable  but  much 
of  it  on  too  large  a  scale  for  the  limited  returns  he  could  realize  in 
so  small  a  community.  He  built  the  house  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Smith,  and  after  residing  in  it  some  years  sold  it  to 
Israel  Coe,  and  afterwards  built  the  dwelling,  now  the  residence  of 
Ransom  Holly.  By  his  directions  and  counsels  a  stock  company 
was  organized  and  the  first  button  shop  ot  the  place  built  ;  which 
was  afterwards,  the  papier  machie  shop,  in  which  business  he  was 
still  stock  owner.  He  was  engaged  in  several  other  manufacturing 
companies,  as  stock  owner  and  officer  ;  in  all  of  which  he  seems  to 
have  been,  and  is  so  spoken  of  by  many,  an  honorable,  upright, 
generous  hearted  man.  Mr.  Wadhams  also  built  the  granite  block, 
an  ornament  to  the  village,  in  which  is  the  Wadhams  Hall,  and  in- 
asmuch as  the  community  are  enjoying  and  will  be  for  many  years 
the  benefits  of  that  hall  at  the  expense  of  Mr.  Wadhams  it  would  be 
a  matter  of  decided  exhibition  of  want  of  gratitude  if  that  hall  should 
be  called  anything  but  Wadhams  Hall. 

Mrs.  Caroline  H.  Hayden  Wainwright, 

Daughter  of  Cicero  and  Sophia  (Squires)  Hayden,  married  Rev. 
Jonathan  A.  Wainwright,  M.D.,  of  Montpelier,  Vt.,  Sept,  8,  1858. 
He  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Horatio  Potter,  in  Trinity 
church,  New  York  city,  June  27,  1858,  and  became  assistant  of  the 
rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Transfiguration  in  that  city  ;  resigned 
that  position,  Sept.  8,  1858,  and  took  temporary  charge  of  St.  John's 
church  near  Fort  Caswell,  N.  C.  ;  served  at  that  military  post  one 
year,  when  he  became  rector  of  St.  John's  church,  Wilmington,  N. 
C.  ;  where  he  was  ordained  priest  on  Ascension  day.  May  17,  i860; 
held  that  position  until  Nov.,  1861.  From  that  time  until  Sept., 
1862,  he  had  no  settled  charge,  but  officiated  on  Sundays  at  Milton 
and  Bantam  in  Litchfield.  He  was  elected  chaplain  of  the  19th 
Regt.  Conn.  Vols.,  or  2d  Conn.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  resigned 
that  office,  March,  i,  1863.  He  became  rector  of  St,  John's 
church,  Salisbury,  Conn.,  March  27,  1863,  which  position  he  re- 
signed in  1 87 1.  He  is  now  president  of  St.  Paul's  college  in  Pal- 
myra, Mo. 

Lauren  Wetmore, 
Son    of   Ebenezer    L.    and   Elizabeth   (Miller)    Wetmore,    married 
Fanny  C.  Austin  in  1827.      He   has   been  an  active,  energetic  busi- 

78 


6i8  History  of  Torrington. 

ness  man,  and  an  enterprising,  progressive  citizen,  encouraging  every 
moral,  philanthropic,  and  elevating  enterprise.  He  joined  the  first 
temperance  society  organized  in  Litchfield  county,  when  he  was 
about  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  is  still  forcibly  and  heartily 
proclaiming  total  abstinence  and  no  license  principles  through  the 
village  paper,  the  Wolcottville  Register.  ^ 

He  united  with  the  church  and  worked  in  it  with  success  and 
acceptability  to  the  people.  Joined  the  abolitionists  about  1837,  and 
worked  in  this  cause  amid  difficulties  and  at  considerable  cost.  As 
the  conflict  increased  and  the  cause  of  human  freedom  seemed  more 
and  more  imperilled,  he  lost  confidence  in  the  church,  believing  it 
to  be  a  pro-slavery  organization,  and  left  it,  very  much  to  the  regret 
of  many  of  his  friends,  but  doubtless  very  much  to  his  own  comfort  of 
moral  rectitude.  He  has  resided  in  his  native  town  all  his  life 
except  eighteen  years  spent  in  mercantile  business  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  is  in  full  vigor  of  intellect  and  his  natural  strength  but 
little  abated  though  now  in  his  seventy-fifth  year.  He  remembers 
well  the  eclipse  of  the  sun  in  June,  1806,  though  he  could  not  at 
that  time  comprehend  the  fearful  apprehensions  of  the' good  fathers 
concerning  such  events.  Of  the  district  school  when  he  attended 
it,  he  says. 

*'  It  was  small  in  summer  and  large  in  winter  ;  sixty  or  more,  in  the  latter 
case,  of  boys  and  girls,  many  of  them  sixteen  and  eighteen  years  of  age,  onlya 
few  of  whom  formed  a  grammar  class  and  remained  after  school  hours  to  re- 
ceive instruction,  as  it  was  judged  that  the  regular  hours  of  the  sehool  should 
not  be  dissipated  by  the  intrusion  of  the  almost  needless  study  of  grammar. 
Morse's  descriptive  geography,  with  a  very  stinted  allowance  of  maps,  met  with 
more  general  reception  than  grammar  and  a  few  more  applied  themseKes  to 
this  branch  of  learning.  Dabol's  arithmetic  was  the  only  mathematical  series 
known  in  the  school  In  reading,  the  American  Preceptor  and  C  'lumbian 
Orator  comprised  the  series  unless  some  of  the  smaller  readei-s  were  given  the 
New  Testament  as  the  intermediate  between  the  spelling  book  and  the  Precep- 
tor. Dilworth's  and  afterwards  Webster's  spelling  books  were  the  standards, 
but  few  persons  having  heard  of  or  seen  any  othcis.  Of  the  fine  arts,  writing 
was  the  chief,  drawing  being  a  punishable  offence,  as  it  was  never  indulged  in 
except  tor  mischief.  To  excel  in  writing  was  an  honor  not  easily  won,  and 
in  this  I  remember  Gerry  Grant  as  the  most  distinguished.  Of  all  those  who 
used  to  crowd  into  the  old  school  house  only  one  or  two  arc  left,  the  others 
are  gone  beyond  the  shadows,  whither  all  must  soon  follow." 

Besides  giving  adheretice  to  all  moral  reforms,  Mr.  Wetmore  is  a  strong,  ac- 
tive supporter  of  educational  interests,  and  has  devoted  much  time  and  money, 
and  is  doing  the  same  still,  in  behalf  of  the  high  school  of    Wolcottville.      For 


'See  Register  Dec.    1875. 


Biographies.  619 

this  institution  he  gave  the  lot  on  which  it  is  located,  and  is  continually  exerting 
his  influence  for  an  efficient,  thorough  and  advantageous  system  of  public  in- 
struction. 

Capt.  Noah  Wilson, 
Son  of  Dea.  John  Wilson,  of  Windsor,  was  born  in  1715,  and 
married  in  Windsor,  Ann,  daughter  of  William  Cook,  one  of  the 
original  proprietors  of  Torrington  lands.  Noah  received  from  his 
father  about  fifty  acres  of  land  and  his  wife  about  as  much  more  from 
her  father,  from  the  first  division  and  probably  more  afterwards.  He 
and  his  wife  joined  the  Torrington  church  in  the  spring  of  1742,  or 
about  two  years  after  Deacon  John  Cook,  and  was  probably  the  first 
settler  between  deacon  Cook's  and  the  pine  timber,  now  Wolcottville. 
His  brother  Amos  probably  lived  with  him  ten  or  more  years  before 
marriage.  Amos  bought  the  mill  privileges,  but  soon  after  Noah 
took  one-fourth  of  the  property,  Amos  retaining  the  same  amount 
and  others  the  rest.  Noah  seems  to  have  attended  more  to  his  farm 
and  farm  work,  and  buying  land,  and  his  sons  bought  land,  almost 
everywhere,  in  the  town  but  specially  in  Mast  swamp,  and  his 
daughter  Ann  bought  land  and  sold  land  in  various  parts  of  Mast 
swamp,  with  her  husband,  Joseph  Taylor. 

Noah  Wilson  was  not  a  speculator  in  lands  ;  he  bought  to  keep, 
and  it  would  not  have  hurt  his  feelings  much  if  he  had  owned  half  of 
the  town.  Not  that  he  would  wish  others  driven  away,  but  he  liked 
land,  and  liked  to  clear  it,  and  see  it  improved,  and  let  Amos  do  the 
work  of  the  merchant. 

He  was  probably  the  first  military  captain  in  the  town,  but  resigned 
and  his  brother  Amos  was  elected  to  fill  his  place  before  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

Noah  Wilson  was  a  true  blue  puritan  in  principles  and  character  ; 
steady  on  the  same  track  ;  so  much  so  that  it  almost  takes  one's 
breath  to  think  of  it.  True  to  the  pilgrims'  idea  of  the  Bible,  so 
that  any  one  in  the  town  knew  just  what  principles  he  held  in  religion, 
and  what  he  would  do  when  those  principles  should  be  put  to  the  test 
as  well  as  he  himself  knew.  He  was  so  sedate,  so  regular  in  all  his 
doings,  so  strict  in  religious  principles,  that  the  youngsters  called  him 
"  His  Majesty." 

Under  such  circumstances,  it  may  easily  be  seen  how  afflictive  it 
was  to  him  when  his  son  Abijah  became  a  Methodist,  and  one  of  the 
first  Methodists  in  the  state,  probably  about  1776  or  7.  But  the 
devoted  Christian  life  of  Abijah  and  his  noted  good  wife,  somewhat 


620  History  of  Torringto 


N. 


modified  the  old  gentlemen's  opinions  of  the  Methodists,  and  their 
doctrines. 

He  closed  his  earthly  career  March  9th,  1796,  aged  81  years. 
Such  is  an  outline  of  the  life  of  one  of  many  of  the  early  settlers  and 
the  strict  followers  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  as  taught  and  re- 
ceived by  the  New  England  people  during  the  first  century  and  a  half 
after  its  settlement.  Whatever  notions  may  be  entertained  as  to  the 
errors  of  interpretation  given  to  Bible  statements  in  those  days, 
or  any  errors  of  practical  life,  there  is  certainly  great  pleasure  arising 
from  the  consideration  of  such  fidelity,  integrity,  and  nobleness  of 
character  as  was  produced  in  those  times.  In  this  respect  the  present 
age  does  not  surpass  that  of  a  hundred  years  ago. 

Amos  Wilson, 

Son  of  Dea.  John  and  Mary  Marshall  Wilson,  was  born  in  Windsor 
in  1726,  and  came  to  Torrington  a  young  man  and  united  with  the 
Torrington  church  in  1752,  worked  here  ten  or  more  years  before 
his  marriage  to  Zerviah,  daughter  of  William  Grant,  in  1762.  He 
settled  on  a  farm  given  him  by  his  father,  one  mile  west  of  the  then 
pine  swamp,  where  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
industry,  and  could  "  turn  his  hand  "  to  almost  any  kind  of  work  or 
business  enterprises  of  that  day,  as  is  evident  from  his  account  book 
still  preserved. 

Before  his  marriage  he  and  his  elder  brother  Noah  entered  into 
the  enterprise  of  building  the  saw  mill,  known  ever  after  as  Wilson's 
mill,  and  wherein  he  and  '^his  brother  did  a  great  amount  of  hard, 
heavy  work,  both  night  and  day  during  many  years.  How  many 
days  and  years  of  cold  and  wet  and  heat,  they  endured,  about  that 
saw  mill  and  in  the  woods  "  getting  out  logs,"  and  afterwards  in  the 
grist  mill  also,  cannot  now  be  numbered  nor  imagined,  but  they  were 
very  many  and  the  endurances  very  great.  And  thus  the  land  was 
cleared  for  a  beautiful  village  and  for  generations  who  might  follow. 
The  work  was  hard,  unceasing,  and  brought  small  remuneration. 

Amos  Wilson  kept  articles  for  sale  as  a  merchant,  probably,  in 
his  dwelling  house,  such  as  tea,  sugar,  indigo,  silks,  buttons,  cloths 
and  such  things  as  were  not  raised  in  the  town  as  well  as  the  native 
productions  of  the  soil. 

He  was  a  man  of  considerable  influence  in  the  ecclesiastical  society  and  in 
the  church,  at  the  time  the  second  meeting  house  was  built.  He  furnished 
material  tor  that  house  nearly  two  years  before  it  was  opened  for  service,  and 


Biographies.  621 

did  much  to  secure  its  final  completion.  All  through  the  church  difficulties  he 
sustained  the  side  that  finally  built  the  new  house  and  maintained  steady  public 
worship.  He  was  thorough  and  straightforward  in  religious  as  well  as  business 
life.  When  Mindwell  Grant  did  not  live  with  her  husband,  and  the  church 
people  were  much  exercised  about  it,  Amos  VV'ilson  did  not  try  to  satisfy  him- 
self with  a  great  amount  of  talk,  but  preferred  charges  against  her,  and  believed 
in  doing  something,  and  he  made  the  church  do  sometliing,  and  thereby  the 
matter  was  peaceably  settled.  When  Dea.  Abel  Hinsdale  became  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  order,  Amos  Wilson  stopped  going  to  church,  and  refused 
fellowship  with  such  a  deacon,  and  a  church  that  would  keep  such  an  one  ;  but 
when  the  deacon  on  oath  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  declared  that  there  was 
nothing  in  the  Masonic  oath,  that  was  contrary  to  the  character  of  a  true 
Christian,  so  far  as  he  could  judge,  Mr.  Wilson  was  satisfied,  and  that  matter 
ended  peacefully,  and  in  edification  to  all. 

The  following  is  the  only  paper  of  the  kind  given  during  the  Revo- 
lution, that  has  been  found  : 

"Jonathan  Trumbull,  Esq.,  Captain  General  and  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  English  colony  of  Connecticut,  in  New  England,  in  America. 

To  Amos  Wilson,  Greeting: 
You  being  by  the  General  Assembly  of  this  Colony,  appointed  to  ht  captain 
of  a  company  now  ordered  to  be  raised  in  this  colony,  and  to  join  the  conti- 
nental army,  reposing  especial  trust  and  confidence  in  your  fidelity,  courage  and 
good  conduct,  I  do,  by  virtue  of  the  laws  of  this  colonv,  me  thereunto  enabling, 
appoint  and  empower  you,  the  said  Amos  Wilson,  to  be  captain  of  said  com- 
pany ;  you  are  therefore,  carefully  and  diligently  to  discharge  the  duty  of  a 
captain  in  leading,  ordering  and  exercising  said  company  in  arms,  both  inferior 
officers  and  soldiers,  in  the  service  aforesaid,  and  to  keep  them  in  good  order 
and  discipline,  hereby  commanding  them  to  obey  you  as  their  captain,  and 
yourself  to  observe  and  follow  such  orders  and  instructions  as  you  shall  from 
time  to  time  receive  from  me,  or  the  commander-in-chief  of  said  colony,  for 
the  time  being,  or  other  your  superior  officer,  according  to  the  rules  and 
discipline  of  war,  ordained  and  established  by  the  continental  congress,  pursu- 
ant to  the  trust  hereby  reposed  in  vou. 

Given  under  my  hand,  and  the  public  seal  of  said  colony,  at  Hartford,  the  zoth 
day  of  June,  anno  do  mini,  1776. 

Jon'th  Trumbull. 
By  his  honor's  command, 

George  Wyllys,  Sec^y. 

Dea.  John  Whiting, 

Son  of  Benjamin  and  Rebecca  (Parmelee)  Whiting,  was  born  in 
Wallingford,  now  Meriden,  Nov.  23,  1726,  and  came  to  Torrington 
about  1750.  His  house  stood  across  the  road  west  of  the  first  meet- 
ing house  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town.  He  was  descended 
from  one  of  the  most  noted  men  who  came  among  the  number  called 
Pilgrim  Fathers  to  America,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Whiting  of  Boston  in 


622  History  of  Torringto 


N. 


Lincolnshire,  England,  and  later  of  Lynn,  iVlass.      His  father  was  the 
third  deacon  of  the  first  church  in  Meriden. 

Dea.  Whiting  was  a  man  of  great  energy,  steadiness  of  purpose, 
and  of  great  faithfulness  to  the  Christian  church,  as  is  clearly  shown 
by  the  fragmentary  records  still  preserved.  He  was  elected  in  1764, 
the  third  deacon  of  the  first  church  in  the  town,  and  continued  in  that 
office  until  his  death,  fifty-six  years.  In  the  time  of  the  great 
division  and  troublein  the  first  church  he  continued  to  support  the 
church  and  gave  all  his  effort  to  keep  the  meetings  at  their  regular 
times;  and  then  aided  in  building  the  second  church  and  sustaining 
the  meetings  until  the  whole  matter  was  amicably  settled  under  Mr. 
Gillett  as  pastor. 

He  was  the  treasurer  of  the  town  several  years  after  the  decease 
of  Dea.  Cook,  and  was  treasurer  of  the  society,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  attended  to  the  securing  of  preaching  and  paying  for  it,  when 
it  seemed  almost  every  year,  that  the  church  would  be  closed. 

The  deacon  was  a  man  of  much  work  and  very  careful  in  keeping 
accounts,  and  very  precise  as  to  every  farthing,  for  or  against  himself, 
being  as  particular  to  pay  every  penny  as  to  be  paid. 

He  kept  an  account  with  his  sons  and  daughters,  the  same  as 
though  they  were  strangers,  so  as  to  make  the  final  settlement  equita- 
ble between  them.  On  January  10,  1771,  he  says:  "Then  de- 
livered to  my  daughter  Mary,  the  wife  of  Levi  Thrall,  in  movables 
and  household  furniture  at  money  price,  sum  total,  X49,  igs.  iid.^ 
i/.,  i.  e.,  it  lacked  only  three  farthings  of  fifty  pounds,  yet  he  did  not 
say  fifty  pounds.  When  he  gave  his  daughter  Rebecca  her  portion 
six  years  after  Mary  received  hers,  he  says  the  goods  were  valued  as 
when  Mary  had  her  things  ;  the  high  prices  of  1778,  made  no  differ- 
ence in  his  estimation  of  goods  delivered  to  his  children.  This  prin- 
ciple of  equity  he  seems  to  have  carried  out  in  all  his  dealings. 

He  had  a  slave  girl  Tilly  who  worked  for  his  daughter  Sarah, 
some  months,  and  he  charged  Sarah  two  shillings  a  week  for  this 
help,  but  afterward  credited  Sarah  with  all  the  work  she  had  done  for 
her  father,  and  the  balance  was  largely  in  Sarah's  favor. 

He  was  a  man  of  rigid  character,  yet  that  character  had  high  and 
noble  qualities. 

Daniel  Grant,  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  finest  men  as  a  citizen  in 
the  town,  wanted  to  marry  his  daughter,  but  the  deacon  would  not 
give  his  consent;  his  reason  announced  was,  "he  did  not  like  the 
blood."      He  may  have  prided  himself  a  little  on  "  blood  "  for  there 


Biographies.  623 

was  no  blood  in  Torrington  that  went  in  a  more  direct  line  back 
through  the  kings  of  England  and  France  to  William  the  conqueror, 
than  that  of  the  Whitings. 

Dea.  Whiting  died  Feb.  21,  1820,  in  his  94th  year. 

Dr.  Samuel  W^oodward/ 
Was  born  in  Watertown,  Conn.,  Nov.  8,  1750,  and  was  one  of  the 
nine  children  of  Israel  and  Abigail  Woodward,  the  average  of  whose 
ages  was  eighty-five  years.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  educated 
his  children  to  some  useful  vocation  and  enterprise,  and  Samuel  was 
apprenticed  to  an  elder  brother,  to  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  and 
tanner,  until  he  should  be  twenty-one  years  of  age  ;  for  in  those  days  it 
was  thought  to  be  no  disparagement  tea  young  man's  character  to  be 
energetically  engaged  in  some  employment  that  would  render  a  good 
and  independent  living.  When  his  term  of  service  had  expired,  the 
employment  being  distasteful  to  his  mind,  he  being  studiously  in- 
clined, he  abandoned  it  and  entered  upon  a  course  of  study  during 
the  summer  and  teaching  school  winters,  to  fit  himself  for  entering 
college  with  a  view  of  becoming  a  clergyman,  agreeably  to  the 
wishes  of  his  pious  mother.  He  entered  Yale  poUege  in  1776,  and 
made  honorable  proficiency  in  his  studies.  When  the  British  troops 
attacked  New  Haven,  and  the  college  was  transferred  to  Glastonbury  ; 
the  excitement  and  distraction  became  very  great,  in  consequence  of 
which,  and  in  consideration  of  advanced  age,  he  entirely  relinquished 
his  collegiate  course.  From  that  time  he  gave  his  mind  to  the  study 
of  medicine,  and  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Hastings,  of  Washington, 
Conn.  ;  and  subsequently  of  Dr.  Daniel  Sheldon,  of  Litchfield, 
where  he  completed  his  studies. 

Doctor  Woodward  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Tor- 
ringford,  in  1779,  where  he  continued  twelve  years,  and  then  re- 
moved to  his  native  place.  After  remaining  in  Watertown  two 
years  he  returned  to  his  original  field  of  practice  which  soon  became 
extensive,  arduous  and  lucrative.  He  married  Polly  Griswold,  of 
Torringford,  Feb.  10,  1782,  by  whom  he  had  six  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  deceased. 

Doctor  Woodward  was  possessed  of  a  fine  physique,  vigorous  con- 
stitution, and  great  powers  of  endurance  ;   so  much  so  that  he  scarcely 


»  Contributed  by  E.  D.  Hudson,  M.D.,  of  New  York  city,  in  memoriam. 


624.  History  of  Torrington. 

knew  a  day's  illness,   until  a  few  years  before  his  decease.      He  had 
a  well  organized  and  developed   brain  ;   strong  intellect,  quick  per- 
ceptions, good  sense,  sound  judgment,  independent  thought  and  ex- 
pression.     His  moral  faculties  were  equally  worthy  and  philanthropic 
for    his    day.       To    temperance,     industry,    intellectual   and    moral 
culture,  and  practical  religion,  he    rendered   homage  and  in   public 
and  private  schools,  and  the  academy  of   Torringford,  which   have 
sent   forth   so  many   teachers,  missionaries,  clergymen,  lawyers  and 
physicians,  the  influence  of  his  character  was  always  a  quickening 
power.     He  drew  more  young  men  unto  him  to  learn  the  healing  art, 
than  any  other  physician  in  Litchfield   county   having  had  over  forty 
students  of  this  kind.      He  was  a  self  educated  man  and  physician, 
always  seeking  for  the  light  of  science  in  the  arts.      On  the  lid  of  an 
electric  machine  which   he  gave  me  as  a  token  of  his  regard  for  my 
attention  to  his  chronic  ailments,  a  copy   of  prophecy  was  pasted  ; 
viz:   "  Men  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased." 
He  was  a  well  read  physician  and  surgeon  for  his  day  ;  when  the  ad- 
vantages for  scientific  acquirements  were  very  limited,  and  much  of 
success  in  the  practice  of  medicine  was  attained  only  by  critical  and 
attentive  observation  and  experience  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  as 
it  was  well  known,  much  of  the  practice  of  medicine,  with  the  less 
critical  and   unthinking  minds,   was  pretty   much  a  routine.      As   a 
characteristic  of  Doctor  Woodward's  independence  of  mind  power  of 
analysis,  and  natural  resources  for  special  occasions,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned, that,  at  the  time  when  malignant  typhoid  pneumonia,  known  as 
spotted  fever,  prevailed  as  an  epidemic  most   fearfully  and  fatally  in 
Torrington  and  various  parts  of  New  England,  and  which  for  a  time 
baffled  the  most  skillful  physicians.  Dr.  Woodward  quickly  perceived 
the  strange,  low   and   virulent  type  of  the   disease   and   immediately 
abandoned  the  routine  treatment  of   pneumonia,  and    all  depleting 
remedies,  and  resorted  to  stimulants,  and   vigorous  supporting  reme- 
dial agencies,  with  such  signal  success  as  gave  to  him  deservedly  an 
extended    reputation.'      In   a  later    period    of   his    practice,   he  was 
called  to  visit  a  patient  in  an  adjoining  town,  in  consultation  with  a 
young  and   worthy  physician,   who  had  enjoyed  distinguished   privi- 


'  A  woman  now  living  says  that  Dr.  Woodward  told  in  her  father's  house  how  he  learned 
to  treat  this  disease.  A  young  girl  was  attacked  with  the  disease  j  the  mother  was  much 
frightened  and  sent  for  the  doctor,  but  perceiving  the  girl  was  cold  in  her  extremities  she 
began  to  give  her  brandy,  and  make  hemlock  tea,  in  the  effort  to  get  her  into  a  perspiration. 
When  the  doctor  came  the  patient  was  doing  so  well  that  he  said,  "  that  learned  me  how 
to  treat  spotted  fever." —  Ed. 


Biographies.  625 

leges  of  education,  and  graduate^d  at  one  of  the  modern  medical 
colleges.  After  consultation  Dr.  Woodward  prescribed  so  pecu 
liarly,  as  to  greatly  surprise  the  young  doctor,  who  asked  for  his 
authority  for  such  a  prescription.  The  reply  was  graphic  and  sum- 
mary: '' the  authority  of  Samuel  Woodward."  Such  decision  and 
self  reliance  characterized  the  man  as  to  inspire  his  patients  and  every 
class  of  men,  to  repose  unlimited  confidence  in  him.  On  one  occa- 
sion, of  a  bad  case  of  compound  fracture  of  the  leg,  an  eminent 
surgeon  of  a  neighboring  town  was  sent  for;  mean  time  Doctor 
Woodward,  called  for  the  immediate  exigency  of  the  case  was 
greatly  indignant  that  any  one  should  suppose  him  incompetent  for 
the  case,  and  at  once  assumed  the  responsibility  and  put  up  the  limb 
with  such  successful  results  as  was  highly  creditable  to  his  skill  as  a 
surgeon. 

To  all  the  physical  and  civil  interests  and  aspects  of  the  town,  he 
was  ever  attentive,  and  contributed  his  judgment  and  leading  in 
fluence.  At  a  time  when  almost  the  entire  interval  of  alluvial  de 
posit,  of  Torrington  and  Winchester  high  hills  from  Wolcottville  to 
Winsted,  along  the  banks  of  Still  river,  was  an  everglade,  a  fenny, 
dense  bush  and  miry  bog,  dangerous  for  man  or  beast  to  enter, 
Newton  Rossiter,  then  an  enterprising  and  extensive  tanner,  currier, 
and  shoemaker,  being  located  at  what  is  now  Burrville  ;  and  having 
to  transport  hides  and  leather  from,  and  to  New  Haven,  over  abrupt 
and  toilsome  hills,  projected  a  road  through  this  morass,  along  the 
river,  from  Winsted  to  Wolcottville,  for  his  own,  and  the  public 
benefit.  The  project  was  deemed  impracticable  and  Utopian,  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  who  regarded  the  lands  wholly  unreclaimable. 
The  opposition,  headed  by  Dr.  Woodward,  raged  intensely.  In  town 
meeting  where  it  was  voted  down,  he  heatedly  declared  it  a  "  fool- 
hardy idea,  and  that  if  it  were  built,  no  living  creature  could  or 
would  travel  it  save  snakes,  polecats,  woodchucks  and  foxes."  The 
project  was  forced  and  executed  by  private  enterprise  ;  was  useful 
and  appreciated.  Since  then  the  Naugatuck  railroad  has  been  built 
in  that  valley,  and  "  men  ride  to  and  fro  "  upon  it  ;  the  signal  of  the 
steam  whistle  reverberates  over  Torrington  hills  ;  the  telegraph 
wires  communicate  knowledge.  If  father  Mills,  and  Dr.  Wood- 
ward, could  awake  from  their  sleep,  and  see,  hear  and  understand 
these  wonderful  changes,  they  would  exclaim  as  Mr.  Mills  was  wont 
to  do  :  "I  am  astonished  !  I  am  amazed  !  I  am  confounded  !  I  am 
speechless  !  " 

79 


626  History  of  Torrington. 

To  whatever  cause  Dr.  Woodward  allied  himself,  he  became  a 
power.  His  native  strength  of  organization,  and  acquired  abilities 
shone  forth  conspicuously  with  great  effect.  He  was  ingenuously 
and  nobly  above  all  intrigue.  "  In  politics,  he  was  a  democratic  re- 
publican ;  ever  zealous  of  rulers,  and  an  unflinching  advocate  of  the 
rights  of  the  people."  He  was  one  of  the  exceptional  few  of  Litch- 
field county,  to  adopt  the  principles  of  what  was  designated  as  the 
"Jeffersonian  democracy"  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war 
with  Great  Britain,  for  which  he  was  ever  a  strong  and  persistent 
advocate.  In  thus  doing,  and  in  the  face  of  his  numerous  patrons 
and  friends,  who  were  unflinching  federalists,  of  the  Cromwellian 
stamp,  he  exhibited  great  fearlessness,  and  an  independent  mind  and 
character,  with  distinguished  ability.  He  was  equally  vigorous,  con- 
cise and  graphic  in  his  writings  for  the  press,  as  in  his  speeches. 
Many  respected  him  through  fear,  for  he  was  no  ordinary  opponent 
to  confront. 

Dr.  Woodward  was  for  his  day  a  great  man  ;  a  physician  beloved, 
and  a  philanthropist.  Although  he  was  regarded  with  much  doubt 
by  the  federal  and  orthodox  Calvinists,  and  with  whisperings  of  in- 
fidelity^ yet  he  was  a  man  who  feared  God,  and  loved  his  fellow  men. 
And  when  in  unmeasurable  usefulness,  and  at  an  advanced  age,  be- 
cause of  chronic  physical  disease,  he  was  compelled  to  retire  from 
the  practice  of  medicine,  and  eventually  to  yield  up  his  life,  the 
people  mourned  for  him  as  a  father  to  the  whole  community,  and 
could  not  be  comforted,  "  because  he  was  not  ;  "  and  after  forty 
years,  his  place  is  vacant,  as  a  house  without  inhabitant,  as  a  desert 
without  the  healing  fountain,  as  a  land  without  its  Washington. 

He  deceased  on  the  twenty- sixth  day  of  January,  1835,  aged  eighty- 
four  years  and  two  months.  He  was  attended  as  his  physician  and 
surgeon  by  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  during  the  later  days  of  his 
life  -,  and  who  was  the  subject  of  Dr.  W's,  surgery  for  a  fractured 
leg,  while  a  youth  ;  and  who  had  intimate  opportunities  to  know  him 
and  his  character,  and  who  most  cheerfully  avails  himself  of  this 
opportunity  to  make  this  small  contribution  to  the  honor  of  the  phy- 
sician, surgeon  and  friend  of  his  youth,  and  one  of  the  great,  the  noble, 
and  true  men. 

Mary  Woodward, 
The  only  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel  and  Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward, 
was  born  September  20,  1783.      She  was  possessed  of  many  of  the 


BrOGRAPHIES.  627 

Strong  mental  and  physical  characteristics  of  her  father  and  had  ex- 
cellent intellectual  capacity  ;  was  amiable  in  disposition  and  manners, 
and  studious  in  her  habits,  and  havino;  received  a  good  education, 
moved  in  the  best  society,  being  in  no  wise  the  least  of  that  remark- 
able household.  Many  noble  families  there  have  been  in  the  town 
of  Torrington,  but  of  all  of  them,  few  equaled  the  one  where  this 
young  lady  was  the  joy  and  pride  of  brothers  ;  the  comfort  of  parents  ; 
and  possessing  sterling  good  sense,  great  wisdom  of  thought  and  pow- 
er of  discrimination,  a  symetrical  and  dignified  personal  appearance, 
she  commanded  great  respect  and  consideration  and  was  as  perfectly 
a  lady,  as  her  elder  brother  was  a  gentleman,  and  no  way  inferior  in 
native  talents.  She  remained  unmarried  until  considerably  advanced 
in  years,  when  she  married  John  Gillet,  an  intelligent,  stable  and 
highly  respected  bachelor,  and  farmer,  with  whom  she  had  always 
been  acquainted,  he  having  been  reared  in  her  immediate  neighbor- 
hood. 

Samuel  B.  Woodward,  M.D.,^ 
Was  born  June  11,  1787,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Samuel  and 
Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward  of  Torringford,  and  inherited  the  physi- 
cal and  mental  powers  of  his  father;  if  anything  different,  was 
an  improvement  in  elegance  of  stature  and  demeanor.  Under  the 
limited  facilities  for  obtaining  an  education  in  his  own  community, 
his  father  instructed  him  principally,  and  prepared  him  for  the  medical 
profession.  He  studied  medicine,  with  other  young  men  in  the  of- 
fice of  his  father,  three  or  four  years,  when  he  was  licensed  to  prac- 
tice medicine,  thereafter  assisted  his  father  for  a  time  in  order  to 
acquire  some  knowledge  of  clinical  medicine. 

In  the  year  1808,  he  settled  in  Wethersfield,  Hartford  county; 
and  soon  became  popular  as  a  man,  and  a  physician,  and  gained  an 
extensive  and  lucrative  practice.  He  had  the  honor  of  the  degreeof 
doctor  of  medicine,  conferred  by  the  State  Medical  Society,  before 
the  present  medical  department  of  Yale  college  was  instituted. 

Dr.  Woodward's  physical  conformation,  stalwart  frame,  physiog- 
nomy, dignity  of  carriage,  great  urbanity  of  manners,  and  benevo- 
lence, were  very  imposing,  and  prepossessing,  and  secured  for  him 
popular  favor,  while  his  studious,  thoughtful  and  analytical  qualities 
of  mind,  inspired  general  and  unqualified  respect  and  confidence  in 
him  as  a  beloved  physician.      He  was  by  nature  a   noble  gentleman. 


'Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson,  of  New  York,  1875. 


628  History  of  Torrington. 

He  early  associated  with  the  choicest,  most  talented,  and  scientific 
physicians  of  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut,  and  of  the  state  ;  and  be- 
came an  honored  cotemporary  with  them  in  their  scientific  pursuits 
and  practice  of  medicine. 

With  such  men  as  Eli  Todd,  Mason  F.  Cogswell,  Thomas 
Miner,  William  Tully,  and  Eli  Ives,  he  was  in  moral,  philanthropic 
and  medical  rapport^  though  many  of  them  were  greatly  his  seniors 
in  years.  It  was  their  custom  to  hold  stated  monthly  meetings  of 
what  was  denominated  as  the  Hopkins^  Medical  Society^  every  mem- 
ber becoming  such,  by  a  unanimous  ballot  ;  to  read  essays,  discuss 
the  character,  types,  and  causes  of  any  prevailing  or  local  disease  ; 
also  the  properties,  powers  and  availability  of  various  remedial 
agencies.  Pharmacy  received  a  good  share  of  their  attention,  which 
by  their  analytical  studies  and  personal  experiments  was  scientifically 
advanced  ;  the  improvement,  in  the  present  practice  of  medicine  re- 
flects their  wisdom  and  philanthropy.  Dr.  Todd  had  an  immediate 
and  special  concern  for  the  insane  ;  and  made  nervous  and  brain 
affections  the  subject  of  weighty  consideration,  and  untiring  research. 
In  that  important  study  and  humane  desire.  Dr.  Woodward  con- 
tributed his  warmest  sympathy  and  mental  efforts.  They  intro- 
duced the  subject  to  the  State  Medical  Society,  and  urged  the  prac- 
tical advantage  and  necessity  of  a  public  institution  for  the  special 
study  and  treatment  of  insanity. 

Their  appeals  were  cordially  accepted  and  adopted,  and  both  were 
appointed  on  a  committee  to  devise  the  ways  and  means  to  accom- 
plish the  worthy  object.  The  Connecticut  Retreat  for  the 
Insane,  at  Hartford,  and  its  immeasurable  good  and  scientific  re- 
sults, testify  to  the  wisdom  and  beneficent  works  of  these  men. 

In  1832,  Dr.  Woodward  left  Wethersfield,  abandoned  his  general 
practice  of  medicine,  accepted  the  honorable  appointment  of  super- 
intendent and  physician-in-chief,  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Lunatic 
Asylum,  at  Worcester  ;  wherein  he  devoted  his  great  talents  exclu- 
sively to  the  treatment  and  well  being  of  the  insane.  His  annual 
reports  of  the  cases  in  that  institution,  his  medical  and  moral  treat- 
ment of  its  inmates  were  very  creditable  to  his  head  and  heart,  and 
were  valuable  auxiliaries  to  medical  science. 

He  also  manifested  great  interest,  and  exercised  commendable 
zeal  and  influence  on  behaif  of  inebriates  and  idiots,  for  their  treat- 
ment, and  evolution  by  legitimate  means  ;  and  to  establish  an 
asylum  for  the  one  class  of  unfortunates,  and  a  school  for  the  other. 


Biographies.  629 

As  a  testimonial  of  the  regard  which  was  entertained  for  his  profes- 
sional and  moral  worth,  the  "  old  Bay  state  "  has  deposited  a  marble 
bust  of  the  man  in  the  lunatic  asylum.  In  1846,  he  retired  from 
professional  duties,  because  of  impaired  health,  and  made  his  resi- 
dence at  Northampton,  where  he  deceased  in  1850,  aged  sixty-three 
years. 

In  religion.  Dr.  Woodward  was  a  Christian  democrat  ;  a  philan- 
thropist of  a  most  worthy  pattern;  not  regardful  of  sectarism,  yet 
respectful  to  all  lived  faiths^  manifested  in  love  to  God  and  good  will 
to  men.  His  life  being  almost  exclusively  devoted  to  science  and 
philanthropy,  gave  him  very  little  time  to  bestow  upon  politics  and 
parties.  Yet  on  one  or  two  occasions  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
senate,  when  as   usual  he  magnified   his  office  for  the  public  good. 

Such  in  brief  was  the  character  and  life  of  Dr.  Samuel  B.  Wood- 
ward, one  of  the  sons  of  the  town  of  Torrington  ;  a  son  in  whom 
all  other  of  her  sons  may  justly  feel  a  pride. 

Dr.  Elijah  Woodward,  M.D.,^ 

Was -born  April  25,  1789,  and  was  the  second  son  of  Dr.  Samuel 
and  Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward.  He  inherited  a  constitutional 
tendency  to  lung  affection,  from  some  source,  which  disease  made 
sad  havoc  for  many  of  the  members  of  Dr.  Woodward's  family. 
He  was  possessed  of  a  fine  intellect,  and  was  an  accomplished  young 
man  ;  a  student  with  his  father,  in  medicine,  and  was  very  promising. 
He  received  a  license  to  practice  medicine,  and  assisted  his  father  to 
some  extent,  though  his  health  was  precarious  and  threatening. 

In  1817,  when  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  he  was  violently 
attacked  with  haemoptysis,  and  tubercular  ulceration  of  his  lungs, 
which  proved  fatal.  It  was  a  sorrowful  event  to  his  father,  and  family, 
and  his  numerous,  sympathising  friends  in  Torringford. 

Griswold  Woodward,  ^ 

Was  born  in  Torringford,  February  3,  1 791,  and  was  the  son  of  Dr. 
Samuel  and  Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward. 

He  received  a  good  English  education,  and  being  inclined  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  was  allowed  to  devote  himself  to  the  farm  and 


'  Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  of  New  York,  1875. 


630  History  of  Torrington. 

the  farming  interests  of  the  family  home.  He  became  a  good  and 
reputable  farmer  of  the  town.  During  the  winter  seasons  he  fre- 
quently taught  school,  and  always  manifested  much  interest  in  the 
promotion  of  education,  both  in  the  common  school  and  the  aca- 
demy, for  which  latter  Torringford  became  quite  noted. 

He  was  much  respected,  and  was  elected  to  various  ecclesiastical, 
civil,  military,  and  political  positions  which  he  filled  with  honor. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  temperance  reform  he  was  one  of  the 
foremost  advocates  ;  making  public  addresses  ;  attending  meetings  in 
different  parts  of  the  county,  and  was  the  first  man  in  his  community 
to  abandon  the  practice  of  furnishing  liquors  during  harvest  time, 
paying  his  men  additional  wages  in  the  place  of  the  cost  of  the 
liquor,  showing  that  it  was  not  a  matter  of  money  but  of  beneficence 
to  humanity.  His  name  is  mentioned  with  much  respect  throughout 
the  town. 

RuFus  Woodward,  A.M.,^ 

Was  born  in  Torringford  July  16,  1793,  and  was  the  son  of  Dr. 
Samuel  and  Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward. 

He  gave  early  promise  of  more  than  ordinary  intellect,  and  of  be- 
coming the  ornament  to  the  paternal  household.  His  father,  with 
great  appreciation  and  pride  of  so  bright  a  son,  gave  to  his  education 
greater  attention  and  effort  than  to  any  of  the  other  sons,  and  secured 
to  him  a  collegiate  education  at  Yale,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1 8 1 6  with  the  principal  honors  of  that  institution.  He  was  appointed 
tutor  in  the  college  in  1818,  which  position  he  filled  with  great  credit 
until  1822,  when  on  account  of  his  failing  health  he  was  compelled 
to  resign. 

He  was  an  apt  scholar,  of  rare  attainments  and  great  moral  worth  ; 
and  was  on  the  way  to  distinguished  preferment,  when  the  insidious 
foe  of  his  house  indicated  that  he  was  a  marked  victim.  For  the 
purpose  of  regaining  his  health  and  escaping  if  possible  the  fell  de-^ 
stroyer,  and  progressing  in  his  literary  pursuits,  he  made  a  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic,  spent  a  season  of  travel  in  Europe,  England  and 
Scotland.  He  there  became  prostrated  and  died  among  strangers  ; 
though  not  without  numerous  sympathizing  friends,  in  Edinburgh  ; 
in  the  autumn  of  1823,  in  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  age  ;  "  when  the 
genius  of  Columbia  sped  over  the  ocean  wave,  to  meet,  and  weep 
with  Scotia's  bard  in  McFingal's  cave."     His  remains  were  respect- 


^  Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson  of  New  York,  1875. 


Biographies.  631 

fully  deposited  in  the  cemetery  of  the  protestant  kirk  of  Edinburgh, 
where  rests  the  dust  of  John  Knox,  and  where  a  marble  slab  com- 
memorates the  short  but  brilliant  life  granted  to  him. 

In  St.  Cuthbert's  church  yard  in  Edinburgh  on  a  tablet  set  in  the 
wall  close  by  DeQuincy's  grave  is  the  following  inscription.  "  In 
memory  of  RuFUs  Woodward,  born  at  Torringford,  Connecticut, 
i6th  of  July,  1793  ;  graduated  at  Yale  college  18 16  ;  visited  Europe 
to  pursue  his  studies  and  restore  his  health,  1823.  Died  at  Edin- 
burgh 24th  Nov.  1823.  His  friends  here  who  cheered  his  last  hours 
and  committed  his  remains  to  this  grave  knew  and  recognized  him 
as  the  amiable  American  stranger."' 

The  early  fall  of  this  man  was  a  great  loss  to  the  world.  Society, 
literature,  science,  philanthropy,  and  the  good  of  men  suffered  greatly 
when  he  departed  this  life.  There  was  great  sorrow  and  heaviness 
of  heart  in  the  old  home  on  Torringford  hill  when  it  was  known 
that  the  son  Rufus,  would  return  no  more  to  that  sacred  hearthstone. 

The  several  essays  and  reviews  which  he  contributed  to  the 
Christian  Spectator^  together  with  his  other  literary  productions, 
characterize  his  intellectual  powers  as  those  of  critical  philosophical 
analysis,  vivid,  entertaining  and  instructive  description,  and  great  love 
of  literary  research.  He  was  of  the  college  class  of  18  16  ;  of  which 
William  C.  Fowler,  LL.D.,  was  one,  and  of  whom  he  published  a 
sketch  in  the  Christian  Spectator. 

Dr.  Henry  Woodward^ 

Was  born  in  Torringford  May  26,   1795,  and   was  the  son  of  Dr. 
Samuel  and  Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward. 

When  a  youth  he  exhibited  unusual  mental  abilities  and  personal 
qualities.  At  sixteen  years  of  age  he  was  induced  to  enter  a  store 
to  assist  in  trade,  which  soon  proved  irksome  and  repulsive  to  his 
mind.  He  left  the  store  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  un- 
der his  father's  instruction;  and  after  a  time  continued  the  same 
under  his  brother,  Dr.  S.  B.  Woodward  of  Wethersfield,  until  he 
received  his  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine  at  Yale  college.  He  after- 
ward entered  into  a  co-partnership  of  medical  practice  with  his  brother 
during  a  limited  period,  when  he  removed  to  Middletown,  as  a  suc- 
cessor to  Dr.  William  Tully,  who  was  about  to  leave  that  city. 


'  Hartford  Daily  Courant,  Oct.    1 1,  1872. 
'Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson,  New  York,  1875. 


632  History  of  Torrington. 

He  became  highly  respected  as  a  physician  and  citizen,  and  soon 
acquired  an  extensive  practice  and  considerable  celebrity.  He  was 
very  highly  esteemed  by  the  noted  of  the  profession,  and  early  re- 
ceived the  honorary  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine  by  the  State  Medi- 
cal Society.  He  possessed  and  exercised  that  frankness  of  speech 
and  firmness  of  character  which  characterized  his  father,  which, 
with  his  active  benevolence  and  philanthropy,  rendered  him  a  very 
useful  member  of  society.  He  was  a  member,  vestryman  and  war- 
den of  the  Episcopal  church. 

He  was  cut  down  in  early  life,  in  his  growing  usefulness  by  dis- 
ease of  the  lungs  and  rapid  phthisis,  that  insidious  foe  to  others  of 
his  father's  family,  in  1832,  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age. 

Dr.  Charles  Woodward' 

Was  born  in  Torringford,  August  16,  1798,  and  was  the  son  of  Dr. 
Samuel  and  Polly  (Griswold)  Woodward.  He  received  most*  of  his 
education  by  the  instruction  of  his  father  and  at  the  Torringford 
academy  ;  and  afterward  studied  medicine  with  his  brother.  Dr.  S. 
B.  Woodward.  He  then  received  his  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine 
from  the  medical  department  of  Yale  college.  In  1822,  in  his 
twenty-fourth  year,  after  having  spent  some  time  with  his  father  in 
practice,  he  went  to  Windsor,  Ct.,  and  settled.  There  he  encoun- 
tered the  opposition  of  physicians,  much  his  seniors  in  age  and  prac- 
tice, who  had  been  trained  in  the  practice  of  the  expectantia  system^ 
quite  inefficient  for  the  successful  treatment  of  the  type  of  most  of 
the  acute  diseases  incident  to  that  malarious  region. 

His  discriminating  sense,  studious  habits,  great  fortitude,  attentive- 
ness  and  sympathy  won  for  him  a  good  business,  a  commanding 
ascendancy  over  his  competitors  and  respect  of  his  professional  breth- 
ren, with  whom  he  maintained  an  honorable  standing.  He  was  an 
earnest,  active  member  of  the  Hopkins  Medical  Society,  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  medical  seience,  and  an  honored  fellow  of  the  state 
Medical  Society. 

Dr.  Woodward  remained  in  Windsor  ten  years  when  he  removed 
to  Middletown  to  fill  the  place  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  his 
brother  Henry,  to  whose  practice  he  succeeded  with  great  credit. 

Dr.  Charles  Woodward,  probably,  inherited  more  of  the  tempera- 
ment and  prominent  traits  of  character  of  his   father  than  any  other 


'Manuscript  of  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson,  of  New  York,   1875. 


Biographies.  6^3 

member  of  the  family.  He  possessed  great  decision  of  character, 
self  reliance  and  adherence.  His  religious  views  and  practice  were 
similar  to  his  father's  ;  and  in  politics  he  was  an  active  and  promi- 
nent member  of  the  democratic  party.  He  was  for  several  years  in 
succession,  alternately  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  and  senate. 
He  continued  in  the  practice  of  medicine  until  nearly  the  time  of  his 
decease  in  1872,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

Luther  H.  Wood,  M.D., 

Son  of  A.  F-  Wood,  druggist  of  New  Haven,  was  graduated  in 
Sheffield  Scientific  school  at  Yale  college,  in  1867,  and  in  the  medi- 
cal school  of  the  same  institution  in  1869.  He  settled  in  Wolcott- 
ville  in  the  autumn  of  1872,  having  previously  practiced  in  Monroe 
and  Southington,  and  has  devoted  himself  entirely  to  his  profession 
in  which  he  has  had  much  success. 

George  Wolcott, 

Son  of  Guy  and  Abigail  Wolcott,  was  born  in  Torrington,  July  26, 
1826,  and  was  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen,  he  removed  with  his  father's  family,  to  Tallmadge,  Summit 
county,  O.,  in  1822.  His  father  died  the  next  August,  leaving  him 
in  care  of  the  farm,  assisted  only  by  his  youngest  brother,  where  he 
continued  until  the  spring  of  1828.  Desiring  to  engage  in  business 
for  himself  he  went  to  Wadsworth,  O.,  where  he  purchased  on 
credit,  one  hundred  acres  of  wild  land  at  four  dollars  per  acre,  and 
commenced  clearing  it  himself.  He  married  Aug,  6,  1828,  Mar- 
garet Hine,  of  Tallmadge,  O.,  who  was  born  in  North  Milford,  now 
Orange,  Ct.  The  second  day  after  marriage  he  took  his  wife  to 
his  new  home,  beginning  married  life  in  a  log  house  with  only  one 
room  and  a  chamber.  The  same  autumn  he  took  a  contract  to  fur- 
nish plank  for  a  large  bridge,  sawing  the  lumber  himself  by  night,  as 
the  mill  was  used  by  others  during  the  day  time,  and  for  this  work 
received  fifteen  dollars,  the  first  money  realized  after  engaging  in 
business  for  himself. 

In  1832,  he  bought  half  of  a  saw  mill  and  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  fanning  mills,  which  enterprise  proved  successful.  In 
1836,  he  sold  his  possessions  at  Wadsworth,  and  made  arrangements 
for  finding  a  home  and  facilities  for  water  power  farther  west. 
Leaving  home  in  March,  1837,  he  went  into  Indiana  and  established 
his  enterprise  near  the  southern  line  of  Johnson  township.  La  Grange 

80 


634  History  of  Torrington. 

county,  on  the  middle  branch  of  the  Elkhart  river.  Here  he  put  up 
a  log  house  and  laid  the  floors,  leaving  the  rest  to  be  completed  by 
the  neighbors,  while  he  went  after  his  family.  This  is  the  place 
now  called  Wolcottville,  Indiana.  Returning  with  his  family  he 
reached  his  new  home  September  28,  in  the  fore  part  of  the  day,  the 
weather  being  cold  and  rainy,  and  found  his  house  in  the  same  un- 
finished condition,  without  doors,  windows  and  fire-place,  as  when 
he  left  it.  He  left  Mrs.  Wolcott  ^nd  her  five  children  at  the  nearest 
neighbor's,  Mr.  Taylor's,  while  he  and  the  three  hired  men,  whom 
he  brought  with  him,  gathered  stones  to  build  a  temporary  chimney 
back,  so  that  fire  could  be  built  for  the  night.  This  being  accom- 
plished blankets  were  substituted  for  windows  and  doors  ;  beds  put 
up  to  accommodate  eleven  persons,  and  the  family  were  settled  in 
their  western  home.  By  a  few  days'  work  the  house  was  made 
comfortable  and  Mr.  Wolcott  proceeded  to  business  "  by  clearing  a 
piece  of  land  for  a  mill  dam  and  pond  and  constructed  a  race  halt  a 
mile  long.  In  1838,  he  built  a  saw  mill,  appropriating  a  part  of  it 
for  a  temporary  grist  mill,  putting  one  run  of  stone  for  custom  work. 
In  1839,  he  built  a  store  and  a  frame  barn,  and  put  a  few  goods  into 
the  store. 

In  1845  ^^  '^"•'^  ^  large  grist  mill  with  three  run  of  stone,  bring- 
ing the  machinery  from  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  on  wagons  with 
horses  and  oxen,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  miles,  and 
occupying  from  ten  days  to  three  weeks  in  the  journey.  He  ground 
the  first  grist  November  9th,  which  made  it  a  day  to  be  celebrated. 
This  same  year  he  built  another  saw  mill.  In  1847  ^^  built  a  new 
store,  putting  into  it  a  full  stock  of  goods,  and  thereby  was  conduct- 
ing seven  different  branches  of  business  ;  milling,  sawing,  coopering, 
blacksmithing,  mercantile,  ashery  and  farming. 

Having  succeeded  thus  far  he  turned  his  attention  to  another  en- 
terprise. Being  anxious  to  give  his  children  a  better  education  than 
could  be  obtained  in  the  district  schools  he  sent  to  Governor  Slade, 
president  of  the  National  Educational  Society  that  met  at  Hartford, 
Conn.,  to  send  a  teacher  as  governess  in  his  family.  The  governor 
sent  from  one  of  his  classes  Miss  Susan  Griggs,  of  Westfield,  Ver- 
mont, a  lady  of  culture  and  true  Christian  refinement.  She  taught 
one  year  in  the  family,  during  which  time  he  had  received  frequent 
requests  to  grant  other  children  to  receive  the  benefit  of  her  instruc- 
tion. The  next  year  hq  put  up  a  building  suitable  for  such  a  pur- 
pose, and    school   commenced    November    23d,   and   the   institution 


Biographies.  635 

took  the  name  of  Wolcottville  Young  Ladies  Seminary.  After- 
wards young  men  were  admitted.  Soon  after  this  he  built  a  board- 
ing house  with  rooms  for  students  to  board  themselves  and  also  to  be 
boarded  in  the  institution,  and  rooms  for  a  steward  and   matron. 

All  the  money  used  by  Mr.  Wolcott  in  these  enterprises  were 
from  his  own  resources.  He  also  gave  largely  for  the  support  of  the 
gospel,  and  was  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  the  poor  man's  friend. 

He  died  March  31,  1857,  aged  fifty-one  years,  leaving  a  wife  and 
six  children. 


GENEALOGIES. 


<  •  • » > 


ABERNETHY,  William,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  Branford 
and  thence  to  Wallingford.  The  name  of  his  first  wife  was  Sarah,  that  of  his 
second  Elizabeth.      He  was  an  active  energetic  man.      Children  : 

1.  Elizabeth,  b.  Oct.  15,  1673.  5.  Samuel,    b.  Jan.  10,    1683,  d.  Mar.    14, 

2.  William,  b.  Jan.  23,  1675.  1723- 

3.  Sarah,  b.  Oct.  10,  1677.  6.   Daniel,  b.  Sept.    3,  1686. 

4.  Mary,  b.  Mar.   29,    1679.  7-  Susannah,  b.  July   18,  1689. 

2.   William,  son  of  William  of  Wallingford,  m.  Mary  ,   and  lived 

in  Wallingford.      He  d.  Feb.,  1728,  and  she  d.  Jan.  i,  1757.      Children: 

8.  Mary,  b.  April  30,  1700.  ning  May  12,  1727,  a.  19. 

9.  Jemima,  b.  Aug.  20,  1702.  13.   Caleb,  b.  Feb.  11,  1710,   m.  Lois  Gay- 

10.  Sarah,  b.  Dec.  15,  1704.  lord. 

11.  Ann,  b.  June  7,  1706.  14.   Susannah,  b.  April  28,  1712,   m.  Sam- 

12.  John,  b.  Feb.  27,  1708,  killed  by  light-  uel  Yale. 

13.  Caleb,  son  of  Wm.  and  Mary  Abernethy,  m.  Lois  Gaylord  of  Wal- 
lingford, Sept.  26,  1733.      Children: 

15.  William,  b.  July  i,    1734.  18.   Mary,  b.  Dec.  9,  1739. 

16.  Mary,  b.  Nov.  23,  1736.  19.   Jared,  b.  Oct.  31,  1741. 

17.  John,  b.  July  2,  1738. 

15.  Dr.  William,  son  of  Caleb  and  Lois  (Gaylord)  Abernethy,  studied 
medicine  and  settled  in  Harwinton,  as  a  physician  and  m.  June  20,  1762, 
Honor,  daughter  of  Abijah  Catlin,  the  first  of  the  name  in  Harwinton.  Dr. 
Wm.  Abernethy  was  a  successful,  much  esteemed  and  honored  physician  in 
Harwinton,  where  he  d.  Nov.  26,  1802,  aged  68  years.  His  widow  Honor, 
d.  Sept.   14,  181 1,  aged  66.      Children: 

20.  Honor,    b.    Aug.  28,    1763,   m.  Daniel  26.   Andrew,  b.  April  23,  1776,  d.  June  2, 
Catlin.  1782. 

21.  Lorain,    b.   Sept.    25,    1768,    m.    Abel  27.   Huldah,  b.  Feb.  21,    1778. 
Peck.  28.   Russell  Catlin,  b.  Feb.  9,  1780,  m. 

22.  Capt.  Wm.  Conant,b.  May  25,  1770,  m.  29.   Andrew,  b.  June  28,  1782,  m. 

23.  Lucretia,  b.  June  8,  1772,  m.  Timothy  30.  Sabrah,  b.  June  3,  1785,  m. 

Clark.  31.   Horace,   b.  June  14,  1787,  d.  Feb.  12, 

24.  Roswell,    "lb.  June  20,  ~|  m.  1788. 

25.  Rosseter,   J         1774,       /d.  young. 

28.  Gen.  Russell,  son  of  Dr.  William  and  Honor  (Catlin)  Abernethy, 
was  in  Washington,  Ct.,  some  time  before  coming  to  Torrington,  He  m. 
Sept.  17,  1803,  Orrel,  daughter  of  Elisha  Smith  Esq,,  who  was  at  that  time 
one  of  the  prominent  officers  of  the  town.  Mr.  .■\bernethy  became  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  higlily  respected  men  the  town  ever  had.  (^See  biography^ 
His  wife  Orrel  d.  May  26,  1835.      He  d.  Sept.  16,  1861,  a.  81  years.      Ch.  : 

32.  Elisha  Smith,  b.  Oct.   24,    1805.  Wm.    B.   DeForest  May  3,    1836,  d.  in 

33.  Lucy  S.,  b.   Sept.   7,    1807,   m.   George  New  Haven  in    1877. 

D.  Wadhams,  Dec.  25,  1829,  d.  in  Wol-      35.   Charlotte  Leaming,  b.  Oct.  2,  1820,  m. 
cottville.  George  P.  Cowles  Sept.    18,  1844,  resides 

34.  Mary   Lucretia,   b.   Mar.    27,   i8iz,  m.  in  Ansonia. 


638 


History  of  Torrington. 


32.  Elisha  Smith,  son  of  Gen'],  m.  Charlotte  Huginsof  New  Haven,  He 
entered  Yale  when  16  years  of  age  and  graduated,  and  studied  law  and  became 
a  lawyer,  resided  some  years   in  Bridgeport  where   he  died  1869.      Children: 

Helen,  m.  Oviatt,  lives  in  Bridgeport.  Agastus. 

Russell,  d.  in  the   West.  Charlotte,  d.   young. 

Augustus,  rec'd  diploma  M.D.,  at  Yale  1864,  is  a  physician  in  Bridgeport. 

AGARD,  James,  lived  in  Litchfield,  probably  not  far  from  the  Torrington 
line,  as  his  children  were  baptized  in  Torrington,  there  being  a  settled  minister 
at  Litchfield  during  the   time.      Children  : 

1.  Abigail,  b.            ,  m.  Joshua  Parsons  of  dau.    who    m.     Chauncey    Humphrey    of 
Farmington,  April  29  1762.  Winchester. 

2.  Salmon,  b.  Sept.   9,  1744.  4.   Chloe,  b.  Dec.  4,  1748. 

3.  Elizabeth,  b.  Mar    19,  1747,  m.  Benoni  5.   Sarah,   b.    April    9,    1753,    m.    Friend 
Hills  of  Torrington  Oct.   28,  1773,  l^ad  a  Thrall,  Nov.  23,  1774. 

2.  Salmon,  son  of  James,  m.  and  lived  in  the  southeasterly  part  of  Newfield 
where  he  died,  not  far  from  1800.  It  is  said,  the  family  removed  west  soon 
after  the  death  of  the  father.      Children  : 

6.  Salmon,  b.  ;  removed  west.  9.   Rhoda,  b. 

7.  James,  b.  10.   Olive,  b.    And  probably  others. 

8.  Benjamin,  b. 

Benjamin,  son  of  Salmon,  m.  Rhoda  daughter  of  Issachar  Loomis  of  Tor- 
rington, April  7,  1 796,  lived  in  Torrington  and  Colebrook,  and  left  there  in  1816 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Joseph  Loomis  and  removed  to-  Wadsworth,  Medina 
'o.,  Ohio.  Going  in  the  winter,  and  after  some  distance  on  their  way,  they 
took  the  wheels  from  their  wagons  and  put  them  on  sleds,  with  boxes  on  top  with 
their  goods,  and  traveled  most  of  the  way  in  that  manner,  on  the  snow,  to 
Wadsworth.  He  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  town, 
and  cleared  a  large  farm.  He  was  a  very  careful  farmer,  of  great  prudence 
and  economy  in  saving  everything,  and  keeping  everything  in  order  ;  always 
holding  an  abundant  supply  of  grain  for  the  next  year,  for  fear  the  next  year 
might  not  render  a  sufficient  supply. 

12.  Alvin,  was  the  eldest  son  of  Benjamin,  b.  in  Torrington  Jan. 
14,  1797,  d.  July  29,  1837.  He  was  an  industrious  farmer,  of  very 
diffident  and  retiring  disposition,  but  little  known  even  by  his  neighbors.  He 
was  a  man  ot  much  reading,  intelligence  and  observation.  For  many  years  he 
kept  a  complete  meteorological  record,  on  a  plan  of  his  own,  noting  the  tem- 
perature at  6,  12,  and  6  o'clock,  the  direction  of  the  wind,  and  the  fall  of 
rain  and  snow.      He  married  Lucy,  daughter  of  Salmon  Warner. 

13.  AuRELius  b.  March  6,  1799,  M.D.,  of  Sandusky  City. 

14.  Rhoda  b.  July  23,  1802. 

15.  Roman  Loomis,  b.  Dec.  3,  1804  ;  b.  in  1805  ;  married 
a  Miss  Wright.  He  was  a  worthy  citizen,  and  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church.  He  died  June  3,  1846.  No  descendants  of  the  Agard  family 
remain  in    Wadsworth. 

Bradley  R.,  son  of  Luman  Agard  of  Litchfield,  m.  Mary  A.,  daughter  of 
Charles  S.  Church,  Npv.  3,  184I  ;  and  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  reliable 
men  of  the  town.  He  has  been  first  selectman  many  years  and  has  served  the 
town  in  other  offices  with  unusual  acceptance.      Children  : 

1.  Arthur  B.,  b.  June  3,  1846.  ville. 

2.  Susie    Church,    b.    Oct.    16,    1852,    m.      3.   Charlie  G.,  b.  June  29,  1863. 
Gideon  H.  Welch,  a  lawyer  in  Wolcott-     4.   Ollie  F.,  b.  Dec.  10,  1867. 


Genealogies.  639 

ALLEN,  Hiram,  came  from  Hebron  to  Torrington  about  1825.  He  had 
been  m.  to  a  Miss  Tinker,  a  relative  of  Col.  George  P.  Bissell's  mother.  He 
taught  school  on  the  Guinea  road,  near  Harwinton  line.  He  m.  a  Barber  and 
d.  Apr.  3,  1826,  a.  63.      Child: 

1.  William,  b.  Dec.  26,  1790. 

1.  William,  son  of  Henry  and (Tinker)  Allen,  m.  Hannah  Johnson, 

Nov.  26,  1816,  and   lived  in  Hebron.      His  wife  Hannah  was   born  May  27, 
1798,  in  New  London.      Children  : 

2.  William,  b.  Jan.   20,  1818,  was    a    phy-  Pennfield  in  New  Britain. 

sician  and  practiced  medicine  in  Meriden,  7.    Adaline  L.,    b.  Sept.    30,    1828,  m.    ist 

d.  in   1850.  Alfred  L.  Burt  of  New  Britain  ;    2d  Milo 

3.  Edwin,  b.  Sept.  12,  18  18,  d.  an  infant.  Shattuck  of  Manchester,  Ct. 

4.  Harriet  N.,  b.  July  16,  1821,  d.  when  18.  8.    Hannah  E.,  b.  May  13,  1830,  d.  an  in- 

5.  Nancy  E.,  b.    Jan.    27,  1823,  m.    C.  M.  fant. 

Burt  in  1841  ;   lived   in  New  Britain,  Ct.      9.    Henry  J.,    b.    May  26,    1831,    in    Man- 

6.  Caroline  A.,  b.  .May  27,  1826,  m.  Lemuel  Chester,  Ct. 

9.  Henry  J  ,  son  ni'  William  and  Hannah  (Johnson)  Allen,  m.  Ellen  Robin- 
son of  New  Britain,  Nov.  14,  1853,  and  came  to  Wolcottville  in  1859,  and 
bought  of  Charles  F.  Church  the  Allen  House  property,  where  he  has  kept  a 
hotel  ever  since.     Children  : 

10.  Henry  J.,   b.    Feb.    20,  1855,   in    New  Britain. 

Britain.  12.   Hattie  B.,  b.  Oct.  5,  1867,  in  Wolcott- 

11.  Nellie  H.,    b.  Dec.    14,  1857,   in    New  ville. 

10.  Henry  J.  Jr.,  son  of  Henry  J.  and  Ellen  (Robinson)  Allen,  m.  Mary- 
Walling,  Dec.   16,  1875  ;   resides  with  his  father.      Child: 

13.    Emma  Mary,  b.  Nov.  30,  1876. 

ALLYN,'  Hon.  Matthew,  came  from  Braintree,  Essex  county,  England, 
probably,  with  his  sons,  and  settled  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  l63^  ;  removed 
to  Connecticut,  1635  ;  may  have  lived  a  short  time  in  Hartford,  and  after- 
wards  settled  in  Windsor.      He  m.   Margaret  in  England.      He   d. 

Feb.   I,  1670.      Children: 

I.    Hon.  John,  m.   Hannah,  dau.  of  Henry      2.   Thomas. 

Smith  of  Springfield  and  died  at  Hartford.      3.   Mary,  m.  Benjamin  Newberry  of  Windsor. 

2.  Thomas,  son  of  Matthew  and  Margaret  Allyn,  m.  Oct  21,  1658,  Abigail, 
daughter  of  Rev.  John  Warham,  first  pastor  at  Windsor.  He  d.  in  Windsor, 
Feb.   14,   1695-6.      Shed.      Children: 

4.  John,  b.  Aug.  17,  1659,  d.  Oct.  4,  1659.  Wolcottt,  Jan.  6,  1686,    descendants  nu- 

5.  Matthew,  b.  Jan.  5,  1660.  merous. 

6.  Thomas,  b.    Mar.  11,    1663,   m.  Martha 

CoL.  Matthew,  son  of  Thomas  and  Abigail  (Warham)  Allyn,  m.  Jan.  5, 
1686,  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Hon.  Henry  Wolcott  and  granddaughter  of  Henry 
Wolcott  the  first  of  the  name  in  Windsor.  .She  inherited  from  her  grandfather 
an  estate  situated  in  the  parishes  of  Tolland  and  Ledyard  Lauran,  in  Somerset- 
shire, and  at  Willington,  called  Long  Forth,  in  England.  The  rents  of  these 
lands,  held  by  her  husband  in  her  right,  were  disposed  of  by  him  in  his  will, 
1740,  to  their  three  living  sons,  and  the  four  sons  of  his  son  Thomas,  deceased. 
His  estate  was  £1,806.  On  his  tombstone  in  Windsor  is  the  following:  The 
Hon.  Col.  Matthew  Allyn,   Esq.,  who  was   many  years  the  council  and   judge 


'  There  was  from  the  first  two  spellings  of  this  name  but  the  ^/len  family  was  not  related 
to  the  Allyn  family.  The  Allen  family  came  from  Enfield  and  settled  in  East  Windsor. 
The  Henry  All)n  family  came  with  Mr.  Warham 's  company,  in  1636,  to  Windsor.  Another 
Scotch  family  by  the  name  Allyn  came  fifty  or  more  years  later. 


640 


History  of  Torrington. 


of  the  superior  court,  for  the  colony  of  Connecticut,  d.  Feb.  17,  A.D.  1758, 
in  ye  98th  year  of  his  age.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Allyn,  consort,  d.  June  4th,  A.D. 
1734,  ^^  y^  69th  year  of  her  age. 

"  And  here  their  bodies  sleep  in  dust 
Till  the  resurrection  of  the  just." 
Children  : 

7.  Matthew,  b.  Aug.,  1687.  10.  Thomas,  b.  1696. 

8.  Peletiah,  b.  May  3,  1689.  11.   Henry,  b.  Dec.  16,  1699. 

9.  Jusiah,  b.  March  9,  1692.  12.   Theophilus,  b.  Aug.  26,  1702. 

10.   Capt.  Thomas,   son  of  Matthew  and   Elizabeth   ( Wolcott)   Allyn,  m. 

Elizabeth  .      Besides   being  a  prominent   military   man   he   was   one  of 

the  responsible  and  active  men  in  the  first  society.  He  d.  Dec.  11,  1738, 
a.  42.      Children  : 

13.  Thomas   b.   Nov.    7,    1725,   m.    Sarah  15.   Eunice,  b.  June   7,  1730,   m.    Epaphras 
Phelps.  Sheldon,  April  30,  1752. 

14.  Theophilus,  b.  Nov.  23,  1726,  m.  Tri-  16.   Jonathan,  b.  March   5,  1733. 
phena  Wolcott.  17.   Joseph,  b.  June  3,  1737. 

17.  Joseph,  son  ot  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Allyn,  m.  Elizabeth  Filley,  at 
Windsor,  and  removed  to  Torrington  and  settled  on  a  farm  nearly  a  mile 
west  of  Wolcottville,  on  which  he  lived  until  his  death.  This  farm  consisted, 
at    his  decease,  of  about  two  hundred  acres  of  land. 

His  wife  Elizabeth  united  with  the  Torrington  church  December  11,  1763. 
She  d  July  15,  1810,  aged  72  years.  He  d.  April  14,  1831,  aged  94  years. 
Children  : 

18.  Elizabeth,    b.    June     23,    1762,    never  22.   Henry,  b.  May  20,  1773. 
married,  d.  Nov.  23,  1843,  a.  81.  23.   Oliver,  b.  Dec.  15,  1775. 

19.  Joseph,  b.  May  14,  1765.  24.   Hannah,  b.  Sept.  26,  1778,  never  mar- 

20.  Chauncey,  b.  Dec.  2,  1767,  d.  may  20,  ried,  d.  Dec.  12,  1836,  a  58. 
1784,  a    17.  25.   Gilbert,  b.  Oct.  11,  1780. 

21.  Jonah,  b.  May  23,  1770. 

19.  Joseph,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Filley)  Allyn,  m.  1st,  Phebe 
Smith,  March  28,  1793.  She  d.  Sept.  21,  1798.  He  m.  2d  Sabra  Loomis, 
March  18,  1801.  She  d.  Nov.  20,  1833,  a.  56.  He  lived  a  little  east  of 
his  father's  homestead,  and  was  an  active,  energetic  farmer,  until  nearly  the 
time  of  his  decease.      He  d.  October  12,  1841,3.  77  years. 

21.  Jonah,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Filley)  Allyn,  m.  Laura  Root  of 
Burlington,  Ct.,  abont  1826,  and  lived  with  his  brother  Gilbert  some  years, 
when  he  removed  to  and  lived  on  Gilbert's  farm  on  the  Litchfield  turnpike.  Ch.  : 
26.   Jonah,  b    1827,  d.  young.  27.   Laura  Caroline,  b.  1831,  d.  young. 

22.  Henry,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Filley)  Allyn,  m.  Betsey  Palmer 
of  Windsor,  July  26,  1798.  He  lived  some  years  about  a  mile  north  ot  west 
from  his  father's  home,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  on  the  hill,  where  the  re- 
mains of  a  chimney  arc  to  be  seen  ;  the  place  having  been  long  known  as  the 
"  old  chimney  lot."  He  was  a  tall,  broad  shouldered,  powerful  man.  He  d. 
Nov.  25,  1843,  a.  71  years.  His  widow  Betsey,  d.  March  3,  1859,  a.  84 
years.      Children  : 

28.  Henry,  b.  July  17,  1799.  32.   Leonard,  b.  Nov.  24,  1807,  removed  to 

29.  Julia,     b.    July    4,    1801,    m.     Lyman  the  state  of"  New  York,  where  he  married 
Beach  of  Litchfield,    April  7,    1823,    and  Laura   Bowen. 

removed  to  the  town  and  county  of  Greene,      33.   Jonah,    b.    May  27,    1811,    m.  and   re- 
N.   Y.  >       moved  to  Missouri  and  afterwards  toTexas. 

30.  Chauncey,  b.  July  7,  1802,  d.  Oct.  18,      34.    Amorit,    b.    Aug.  23,    1812,    m.  Riley 
1851,  a.  49,  not  m.  ;  built  the  house  across  Cook'hnd  resides  in  Wolcottville. 

the  road  a  little  east  of  his  father's  home.       35.   Annis,   b.    Feb.  i,    1814,    m.    Geo.    P. 

31.  Elizabeth,  b.  Jan.  4,   1804,  never  m.  Roberts. 


Genealogies.  641 

23.  Oliver,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Filley)  Allyn,  m.  Lury  Looinis, 
May  7th,  1801,  and  settled  on  the  Sarah  Higley  farm  on  the  hill  half  a  mile 
north  of  west  from  his  father's  homestead.  Two  of  his  deeds  were  dated,  the 
one  in  1799,  the  other  January  30,  1800.  His  life  came  to  a  close  while 
hunting  the  cows  at  evening  during  a  thunder  storm.  Not  returning  home  as 
expected,  search  was  made  for  him  late  in  the  evening  with  lanterns  but  with- 
out success.  In  the  morning  he  was  found  dead  in  the  lot  ;  supposed  to  have 
died  of  a  fit  or  something  of  the  kind.  He  d.  Aug.  27,  1831,  a.  56  His 
widow  Lury  d.  April  2,   1843,  a.  68  years.      Children: 

36.  Amelia,    b.    July    i,    1S03,    m.    James  39.   Phebe  Smith,   b.   June  8,    1813,   never 
Whiting,  April  10,  1828.  m.  ,  she  collected  in  part  her  family  gene- 

37.  Horatio  Nelson,  b.  March  11,  1805.  ^logy*  guing  to  Windsor  and  making  dili- 

38.  Joseph,  b.  May  29,  1809.      I^Toiun  Rec.)  gent  searchj  d.  May  9,  1862,  a.  49  years. 

25.  Gilbert,  son  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Filloy)  Allyn,  m.  Mrs.  Phebe 
Chamberlin.  He  was  an  efficient  and  active  man  in  behalf  of  the  interests  of 
the  town  and  community  for  many  years.      He  d.  Nov.   18,  1850,  a.  71. 

28.  Henry  Jr.,  son  of  Henry  and  Betsey  (Palmer)  Allyn,  m.  Rheuba, 
daughter  of  Giles  Whiiing,  Feb.  17,  1824,  lived  in  different  parts  of  Torring- 
ton,  and  removed  to  Windsor,  where  he  d.      Children  : 

40.  Giles.  43.   Henry. 

41.  Chauncey.  44.   Charles. 

42.  Sophia. 

37.  H.  Nelson,  son  of  Oliver  and  Lurv  (Loomis)  Allyn,  m.  Speedy,  dau. 
ofL.  Hamlin  Birge  June  7,  1832.  She  was  born  July  16,  1812.  He  resides 
on  a  farm  half  a  mile  west  of  Wolcottville,  a  beautiful  and  picturesque  location, 
as  are  nearly  all  the  residences  on  the  road  running  west  from  the  \illdge  the 
distance  of  two  miles.  A  part  of  (his  farm  he  bought  as  an  out  lot  or  an  un- 
occupied lot,  and  settled  on  it  as  the  first  resident.  It  was  covered  with  bushes, 
briers  and  weeds  wherever  the  rocks  and  stones  left  room  for  a  weed  to  grow, 
but  it  has  become,  under  the  energetic  hand  of  iis  owner,  a  productive  and 
desirable  homestead.  It  is  to  be  doubted  however,  whether  the  success  of  the 
farm  had  been  as  great,  but  for  the  fact  that  there  was  as  much  energy  in  the 
house  as  on  the  farm.      Children  : 

45.  Ellen  Eliza,  b.  April    14,  1833,  d.  Feb.  B.  Johnson  of  Cornwall,   may   25,    1875, 
27,  1844,  a.  II  years.  and   has  a    son   Satiford  Allen   b.    March 

46.  Alonzo   Nelson,   b.   April    6,    1838,  d.  25,  1876;    Mr.   Johnson  is  a  lawyer   and 
Aug.  30,    1839,  a.  one   and    a  half    years.  formerly  editor  at  Lilchtield,  and  a  farmer. 

47.  Edward,  b.  1840,  d.    Feb.    19,    1844,  a.  50.   Sarah  Elizabeth,  b.  March  25,   1876,  d. 
3  years.  a,  7  weeks. 

48.  Mary  Ellen,  b.  Sept.  24,  1844,  d.   Sept.  51.   Cornelia  Dellie,  b.  Aug.  27,  1850. 

14,  1862,  aged  19  years.  52.    Charles    Edward,   b.    Jan.    i,     1852,    d. 

49   Martha  Eliza, b.  Oct.  2,  1846,  m.  Solon  Jan.    17,  1874,  a.  21  years. 

38.  Joseph,  son  of  Oliver  and  Lury  (Loomis)  Allyn,  m.  Esther  dau.  of 
Samuel  VVestlake,  April  17,  1845  ;  settled  on  the  farm  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
where  he  lived  until  his  death,  and  where  his  widow  and  her  sons  still  reside. 
He  was  a  man  of  considerable  public  spirit  and  enterprise,  taking  special  in- 
terest in  the  enlargement  and  beautifying  the  Torrington  burying  ground. 
During  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  pior  health  did  not  allow  him  to  perfect 
the  work  about  the  burying  ground  as  he  had  purposed,  and  when  he  went  the 
work  stopped.  When  Mrs.  .■^llyn  was  a  girl  and  working  by  the  week,  she  re- 
ceived one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  a  week  which  was  the  usual  wages.  Work- 
ing hours  ranged  in  the  summer  from  half  past  four  in  the  morning  until  bedtime 

81 


642  History  of  Torrington. 

in  the  evening,  and  the  work  was  hard  woric.  The  wedding  coat  of  Joseph, 
the  first  Allyn  in  the  town,  is  still  to  be  seen  in  the  possessi.  n  of  this  family, 
also  a  pair  of  revoluiionary  horse  pistols,  made  by  Medad  Hills.     Children  : 

53.  Frederick  A.,  b.  Feb.  17,  1846.  55.  J.  Eugene,  b.  Aug.  28,  1859. 

54.  George  A.,  b.  Feb.  27,  1850. 

APPLY,  EzEKiEL,  was  a  revolutionary  soldier  and  settled  at  Holbrook's 
mills  about  1800.  He  had  children,  Josiah,  John,  Ezekiel,  David,  Eunice, 
Charlotte,  and  Betsy  ;  the  last  who  m.  Hiram  Johnson,  and  lives  in  Goshen, 
East  street  with  her  son  George.  She  had  also  Laura,  and  Caroline.  Tlie 
Apply  families  were  well  known  many  years  through  their  grist  mill  and  other 
enterprises  of  labor,  as  mechanics  and  farmers,  but  all  arc  removed  from  the 
town. 

ASHBORN,  James,  m.  Maria  L.  daughter  of  Luther  Cook  Feb.  14,  1859. 

He  d.  Dec.  7,  1876.      Children: 

I.   Luther,  b.   Dec.   8,   1859,  d.    Jan.   20,        2.   Charles,  b.  Mar.  12,  1861. 
1876. 

ASHLEY,  Henry,  son  of  John  Ashley,  was  b.  in  Sheffield,  Mass.,  May 
27,  1832,  and  enlisted  in  the  army  in  October  1863,  where  he  remained  one 
year,  and  came  to  Wolcottville  in  the  spring  of  1864.  He  m.  Mary  L  dau. 
of  Samuel  S.  Rider  of  Sheffield,  Mass..  Oct.  12,  1864.  She  was  born  Feb. 
14,  1843.  He  is  a  carpenter,  engaged  in  the  shop  with  C.  Hotchkiss  and  sons, 
and  resides  on  Migeon  avenue. 

ATWATER,  Asaph,  a  native  of  Southingtoji,  m.  Lucy  Ann  Dibble,  May 
27,  1772,  both  of  Torrington  at  the  time  of  marriage.  Children  rec.  in  Tor- 
rington : 

1.  Mehitible,  b.  March  4,  1773.  ^-   Benaroy,  b.  March   20,  1779. 

2.  Thomas,  b.  March   7,  1774.  7.    Enos,  b.  Feb.  14,  1783. 

3.  Mehitible,  b.  Sept.    11,1775.  ^-   A  daughter,  b.  Aug.  4,  1785,  not  named, 

4.  Asaph,  b.  Aug.  15,  1776.  and  probably  died  in  infancy. 

5.  Lucy,  b.  Jan.  28,    1778. 

AUSTIN,  x'\aron,  with  his  wife  and  several  sons  came  from  Suffield,  Ct., 
to  Torringford  about  1755  or  6,  and  some  of  them  settled  on  West  street. 
Some  of  his  sons  were  probably  married  when  they  came  here.  Joshua,  David, 
Daniel  and  Aaron  are  mentioned  in  the  deeds  as  among  the  early  settlers. 
These  may  not  all  have  been  sons  ot  the  first  Aaron. 

The  wife  of  Aaron  died  Oct.  28,  1794,  a.  73,  Aaron  d.  Feb.  9,  1801,  a. 
84.      The  following  are  said  to  have  been  sons  of  the  first  Aaron  : 

1.  Aaron.  3.   Samuel. 

2.  Nathaniel. 

There  was  another  Samuel  Austin  who  m.  Ruth  Gillett  of  Torringford, 
Nov.  14,  1765,  and  had  the  following  children: 

Mindwell,  b.  Aug.  25,  1766.  Ruth,  b.  Feb.   12,  1769. 

Sarah,  b.  Mar.  6,  1768.  Clymena,  b.  Mar.  15,  1772. 

1.  .Aaron,  son  of  .Aaron,  lived  a  short  time  in  Torringford,  removed  to 
New  Hartford,  became  judge  of  the  court  and  an  iiiflueniial  man.      Children  : 

4.  Euseba,    b.    Apr.    7,    1758  ;    became    a      6.    Roswell,    b.    Mar.    23,    1765,    m.    

physician.  Strong,  removed  to  Ohio. 

5.  Eliphalet,  b.  June  8,  1760,  m. 

2.  Nathaniel,  son  of  Aaron,  m.  1st  Anne  Bidwell  of  Windsor  Sept.  28, 
1775,  she  d.  May  7,  1793  ;   2d  Margaret  Mills,  iiicce  of  Rev,  Sam.  J.  Mills, 


Genealogies.  643 

He  lived  on  Toringford  West  street,  and  d.  Sept.  4,  1844,  a.  92.     Hiswidow 
d.  Oct.  8,  1851,  a.  90,      Children  by  1st  wife: 

6.   Nathaniel,  b.  Aug.  20,  I78£,  m.,  removed  9.    Anne,    b.    Nov.   24,1787,  d.   Feb.   28, 

west  and  d.  at  Ravena,  Ohio.  1868,  a.  81. 

8.  Joab,  b.  Mar.  15,  i  785,  removed  to  O.  ;  10.   Abigail,  b.  Jan.  26,  1790. 

d.  Nov.  10,  1839,  a.  54.  II.   Clarissa,  b.  Mai.  26,  1793. 

By  2d  wife : 

12.  Lewis,  b.  ;   removed  to  Austinburg,  O. ;  Wolcottville. 

d.  Mar.  10,  1872,  a.  77.  15.    Fanny,  b.  in  1802,  m.    in   1827  Laurin 

1 3.  Rebecca,  b.j  m.  Ransom  Coe  of  Charl/^s-  Wetmore. 

town,  Ohio.  16.   Esther,  b. ;   m.  Giles  A.  Gaylord. 

14.  Charlott,    b.;  m.    John    Hungerford    of 

3.  Samuel,  son  of  Aaron,  ist,  m.  Mary  Bissell  of  Torringford  Oct.  18, 
1774  ;  and  after  some  years  removed  to  Ohio.      Children  : 

17.  Polly,  b.  Apr.  8,  1776.  Gillett. 

18.  Cyrenius,  b.  Mar.  5,   1779.  20.  Samuel,  b.  Sept.  15,  1783. 

19.  Rachel,  b.   July    29,    178 1,    m.  Horace     21.   Bissell. 

5.  Eliphalet,  son  of  Aaron  Austin  of  New  Hartford,  m.  Sibyl  Dudley  of 
Torrington  ;  removed  to  Ohio,  bought  one-third  of  a  township  of  land,  and 
was  called  alter  his  name  Austinburg,  he  being  the  first  settler  in  the  town.  He 
d.  Jan.  28,  1838,  a.  77.     Children: 

22.   Elizabeth,  b.  May  25,  1780,  m.j  removed      23.   Roswell,  b.  July  21,  1781  ;  removed  to 
west.  Austinburg  with  his  father. 

AUSTIN,  Theodore  W.,  son  of  Nelson  Austin,  of  Goshen,  was  b.  Aug. 
5,  1838.  He  m.  first  Esther  S  ,  daughter  of  Stephen  Roberts  of  Goshen, 
Sept.  27,  1854.  She  was  b.  Feb.  17,  1837,  and  d.  Feb.  2,  1867.  He  m. 
second  Lizzia  A.,  daughter  of  Marcus  Ovidtt  of  Torrington,  Oct.  16,  1867, 
and  removed  to  Wolcottville  in  the  spring  of  1872,  where  he  continued  in  the 
livery  business  until  spring  of  1873,  when  he  removed  to  Plymouth,  Ct.  His 
wife  Lizzia  A.,  was  b.  May  8,  1841,  and  d.  Nov.  4,  1876.      Children  : 

1.  Wilbert  N.,  b.  June  23,  1859.  3.  Elmer  Grant,  b.  Jan.  15,  1869. 

2.  Emma  L  ,  b.  Dec.  28,  1863. 

B.'^LDWIN,  Junius,  son  of  Stephen  and  Hannah  (Burgess)  Baldwin,  of 
Goshen,  was  b.  Sept.  15,  1807;  d.  of  typhoid  fever  June  10,  1861,  a.  54. 
Hem.  Julia  A.  P.,  daughter  of  Dennis  Hallock,  of  Cairo,  Greene  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  14,  1828.  She  was  b.  Sept.  19,  1803.  He  was  a  farrner  and  resided 
in  North  Goshen.      Children  : 

1.  Eliza    Hannah,    b.    Aug.    i,     1829,    m.  8,  1841.      These  three  d.  of  scarlet  fever. 
Daniel  Kimberly.                                                  5.    Caroline  Lucretia,   b.  Nov.  13,    1840,   d. 

2.  Lydia  Lucedia,  b.  Sept.  29,  1832,  d.  June  Sept.  12,  1861. 

23,  1841.  6.  Junius  Dudley,  b.  Dec.  26,  1843,  d.  Apr. 

3.  Junius  Dudley,  b.  Dec.  5,   1835,  d.  June  18,  1861. 

18,  1841.  7.   James  Burgess,  b.  Sept.  14,  1846,  m. 

4.  Stephen  John,  b.  June  15,  1838,  d.  June 

7.  James  B.,  son  of  Junius  and  Hannah   (Burgess)  Baldwin,   m.  Martha  E., 
daughter  of  George  Merriman  of  Litchfield,  May  h,  1868.      Children  : 
8.  Charlie  Hodges,  b.  June  25,  1870.  9.   Ralph  Merriman,   b.  June  17,    1874. 

B.'\CON,  James,  m.  Hannah  .  Children  recorded  in  Torrington  : 

1.  Hannah,  b.  June  6,  1762.  4.    Eldad,  b.  Dec.  17,   1768. 

2.  Esther,  b.  April  2,  1764.  5.   Rachel,  b.  Aug.  i,   1772. 

3.  Ann,  b.  June  5,  1766,  d.  next  day.  6.  James,  b,  Sept.  23,  1775. 


644 


History  of  Torrington. 


BANCROFT,    John/    perhaps   son    of  John,    of  Lynn,    Mass.,    was    at 
Windsor,  in  1645  ;  m.  ilannah  Dupper,  Dec. 3,  1650,  he  d.  Aug.6,  1622.    Ch  : 

1.  John,  b.  Dec,  1651.  4.    Hannah,  b.  April  6,   1659. 

2.  Nathaniel,  b.  Nov.  19,  1653.  5.   Sarah,  b.  Dec.  z6,  1661. 

3.  Ephraim,  b.  June  15,  1656. 

3.   Ephraim,  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Dupper)  Bancroft,   m.  Sarah  Stiles, 
May  5,  1681   ;   lived  in  Windsor.      Children: 

6.  Ephraim,  b.  Feb.  8,  1682.  10.   Benjamin,  b.  May  10,  1694. 

7.  John,  b.  Feb.  8,  1685.  11.    Daniel,  b.  July  16,  1700. 

8.  Sarah,  b.  Feb.  z6,  1687.  12.   Thomas,  b.  Dec.  14,  1703. 

9.  John,  b.  Dec.  19,    1690. 

6.  Ephraim,  son  ot  Ephraim  and  Sarah  (Stiles)  Bancroft,  m.  Frances  Phelps, 
March  17,  171  5.      Children: 

13.  Sarah,  b.    30,  1715.  17.  Hannah,  b.  July  23,  1723. 

14.  Ephraim,  b.    Oct.  17,  17 1 7,  d. 'young.  18.  Eliza,  b.  July  13,  1725. 

15.  Ephraim,  b.  Mar.  12,  1719.  19.  Ruth,  b.  ;  d.  Jan.  28,  1728. 

16.  Isaac,  b.  Aug.  17,  1720.  20.  Ruth,  b.  Sept.  7,   1729. 

15.  Lieut.  Ephraim,  son  of  Ephriam  and  Frances  (Stiles)  Bancroft,  m. 
Esther  Gleason  of  Enfield  Dec.  6,  1739.  He  settled  in  Torrington  about 
1759,  on  the  lot  which  his  father  drew  in  the  first  division  ;  the  lot  joining 
Ebenezer  Lyman's  on  the  north,  his  house  standing  on  the  east  side  of  the  road 
a  few  rods  north  of  Gen.  Epaphras  Sheldon's.  He  kept  a  tavern  during  the 
Revolution  and  years  afterwards.  He  was  a  man  ot  quiet  disposition  ;  clear, 
discriminating  judgment,  and  was  very  much  esteemed  and  respected,  and  when 
he  died,  Esqr.  Benjamin  Whiting  said  "no  man  in  this  society  can  fill  Lieut, 
Bancroft's  shoes  "  (see  chapter  on  Business  Centres,  Lyman  Street,  and  War 
of  Revolution  1.  Mr.  Bancroft's  wife  was  a  high-spirited  woman  ;  would  not 
let  her  children  play  with  other  neighboring  children.      Children  : 

21.  Tryphena,  b.  Aug.  10,    1740.  Burke,   Vt. 

22.  Alice,  b.  Mar.  4,    1742,  d.  1750.  25.   Ephraim,  b.   Feb.    6,   1749,   d.    July  6, 

23.  Esther,  b.  Dec.   23,    1744,   m.   Roswell  1750. 
Coe,  April  22,    1766.  26.   Ephraim,  b.  Feb.  24,  175  i,  m. 


24.   Ruth,  b.  Dec.  13,  1746,  m. 

Barber,  vifho  was  a  tailor  and   removed  to 


27.   Noadiah,  b.  Dec.  13,  1753,  '"• 
18.   Oliver  b.  July  22,  1757,  m. 


26.  Ephraim,  son  of  Lieut  Ephraiin  and  Esther  (Gleason)  Bancroft,  m. 
Jemima,  daughter  of  Moses  Loomis  Nov.  2,  1775,  and  settled  on  a  farm,  then 
new,  east  side  of  the  road  a  little  north  of  Esqr.  Benjamin  Whiting's,  where  he 
lived  until  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  genius  in  making  farming  implements, 
and  in  putting  up  buildings.  He  died  by  a  fall  from  the  scaffolding  over  the 
barn  floor,  in  1808  or  9.      His  widow  died  about  1834.  or  5.      Children: 

29.  Miles,  b.    July   27,    1776,    d.    April    5,  shop.      He  became  a   printer,   learning  his 
1795,  by  eating  maple   sugar. 

30.  Tiyphena,  b.  Feb.  5,  1779,  m.  Wright 
of  New  Hartford,  had  one  dau.,  Huldah  ; 
m.  2d.  Seymour  Bradley. 

31.  Jemima,  b.  May  30,  1781,  m.  David 
Grant,  of  Litchfield,  removed  to  Che- 
nango Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  became  wealthy. 

32.  Huldah,  b.  Aug.  12,  1784,  d.  July  2, 
1788. 

33.  Oliver,  b.  June  9,  1787  ;  he  first  ac- 
quired a  taste  for  literature,  by  reading 
books    and   papers  in  Owen  Brown's  shoe 


trade  with  Hudson  &  Goodwin  at  Hartford; 
was  a  great  reader  and  had  a  great  memory  ; 
was  never   married. 

34.  Moses,  b.  Aug.  27,  1789;  lived  on  his 
father's  homestead,  where  he  died,  not  m. 

35.  Horace,  b.  Sept.    30,  1791,  m. 

36.  Dr.  Rueben,  b.  Aug.  3,  1794;  became 
a  physician,  settled  in  Plymouth,  Ct.,  a 
time,  then  removed  to  (Jhenango  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  became  a  celebrated  physi- 
cian.     Is  deceased. 


'Written  sometimes  Bancraft. — Hiil,  IVindsor. 


Genealogies. 


645 


27.  NoADiAH,  son  of  Lieut.  Ephraim  and  Esther  (Gleason)  Bancroft,  m. 
Jerusha,  dau.  of  Capt.  Epaphras  Loomis,  Sept.  7,  1780.  He  lived  on  his 
father's  homestead  on  the  Lyman  street;  a  farmer,  and  a  man  of  energy  and 
spirit.      Children  : 


37.  Erastus,  b.  Oct.  27,  1782,  d.  young. 

38.  Luman,  b.  Mar.  23,  17845  was  a  shoe- 
maker; settled  in  Harwinton  and  d.  about 
1871. 


41.  Dr.  Erastus,  b.  Oct.  31,    1790. 

42.  Chester,  b.  ,  m.  Harriet,  dau.  of 
Richard  Loomis,  lived  in  the  town  a  time 
then  removed  to  Winchester. 


39.  Noadiah,    b.    Apr.   12,    1786,   became   a  43.    Warren,  b,  lived  and  died  in  this  town, 
lawyer  and  settled  in  Mass.  44.   Charlotte,    b.  ,  m.    Miles  Beach  ; 

40.  Jerusha,   b.   May  19,    1788,   m.    Miles  lives  in  the  town. 

Wilcox,  a    blacksmith,    and    removed   to  45.   Clarissa,   b.  m.  Seymour;  d. 

Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  April  25,  1875  (.?) 

28.   Dr.  Oliver,  son  of  Lieut.  Ephraim  and  Esther  Gleason)  Bancroft,  was 
a  revolutionary  soldier  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  N.  J.    He  became 
a  physician,   settled   in   Newtown,  where  he  was    a  practicing  physician   many 
years,  and  where  he  died.      Children  : 
42.   Lurandus.  43.   A  daughter,  never  m. 

35.    HoR.ACE,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Jemima   (Loomis)   Bancroft,  m    Damaris 

Thompson  of  Mansfield,  Ct.,  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead  of  his  father.    Ch. : 

4.4.  Helois,  "I       .       ,  Beach,   lived   on    the  homestead    a  time, 

TT  ,        y  twms  d.  young.  ,  .,11  jl        u.      f~- 

45.  Helen,  J  •'        °  then  so. d  the  home  and   bought  a  farm  in 

46.  Mahlon,  b.  Sept  ,  1827,  d.  1852.  Goshen,  where  he  and  his  wile  died.      He 

47.  Horace,  b.  Dec.  9,  1830,  m.    Elizabeth  was  a  peddler  and  a  s.nart  man. 

41.  Dr.  Er.-^stus,  son  of  Noadiah  and  Jerusha  (Loomis)  Bancroft,  m. 
Amanda,  dau.  ot  Capt.  Sa  iiuel  Bradley  ;  was  a  physician  in  Wolcottville  over 
50  years.      {See  Biography.)     Children: 

48.  Charles,  b.  d.  in  1876,  and   both   were  buried  in  one 

49.  Caroline,  b. ;   m.   Nathan   Phelps;   they  grave;   leaving  a  son  and  a  daughter. 

BARBER,  Elizur,  son  of  Issachar  Barber  of  Harwinton,  was  b.  Sept.  4, 
1798;  m.  Polly  Phelps  Oct.  25,  1825,  She  was  b.  Aug.  7,  1799.  He 
owned  and  lived  some  years  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Frederick  Taylor 
below  Wolcottville,  then  came  to  Wolcottville  where  he  still  resides.    Children  : 

1.  Adaline   E.,  b.  Sept.   9,    1826,  d.   Dec.        4.  Sarah  E.,  b.  Oct.   14,  1833,  d.  June  18, 
9,  1828. 

2.  Adaline  M.,  b.  Nov.  9,    1828,  m.   San- 
ford  H.  Perkins,  Sept.    11,    1851,  who  d. 


1 8  34. 

5.  Charles  E.,  b.  June  7,  1835,  d.  March 
8,  1836. 

6.  Mary  E.,  b.  Nov.  13,  1837,  m.  Sid- 
ney G.  Law,  Oct.  27,  1859;  had  Addie 
E.,  b.  June  9,  1861,  d.  Aug.  6,  1861  ; 
Freddie  H.,  b.  July  13,  1862;  Nellie  M., 
b.  April  4,  1865;  Carrie,  b.  Aug.  24, 
1869;    Laura  Julia,  b.  Dec.  31,  1873. 

7.  Charles  P.,  b.  Feb.  20,  1840,  d.  Dec. 
II,  1^63. 

8.  Myron  E.,  b.  Oct.  21,  1843,  m.  Eliza- 
beth Young,  June  12,  1873;  had  Eliza- 
beth Young,  b.  Oct.  10,  1875. 

BARBER,  Thomas,  the  first  in  New  England,  came  to  Windsor,  with  Mr. 
Francis  Stiles's  party  m  1635.  He  was  made  freeman  in  1645,  and  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Pequot  fight.  He  removed  to  Simsbury,  where  he  contracted  to 
build  the  first  meeting  house.     He  married  Jane ,  October  7,  1640.     Ch. : 

1.  John,  bap.  July  24,  1642.  4.   Samuel,  bap.  Oct.  i,  1648. 

2.  Thomas,  bap.  July  14,  1644.  5.   Mary,  bap.  Oct.  12,  1651,  m. Hale. 

3.  Sarah,  bap.  July  19,  1646.  6.  Josiah,  bap.  Feb.  15,  1653. 


Dec.  9,  1874;  had  Frank  B.,  b.  Nov. 
20,  1852,  who  m.  Nellie  Hartwell,  May 
20,  1874,  lives  in  Springfield,  Mass.; 
Edson  A.,  b.  Dec.  18,  1858;  Alfred  H., 
b.  Sept.  17,  i860. 
3.  Elvin  E.,  b.  April  7,  1831,  is  a  physi- 
cian, practiced  a  time  in  Wolcottville 
then  removed  to  Bethel,  Ct.,  where  he 
resides.  He  m.  Julia  A.  Birge,  Nov.  29, 
1854;  had  Lizzie  M.,  b.  Nov.  21,  i860, 
Minnie  B.,  b.  July  4,  1864. 


646  History  of  Torrington. 

6.  JosiAH,  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  Barber  m.  Abigail,  daughter  of  Na- 
thaniel Loomis,  Nov.  22,  1677,  lived  in  the  south  part  of  Windsor,  near  the 
river.      Children  : 

7.  Abigail,  b.  March  12,  1678.  10.   Jonathan,  b.  June  4,  1694. 

8.  Josiah,  b.  1685.  11.   Aaron,  b.  July  20,  1697 

9.  Nathaniel,  b.  Apr.  6,  1691.  12.   Rebecca,  b.  Apr.  11,  1698. 

9.  Nathaniel,  sen.,  son  of  Josiah  and  x^bigail  (Loomis)  Barber,  m.  Mary 
Filley  July  2,  171  i.  He  was  one  of  the  original  proprietors  in  Torrington, 
but  never  resided  in  this  town,  but  remained  in  Windsor.      Children  : 

13.  Mary,  b.  Aug.  6,  1713.  16.   Abigail,  b.  Dec.   11,  1720. 

14.  Josiah,  b.  Mar.  6,  1714.  17.   Azuba,  b.  Oct.  31,  1725. 

15.  Nathaniel,  b.  Dec.  5,  1717. 

15.  Capt.  Nathaniel,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  (Filley)  Barber,  m. 
Hepziba  Loomis,  Sept.  13,  1739.  He  removed  to  Torrington  among  the 
first  settlers  and  lived  in  southwest  part  of  the  town,  across  the  road  from  Mr. 
Charles  S.  Munger's  present  dwelling.  (So  said  Uncle  Luman  Loomis.)  This 
was  the  first  family  of  the  name  in  the  town.  He  d.  Mar.  8,  1788.  His 
widow  d.  March  26,  1793.      Children: 

18.  Hepziba,  b.  March  9,  1740,  d.   Jan.   2,      23.   Chloe,    bap.    April    7,  1751,    m.  Abner 
1760.  Loomis,  as  2d  wife. 

19.  Nathaniel,     bap.    Aug.     29,    1742.    d.      24.   Lois,  bap.  July  8,  1753. 

Mar.  9,  1743.  25.   Keziah,   bap.    Nov.  16,    1755,  d.    May 

20.  Nathaniel,  bap.  Feb.  19,  1744,  m.  22,  1774. 

21.  Elijah,  bap.  May  11,  1746,  m.  26.   Susa,  bap.  Feb.  19,  1758. 

22.  Timothy,   bap.    Nov.  6,  1748,  m.  and      27.   Eli,  bap.  Mar.  29,  1761. 

lived    west    of  Luman    Loomis's    present      28.   Ziba,        \  bap.  Aug.    "1  Jemima  m.  Be- 
dwelling.  29.   Jemima,  J      14,1764,/     noni  Loomis. 

20.  Nathaniel,  3d,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Hepzeba  (Loomis)  Barber,  m. 
Mercy  SpofFord  of  Salisbury,  March  17,  1769.  He  d-  March  31,  1782,  a. 
37.      Children  : 

30.  Uri,  b.  June  i,  1769.  32.   Zimri,  b.  May  29,  1773. 

31.  Levi,  b.  June  11,  1771.  33.   Eli,  b.  Apr.  22,   1775. 

2  1.  Elijah,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Hepzeba  (Loomis)  Barber,  m.  Mary, 
daughter  of  Beriah  Hills,  July  10,  1766,  and  lived  near  Luman  Loomis's  late 
residence.  He  had  a  son  Elijah  James,  who  built  the  house,  the  late  residence 
of  Luman  Loomis,  which  house  is  96  or  7  years  old.      Child : 

34.  Luman  [Toivn  Rfc),  b.  Nov.  12,  1766. 

BARBER,  Abijah,  son  of  Joseph  and  Zain  Barber,  was  born  July  15,  1767. 
Some  of  his  brothers  and  sisters  were  Joseph,  Elisha,  Friend,  Elihu,  Roswell, 
Sina,  Susannah,  Jemima,  Huldah,  m.  Henry  L.  Meade,  post  master  at  Bethle- 
hem, N.  Y.  Most  of  these  lived  a  time  with  their  parents  at  Bethlehem,  N. 
Y.,  where  the  father  Joseph,  d.  about  1795,  and  the  motlier  Zain,  d.  Feb. 
1817.  Abijah  Barber  came  to  Torrington,  before  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  and  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  Issachar  Loomis,  Feb.  16,  1797,  and  settled 
on  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law.  He  was  an  industrious  successful  faimer,  and 
d.  May  5,  1832,  a.  65.      His  widow  d.  Jan.  18,    1839,  a.  70.      Children: 

1.  Marvin,  b    Aug.  6,  1796,  m.  28,  1877,  a.  75. 

2.  Millard,  b.  June  28,    1798,  m.  4.  Hiram,  b.  Oct.  31,    1804. 

3.  Alzada,  b.  Sept.  22,  1801,  not  m.  d.  Jan.      5.   Sheldon,  b.  May  13,  1807. 

I.  Dea.  Marvin,  son  of  Abijah  and  Mary  (Loomis)  Barber,  m.  first  Re- 
becca Whiting;  2d,  Elizabeth  Whiting,  Feb.  16,  1832.      He  was  elected  deacon 


Genealogies.  647 

of  the  Torrington  church  in  1822;  is  well  spoken  of  as  such.      He  d.  in  1840, 
a.  44;  his  widow  m.  Augustus  Grant,  Nov.  9,  1847.   Children  by  his  first  wife: 

6.  Marvin. 

By  his  2d  wife  : 

7.  Charles  M.,  b.  May  22,  1833.  Eighmie,  Jan.  19,  1872;   lives  in  Pough- 

8.  Milo  F.,  b.  Aug.  28,  1835,  m.  Sarah  J.  keepsie,  N.  Y. 

2.  Millard,  son  of  Abijah  and  Mary  (Loomis)  Barber,  m.  in  Pennsylvania; 
removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  d.  April  5,  1874.     Children  : 

9.  Robert.  II.   Mary. 

10.   Martha.  12.   One  that  d.  about  14  years  of  age. 

4.  Capt.  Hiram,  son  of  Abijah  and  Mary  Loomis  Barber,  m.  He  d. 

Feb.  26,  1877,  a.  72. 

5.  Sheldon,  son  of  Abijah  and  Mary  (Loomis)  Baiber,  m.  Sally  E., 
daughter  of  Willard  Hodges,  April  10,  1833,  and  sctiled  on  the  old  Aaron 
Loomis  farm,  owned  for  a  time  by  Willard  Hodges,  where  he  lived  until  his 
death  Jan.  15,  1877.  He  was  a  very  hard  working,  successful  farmer,  owning 
many  hundreds  of  acres  of  land  at  his  death.  His  widow  d.  Nov.  5,  1865. 
Child  : 

13.  Willard  H.,  b.  Oct.  I,  1835. 

7.  Charles  M.,  son  of  Marvin  and  Elizabeth  H.  (Whiting)  Barber,  m. 
Emily  M.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Price  of  Goshen,  Nov.  24,  1859  ;  lives  on 
the  homestead  of  the  late  Capt.  Hiram  Barber.      Children  : 

14.  Mary  Elizabeth,  b.  July  30,    1864.  16.   Elizabeth   Hyatt,  b.    Dec.  15,    1868,  d. 

15.  Lucretia  Jane,  b.  March  17,  1866.  July  15,  1869. 

13.  Willard  H.,  son  of  Sheldon  and  Sally  E.  (Hodges)  Barber,  m.  Jane 
E.  daughter  of  Wait  B.  Wilson,  Nov.  11,  1855,  and  lives  on  his  father's  home- 
stead.    Children  : 

17.  Aduna  J.,  b.  March  16,  1859.  20.   Carrie  J.,  b.  Feb.  28,  1864. 

18.  Allan  W.,  b    Aug.   18,    1861.  2X.  Jennie  C,  b.  May  28,  1865. 

19.  Winfield,  b.  Feb.  16,  1863.  22.   Sheldon,  b.  March  12,    1867. 

4.  Elihu,  son  of  Joseph  and  Zain  Barber  was  born  April  19,  1787,  came 
to  Torrington  from  Harwinton,  m.  ist,  Jemima  North,  x^pril  19,  1787  ;  was 
a  man  of  great  physical  strength  and  endurance  and  a  hard  worker,  acquired 
considerable  property  ;  built  the  house  in  Newfield  where  his  son  Orson  now 
resides,  and  afterwards  removed  to  West  H.irtford,  where  he  d.  Oct.,  1832, 
a.  69.  His  wife  Jemima  d.  Dec.  4,  1818  ;  he  m.  2d,  Sally  Goodwin,  of 
Litchfield. 

He  is  said  to  have  been  drawing  a  load  of  rye  from  the  field  with  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  and  going  down  a  steep  hill,  the  yoke  dropped  from  one  of  the  oxen, 
whereupon  he  took  up  the  yoke  and  carried  it  in  the  place  of  the  ox,  down  the 
hill  safeiv-  In  the  time  of  the  temperance  movement,  about  1830,  Rev.  Mr. 
Gould  called  on  him  and  asked  him  to  give  his  influence  to  the  reform  by 
signing  the  pledge.  He  replied  that  he  could  not  sign  the  pledge  but  that  he 
was  trying  to  reform  He  used  to  drink  quite  bad  but  had  got  down  to  a 
quart  a  day,  and  that  was  doing  as  well  as  he  dared  venture  on  the  start. 
Children  : 

1.  Mary     b.    June    22,    1793,    rn.     Oliver  Loomis. 

Loomis,  Feb.  4,  1814.  4.   Elkanah,  b.  June  25,  1803,  m. 

2.  Elihu,  b.  Feb.  24,  1798,  m.  5.   Orson,  b.  Nov.  6,  1805,  m. 

3.  Jemima,  b.  April  16,  1800,  m.  Ephraim 


648  History  of  Torrington. 

2.    Elihu,  son  of  Elihu  and  Jemima   (North)  Barber,  m.    ist  Sally  Demlng 
of  Wethersfield  ;    2d  Mary   Cartwright  ;    3d  Emily   Clark   of  Avon  ;   lived  in 
West  Hariford  ;   d,  Feb.,  1857.      Children  by  2d  wife; 
6.   Mary,  d.  young.  7.   Elihu,  d.  young. 

By  3d  wife  : 

8.  Roxanna,  d.  young.  10.   Emily,  m.  Seth  Griswold. 

9.  Lucy  Ann,  d.  young. 

4.  Elkanah,  son  of  Elihu  and  Jemima  (North)  Barber,  m.  Cynthia  Tubbs  ; 
lived  a  short  distance  above  Daytonville  on  the  east  branch  ;  m.  2d  Electa 
Tubbs;  d.  in  1865.      Children  by  1st  wife  : 

II.  Truman.  12.   Nathan. 

By   2d  wife: 

13.   Maria.  14.  John. 

5.  Orson,  son  of  Elihu  and  Jemima  (Norih)  Barber,  m.  1st  Roxy  Ann 
Egglesion  in  1829,  who  was  b.  May  16,  1811,  d.  June  29,  1840,  a.  29. 
He  m.  2d  Martha  Starks,  Dec.  4,  1842,  who  was  b.  Aug.  9,  1823.  He  lives 
on  his  father's  homestead  near  Ncwfield  corners,  on  the  old  Capt.  Eli  Richards 
place       Children  by   1st  wife  : 

15.   Elihu   D.,  b.  Aug.    28,    1831,    d.    May      16.    Louisa  R.,  b.  May  15,  1840,  m.  Carlton 
27,  1839,  a.  7  yrs.  C.  Fyler,  Aug.  15,  i85i. 

By  2d  wife  : 
17.   Francis  M.,  b.  April  29,  1854,  m.  John         W.  Gamwell,  Nov.  23,  1874. 

BARBER.  Chester,  son  of  Simeon  and  Sarah  (Peck)  Barber,  of  Harwin- 
ton,  m.  Marilla,  dau.  of  John  Biige,  Feb.  6,  1821  ;  and  purchased  the  Elihu 
Olmstead  place,  on  Torringford  East  street,  east  side  (or  in  New  Hartford) 
and  settled  on  it  in  1822,  where  he  still  resides.  His  wife  Marilla,  d.  Jan.  7, 
1862,  aged  64.      Children  : 

1.  Chester  H.,   b.  Sept.  i,  1822,  m.  3.  Sarah  M.,  b.  Sept.  28,  1835,  '^-  Chris- 

2.  Willard  O.  b.  Sept.  15,  1825,  m.  topher  Colt,  Oct.  27,  i860. 

1.  Chester  H.,  son  of  Chester  and  Marilla  (Birge)  Barber,  m.  Maria,  dau. 
of  Allen  Blake  of  Winchester,  May  1,  1844.  She  was  b.  Apr.  16,  1822. 
Mr.  Barber  lives  on  his  father's  homes'ead  and  is  a  successful  farmer  as  well  as 
his  father  before.  Mrs.  Barber's  mother,  Mrs.  Mabel  (Beach),  Blake,  resides 
with  this  family. 

2.  Willard  O.,  son  of  Chester  and  Marilla  (Birge)  Barber,  m.  ist  Sarah, 
dau.  of  Allen  Birge  of  Harwinton  Oct.  16,  1850.  She  d.  Mar.  12,  1853. 
He  m.  2d.  Mary  E.,  dau.  of  Griswold  Woodward,  May  23,  1855.  Children 
by  1st  wife  : 

4.   Sarah    B.,  b.  Mar.  7,    1855,  ■"•  Charles        5.   Willard  V.,  b.  June  17,  1858. 
Waterman  o  t' WolcottviUe.  6.   Erwin  W.,  b.  Nov.  22,  1867. 

B.ARBOUR,  Henry  S,  son  of  Henry  and  Noamy  (Humphrey)  Barbour, 
b.,  m.  Pemala  J.,  dau.  of  |ehu  M.  Baiholomew,  Sheffield,  Mass.,  Nov.  2^, 
185 1.  After  settlement  at  Wolcottville,  he  built  and  occupied  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Dr.  Hanchett,  until  he  removed  to  Hartford  where  he  still 
resides.      {See  Biog.)     Children  : 

1.    John    H.,   b.    May   28,    1853,    he    was  in  the   Protestant   E.   church,  and   in   the 

fitted  tor  college  at  Riverdale,  N.  Y.,  and  charge  of  Grace  chapel,  Hartford, 

was    graduated   at   Trinity   college,    Hart-  2.    Edward  W.,   b.  May  2,    1857,    d.    May 

ford   in    1873,   and    at    Berkeley  Divinity  28,  1861. 

school  in    1876,  and  was  ordained  deacon  3.   Lucy  A.,  b.  May  6,   1863. 


Genealogies.  649 

BARNES,  Harvey,  was  b.  in  Cornwall,  Feb.  i8,  1838,  and  came  to 
Torrington,  in  1852,  and  engaged  in  the  lock  factory  of  James  Wooding; 
afterwards  worked  for  Lucius  Leach  several  years,  then  some  time  for  Henry 
Ostrum  in  Wolcottville  ;  then  engaged  with  the  Union  Hardware  Company  in 
1864,  at  its  beginning,  and  has  continued  with  it  to  the  present  time.  He  m. 
Imogene  L,  daughter  of  Samuel  Cadin  of  Harwinton  ;  lives  on  Migeon  avenue. 
Child  : 
I.   Clara  Eliza,  b.  July  z,  1876. 

BATTELL,  John,  came  from  France  to  America  and  settled  at  Dedham, 
Mass.,  and  d.  Sept.  30,  1713,  leaving  a  son  John,  b.  in  1689,  m.  Abigail 
Draper  Jan.  17,  1710,  d.  Sept.  14,  1729,  leaving  a  son  John  who  was  b.  April 
30,  1717,  m.  Mehitable  Sherman,  sister  of  the  patriot  Roger  Sherman,  signer 
of  the  declaration,  and  d.  Nov.   18,  1800.      Children: 

I.  William,  b.  Aug.  12,  1748,  and  others. 

1.  William,  son  o\  John  and  Mehitabel  (Sherman)  Battell,  emigrated  from 
Dedham  to  Milford,  Conn  ,  and  m.  Sarah  Buckingham  in  1753.  He  was  in 
Woodbury  some  years,  and  came  to  Torringford,  about  1784  ;  bought  land 
and  built  a  store  and  entered  into  the  work  of  a  merchant.  He  m.  second  in 
1807,  Mrs.  Margaret  Mitchell,  his  cousin  and  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Josiah 
Sherman  of  Goshen,  and  Woburn,  Mass.,  and  sister  of  the  Hon.  Roger  M. 
Sherman  of  Fairfield,  Conn.  Mrs.  Battell  d  Feb.  29,  1732  {^See  Biography),  his 
second  wife  d.  Oct.  25,  1829.      Children: 

1.  William,  b.  March  25,  1773,  was  a  5.  Sally,  b.  Mar.  29,  1781,  at  Woodbury, 
merchant  at  Torrington,  taking  his  father's  m.  Rev.  Abel  McEwen,  D.D.,  of  New 
store  from  1808,  about  twenty  years  j    was           London. 

a  man  of  considerable  influence,  and  much        6.   Nancy,  b.  Feb.  20,  1783,  at  Woodbury, 
respected  in  the  town.  m.    Rev.     Harvey    Loomis,     of    Bangor, 

2.  Joseph,    b.  July  21,    1774,    at   Milford,  Maine,  had  two  sons. 

merchant   in    Norfolk.      (^^ee  Biography.)  7.    Harriet,  b.  June  7,  1785,  at  Torringford, 

He  d.  Nov.  30,  1841,  leaving  family.  d.  Feb.  24,  1822,   unm, 

3.  Josiah  B.,  b.  March  I,  1776,    m.  Sarah  8.    Urana  P.,  b.  May  15,  1787,  at  Torring- 
Gillett,  of  Torringford,  had  three  daughters  ford,  d.  Jan.  23,  1814,  unm. 
deceased.  9.    Charles  L,    b.  July   23,    1789,    at    Tor- 

4.  John  B.,    b.  July  21,    1779,    at  Wood-  ringford,  d.  unm. 

bury,  d.  in  Virginia,  Nov.  7,  1819.  10.   Charlotte,  b.  Feb.  19,  1796,  m.  Austin. 

EE.'^CH,  Dea.  Wait,  son  of  Edmund,  son  of  Dea.  John  of  Wallingford  was 
b.  in  Goshen,  Oct.  25,  1747.  He  came  to  Torrington  and  m.  Huldah,  dau. 
of  Aaron  Loomis,  Jan.  9,  1767.  He  was  an  important  man  in  the  ecclesias- 
tical society,  and  in  the  town  ;  possessed  very  good  judgment,  was  active  on 
various  town  committees  during  the  Revolution  ;  was  highly  esteemed,  and 
greatly  missed  when  he  departed  this  life.  He  was  elected  deacon  in  1794, 
which  office  he  held  until  his  death  in  1710,  aged  64.      Children  : 

1.  Aaron  L.,  b.  Dec.  9,  1767.  5.   Huldah,  b.  Oct.  27,   1775. 

2.  Miles,  b.   Aug.   20,    1769,  d.  Aug.  25,        6.   Amanda,  b.  Aug.  24,  1778. 
1769.  7.    Unartia,  b.  June  13,  1781. 

3.  Nancy,  b.  Aug.  23,  1770.  8.   Wait,  b.  May  6,  1785,  d.  Feb.  22,  1795. 

4.  Miles,  b.  March  17,    1773.  9-   Malinda,  b.  June  28,  1787. 

I.    Dea.  Aaron  L.,  son  of  Dea.  Wait  Beach,  m.  Elizabeth  Weeks   lived  in 
Salisbury,  when  he  d.  April,  1827.      Children: 
10.  Aaron,  b.  Ang.  11,  1789,  m.  Salisbury,  Vt. 

II.  Hannah  A.,  b.  Sept.   II,    1793;    m.  Dr.      13.    Uriel  E.,    b.  July  4,    1806,   d.  at   Salis- 
Samuel  Shumway,  d.  Oct.  1859,  at  Essex,  bury,  Vt. 

N.  Y.  14.   Wait  E.,  b.  lives  at  Keeseville,  N.  Y. 

12.   Flavel    M.,    b.  May    20,    1797,    d.    at 

82 


650 


History  of  Torrington. 


4,  Miles,  son  of  Dea.  Wait,  m.  Huldah  Grant  of  Litchfield.  He  d.  Aug. 
16,1827.  His  widow  removed  to  her  dnughtcr's  at  Bridgehampton,  where 
she  d.      Children  : 

16     /^Imeda,  b.  Oct.  24,  1795,  m.  William  to  Bridl-ehampton,  N.  Y. 

H.  Whiiing.  18.    Edmund. 

16.  Lewis,  b.  March  14,  1797,  d.  young.  19.   Miles,  b.  March  16,   1800. 

17.  Hannah,  m.  Heniy  Judd,  and  remuved 

10.   Aaron  L.,  son  ot  Dea.  Aaron  L.  Beach,  m.  Dec.  29,  1810  ;  had  four 
children,  b.  at  Charlotte,  Vt.      Children  : 

20.  Aaron  L.,  b.  Oct.  21,  1811,  d.  March      22.   Charles   G.,  b.   Aug.  13,    1815,  resides 
13,  i860,  at  Aurora,  Ohio.  in  Wis. 

21.  Adelia,  b.  Aug.  31,    18 13,   m.  Dec.  13,     23.    Samuel  E.,  b.  Dec.  14,  1817,  resides  in 
1859,  resides  at  St.  Albans,  Vt.  Williston,  Vt. 

19.    Miles,  son  of  Miles,  m.  Charlotte,  daughter  of  Noadiah  Bancroft,  April 

26,   1824,  who  was  b.  Dec.  8,  1802.      Children: 

24.   Emeline,  b.  April  25,  1825,  m.  Harmon      25.   Loomis  B.,  b.  Dec.  3,  1827. 

Loomis,   and  had    Emma,  b.  July,    1855,      26.   Mary,  b.  Mar.  8,  1827,  d.  in  1862,  a.  32. 

and  Wilbur,  d.  young.  27-   Jonathan,  d.  young. 

BEERS,  Amos  S.,  was  b.  in  Lewisboro,  Westchester  Co  ,  N.  Y  ,  March 
15,  1827  ;  m.  Susan  Olmsted  of  New  Canaan,  Ct ,  Nov.  1848.  She  d.  in 
March,  i860,  in  Waterbury,  and  he  m.  second,  Rachel  H.  Thompson,  of 
Hartford,  in  1864,  and  in  1866,  he  made  his  residence  in  Winsted,  Ct.,  where 
he  still  resides.  He  has  been  conductor  on  the  Naugatuck  rail  road  twenty- 
three  years.      Children  by  1st  wife. 

1.  Herbert  S.,  b.  in  1849.  3.   Edward  J.,  b.  in  1857. 

2.  Willie  H.,  b.  in  1854. 

Bv  zd  wife  : 
4.   Anna  May,  b.  May  20,   1867. 

BIRGE,  Daniel,  came  from  Dorchester,  Mass.,  with  Mr.  Warham,  of 
whose  church  he  was  a  member,  and  had  a  home  lot  in  Windsor,  Feb.  6,  1640. 
He  m.  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  William  Gaylord,  Oct.  5,  1641.  He  d.  1851  :  his 
widow  m.  Thomas  Hoskins  of  Windsor.      Children: 

1.  John,  b.  1642,  d.   1643.  fall  of  a  tree. 

2.  Daniel,  b.  Nov.  24,  1644.  5.   J«hn,  b    Jan.   14,  1 649. 

3.  Elizabeth,  b.  July  28,  1646,  d.  soon.  6.   Joseph,   bap.    Nov.  2,    1651,  d.   July  18, 

4.  Jeremiah,  b.  May  6,  1648,  killed  by  the  1705. 

Joseph,  one  of  the  first  of  Litchfield,  was  probably  of  this  family. 

5.  John,  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Gaylord)  Birge,  m.  Hannah  Watson, 
Mar.  28,  1678.      He  d.  Dec.  2,  1697  ;  she  d.  July  24,  1690.      Children: 

7.  John,  b    Feb.  4,  1679.  9.   Jeremiah,  b.  Sept.  22,  1682. 

8.  Hannah,  b.  June  17,  1682.  10.   Mary,  b.  Sept.  9,  1688. 

9.  Jeremiah,  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Watson)  Birge,  m.  Mary  Griswold 
Jan.  1,  1718.  He  d.  in  1775.  He  was  an  original  proprietor  of  Torrington 
but  did  not  reside  here.      Children  : 

11.  Jeremiah,  b.  Dec.  23,  1718.  1-5.   Ann,  b.  Oct.  28,  1726. 

12.  Mary,  b.  Aug.  23,  1721.  16.    Peletiah,  b.  Sept.  8,  1730. 

13.  John,  b.  Apr.  25,  1723,  m.  and  settled  in      17.   Hannah,  b.  Mar.  18,  1731. 
Torringford.  18.   Mindwell,  b.  Mar.  24,  1733. 

14.  David,  b.  May  16,  1725,  m.  19.    Lucy,  b.  Sept.  23,  1736. 

13.  Capt.  John,  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Mary  (Griswold)  Birge,  m.  Mary 
Kellogg.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the  third  settler  in  Torringford.  His  father 
gave  him  and   his  brother  David  each  a  farm,  but  not  large  ones.     He  is  said 


Genealogies.  651 

to  have  come  to  this  town  before  his  marriage,  but  this  is  not  certain.  He  first 
built  a  log  house  in  which  he  resided,  half  a  mile  south  of  Shubael  Griswold's, 
or  near  the  south  end  of  Torringford  street.      Children  : 

20.  Mary,  b.  Oct.  31,  1752,  m.  Silas  White.  24.   Roswell,  went  into  the  Rev.  army,  came 

21.  John,  b.  Mar.  15,  1753.  home  and  died  when  seventeen. 

22.  Simeon,  b.  Dec.  26,   2756.  25.   Anna,  m.  Ellsworth. 
Z3.  Isaac. 

14.   David,   son   of  Jeremiah  and    Mary  (Griswold)   Birge,  m.    Elizabeth 

,  and  settled  on   Torringford  street  a  little  south  of  his  brother  John's 

home.      Children : 

26.  Elizabeth,  b.  Mar.  21,  1754,  m.  Eliphaz  27.  Daughter,  m.  Catlin  of  Harwinton,  bad 
.     Bissell.  a  daughter  Eunice. 

2  1.  John,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Kellogg)  Birge,  m.  Lydia  Hopkins  of 
Canaan,  Mar.  23,  1779  ;  lived  on  south  end  of  Torringford  street,  where  his 
descendants  still  reside.      Children  : 

28.  Polly,     b.    Feb.     22,     1781,     m.    Dea.  Garrish,  removed  to  Hudson,  Ohio. 
Richard  Bristol,  lived  in  Harwinton.  32.    Hopkins,  not  m.  was  in   business  in  the 

29.  Aranda,  b.  Sept.  i,    1782,  m.  southern  states,   returned    as    far   as    New 

30.  John,     b.    May    4,     1785,    m.    Betsey  Hiven.  where  he  d. 

Loomis  ;   lived  in  Bristol,   Ct.,  and  had  ;      33.   Mariila,  b.  j  m.  Chester  Barber,  Feb.  6, 
Juliette,  Mary  and  Nathan.  1821. 

31.  Chester,    b.    July    23,    1788,    m.    Sally 

22.  Simeon,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Kellogg)  Birge,  m.  Experience  Ham- 
lin, October,  1783,  and  lived  on  his  father's  homestead.  He  d.  June  8, 
1854,  a.  97.      His  wife  d.  March  16,   1844,  a.  83.      Children  : 

34.  Hamlin,  b.  Aug.  25,  1784,  m.  39.   Sally,  b.    Jan.    26,     1794,    m.    Gideon 

35.  Experience,    b.  April  7,    1786,   d.    Feb.  Hammond,  of  West  Port,  N.  Y. 
26,  1803.  40.    Roswell,  b.  Feb.  5,  1796,  m. 

36.  Ransley,  b.  Feb.  17,  1788,  d.  not  m.  in  41.   Luther,  b.  Oct.  28,  1797,  m.  settled  in 
Ga.;  was  merchant.  Farmington,    111. 

37.  Clarissa,  b.  April  28,    1780,    m.  Calvin  42.   William  S.,    b.  May  5,  1800,  m. ;  lives 
Hammond  ;   rem.  to  West  Port,  in  N.  Y.  in  Texas. 

38.  Betsey,    b.    Feb.    7,    1792,    m.    Anson  43.   Nathaniel,  b.  July  23,  1802,  m. 
Little,  of  New  Hartford,  removed  to  111.  44.   Infant,  b.;  d. 

29.  Aranda,  son  of  John  and  Lydia  (Hopkins)  Birge,  m.  first  Sally  Barber, 
of  Harwinton,  April  12,  1810.  She  was  b.  Sept.  11,  1787  ;  d.  March  12, 
181 2.  Hem.  second  Laura  Barber,  July  20,  18 14.  She  was  b.  August 
16,  179V  She  m.  as  her  second  husband  Norman  Griswold  in  1821. 
Aranda  Birge  d.  May  27,  1819;  Mrs.  Laura  Griswold,  d.  May  13,  1840.   (Jh.  : 

45.  George  H.,  b.  March  28,  181 6. 

34  Hamlin,  son  of  Simeon  and  Experience  (Hamlin)  Birge,  m.  Betsey 
Dutton.  He  resided  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and  for  a  time  near  Hotch- 
kiss  mill  on  the  west  branch.      Children  : 

46.  Willard  L.,  b.  Jan.  7,  1808.  48.   Experience,  b.  July  16,  1812. 

47.  Caroline,  b.  Dec.  28,  18 10. 

40.  Roswell,  son  of  Simeon  and  Experience  (Hamlin)  Birge,  m.  Amanda, 
dau^ihter  of  Harvey  Whiting.  June  23,  1826,  lives  on  his  father's  homestead 
on  Torrinofbrd  street.      Children: 

49.    James  R  ,  b.  March  5,  1828.  52.   Edward  B.,  b.  Jan.  16,  1854,  m. 

50     Jane,  b,  J.in.  4,  1830,  m.  S.  E.  Calkins,      53.    Allstine  M.,  b.  Jan     14,    1836,  m. 

in  Athens,  N.  Y.  54.   Sherman,    b.  Oct.    4,   1838,    d.  July    5, 

51.   CandaceE,b.Mjrch3.i832,m.  Penn-  1839. 

field  Burr,    and   removed  to  ill.  ;    d.  June      55.  Wilber,  b.  June  17,  1840,  m. 

7,  1854. 


6^2 


History  of  Torrington. 


43,  Nathaniel,  son  of  Simeon  and  Experience  (Hamlin)  Birge,  m.  Olive 
Peck  of  Torringford,  and  lives  on  Torringford  street,  east  side  a  little  way 
north  of  his  brother  RoswelPs.      Children  : 

56.  Jenette.  i;8.   Martha. 

57.  Maryette. 

45.  George  H.,  son  of  Aranda  and  Laura  (Barber)  Birge,  m.  Mar.  14, 
T838,  Sallie  B.,  dau.  of  Norris  B.  Barber  of  Harwinton  ;  lived  on  his  father's 
farm,  a  little  north  of  his  grandfather.  She  was  born  July  26,  1816,  d.  Oct. 
19,  1877.      He  d.  Oct.  30,  1877.      Children: 

59.   Laura  E.,  b.  Apr.   22,  1843,  m.  Theo-  Harvey  B.,  b.  Mar    18,  1868;   George  H., 

dore  H.  Reed,  Mar.  29,  1864,  d.  Jan.  15,  b.  Nov    20,  1869. 

1871;   had   Ellen  E.,   b.  Dec.    16,  1865;      60.   Celia  M.,  b.  Aug.  4,  1849. 

46.  WiLLARD  L  ,  son  of  Hamlin  and  Betsey  Dutton,  m.  Nov,  9,  1833, 
Julia  A.  dau.  of  Bissell  Merrill.  She  was  b.  Apr.  15,  18 1 5.  He  resides  on 
the  Levi  Thrall  place  ;   is  a  farmer  and  dealer  in  cattle.      Children: 

61.  Willard    H.,   b.    Mar.    20,    1841  ;   was  East  Hampton,   Mass. 

killed  by  the  bursting  of  a  cannon  at  Wol-  63.   Luther  M.,  b.  Feb.  20,  1848,  d.  eleven 
cottville  July  4,  18^6.  months  of  age. 

62.  Carrie    E.,  b.    June  3,    1843,    m.  Henry  64.    Lida  J.,  b.  June  6,  1857. 
F.    Pomeroy,    Dec.    i,    18705    resides   in 

52.  Edward  B  ,  son  of  Roswell  and  Amanda  (Whiting)  Birge,  m.  Anna  E. 
Miiler  of  New  Hartford,  Nov.  24,  1863  ;  lives  on  the  farm  with  the  father. 
Children  : 

65.   Merton  E.,  b.  No-u.  10,  1864.  66.   James  E.,  b.  Sept.  5,  1866. 

53.  Allstine,  son  of  Roswell  and  Amanda  (Whiting)  Birge,  m.  Eliza  M. 
Hewitt,  Sept.  26,  1869;  lives  half  mile  south  of  his  father's,  east  side  of  the 
street.      Children : 

67.    Wilbur     Hewitt,     b.     July    19,     1863,      68.   Lizzie     Amanda,     b.     Oct.     8,      1864, 
drowned  with  his  sister  in  the  brook  Feb.  drowned  Feb.  14,  1867. 

14,  1867,  in  each  other's  arms. 

55.  Wilbur,  son  of  Roswell  and  Amanda  (Whiting)  Birge,  m.  Julia  A  , 
dau.  of  Isaac  P.  Waterman  of  Torringford  April  i,  1870  ;  li\es  in  Wolcott- 
ville  ;   clerk  in  Charles  McNeil's  drug  store. 

BIRNEY,  Robert,  the  present  owner  and  occupant  of  the  far.m  known  as 
the  Demas  Coe  place  situated  within  the  limits  of  Wolcottville,  was  b.  May 
19,  1842,  and  spent  his  earlier  years  in  the  town  of  Southeast,  Putnam  county, 
N.  Y.  He  came  to  New  Hartford,  Ct.,  in  1859,  and  united  with  the  Baptist 
church  there  the  same  year.  He  was  among  the  first  who  responded  to  the 
first  call  for  troops  to  defend  the  national  capital  and  was  among  the  last  to 
leave  the  service  when  the  war  was  ended,  having  been  mustered  into  the  U- 
S.  service  May  7th,  1861,  and  his  second  discharge  dating  May   15,   1865. 

He  removed  to  Wolcottville  in  1871,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged 
in  farming.  He  had  an  active  part  in  consolidating  the  several  school  districts 
in  the  village  and  their  reorganization  as  a  graded  school,  serving  as  first  district 
committee  under  the  new  order  of  things. 

He    m.    Mary  A.  Henderson    \ov.  28,    1859.      She  was    b.    in    Montreal, 
Canada,  Oct.   18,   1842.      Her   parents   removed  from    Canada   to  New  York 
citv  where    they   resided    until    1856,   when    they  removed    to    New  Hartford 
where  she  united  with  the  Baptist  church  in  1859.      Children: 
Nellie  E.,  b.  Dec.  6,  1861.  Mary  J.,  b.  Sept.  2,  1870. 

Ina  B.,  b.  Sept.  2,  1866.  Grace  H.,  b.  Mar.  21,  1876. 

Emma  L.,  b.  Dec.  10,  1867. 


Genealogies.  6^^ 

BTSSELL,  John,  who  came  to  Windsor  is  the  only  one  known  to  have 
come  to  this  coiinlrv.  Tradition  asserts  that  this  John,  with  a  brother 
Thomas,  came  from  Somersetshire,  England,  to  Plymouth,  in  1628.  The 
latter  died  at  Plymouth  or  returned  to  England.  The  family  is  probably  of 
Huguenot  descent,  many  of  whom  fled  to  England  to  escape  the  persecutions 
which  followed  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's  day  in  1572.  John  came 
to  Windsor  about  1640.  He  was  the  first  settler  on  the  east  side  of  the  Con- 
necticut. He  died  Oct.  3,  1677,  a.  86  years;  his  wife  died  May  21,  1641. 
Children  : 

1.  John,  b.  in  England.  4.  Samuel. 

2.  Thomas,  b.  in  England.  5.  Nathaniel,  b.  Sept.  24,  1640. 

3.  Mary,  b.    in    England,     m.  Jacob  Drake,  6.  Joice,  b.;  m.  Samuel  Pinney, Nov.  7, 1665. 
Apr.  12,  1649. 

I.  John,  jr  ,  son  of  John,  married  Izreel  Mason,  of  Saybrook,  June 
17,  1658  ;  she  d.  Mar.  29,  1665  ;  of  a  second  wife  married  in  1669,  there  is 
no  reliable  record.      He  d.  in  1693.      Children: 

7.  Mary,  b.  Feb.  22,  1659.  12.   Ezekiel,  b.  Apr.  30,    1673,  ^-  "^^''  ■^'" 

8.  John,  b.  May  4,   1661.  bany  Oct.  17,    1709. 

9.  Daniel,  b.  Sept.  29,  1663.  13.   Ann,  b.  Apr.  28,  1675.  m.  Capt.  Daniel 

10.  Dorothy,  b.  Aug.  10,  1665.  White,  of  Windsor. 

11.  Josiah,  b.  Oct.  10,  1670.  14    Jeremiah,  b.  June  22,  1677. 

9.  Daniel,  son  of  John  and  Tzreel  (Mason)  Bissell,  m.  Margaret  Dewey,  of 
Westfield,  Oct.  27,  1692.  He  d.  Dec.  9,  1738  ;  she  d.  Nov.  27,  1712. 
Children: 

15.  Daniel,  b.  Oct.  31,  1694.  18.   Ezekiel,  b.  Sept.  6,  1706. 

16.  Margaret,  b.  Mar.  19,  1698.  19.   Ann,  b.  Jan.  6,   1709. 

17.  Mary,  b.  Nov.  17,   1701,   m   Nathaniel 
Gilbert,  of  Colcester. 

II.  Josiah,  son  of  Jacob  and  Izreel  (Mason)  Bissell,  married  widow  Miriam 
Hayden  Dec.  10,  1703  ;  she  d.  July  8,  1747,  a.  66.      Children: 

20.  Josiah,  b.  Nov.  17,  1714.  21,  1776,  a.  63. 

21.  Amelia,   b.   ,  d.   at  Reading,   Dec.      22.   Benjamin,  b.  ,   1719-20. 

18.  Ezekiel,  son  of  Daniel  and  Margaret  (Dewey)  Bissell,  m.  Ruth,  dau. 
of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Devotion  of  Windham,  Dec.  13,  1742  ;  removed  to  Sufficld, 
and  in  1757,  to  Toriingford.  He  was  a  cooper  and  farmer,  and  purchased 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  at  first,  in  1757,  and  afterwards  added  to 
it  until  he  owned  about  five  hundred  acres  upon  which  he  settled  his  four  sons  ; 
Hezekiah  on  the  homestead;  Ezekiel  next  north  ;  Eliphaz  next,  and  Ebenezer 
next;  all  the  dwellings  on  the  west  ride  of  Torringford  street,  nearly  a  mile 
north  of  the  present  meeting  house.      Children  : 

22.  Ebenezer,  b.  Oct.   25,  1743,  m  1827,  a.  77. 

23.  Eliphaz,  b.  Oct.  II,  1744,  m.  28.    Margaret,    b.   June    14,  1754,    m.   

24.  Ezekiel,  b.  March   14,  1746,  m.  Hinman,  and  Capt.  Elijah  Gayiord. 

25.  Margaret,  b.  Oct.  28,    1747,  d.  Dec.  3,  29.   Ann,  b.  Jan.  30,  1756. 

1747.  30.   Hezekiah,  b.  Sept.  7,  1758,  m. 

26.  Ann,  b.  Sept.  3,  1748,  d.  Sept.  6,  1748.      31.    Keziah,     b.    Dec.     29,    1762,  d.    Sept. 

27.  Ruth,  b.    April  17,    1750,  d.    Nov.  22,  23,  1819,   a.  57. 

22.  Ebenezer,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Ruth  (Devotion)  Bissell,  m  Roberts;  set- 
tled on  a  part  of  his  lather's  farm  on  Torringford  street       Children  : 


o 


32.  Pericles,  b. ;   d.  a.  21  years.  Y.,  d.  Sept.  1856,  had  Marcus,  Byron  and 

33.  John,  b. ;  a  physician,  settled  in  Onon-  Frederick  ;  all  lived  near  Syracuse. 

daga  Co.,  N.  Y.  35.    Peletiah,  b. ;  d.  at  Volney,  N.  Y.  ;   had 

34.  Elizur,  b. ;   m.,   settled  in   Syracuse,  N.  Lucius  and  Erasmus. 


654 


History  of  Torrington. 


23.  Eliphaz,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Ruth  (Devotion)  Bissell,  m.  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  Birge  of  Torringford.      Children  : 

36.  Eliphaz,  b. ;  m.  [See  Biography). 

37.  Catlin,  b.  ;   lived  in  Torringford,  and  d.      39.   A  daughter,  b. 
in  1 8 17.  40.   A  daughter,  b. 

38.  Hezekiah,    b. ;    d.    in   Texas,    in    1837 

24.  EzEKiEL,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Ruth  (Devotion)  Bissell,  m,  Lucretia 
Spencer,  Dec.  9,  1779.  He  d.  in  Torringford,  Oct.  i,  1834,  a.  88  years. 
Shed,  in  1833.      Children: 

41.  Ezekiel,  b.  Canton,  N.  Y, 

42.  Theodocia,  b.  June  24,  1784,   m.  Wm.  45.    Fitch,    b.  Aug.  19,    1791,    d.  at  Zanes- 
Smith,  in  Potsdam,  N.  Y.  ville,  N.  Y.,  July  26,  1849. 

43.  Apollos,  b.  Jan.  11,    1786,    not  m. ;    d.  46.    Cyrus,  b.  Dec.  9,  1793,  ^-  ^^   Hartford, 
in  Charlotte,  Vt.  Wis.,  June  3,  1857. 

44.  Samuel,   b.  Jan.  14,    1789,   m.  went  to  47.   Roderick,  b.  July  17,  1796,  m. 

30.  Hezekiah,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Ruth  (Devotion)  Bi.-sell,  m.  Margaret 
Mills,  lived  near  his  father's  homestead,  and  d.  Jan    30,  1792.      Children: 

48.  Luman,  b. ;   d.  young.  50.    Henry,  b. ;  lives  at  Austinburg,  O. 

49.  Peter  Mills,  b.  ;  m.  removed  to  Austin-      51.   Lucretius,  b.  ;  m.  dau.  of  Joseph  Loomis 
burg,  Ohio  ;    had  Piatt,  lives  at  Kent,  Ct.  and  lived  at  Austinburg,  O. 

34.    Elizur,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Bissell,  m.  and  settled  in  Syracuse, 

where  he  d.  Sept.,  1856.      Children: 

52.  Marcus,  b.,  lived  near  Syracuse.  54.   Frederick,  b.,  lived  near  Syracuse. 

53.  Byron,  b.,  lived  near  Syracuse. 

36.  Dr.  Eliphaz,  son  of  Eliphaz  and  Elizabeth  (Birge)  Bissell,  m.  Diantha 
Norton,  Dec.  29,  1806.      He  d.  in  Conn,  in  1829,  Csee  Biog.J     Children: 

55.  Samuel.  57.  Charles. 

56.  Henry. 

41.  Ezekiel,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Lucretia  (Spencer)  Bissell,  m.  and  removed 
to  Madrid,  N.  Y.,  where  hq  d.  in  1833. 

58.  Frederick,  a   lawyer  at   Dubuque,    Iowa, 
had  RoUin, Ralph  of  St.  Lawrence  Co.N.Y. 

47.  Roderick,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Lucretia  (Spencer)  Bissell,  m.  Fanny, 
daughter  of  Elijah  Gaylord,  May  11,  1824;  lived  in  the  old  homestead  of  his 
father  and  grandfather  in  Torringford.  Was  an  active,  influential  man,  with 
more  than  an  ordinary  spirit  of  enterprise  and  general  information.  He  d. 
Feb.   10,   1875,  a.  78  years       Children: 

59.  Gaylord,  M.D.,  b.  Feb.  1825,  m.  Emily  nie  Bell,  b.  Aug.  8,    1864;   Anna    E.,    b. 
Tallmadge  Nov.  7,  1849;   resides  at  Lov-          Oct.  24,  1867,  d.  Feb.   14,  1875. 

ilia,  Iowa,  has  a  son  Edwin  R.   (See  B'og.)      62.   John  Edgar,  b.  Mar.  15,  1833,  m.  Leah 

60.  Charles  R.,  b.  May  18,  183  I  ;   m.  Anna  Byerly  Sept.  I  5,  I  870,  lives  at   Frederick, 
Henn,  1866,  a  physician  in  Colorado.  [See  lovsa 

Biog.)  63.    Esther  Ann,  b.  Apr.  19,  1835. 

61.  Mary  Jane,  b.  Mar.  4,  1829,  m.  Merritt      64.   Virgil  R.,  b.  Dec.  80.   1841,  m.    Nettie 
Bronson  Nov.  i,    18555   ^^^    Edgar    M.,  Owens,  lives  in  Lovilia,  Iowa. 

b.  Aug.  9,  1862,  d.  Feb.  25,  1876;   Fan- 

22.  Benjamin,  son  of  Josiah,  an.l  first  cousin  to  Ezekiel,  who  settled  in 
Torringford,  ni.  Mary  Strong  and  came  to  Torringford  in  1745,'  ^^^  ^^s  the 
second  settler  in  Torringford.  His  house  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  street  a 
little  north  of  Shubacl  Gri^wold's  house.  Here  Mr.  Bissell  kept  tavern  quite  a 
number  of  years 


'  So  says  the  Biistll  GeniaUgj, 


Genealogies.  6^^ 

He  died  Sept.  12,  1790,  a.   71.      His  widow  died  Aug.  17,    1806,  a.  86. 
Cliildren  : 

65.  Benjamin,  b.  at  Torrington.  a.  75;   not  m. 

66.  Mary,    b    ,   m.    Samufl   Austin,      69.    Elisha. 

Oct.,  1778.  70.   Lorain,  b.  March  6,  1755,  m.  Ebenezcr 

67.  Oliver,  b.  ,  d.  Oct.  18,  1828,  a.  Miller,  Dec.  6,  1802. 

86.  71.   Martha,  b. ,  m.  Daniel  WincheU. 

68.  Return,  b.  ,  d.  Nov.   25,    1832,      72.   Elijah. 

65.  Benjamin,  Jr.,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Strong)  Bissell,  m.  Silence 
Winchell,  April  21,  1778  ;  d.  at  Harwinton,  June  I,  1829.      Children  : 

73.  Porter,  b.  March,  22,  1779.  jc,.    Benjamin,  b.  Nov.  7,  1782. 

74.  Almira,  b.  Sept.  22,  1780.  76.   Horace,  b.  Nov.  18,  1786. 

69.  Elish.a,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Strong)  Bissell,  m.  Rhoda  dau.  of 
Ebenezer  F.  Bissell.      He  d.  June  6,    181  2,  a    58.     Children: 

77.  Edwin,  b.  Aug.  1795.  79.   Rhoda,  b.  July  12,  1800. 

78.  Esther,  b.  Sept.  27,  1797,  80.   Henry,  b.  Nov.  8. 

72.  Elijah,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary  (Strong)  Bissell,  m.  Rachel  dau.  of 
David  Soper,  Jan.  22,  1789.       He  died  Feb.  23,  1825,  a.   63.      Children: 

81.  Elijah,  b.  28,  1791,  d.  in  Ohio.  86.   Mary. 

82.  Hannibal  C,  b.   April  10,    1793,   went  87.    George, 
to  Ohio.  88.   Rachel. 

83.  Leonard,   b.   ,  went  to  Georgia.  89.   Lucius. 

84.  Edward,  b. ;   went  to  Detroit.  90.   George  L. 

85.  Nancy. 

73.  Porter,  son  of  Elijah  and  Rachel  (Soper)  Bissell,  m.  Mary  Tucker. 
Children  : 

91.  George  P.,  b.  May  14,  1803,  d.  Aug.  98.   Elizabeth,   b.   April  23,  1816,  d.  May 
30,  1804.  I,  1847. 

92.  Ann  W.,  b.  Nov.  21,  1804.  99.   Mary  E.,  b.  June  17,    1818. 

93.  George  P.,  b.  March  27,  1806.  100.   Lucy,  b.  June  25,  1820. 

94.  Martin,  b.  Feb.  26,  1808.  loi.   William,  b.  Feb.  7,  1822,  d.  Feb.  22, 

95.  Lebeus  P.,  b.Jan.  8,  1810;  a  merchant  1825. 

at  Rockville,  Ct.  102.   Catharine,   b.  Oct.  27,    1823,    d.  Oct. 

96.  John,  b.  Oct.  18,  1811.  31,  1849. 

97.  Rosetta  F.,  b.  Nov.  27,  1813. 

93.  Col,  George  P.,  m.;  lived  on  the  Hczekiah  Eno  place,  and  he  and  his 
wife  d.  and  were  buried  in  the  same  grave  in  1876. 

BISSELL,  Benjamin,  m.  Betsey  daughter  of  Chester  Brooker,  Oct.  24,  1749. 
Children  : 

1.  Ellen  G.,    b.  Dec.  9,  1850,    m.  Dec.  25,     4.   Ruth  M.,  b.  Nov.  16,  1861. 
1871,  Lewis  Brague,  has  j   Lewis,  b.  Dec.      5.   Andrew  J.,  b.  May  16,  1864. 

25,    1872;   Paul,   b.   June   25,    18745   d.  6.   Melissa  P.,  b.  April  15,    1866,  d.  March 

March    10,    1875  J   Mabel,    b.   Jan.    22,  6,  1874. 

1876.  7,   Grace  A.,  b.  Feb.  6,  1868. 

2.  Mary  J.,  b.  Sept.  I,  1857.  8.   Benjamin  B.,  b.  Sept.  17,  1871. 

3.  Jennie  B.,  b.  Nov.  17,  1859.  9.   John  C,  b.  March  2,  1873. 

BLAKE,  Joseph,  came  to  Torrington,  about  1760,  probably  from  Middle- 
town,  and  was  engaged  in  the  carding  mill  across  the  river  opposite  the  Wilson's 
saw  mill,  and  afterwards  in  the  one  (hat  stood  near  the  rock  opposite  the  present 
woolen  mill.  He  m.  Aug.  27,  1767,  Manara,  dau.  of  Wm.  Grant,  who  d. 
in  Wolcottville.      Children  : 

1.  Seth,  b.  Dec.  7,  1767.  4.   Barzillai,  b.  Nov.  5,  1772. 

2.  Jesse,  b.  July  2,  1769,  d.  May  22,  1773.      5.  Jesse,  b.  Dec.  14,  1776. 

3.  Sarah,  b.  Nov.  22,  1770.  6.   Lorrain,  b.  Dec.  27,  1778. 


656 


History  of  Torrington. 


Barzillai,  son  qf  Joseph,  m.  Ruth  Murry,  Sept.  27,  1798.     Children. 
7.   William,  b.  Sept.  25,  1799.  8.  Ruby,  b.  Dec.  20,  1800. 

Elijah,  probably  brother  to  Joseph,  m.  Sarah  Hamlin,  Nov.  27,  1779, 
then  both  of  Middletown,  Ct.  He  was  a  tanner  at  Griswold's  corners,  Tor- 
ringford       Children  : 

1.  Sally,  b.  Dec.  12,  1780,  in   Torringford,  5.   Harry,  b.  June  29,    1788. 
d.  June  17,  1793.  6.  Ithiel,  b.  Aug.  i,  1790. 

2.  Polly,  b.  Sept.  15,  1782.  7.    Allen,  b.  May  19,  1792. 

3.  Elijah,  b.  June  26,  1784.  8.  Sally,  b.  Dec.  16,  1794. 

4.  Jonathan,  b.  Aug.  17,  1786.  9.   Maria,  b.  Oct.  18,  1797. 

BOSTVVICK,  Dr.  William,  and  his  wife  Philomela,  and  family  resided  in 
the  town  about  ten  years.  He  built  the  house  afterwards  owned  by  and  the 
residence  of  Dr.  Elijah  Lyman.      Children  recorded  in  Torrington  : 

1.  Wm.  Frederick,  b.  June  8,  1798.  3.   Harmon  B.,  b.  Mar.  23,  1805. 

2.  Eliza  Potter,  b.  Feb.  6,   1800. 

BR.'^CE,  Arl^l,  fourth  son  of  Henry  Brace  Sen.,  miller  and  carpenter  of 
West  Hartford,  baptized  Aug  7,  1748,  came  to  Torrington  previous  to  1771. 
He  received  by  his  father's  will,  1789,  "twenty  pounds  hard  money."  He 
m.  Deborah  dau.  of  Aaron  Loomis,  Jr.,  of  Torrington,  and  bought  of  Reuben 
Thrall,  land  of  the  first  division,  lot  126,  43  acres,  deed  dated  I  77 1,  and  was 
the  farm,  probably  where  he  lived  many  years,  on  Goshen  turnpike,  next  house 
east  of  Mr.  V\  illard  Birge's  present  dwelling.  He  d.  She  d.  Mar.  13,  1839, 
a.  87.      Children : 

1.  Jared,  b.  Dec.  7,  1773,  went  to  Camden,  Merriman  of  T.,  removed  to  Litchfield 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  d.  July  13,  1818,  a.  thence  to  Cheshire,  Ct.,  where  she  d.  Sept. 
44.  7,  1 8 14 

2.  Willis,  b.  Aug.  31,   1779,  d.  in  Torring-  6.    Harlan,  b.  Aug.  1787,  m. 

ton  with    lockjaw  from  a  cut  on   his   toe,      7.    Rodney,    b.    May    i,    1790,    m.    Jerusha 
Apr.   12,  1810.  Egglestun  of  T.,  no  children,  d.   Oct.  10, 

3.  Rial,  b.  July  8,    1781,  went  to  Camden,  1862,  a.  72. 

N.  Y.,  d.  May  4,  1859,  a.  80.  8.  Lucy,    b.    Mar.    12,    1793,    m.    Alanson 

4.  Truman,  b.  Aug.  11,  1783,  d.  in  111.,  Morris  in  1812,  and  lived  on  the  home- 
Jan.  18,  1855,  a.  72.  stead. 

5.  Semantha,  b.   Dec.  10,  1784,  m.  Reuben 

6.  Harlan,  son  of  Rial  and  Deborah  (Loomis)  Brace  in.  Parlia  Johnson  of 
Harwintown.  He  was  a  cooper  and  lived  in  Torrington  hollow.  He  d. 
Nov.   II,   1857,  a.  70.      Children  : 

1.  Electa,  m.  Charles  Hotchkiss.  4.    Parlia  Ann,  m.  Lewis  Butler,  of  Harwinton. 

2.  Rhoda,  m.  David  Evans.  5.   Wallace,  works  at  skate  shop. 

3.  Lois,  m.  Charles  Benham,  of  Naugatuck. 

BRADLEY,  Capt  Samuel,  son  of  Nehemiah,  of  Litchfield,  m.  Chloe 
Rossiter,  of  Harwinton,  and  kept  the  hotel,  now  the  American  House,  many 
years.      Children : 

1.  Amanda,    m.    Dr.    Erastus    Bancroft.  4.   Albert,    m.    a     Miss    Hunt,    kept    the 

2.  Clarissa,    m.    Salmon     Hunt,     removed  Allen  House  a  time,  then    the   American 
to  Bridc;eport,  where  both  died.  House. 

3.  Emeline,     m.     Wm.    Bisseli,     removed  5.   Caroline,    d.  in  Wolcottville. 
to  Massachusetts,  where  both  died.  6.  Samuel. 

BRADLEY,  Seymour,  and  Tryphena  Grant  North,  both  of  Torrington, 
m.  May  30,  1791.      Children: 

1.  Ralph,  b.  June  17,  1791.  4.    Laura,  b.  July  24,  1796. 

2.  Almeda,  b.  May  13,  1793.  5.   Seymour,  b.  Mar.  15,  1798. 

3.  Elvira,  b.  Dec.  10,    1794. 


Genealogies.  6^y 

BRADY,  Gen.  Allen  G.,  son  of  James  W.,  and  Mary  S.  Brady  of  Mid- 
dlesex county,  Mass.,  wash.  Feh.  13,  1822.  He  m.  Lucinda,  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Clarissa  Chandler  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  July  10,  1842.  He  was 
engaged  a  time  in  East  Haddam,  in  a  cotton  mill  and  came  to  Wolcottville,  in 
184^,  to  superintend  the  cotton  mill,  then  just  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old 
woolen  mill,  in  which  business  he  continued  many  years.  He  has  now  a  dry 
goods  store  and  shirt  manufactory.      {See  Biogr^phy.^      Children  : 

1.  William  Edgar,  b.  April  22,  1843.  4.  James  Wolfe,  b.  Jan.   13,  1851,  d.  Nov. 

2.  Mary  jane,  b.  July  12,  1845,   m.  Henry  22,  1854. 

E.  Hotchkiss,  Dec.   i,  1866.  5.   Lucinda  Estella,  b.  Oct.  24,  1862. 

3.  Amanda  Jane,  b.  July  11,  1847,  d.  Sept. 
30,  1848. 

I.  William  E.,  son  of  Allen  G.  and  Lucinda  (Chandler)  Brady,  m.  Mary 
daughter  of  Archibald  and  Elizabeth  A.  Campbell  of  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  Dec. 
28,  1868.  He  served  as  sergeant  major  in  the  late  war  and  thereby  became 
acquainted  with  this  lady  and  persuaded  her  to  come  to  his  Wolcottville  home. 
He  is  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  dry  goods  store  on  Main  street,  south  of 
the  bridge.      Children  : 

6    Mary  E.,  b.  Jan.  23,  1871,  in  Wolcott-      7.   Lizzie  M.,  b.  Aug.  31,  1875,  Fayettville, 
ville.  N.  C. 

BROOKER,  John,  is  found  in  Guilford,  Ct.,  in  1695,  and  his  wife  Mary. 
This  is  the  first  trace  found  of  this  family  in  this  country.  There  was  a  George 
Brooker  in  Boston,  in  1635,  ""^'^^  removed  to  Virginia.  It  is  probable  that 
this  John  Brooker  was  in  Boston,  some  little  time  before  he  came  to  Guilford, 
as  he  continued  to  transact  business  with  leading  men  of  that  city,  until  his  de- 
cease. He  is  said  to  have  been  ol  East  Guilford,  (now  Madison)  and  his  six 
children  are  recorded  in  Guilford,  but  the  seventh  is  not.  He  bought  land  in 
Killingworth  (now  Clinton),  in  1708  ;  bounded  easterly  on  Indian  river  near 
the  town  plot,  with  "dwelling  house,  barn,  orchard  and  other  privileges"  for 
£100.  He  was  a  shipwright  and  followed  this  business  apparently  until  his 
decease.  In  his  will  dated  1742,  he  provides  that:  "Whereas  I  have  had 
former  dealings  with  sundry  merchants  in  Boston,  viz:  Simeon  Stodard,  John 
Eyre,  Thomas  S<)lvage,  Sen.,  Thomas  Salvage,  Jr.,  Charles  Chauncey,  Francis 
Foxcroft,  Edward  Proctor  and  William  Keen,  accounts  of  my  executors  being 
made  up  with  them,  each  of  them  shall  have  a  share  in  what  I  leave  in  propor- 
tion as  above  said."  The  remainder  of  his  property,  after  paying  all  cliims, 
he  divides  to  his  four  sons  or  their  children,  saving  nothing  about  his  two 
daughters  nor  his  son  Edward.  The  inventory  of  his  property  amounted  to 
£472,17.11.  He  united  with  the  old  church  in  Killingworth  (now  Clinton) 
in  171  I,  and  his  wife  Mary  in  1714.  He  does  not  mention  his  wife  in  his 
will  and  hence  she  was  probably  not  then  living.      Children  : 

1.  John,  b.  July  9,  1695,  m.  4.   Edward,  b.  Jan.  7,  1701. 

2.  Orton,  b.   Jan.  2,  1698.  5.   Sarah,  b.  Jan.  I,   1703. 

3.  Mary,  b.  July  5,  1699,  m.   John  Nettle-      6.   Abraham,  b.  March  — ,    1705. 

ton,  Dec.  20,  1720.  7.    Jacob,  b.;  mentioned  in  his  father's  wilL 

I.  John,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Brooker,  m.  Sarah  Grinnell,  April  29, 
17  I  7.  He  settled  in  Say  brook,  Conn.,  where  he  died,  suddenly,  his  will  being 
dated  Feb.  21,  1732.  He  seems  10  have  been  merchant  or  ship  builder,  from 
the  unsettled  accounts  brought  against  the  estate.  His  widow  Sarah  of  Saybrook, 
m.  John  Marvin  Feb.  10,  1747,  and  lived  in  Lyme,  Ct.,  until  1767,  when  they 
removed  to  Guilford  or  Surrey  in  New  Hampshire.      They  had  five  children  : 

83 


658 


History  of  Torrington. 


8.  John,  b.    July  l,    1718;    "  eldest  son  "  11.   Sarah,  b.  ;    mentioned     in     her     grand- 
chose  his    uncle    Abraham    his    guardian,  father's  will. 

Jan.,  1784.  12..    P.itience,  b.  j    mentioned    in    her  grand- 

9.  Sumuel,  b.                         ,"  second  son,"  father's  will,  m.    Gideon   Allen,  Jr.,    Feb. 
chose  his  mother  his  guardian,  June,  1784.  10,  1752. 

10.    Mary,    b.  ;    mentioned     in    her  grand- 
father's will. 

2.  Orton,  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  Brooker,  was  in  Killingworth, 
(Clinton),  and  sold  land  to  his  brother  Abraham,  Feb.  1,  1739  ;  "twenty-six 
rods  of  land  with  mansion  house  standing  thereon." 

6.  Abraham,   son  of  John  and    Mary    Brooker,  m.  Mary -;   his    m. 

being  recorded  in  Killingworth,  but  he  remained  in  Madison  until  1735,  when 
he  settled  in  (now)  Clinton,  near  his  father,  and  is  Crtlled  "  Merchant"  in  the 
deeds.  He  was  taken  ill  suddenly  and  made  his  will,  dated  April  10,  1739, 
which  was  proved  April  16,  1739.  By  his  will  he  gave  to  each  ot  his  sons 
Isaac  and  Abraham,  £100  ;  and  aher  providing  for  his  widow,  he  gave  the 
remainder  to  be  distributed  equally  among  his  two  sons  and  three  daughters. 
His  estate  after  payingdebts  amounted  to  £1,780  (^Probate  Records  of  Guilford)  ; 
a  good  estate  in  those  days  for  a  young  man  to  leave,  his  widow  m.  Matthew 
McCure,  April  15,  1740;  and  they  relinquished  all  property  in  favor  of 
Abraham's  children.      Children  mentioned  in  his  will: 

13.  Isaac,  b.  Dec.  22,  1730.  16.   Abraham,  b.  Aug.  17,    1736.     [Killitig- 

14.  Mary.  -worth  Records.) 

15.  Sibyl.  17.   Elizabeth,  b.  Oct.  7.  1738. 

7.  Jacob,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Brooker,  m.  Judith  .      The    birth 

of  one  child  only  is  recorded  in  Killingworth.  On  a  grave  stone  in  Clinton, 
which  must  be  his,  is  inscribed  :  "•■'  In  memory  of  Jacob  Brooker,  who  died 
April  28,  1844,  a.  47  years.  The  memory  of  the  just  shall  live."  Close  by 
his  grave  stone  is  another  standing  with  only  two  words  engraved  thereon  : 
"Judith  Brooker."      Child  recorded. 

18.  Jacob,  b.  April  28,  1744;    the  date  of  his  father's  death  ;    d.  early. 

13.  Isaac,  son  of  Abraham,  Jr.,  and  Mary  Brooker,  m.  Tamar ;   and 

lived  in  Killingworth  (Clinton),  on  Chestnut  hill.  He  deed  land  in  Hartford 
county,  to  the  amount  ol  £5 50.)      Children  recorded  in  Killingworth  : 

19.  Sarah,     b.    June    3,     1764,     m.    John       21.   Tamar,    b.    July    15,  1769,    m.    Rufus 
Nettleton.  Crane,  of  Killingworth. 

20.  Chloe,  b.  Feb.  29,  1767. 

16.  Abraham,  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  Brookei',  married  Tamar  Murry, 
of  Guilford,  Oct.  12,  1758.  His  father  died  when  he  was  but  three  years  of 
age,  and  his  mother  and  five  children,  probably,  remained  in  what  is  now 
Clinton,  some  years.  Some  of  the  land  left  by  his  grandfather  on  Chestnut 
hill,  fell  to  him  ;  which  he  sold  in  May  1759,  when  he  was  living  in  Bran- 
ford.  His  marriage  is  recorded  in  Branford  where  he  was  probably  living  at 
the  time.      His  wife  died  in  Branford.      He  died  in   Wolcottville.      Children: 

22.  John,  b.  Mar.  29,  1759,  settled  in  Tor-  Imogene  I.,  b.  Apr.  2,  1848,  m.  Feb.  18, 
rington.  1875,  Harvey  Barnes,  of  Wolcottville,  and 

23.  Mary,  b.  Dec.  18,  1760.  has  dau.  Clara  Eliza,  b.  July  2,  1876. 

24.  Tamar,  m.  Rufus  Crane,   who    lived    a  25.   Chloe,  m.  John  Scoville. 
time  in  Winchester  ;    his  daughter   Betsey  26.   Sally,  m.  Asher  Scoville. 

Eliza,  b.  Jan.  i,  1796,  m.  Bradley   Catlin  27.  Samuel,  b.  1774,  settled  in  Torrington. 

of  Harwinton  in  1X18,  and   had   one   son  28.  Polly,  m. Roberts. 

Samuel,  b.  Oct.  9,  1820,   who    m.    Mary  29.  Eliza,  m.  William  Wilson. 
M.    Frost   May    22,    1845.     Their  child 


V 

1 


Genealogies. 


659 


22.  John,  son  of  Abraham  and  Tamar  (Murray)  Brooker,  came  to  Tor- 
rington  when  a  young  man  and  married  Jerusha,  daughter  of  Noah  Wilson 
Feb.  18,  1783.  He  first  resided  in  a  house  across  the  river  opposite  the  pre- 
sent Valley  Park,  and  afterwards  purchased  some  land  and  built  on  it  the  house 
still  standing  a  little  eastward  of  the  iron  foundery,  where  he  resided  a  number 
of  vears.  In  180^,  he  built  the  first  house  in  Wolcottville,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  residence  of  Mr.  L.  W.  Coe,  He  removed  to  Mount  Washington, 
Mass.      Children  : 

30.  Edee,    b.    Mar.    19,    1783,    m  

Merryfield  ;    went  to  Ohio. 

31.  Warren,  b.  Sept.  29,  1786,  d.   Sept.    i, 
1787. 

32.  Lucy.  b.   Sept.    25,    1789,    m.  

Ensign  ;   went  to  Ohio. 

27.  Samuel,  son  of  Abraham  and  Tamar  Murray,  came  to  Torrington, 
while  a  young  man  and  m.  Mary  Cook  of  Harwinton.  He  purchased  a  farm, 
then  lying  in  Litchfield,  a  little  south  of  Wolcottville,  where  he  lived  and  d. 
His  house  stood  near  the  site  of  Mr.  Charles  F.  Church's  present  dwelling. 
He  was  a  successful  farmer.  His  wife  Mary,  d.  in  1852.  He  d.  in  1856,  a. 
82  years.      Children  : 


33.  Riley,  b.  Mar.  28,  1791  ;   lived   in   Mt. 
Washington. 

34.  Sallv,    b.    1793,   rn.  Nobles    in 

N.  Y.' 

35.  John,  lived  in  town  of  Rye,  N.  Y. 


34.  Warren,  b.  July  27,  17;      d. 

35.  Russell,  b.  Dec.  29,  1802,  removed  to 
Litchfield,  Medina  county,  O.,  where  he 
still  resides. 

36.  Ursula,  b.  Oct.  17,  1804,  m.  Selah 
Root. 


37.  Marv,    b.   July  16,    1807,    d.   July   23, 
18  12.' 

38.  Chester,  b.  Sept.  26,  t8lo,  m. 

39.  Samuel,  b.  April  13,   1813,  m. 

40.  Martin,  b.  April  5,    1816,  m. 


38.  Chester,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Cook)  Brooker,  m.  first  Huldah  D. 
Smith,  March,  1831,  who  d.  April  30,  1845,  a.  36  ;  serond  Phebe  A.  Smith, 
June  16,  1846,  who  d.  Nov.  11,  1859,  a.  38  ;  third  Mehetable  Griggs,  Oct. 
24,  i860,  who  d.  .^pril  11,  1876,  a.  61.  He  is  a  farmer  ;  lives  in  the  edge 
of  Litchfield.      Children  by  ist  wife. 


Miller,   Aug.    i,    1862,    and    d.    June  16, 
1864,  a.  24  ;  no  children. 


41.  Betsey  A  ,  b.  May  27,  1832,  m.  Ben- 
jamin Bissell. 

42.  Andrew  J.,  b.  Sept.  i,  1840,  m.  Maria 

By  2d  wife  : 

43.  Marion  M.,  b.  April  17,  1847,  m. 
Charles  Whitney,  Sept.  2,  1873,  ^^^ 
Mary,  b.  Sept.  17,  1877. 

44.  Julia,  b.  Oct.  10,  1848. 

45.  Frances  L.,  b.  Nov.  23,  1850. 

39.  Samuel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Cook)  Brooker,  m.  Julia  M.,  dau.of 
Samuel  Seymour,  May  10,  1834;  is  a  farmer,  and  resides  on  Litchfield  street 
near  the  rail   road. 


46.  Charles  S.,  b.  May  19,    1853. 

47.  Adelaide  U.,  b.  Aug  31,  1855,  '^• 
Frank  McNeil,  Aug.  31,  1876,  had  Addie, 
b.  Sept.  5,  1877,  d.  Sept.  11,  1877. 

48.  Annie  T.,  b.  July  2,  1858. 


49  Maria,    b.    Apr.    23,    1835,  *^-  ^P*"-  '3' 
1859. 

50  Albert  Frederick,  b.  Mar.   10,  1837,  m. 

51  Helen  Eliza,  b.  Oct.  10,  1839,  m   Charles 
Pierpont. 

52  Mary  Jane,  b.  Sept.  i,  1841,  m.  William 


H.  Davol. 

53  Frank  Russell,  b.  Mar.  31,   1843. 

54  Alice  Josephine,  b.  Dec.  25,  1847. 

55  Arthur  Seymour,  b.  Feb.   3.    1850. 

56  Ella  Taylor,  b.  Feb.  23,  1852,  m.  Charles 
Blown  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


40.  Martin,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Cook)  Brooker,  m.  Sarah  Maria, 
dau.  of  Samuel  Seymour  May  3,  1838  ;  was  a  farmer  and  resided  on  Litchfield 
street.  He  d.  Feb.  24,  1874,  aged  58  years.  His  widow  d.  April  3,  1876, 
aged  60  years.      Children: 


66o 


History  of  Torrington. 


57  Eliza  Seymour,    b.   May    lo,    1840,  m.  60   Edward   Martin,    b.   Nov.   20,  1850,  d. 
Joseph  Travis.  J""s  10,  1853. 

58  Emma    Maria,    b.    Aug.    17,    184a,    m.  6i    Mary  Lura,  b.  Oct.  22,  1853. 
Stephen  Oviatt,  Nov.  21,  i860.  62  Sarah  Maria,  b.  Aug.  9,  1856,  d.  Sept.  3, 

59  Charles  F.,  b.  Mar.  4,  1847.  1872,  aged  16  years. 

BROOKS,  Charles,  of  Durham,  m.  Mehitable,  eldest  dau.  of  Joseph 
Norton. 

Joseph,  son  of  Charles  and  Mehitable  (Norton)  Brooks,  was  b.  in  Durham, 
about  1753  j   ^""^  "^-  Amanda,  dau.  of  Cyprian  Collins. 

Harvey,  son  of  Joseph  and  Amanda  (Collins)  Brooks,  was  b.  Oct.  26, 
1779,  and  m.  Polly  Taylor,  April  24,  1803.  She  was  the  dau.  of  John  and 
Mary  Taylor  of  Litchfield.  This  wife  of  )ohn  Taylor  was  the  dau.  of  Capt. 
Isaac  Pratt,  of  Goshen.      Harvey  Brooks  d.  Feb.   17,  1873,  a.  93  years. 

Watts  H.,  son  of  Harvey  and  Polly  (Taylor)  Brooks,  was  b.  July  24,  1808, 
and  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  John  Wadhams,  Jr.,  April  3,  1834.  She  d.  Sept.  5, 
1872.  He  resides  on  his  father's  homestead  ;  the  old  Capt.  Pratt  place  in 
South  Goshen.      Children  : 

1.  John  W.,  b.  Jan.  19,  1836,  m.  3.   Mary  E.,  b.  April  30,  1842. 

2.  Isaac    W.,  b.    Nov.    8,    1838,   resides   in      4.   Amanda  C,  b.  May  8,  1849. 
Wolcottville  5   is  secretary  and  treasurer  of 

the  Wolcottville  Savings  Bank. 

1.  John  W.,  son  of  Watts  H  ,  and  Mary  (Wadhams)  Brooks,  m.  Marana 
L.,  dau.  of  Dea.  Lewis  M.  Norton,  of  Goshen,  Nov.,   i860. 

BROWN,  Owen,  son  of  Capt.  John  and  Hannah  (Owen)  Brown,  m.  ist, 
Ruth,  daughter  of  Gideon  Mills,  at  Simsbury,  Feb.  11,  1793,  and  made  his 
residence  a  short  time  in  Norfolk,  Conn.,  where  he  had  a  tannery  and  shoe  shop. 
He  purchased  a  farm  and  dwelling  house  in  Torrington  and  settled  on  it  in  the 
spring  of  I  799,  and  erected  a  tannery  and  shop  ;  the  place  being  now  known 
as  the  "John  Brown  house."  Here  he  resided  over  five  years  engaged  in  his 
trade  ;  then  removed  to  Hudson,  Ohio,  where,  after  some  years  his  wife  Ruth 
died,  and  he  married  Lucy  (Drake)  Hinsdale,  widow  of  Harmon  Hinsdale. 
He  died  about  1852  or  3,  at  the  a.  of  87  years.  {See  Biog.)  Children  re- 
corded in  Torrington  : 

1.  Anna  Ruth,  b.  July  5,  1798,  in  Norfolk.     4.   Oliver  Owen,  b.  Oct.  26,  1804,  in  Tor- 

2.  John,  b.  May  9,  1800,  in   Torrington.  rington. 

3.  Salmon,  b.  Apr.  30,  1802,  in  Torrington. 

2.  Capt.  John,  son  of  Owen  and  Ruth  (Mills)  Brown,  married  istDiantha 
Lusk,  June  21,  1820,  at  Hudson,  O.  She  died  Aug  8.  1832.  He  m.  2d, 
Mary  A.  Day,  at  Meadville,  Pa.      {See  Biography.  )      Children  by   1st   wife  : 


5.  John,  b.  July  25,  1821,  at  Hudson,  O., 
m.  Wealthy    C.    Hotchkiss    July    1847 
lived  in  Ashtabula  Co.,  O. 

6.  Jason,  b.  Jan.  19,  1823,  at  Hudson,  O. 
m.  Ellen  Sherboudy,  July,  1847. 

7.  Owen,  b.  Nov.  4,    1824,    Hudson,  O. 
he  escaped  from  Harper's  Ferry. 

8.  Frederick,  b.   Jan.    9,    1827,   at   Rich- 
mond, Pa.;   d.  Mar.  11,  1831. 

By  second  wife  : 

12.  Sarah,  b.  May  11,  1834,   at  Richmond, 
Pa.,  d.  Sept.  23,   1843. 

13.  Watson,  b.  Oct.  7,  1835,    at    Franklin, 


9.   Ruth,    b.    Feb.    18,    1829,    m.     Henry 
Thompson,  Sept.  26,  1850. 

10.  Frederick,  b.  Dec.  21,  1830,  at  Rich- 
mond, Pa.  ;  murdered  at  Oswattomie  by 
Rev.  Martin  White,  Aug.  10,  1856. 

11.  An  infant  son,  b.  Aug.  7,  1832;  was 
buried  with  his  mother  three  days  after 
his   birth. 


O.;  m.  Isabella  M.  Thompson,  Sept.  1856; 
wounded  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Oct.  17, while 
bearing  a  Hag  of  truce  ;   d.  Oct.  19,  1859. 


Genealogies.  66i 

14.  Salmon,  b.  Oct.  2,  1836,  at  Hudson,  O.;      18.   Austin,  b.  Sept.  14,  1842,  Richfield, O.; 
m.  Abbie    C.    Hinckley   Oct.    15,    1S56,  d.  Sept.  27,  1843. 

lived  at  North  Elba.  19.   Anne,  b.  Dec.  23,  1843,   Richfield. 

15.  Charles,  b.  Nov.  3,    1837,   at    Hudson,  20.   Amelia,  b.  June  22,  1845,  Akron,   O.; 
O.,  d.  Sept.  II,  1843.  d.  Oct.   30,  1846. 

16.  Oliver,  b.  Mar.  9,    1839,    at    Franklin,  21.  Sarah,  b.  Sept.  11,  1846,  Akron,  O. 
O.J   m.  Martha   E.    Brewster,    April    17,  22.   Ellen,   b.    May    20,    1848,    Springfield, 
1858  5  was  killed  at  Harper's  Ferry,    Oct.  Mass.;   d.  April  30,    1849. 

17,  1859.  23.   Infant  son,  b.  Apr.  26,    1852,    Akron, 

17.  Peter,  b.  Dec.  7,  1840,  Hudson,  O.;   d.  O.;   d.  May,  17,  a    21  days 

Sept.  22,  1843.  24.   Ellen,  b.  Sept.  25,  1854,  Akron,  O. 

BRONSON,  Luther,  son  of  Solomon  of  Winsted,   was  b.  Feb.  7,    1821  ; 
m.  Flora  M.  Grant,  Nov.  3,  1842.      Children: 
I.   Casimer  H.,  b.  Aug.  29,    1845;   m.  Au-  1870. 

gusta    Palmer,    Oct.    23,     1866;   lives   in      2.  Stella  A.,  b.  April  3,  1851. 

Waterbury  ;   has    Clara  Abel,   b.  Dec.  25, 

BURR,  Benjamin,  was  an  early  settler  of  Hartford,  and  was  one  of  the 
original  proprietors  there  in  1639.  His  wife's  name  was  Anne,  her  maiden 
sir  name  not  .found.  He  died  in  Hartford  March  31,  1681.  His  will  was 
dated  June  2,  1677,  and  m  it  he  gave  his  son  Samuel  all  his  lands  and  buildings 
at  Greenfield,  in  Windsor,  and  his  son  Thomas  his  house  and  land  in  Hart- 
ford. He  also  gave  a  small  sum  to  each  of  his  daughters  Mary  and  Hannah. 
His  inventory  amounted  to  £234-12-6.  His  widow  Anne  and  son  Thomas 
were  executors  of  his  will.      Anne  his  widow  d.    Aug.  31,  1683.      Children  : 

1.  Samuel,  b.  before  his  father  came  to      3.   Mary,    b.  ;   m.  Christopher  Crowe  of  Windsor, 
Hartford.  '  Jan.  15,  1656. 

2.  Thomas,  b.  Jan.  26,  1645.  4.    Hannah,  b.  ;  m.  Hillyer  of  Windsor. 

I.  Samuel,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Anne  Burr,  was  made  a  freeman  at  Hart- 
ford in  May,  1658.  He  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Baysey  of 
Hartford.  She  d.  before  her  husband  and  he  d.  Sept.  29,  1682,  leaving  an 
estate  of  £541-10-1 1.,  which  was  considered  a  large  estate  at  that  time,  and 
was  distributed  to  his  children  as  follows  ;  to  Samuel  then  aged  19,  £160  ;  John 
aged   12,  £101  ;   Mary  aged  9,  £80;   Elizabeth  aged  7,  ^lESo  ;   Jonathan  aged 

3.  £100.      Children : 

5.  Samuel,  b.  about  1663,  m.  8.   Elizabeth,  b.  1675. 

6.  John,  b.  1670,  m.  9.   Jonathan,  b.  1679,   "^'  Abigail  Hubbard, 

7.  Mary,  b.  1673,  m.  Daniel  Clark,  1693.  and  settled  in  Middletown. 

6.   John,  son  of  Samuel    and  Mary    (Baysey)  Burr,    m.   Sarah  and 

settled  in  Farmington.      His  children  as  given  may  not  be  in  the  order  of  their 
birth,  but  are  taken  from  Farmington  records.      Children  : 

10.  John,   m.  16.   Ebenezer,    ]  b.  July  9,  1712. 

11.  Stephen.                      '  17.  Thankful,  /  b.      "     "     "   m.  Ephraim 

12.  Noadiah,    m.    Nov.    5,    1731,    Hannah  Brown,  of  Farmington. 
Gilbert.  18.   Lucy,  bap.  March  21,  1714. 

13.  Sarah,  m.  Joseph  Gillett.  19.   Gideon,    b.    Nov.  16,    1715,    settled  in 

14.  Nathaniel,  settled  in  Farmington.  Goshen. 

15.  Eunice,  m.  Samuel  Case  of  Simsbury.  20.   Mariam,  m.  Nathaniel  Case. 

10.  John,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  Burr,  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  Caleb  Root, 
of  Farmington,  Nov.    ic,    1722.      Children: 

21.  Salmon,  b.  Sept.  25,  1723.  ford. 

22.  John,  b.  May  28,  1726,  m.  24.   Ruth,  b.  Oct.  26,  1732. 

23.  Mary,  b.  June  14,  1729,  d.  in  Torring- 

22.   John,  son  of  John    and    Mary   (Root)    Burr,   m.    Tabitha  Loomis  of 


662  History  of  Torrington. 

Windsor,  Dec.  17,  1747  ;  purchased  land  in  Torringford,  east  of  Burrville, 
in  1752,  and  settled  on  it  probably  that  spring;  the  place  being  known  many 
years  as  the  Burr  hosiery  or  tavern  and  afterwards  the  Daniel  Coe  Hudson 
place.  Here  John  Burr  spent  his  life  in  clearing  the  forests  and  preparing 
the  way  for  his  children  and  the  future  generations.  He  was  a  man  of  import- 
ance taking  an  active  part  in  the  interest  of  the  town  and  community  in  those 
early  times  when  every  body  worked  hard  and  had  but  little.      Children: 

25.  John,  b.  July  19,  1750,  in  Farmington.  children  :  Justice,  George  Russell,  Timo- 

26.  Reuben,  b.  Jan.  13,  1752.  thy,  William,  Hiram,  Lucina,   Flora,  Al- 

27.  Tabitha,  b.   June  23,    1754,  d.  Apr.  2,  mira  ;   ail   went   to    Ohio   except    Hiram, 
lygp  who  went  to  Illinois. 

29.   Jehiel,  b.  Apr.   11,  1757,   m.  and   lived      30.   Chloe,  b.  Sept.  27,  1764,  m.    Ira  Fuller 
in  Winsted   and   had   children:   Erasmus,          of  Vermont,  no  children. 
Rozel,  Halsey,  Dency.  31.  Tabitha,  m.  Foot,  had  2  children. 

29.   Russell,  b.  Oct.  19,    1761,   m.  and   had 

25.  Lieut.  John,  son  of  John  and  Tabitha  (Loomis)  Burr,  m.  Joel  Mark- 
ham  of  Torrington  Dec.  13,  1770  ;  and  sometime  after  1781,  removed  west 
with  his  family.      Children; 

32.  Theodore,  b.  Aug.  i6,  1771,  went  west.      35.   John,  b.  Sept.  13,  1776,  went  west. 

33.  John,  b.  May  2,  1773,  d.  Aug.  26,  1775.      26.   Arnold,  b.  Dec.  10,  i  778,  went  west." 

34.  Joel,  b.  Aug,  7,  1775,  d.  Oct.  17,  1775.      37.   Horatio,  b.  Aug.    30,   1781,  went  west. 

26.  Reuben,  son  of  John  and  Tabitha  (Loomis)  Burr,  m.  ist  Mehitable 
Stanley  of  Torrington,  July  2,  1772.  She  d.  Sept.  29,  1793,  and  he  m.  2d 
Martha  Wilson  Aug.  20,  1784.      Children: 

38.  Reuben,    b.   Aug.     15,    1773,    m.    and  44.  Urial,  b.   May  19,  1795,  •"• 
went  to  Amsterdam  N.  Y.  45.   Milo,  b.  Jan.  i,  1797,  m. 

39.  Salmon,  b.  May  26,  1775,  ^- 4^-   F^nny,  b.  Dec.  4,  1798,  not  m.,  d.  Mar. 

Doolittle,  settled  in  Winsted.  1873- 

40.  Mehitable,  b.   Nov.  22,  1777,  m.  ;   re-  47.    Eliza,  b.  Jan.  16,  1801,  m.  ist. 

moved  to  Watertown,   Ct.,    had    children.  Humphrey,   and   lived   near    Dea.    Roods; 

41.  Allyn,  b.  Feb.  15,    1780,  m.,   lived  and  he    d.,     and     she    m.     2d Steele. 

d.  in  Winchester,  had  two  children.  Her  son  and  wife  and   two  children  were 

42.  Chloe,   b.    May    15,    1786,    m.    Henry  murdered  in  Kansas  by  the  Indians. 
Roberts  of  Torringford.  48.   Harriett,  b.  Jan.  13,  1803,  m.  Lurandus 

43.  Sally,  b.  Aug.  4,  1789,  m.  Asa  Loomis.  Beach  and  lived  in  Lawrence,  Mass. 

44.  Uriel,  son  of  Reuben  and  Martha  (Wilson)  Burr,  m.  1st  Esther,  dau. 
of  Uri  Curtiss,  Dec.  13,  1820.  She  was  born  Sept.  13,  1797,  and  d.  Dec. 
10,  1831,  and  he  m.  2d,  widow  Fanny  Taylor,  Aug,  14,  1861,  and  is  living 
a  little  east  of  Burrville.      Children  : 

49.  Uri,  b.  Jan.  15,  1822.  removed  to  Kansas,  has  children  :   Alice, 

50.  Esther  G.,  b.  June  28,  1824,  m.  James  Cora,     Hattie,     Fisher,     Chester,     Edith, 
Tallmadge,   a   wagon-maker    of  Burrville  Freddie,  Infant. 

and  Winsted,  Apr.   22,  1845  ,   had  child-  54.   Son,  b.  June  14,  1837,  d. 

ren  ;   Henrietta,  b.    Aug.  15,  1847,  Alice  55.   Sarah  A.,  b.  Aug.  10,  1838,  m.  Charles 

Olive,  b    July  8,    1854.  O.  Baldwin,  of  Harwinton,  Jan.  i,  1859; 

51.  Lucius,  b.  Dec.   9,  1826,  m.  lives  near  her  father's  and   has  children; 

52.  Harriett,  b.  Feb.   12,    1830,  d.  Dec.  10,  Charles  A.,  b.  Sept.  11,  i86o;    Alfred,  b. 
1831.  Jan.    27,    1864;    C.irrie    L.,    b.    July    25, 

53.  Mary  E.,  b.  Dec.  16,  1832,  m.  Andrew  1867  ;   John,  b.  Sept.  15,  1869  ;   Burr,  b. 
S.  Baldwin  ofHarwinton,  Jan.  24,  1857;  Sept.  30,  1872. 

45.  Mild,  son  of  Reuben  and  Martha  (Wilson)  Burr,  m.  Mary  Skinner  of 
Winsted  Mar.  l,  1825,  and  purchased  timber  lands  where  Burrville  stands, 
and  in  1827,  built  the  house  in  which  he  resided  and  where  his  son,  John  M., 
now  resides.      He  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,   cutting  the    pine   timber  in 


^!^c;  ^^  7-r. 


Genealogies.  66^ 

the  vicinity,  and  reducing  it  to  lumber  ;  owned  several  hundred  acres  of  land  ; 
had  two  and  some  of  the  time  three  saw  mills  in  use  in  this  busint-ss.  The 
tannery  which  he  bought  of  Newton  Rossisier,  was  run  a  time  by  Martin 
Webster  and  afterwards  a  Mr.  Bai<er  bought  it,  and  continued  it  some  years. 
Mr.  Burr  built  a  dam,  making  a  reservoir  on  the  mountain  west  of  Burrville  ; 
built  several  other  buildings  and  was  an  enterprising,  energetic,  hard  working 
man.  He  was  a  great  anti-slavery  man,  working  hand  in  hand  with  such  men 
as  Gen.  Uriel  Tuttle.  He  repeatedly  said  he  obtained  his  education  by  going  to 
school  one  day,  and  letting  his  broiher  go  the  next,  while  he  remained  at  home. 
Children  : 

56.  Mary  Ann,  b.   May  25,    1827,  d.  Sept.      58.   John  Milo,  b.  Mar.  8,  1833,  m. 

28,  1828.  59.    Martha  Ann,  b.  Nov.  25,  1836,  d.  Jan. 

57.  James  Milo,  b.   Jan.    30,'i830,  d.  Feb.  22,  1843. 
26,  1832. 

49.  Uri,  son  of  Urial  and  Esther  (Curtiss)  Burr,  m.  Sarah  Mix,  April  9, 
1846  ;  is.a  farmer  and  lives  on  the  old  Burr  homestead  east  of  Burrville.   Child  : 

60.  Hattie  Emogene,  b.  April  7,  1854. 

51.  Lucius,  son  of  Urial  and  Esther  (Curtiss)  Burr,  m.  Sarah  J.  Woodruff 
Sept.  4,  1851  ;  and  lives  on  the  old  Jabez  Gillett  place  on  Torringford  street. 
Children  : 

61.  George  A.,  b.  Oct.   19,  1852,  m.  Mary      62.   Mary  A.  b.  Sept.  26,   1856,  m.  Samuel 
A.   Grant,   Oct.   21,    1874,  and  had  two  A.  Andrews  Sep.  15,  1875. 

children. 

58.  John  M.,  son  of  Milo  and  Mary  A.  (Skinner)  Burr,  married  Lavinia 
A.  daughter  of  Samuel  Hurlbutof  Winchester,  April  23,  1855,  and  resides  on 
his  father's  homestead,  where  he  is  making  impr6venients,  in  harmony  with  his 
father's  spirit  of  enterprise  and  work.      Child  : 

63.  John  Hurlbut,  b.  Sept.  17,    i860;   is  at      64.   Olive  P.   Harden,  b.  Oct.  30,  1855,  has 
school  at  Hartford.  resided  in  this  family  eight  years. 

BEACH,  Richard,'  an  early  settler  of  New  Haven,  signed  the  fundamental 
compact  there  in  1639,  married  about  1640,  the  widow  of  Andrew  Hull.  He 
removed  to  Stratford,  and  thence  to  New  London,  in  about  1667.      Children  : 

1.  Mary,  b.  June,  1642.  3.   Azariah.  b.  July,  1646. 

2.  Benjamin,  b.  Oct.,  1644.  4.    Mercy,  bap.  May  21,    1648. 

3.   Azariah,  son  of  Richard  and  widow  (Hull)   Beach,  married 

and  settled  in  Killingworth.      Children  : 

5.  Richard,  b.  Oct.  19,  1677.  7.   Benjamin,  b.  Jan.  14,    1682. 

6.  Thomas,  b.  Oct.  5,  1679. 

7.  Benjamin,  son  of  Azariah  Beach  of  Killingworth,  m.  Dinah  Birdsey  of 
Stratford,  and  settled  with  his  brother  Richard  in  Durham,  and  d.  previous  to 
1712.      Children: 

13.  Joseph,   b.   Oct.    24,    1710,    settled    in  on  the  church  records  in   Durham.      He 
Torringcon.                                                                 settled  in  Torrington. 

14.  Abel,  b.  Feb.  9,  1712,  being  the  first  bap. 

13.   JOSEPH,  son  of  Benjamin  and   Dinah   (Birdsey)    Beach    and    brother  of 

Capt.  Abel,   m.    Experience  ,  and    lived   in   Durham  where    three  of  his 

children  were  baptized.      He  removed  to  Torrington.    Children  : 


'  Manuscript  of  Gad  Andrews,  of  Soutbington. 


664  History  of  Torrington. 

15.  Mirriam,  b    Dec.  5,  1734.  20.   Dinah,  b.  in  T.,  May  6,  1750,  d.  May 

16  Hannah,  b.  May  17,  1736.  31,  1750. 

17.  Phebe,  b.  Apr.  4,   1738.  21.   Dinah,  b.  in  T.,  Nov.  2,  1751. 

18.  Benjamin,  b.  Mar.  25,  1740.  22.  Joseph,  b.  July  26,  1753. 

19.  Experience,  b.  in  T.,  Sept.  10,  1744. 

18.  Benjamin,  son  of  Joseph  and  Experience  Beach,  m.  Abiah  dau.  of 
Aaron  Loomis,  Aug.  31,  1763. 

23.  Levi,    b.   Oct.    24,    1764,   d.   Oct.    19,  1768. 

1768.  26.    Mirriam,  b.  Nov.   19,  1769. 

24.  Ezra,  b.  Oct.  26,  1766.  27.    Levi,  b.  Feb.  6,  1772. 

25.  Mirriam,  b.  Sept.  9,  1768,   d.  Nov.   12, 

22.  Joseph  Jr.,  son  of  Joseph  and  Experience  Beach,  m.  Edce,  dau.  of 
Dea.  John  Cook,  Jan.  4,  1776.  Shed.  April  29,  1776,  and  hem.  2d  Jerusha 
Phelps,  Aug.  19,  1779.     Children: 

28.  Elah,  b.  Oct.  14,  1780.  30.   Horace,  b.  Mar.  3,  1786. 

29.  Ahira,  b.  Oct.  20,  1784. 

14.  Captain  Abel,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Dinah  (Birdsey)  Beacli,  bough: 
land  in  Torrington,  in  1737,  and  probably  worked  in  the  town  with  Jonathan 
Coe,  arid  others  during  the  summer  of  1737.  He  m.  Margaret  Pickett, 
of  Durham,  April  5,  1738,  and  established  his  home  in  Torrington.  Mr. 
Beach  settled  on  the  hill  a  little  south  of  the  site  of  the  second  meeting  house. 
He  began  very  early  to  keep  a  tavern  which  he  continued  until  his  death,  and 
which  was  continued  by  his  son  John  many  years  afterwards.  During  the 
Revolution  he  boarded  British  prisoners,  and  in  many  ways  was  a  noted  man 
in  the  town.  His  house  was  the  resort  of  all  business  meetings  of  the  Eccle- 
siastical Society  for  many  years  ;  the  ministers  stopping  there  when  on  change 
of  pulpits,  after  1  786. 

His  captain's  commission  was  given  by  William  Pitkin,  Esq.,  "  captain 
general  of  His  Majesty's  colony  of  Connecticut,"  dated,  Oct.  27,  1766.  He 
therefore  was  nearly  the  first  appointed  to  this  office  in  this  town  ;  it  being  under 
the  reign  of  "  George  the  Third,  king  ot  Great  Britain  " 

He  died  Oct.  3,    179^,  a.  84.      His  widow    Margaret,  d.    Aug.  30,    1803, 

a.  89.      Children  : 

31.   Benjamin,    bap.    Oct.    5,    1738    d;    an  35.   Margaret,  b.   Sept.    3,  1747,   m.  Abijah 
infant.  Wilson,  Oct.  5,    1767,  removed  to  'Win- 
32.   Abel,  b.  Dec.  18,  1740,  m.  chester  (see  Wilson). 

33.  Samuel,  b.  Dec.  2,  1742,  m.  36.   John,  b.  May  2,  1750,  m. 

34.  Rebecca,  b.    May    23,     1745,  m.    Capt.  37.   James,  b.  Nov.  24,  1752. 
Samuel    Hurlbut,    Dec.  I,    1768,  removed  38.    Noah,  b.  Sept.  13,  1755,  •"• 

to   Winchester,   and  raised    an   important      39.   Martha,  b.  June  3,  1759,  m. Burr. 

family   for  that  town. 

\  32.  Abel,  son  of  Capt.  Abel  and  Margaret  (Pickett)  Beach,  m.  Esther  Peck, 
of  Plymouth,  March  12,  1774,  and  lived  in  Torrington,  a  little  north  of  the 
2d  meeting  house  on  the  Beriah  Hill's  place.  His  wile  Esther,  d.  Dec.  12, 
181  5,  a.  75  years.  He  d.  in  Nov.,  1836,  a.  96  years.  Children  : 
40.  Sarah,  b.  July  4,  1776,  m.  Pomeroy  41.  Esther,  b.  Aug.  20,  1780,  m.  Ezra 
Leach,  Sept.  24,  1797.  Weeks. 

V  33.  Samuel,  son  of  Capt.  Abel  and  Margaret  (Pickett)  Beach,  m.  Kcziah 
and  settled  first  on  the  place  afterwards  owned  by  Rev.  A.  Gillctt,  and  next  on 
the  Abijah  Wilson  place,  afterwards,  the  Geo.  P.  Robert's  place.      Children  : 

42.  Keziah,  b.    Oct.    10,    1768,    d.    Feb.  8,     44.   Rhoda,  b.  May  8,  1776. 
1776.  45.   Keziah,  b.  Aug.    16,  1779. 

43.  Mindwell,  b.  Dec.  16,  1770.  46.   Samuel,  b.  Aug.  21,  1781. 


Genealogies.  665 

36.  John,  son  of  Capt.  Abel  and  Margaret  (Pickett)  Beach,  m.  Mercy 
Bassett,  June  9,  1774,  "on  the  sea  side"  and  lived  in  Winchester,  until  1781, 
when  he  returned  to  Torrington,  and  lived  on  his  father's  homestead  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  He  d.  April  i,  1824,  a.  76.  His  widow  Mercy,  d.  in 
May  22,  1832,  a.  76.      Children: 

47.   Abel,    b.    Jan.    3,    1775,    removed    to  50.   John,  b.  Feb.  26,  1783,  d.  May  7,  1817. 
Ohio.  51.   Adah,  b.    March    12,  1787,  m.    Asahel 
48     Mary,  b.  Aug.  19,  1778.  Loomis     and     removed     to     Black    river 
49.  James,    b.   June    10,    1780,    became    a  country,  N.   Y.,  and  acquired  a  good  pro- 
minister  in  Winchester.  [See  Biog.)  perty. 

38.  Noah,  son  of  Capt.  Abel  and  Margaret  (Pickett)  Beach,  m.  Sarah 
Bradley,  of  Winchester,  Feb.  19,  1778.  He  lived  a  little  north  of  his  brother 
Abel's  home  on  the  road  that  runs  northeast  of  Wrightville.      Children: 

52.  Mary,  b.  July  7,  1779,  d.  April  4,  1798.      55.  Susanna,  b.    Feb.  21,    1786,  d.    March, 

53.  Sarah,  b.  March  7,  1781.  1786. 

54.  Julius,  b.  Oct.  27,  1783.  56.   Anan. 

46.  Samuel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Keziah  Beach,  m.  Content  Hall,  and  lived 
on  his  father's  homestead  a  little  west  of  Wolcottville.      Children  : 

57.  Lurandus,  lives  in  Lawrence,  Mass.  61.  Laura. 

58.  Clarissa.  62.  Charlotte,  d.  young. 

59.  Augustus.  63.  Jemima,  d.  young. 

60.  Frederick.  64.  Catharine. 

47.  Abel,'  son  of  John  and  Mercy  (Bassett)  Beach,  m.  Roxy  Taylor,  of 
Torrington,  March  30,  1797,  and  rnmoved  to  Wadsworth,  Ohio,  in  1823.  It 
is  said  of  him  in  the  l4^adiWorih  Memorial,  that  :  "  He  was  a  man  of  great 
mirihfulness  and  wit.''  He  was  tithing  man  for  years  in  Torrington,  giving 
better  satisfaction,  as  he  said,  to  the  youngsters,  than  any  other  man,  as  he  never 
attended  church.      Children: 

56.  Sylvia,  of  defective  mind  and  lost  in  the  58.  Orlando,  b.  Dec.  14,  1802,  m.  Julia 
woods  in  Ohio,  in  1824,  and  was  never  Pardee,  lived  in  Wadsworth,  O.  His  sec- 
found,  though  great  search  was  made  by  ond  wife  was  Susan,  daughter  ot  Judge 
hundreds   of  people.  Philo  Welton,  a  native  of  \^  aterbury,  Ct. 

57.  George,  b.  in  1799,  m.  Mary  Delaber,  He  is  still  living  in  Wadsworth.  He  nas 
removed  to  Wadsworth  in  1822,  and  was  one  dau.  Eliza,  who  is  married  and  has 
a  farmer.      He  removed  to  Clinton,  Iowa.  several  children. 

49.  Rev.  James,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Bassett)  Beath,  m  Hannah  Clar- 
issa Baldwin,  of  Goshen,  Oct  28,  1806.  She  was  born  Mar.  10,  1784,  only 
child  of  Isaac  and  Lucy  (Lewis)  Baldwin.  He  was  settled  pastor,  and  d.  at 
Winsted  June  11,   1850.      (^^ee  Biography.)      She  d.  May  7,  1852.    Children: 

59.   Lucy  Baldwin,  b.    Aug.    20,    1807,   m.  E.  Curtiss  of  N.    Y.;   had    Clinton  J.,   b. 

Henry  H.  Hyde,  and  had  children  :  James  Aug.  21,  1870;   Mary,  b.  July  10,  1872  ; 

LSeach,  b.  Nov.   14,  1831,  d.  a  member  of  Helen  C,  b.  Nov.    28,    1875;    Harry,    b. 

Yale  college  Jan.  8,    1850  ;   Henry   Bald-  Oct.  24,  1876,  d.  Nov.   i,  1876. 

win,  b.  Feb.  15,  1834;   Lucy  B.,  b.  Aug.  2.    Augusta,  b.  Apr.  3,  1845,   m.   Oct.    17, 

20,  1841  ;  Mary,  b. Sept. 4,  1839,  d.  Jan.  1871,  Franklin   A.    Rising,   of    N.    Y., 

4,  1840.  had  Franklin  C,  b.  Jan.  18,  1873  '■>  Mary 

60     Hannah  C,  b.  Mar.  20,  1809,   d.   Oct.  B.,    b.    Dec.    6,    1875;    3.  James   B.,    b. 

26,  1815.  Oct.    15,    1876,    d.    Nov.    13,    1849;  4. 

61.  Mary,  b.  Dec.  16,    1814.    m.    Caleb    J.  Anna  B.,  b.  Aug.  2,  1850,    d.   Mar.    24, 
Camp;    had    children;    i.    Mary    M.,     b.  1852;    5.    Ellen  B.,  b.  Aug.  1 6,  1 855. 
Mar.  4,  1842,  m.  Oct.  23,   1866,  Herman 


'  "  IVadsworth  Memorial,^''  Ohio. 

84 


666  History  of  Torrington. 

54.   JuLTUS,  son  of  Noah    and    Sarah    (Bradley)    Beach,    married    Jerusha 
Weeks,  ot"  Litchfield,  April,  1806.      Children: 
62.    Eliza,  b.  Apr.  30,    1807. 

CABLE,  Amos,  was  b.  in  Blanford,  Mass  ,  June  18,  1801,  m.  Diantha 
C.  Jones,  of  Sharon,  Ct.      She  was  b.  Nov.  25,  1801.      Children: 

1.  Lucinda,    b.    Sept.    25,    1823;    lives    at      5.    Frances,  b.  Aug.  20,  1851. 

Great  Barrintiton,  at  the  Berkshire  House.  6.   Helen,  b.  Feb.  10,    1853,  m.   Lewis  Mc- 

2.  Sherman,  b.  Sept,   13,  18 — .  Cary   and    has   Lottie,  b.    Oct.    16,  1874; 

3.  Mary,  b.  Sept.  25,  1836.  Alice,  b.  Aug.  30,  1875. 

4.  Lewis,  b.  Feb.  25,  18 — . 

CADY,  Joshua,  b.  July  2,  1771,  m.  Lemantha  Cadwell,  Oct.  19,  1799, 
she  was  b.  Sept.  30,  1780.      Children  recorded  in  Torrington: 

1.  Horatio  Nelson,  b.  March  10,1800.  3.   Alonzo,  b.  Sept.  8,  1804. 

2.  Anna  Brace,  b.  April   3,  1802. 

CALHOUN,  Joseph  F.,  was  born  in  1819,  in  Cornwall,  Ct.  ;  came  to 
Wolcottville  in  1847,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  brass  kettles  for  the 
brass  mill  company  ;  in  185  I  engaged  with  the  Wadhams  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, as  secretary,  and  has  continued  in  the  manufacturing  business  in  connec- 
tion with  various  companies  to  the  present  time  He  is  now  secretary  of  the 
Union  Hardware  Company.  He  has  been  justice  of  the  peace  twenty-three 
years  ;  judge  of  probate  since  1870,  and  a  member  of  the  legislature  in  1858. 
He  m.  Clarissa  A.  Caswell,  of  Glastonburv,  in  1848,  and  owns  and  occupies 
the  Gen.  Abernethv   homestead  in  Wolcottville.      Children  : 

I.  Sarah,  b.  Sept.    3,  1852;   is  a   teacher  in      2.   John,  b.  March  11,  1865. 
the  high  school.  3.   Clara  L.,  b.  March  7,   1867. 

CARR,  Clement,  of  Torrington,  m.  Jedidah  Pelton,  of  Chatham,  May 
18,  1785.      Children  recorded  in  Torrington: 

1.  Lemuel,  b.  Sept.  29,  1785.  3.    Florilla,  b.  July  25,  1792. 

2.  Stillman,  b.  Jan  15,  1788,  d.  Jan.,  1790. 

Carr,  Robert,  m.  Mary  Preston,  Dec.  29,  1785  ;  both  of  Torrington. 
Children  recorded  in  Torrington  : 

1.  Polly,  b.  Dec.  10,  1786.  3.   Lois,  b.  Nov.  4,  1790. 

2.  Ruth,  b.  March  i,  1788. 

CARTER,  Ithiel,  son  of  Jacob  and  Dorcas  (Tyler)  Carter,  m.  and  removed 
from  Wolcott  to  Warren,  thence  to  Torrington.  Children  recorded  in 
Torrington,  Ct.  ; 

1.  Julius,  b.  July  5,  1786.  4.   Martha,  b.  Aug.  4,  1790. 

2.  Lucius,  b.  Sept.  2,  1787.  5.  Lois,  b.  Feb.,  1792. 

3.  Ezra,  b.  April  i,  1789.  6.   Sarah,  b.  Aug.  18,  1793. 

CHILDS,  Timothy,  m.  Nancv,  dau.  of  Seth  Wadhams,  of  South 
Goshen.  He  purciiased  the  farm  with  the  new  house  on  it  that  Gen. 
Epaphras  Sheldon  had  owned  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town.  He 
was  an  eccentric,  energetic  business  man  and  larmer.  He  was  a  drover 
and  brought  into  the  town  many  cattle  from  the  west.  .A  story  is  related  of 
this  family  that  is  illustrative  offamily  government  in  those  times.  The  father 
being  displeased  with  his  daughter  thought  it  necessary  to  inflict  chastisement 
by  way  o\  whipping,  and  started  to  execute  the  purpose.  The  daughter,  then 
nearly  grown  to  womanhood,  ran  down  stairs  and  ran  round  the  big  chimney, 
the  lather  following,  she  keeping  out  of  the  reach  of  the  parent.  Soon  he  began 
to  weary,  and  then  to  scold  in  a  scripture  wav  •  "  Children  obey  your  parents," 
"children  obey  your  parents."     Upon  which  the  daughter,  having  been  trained 


Genealogies. 


667 


to  scripture  precepts  also,  replied  :  "Fathers  provoke  not  your  children  to 
wrath.''  History  docs  not  tell  us  how  long  the  father  continued  the  chase  after 
that  fleet  child.      Children: 


hundred. 

3.  Samuel  R  ,  M.D.,  practiced  a  short  time 
in  Litchfield,  removed  to  New  York  city, 
m.  a  wealthy  lady  j  became  quite  an  in- 
fluential man  in  politics  ;  was  one  who 
originated  the  plan  of  the  Croton  Aqueduct 
to  convey  water  to  New  York  city,  and 
his  name  is  engraved  on  the  Croton  Tablet 
at  High  Bridge,  as  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners in  the  construction  of  that  great 
and  noble  enterprise.  In  1842,  Mr. 
Israel  Coe  met  him  and  traveled  in  com- 
pany with  him  several  days  in  Europe. 
He  was  a  man  of  decided  intellectual 
ability  and  honorable  character. 

4.  Edward. 


I.  Stephen,  went  west. 

a.    Col.  Heman  W.,  m  ;  lived  some  time  on 

the    homestead  ;   removed    to    New    York 

city,  where  he  became  a  man  of  much  in- 
fluence in    political   circles ;   went   to  the 

legislature  several   times,  and    bid   fair  to 

rise  to  the  highest  positions,  when  his  early 

decease    closed    all    earthly    acquirements. 

He  was  in  his  early  days  a  natural  and  very 

successful  school  teacher.      He  very  seldom 

resorted    to   the   rod,    having   dignity   and 

genality    in   such    degree    as    to  be   able  to 

control    any    school  with    ease,  and   honor 

to    himself  and    to    all    the    pupils.      He 

taught  in  Litchfield,  when  he  had  ninety- 
nine  pupils  and   went  to  a  neighbors  and 

borrowed  a  baby  to  make  the  number  one 

CHURCH,  Samuel,  of  Southington,  m.  Nov.  30,  1774,  Mary,  daughter 
of  Nathaniel  Jones  and  his  wite  Sarah  Merriman,  of  VVallingford  ;  and  resided 
in  Southington  village,  on  a  place  known  as  the  Levi  Hart  tavern  stand,  many 
years,  and  was  considerably  noted  in  the  town.  His  ancestry  has  not  been  ob- 
tained.    Children  : 

1.  Samuel,  b.  Dec.  5,  1775.  5.  May,  b.  Aug.  29, 1784,  d.  Mar.  18,  I786. 

2.  John,  b.  Nov.   15,  1777,  m.  6.  Mary,  b.  July  4,   1786. 

3.  Rollin,  b.  Sept.  25,  1779.  7.  Harvey,  b.  Oct.  26,  1788. 

4.  Harvey,  b.  Oct.   26,    1782,  d.  Sept.    23,      8.  David,  b.  Aug.  20,   1791. 
1786.  9.  Nathaniel,  b.  Nov.  15,  1794. 

2.  John,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Jones)  Church,  m.  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Samuel  Andrews  of  Southington,  Nov.  27,  1800,  and  lived  in  Southington 
village,  where  he  followed  the  trade  of  a  tinner  until  he  came  to  Wolcottville, 
about  1830.  He  lost,  it  is  said,  two  very  inreresting  daughters  in  Southington, 
Sylvia,  and  Harriet.'  He  engaged  as  a  tinner  with  his  son  Charles  S.,  in 
Wolcottville  where  he  deceased  July  15,  1845.      Children  : 

10.   John,     ^  b.  Apr.  30,  i8oi,d.  Apr.  28,      15.   Adaline,  b.    Mar.  10,    1809,    m.    Alvin 

I        1843.  Betsey  m. Skid-  Tyler,  lives  in  Fountain  Green,  111. 

Betsey,   |       more,  lives  in   Bridgewater,      16.   Charles  S,  b.  Apr.  26,  1811,  m. 


J       Conn 

12.  Henry,  b.    Mar.  12,  1803,  lives   in  Og- 
densburg,   N.  Y. 

13.  Sylvia,  b.    Mar.  12,    1805,  d.   Sept.    12, 
1824,  aged  19  years. 

14.  Harriet,  b.  Mar.   21,    1 807,    d.  Oct.    7, 
1826,  a.  19  year 


17.  Edward,    b.  Aug.    17,  1813,  d.  Oct.   7, 
1 838,  a.  21  years. 

18.  Mary,    b.  Jan.  7,    18 1 6,    m.  Bradley  R. 
Agard. 

19.  Susan,    b.    Jan.    28,    18 18,    m.    Aaron 
Cline. 

20.  George,  b.  June  2,  1822,  m. 


16.  Ch.arles  S.,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Andrews)  Church,  m  Char- 
lott,  daughter  of  Capt.  Uii  Taylor,  of  Wolcottville,  Nov.  28,  1833.  He  was 
a  tinner  and  made  wares  for  supplying  peddlers  in  various  parts  ot  the  country. 
Children  : 

21.  Charlotte  T.,  b.  Dec.   11,  1834.  the  Wolcottville  new  cemetery. 

22.  Charles  F  ,  b.  May  8,  1836,  m.  24.    Henry  A.,  b.  Mar.  I  g,  1841,  m. 

23.  Harriett  J.,  b.  Apr.   23,    1839,   d.  Oct.  25.   Nellie  E.,  b.  Mar.  29,  1843. 
20,  1841,  and  was  the  2d  or  3d  buried  in  26.    Uri  T.,  b.  May  21,   1845. 


1  Mr.  Gad  Andrews  of  Southington. 


668  History  of  Torrington. 

zo.   George,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Andrews)  Church,  m.  Eveline  V, 
Lathrop,  Nov.  20,  1848.      He  is  partner   in  the  hardware  store  of  Agard  and 
Church,  and  resides  on  Prospect  street.      Child  : 
27.   Albert,  b.  July  30,  1849,  d.  Sept.  2,  1850. 

22.   Charles   F.,   son  of  Charles   S.    and    Charlotte   (Taylor)  Church,   m. 
Catharine  A.  Carrington,  of  Waterbury,  May  21,  1861,   and  resides  on  South 
Main  street,  Wolcottville.      He  is  president  and  engaged  in  the  Hendey  Machine 
Company.      Children  : 
27.   Albert  H.,  b.  Feb.  22,  1862.  28.   Elton  C,  b.  Sept.  25,  1866. 

24.  Henry  A.,  son  of  Charles  S.  and  Charlotte  (Taylor)  Church,  married 
1st,  Emma  L.  Benham,  of  New  Haven,  Sept.  29,  1869,  and  resided  in  New 
Haven.  She  deceased  Dec.  20,  1871,  and  he  married,  2d,  Ella  Walsh,  of 
Sheffield,  Mass.,  Nov.,  1875 

26.   Uri  Taylor,  son  of  Charles  S.  and  Charlotte  (Taylor)  Church,   mar- 
ried Charlotte  H.  Sevmour  Oct.  28,    1868,    and    resides    on    Waterbury    road 
two  miles  south  of  Wolcottville.      He  is  a  farmer.      Child: 
29.    Harry  S.,  b.  Aug.   15,  1871,  d.  Aug.  6, 

1872. 

CLARK,  Dexter  W.,  son  of  Wilkins  Clark,  was  born  April  13,  1834,  in 
Shelburn,  Franklin  county,  Mass.,  came  to  Wolcottville  in  Feb.  1856,  and  en- 
gaged in  McNeil's  drugstore,  where  he  has  continued  since  that  rime  with  the 
exception  of  being  in  the  late  war  about  three  months.  He  m.  Fannie  E. 
Langdon.  Child : 
I.   Henry  Langdon,  b.  Dec.  25,  1867. 

COE.  According  to  Burke's  Heraldry,  all  the  members  of  this  family,  of 
distinction,  resided  in  Norfolk  county,  England. 

Robert,  the  first  in  America,  sailed  from  Ipswich,  and  probably  came  from 
Norfolk,  this  being  his  nearest  shipping  port.  He  came  in  the  ship  Frances, 
in  the  year  1634.  His  age  was  38,  that  of  his  wife  Ann,  43,  his  son  John  8, 
Robert  7,  and  Benjamin  5.  He  settled  in  Watcrtown,  Mass  ,  in  1634,  where 
he  was  made  a  freeman  Sept.  3d,  of  that  year.  In  1635  or  6  he  removed  to 
Wethersfield,  Ct.,  and  thence,  in  16150,  to  Stamford  or  Stratford.  In  1662, 
he  removed  to  Hempstead  or  Jamaica  on  Long  Island,  and  in  New  York 
jurisdiction  ;  was  made  sheriff  in  1669,  which  office  he  held  until  1672. 
Children  : 

1.  John,  b.  about  1626,  in  England.  3.   Benjamin,  b.  about  1629,  in  England. 

2.  Robert  b.  about  1627,  in   England. 

1.  John,  son  of  Robert  and  Ann  Coe,  came  to  New  England  in  1634  with 
his  parents,  and  to  Wethersfield  and  Stratford,  and  was  of  Newtown,  L.  I., 
in  1655,  and  of  Greenwich,  Ct.,  in  1660,  and  that  year  was  one  of  the  pur- 
chasers of  Rye,  N.  Y.  He  was  captain  and  was  appointed  a  magistrate  by 
Connecticut  ;  was  representative  to  the  general  court  of  Ct.  from  Newtown  in 
1664.      He  was  of  Stratford  in  1685.      Children: 

4.  John.  7.   Samuel. 

5.  Robert.  8.   David. 

6.  Jonathan. 

4.  John,  son  of  John,  1st,  married  in  Stratford  Dec.  20,  1682,  Mary,  dau.  of 
Joseph  Hawley  of  Stratford.  She  was  born  July  16,  in  Siratford.  His  four 
oldest  sons  settled  in  Durham  where  they  had  families.  He  died  April  19, 
1741.      Children  : 


Genealogies.  669 

9.  Robert,  b.  Sept.    21,   1684.  14.   Sarah,  b.  Mar.  26,  1696. 

10.  Joseph,  b.  Feb.  2,  1686.  '    '  ,  15.    Ephraim,  b.  Dec.   18,    1698. 

,        II.  Hannah,  b.  April  14,   168^.       \(^V^^-''^  16.   Catharine,  b.  Sept.    23,  1700. 

"^    12.  Mary,  b.  Aug.   11,  i69l.-<^>."'  17.    Abigail,  b.  Nov.   11,  1702. 

13.  John,  b.  Dec.  5,  1693.  18.   Ebenezer,  b.  Aug.  18,  1704. 

9.  Robert,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Hawley)  Coe,  married  Barbara  Parmele 
and  settled  in  Durham,  Ct.  His  wife  Barbara  died  in  Bristol  Sept.  26,  1774, 
in  her  86th  year.  He  was  commissioned  as  ensign  in  train  band  in  1718. 
He  purchased  land  in  Torrington,  deed  dated   1736-7.      Children: 

—   19.  John,  b.,  13,    1710,  settled  in  Tor.  24.  Hannah,  bap.  April  1721. 

20.  Martha,  b.  Mar  21,  1713.  25.  Robert    2d,  bap.   June  1723. 

21.  Ebenezer,  b.   Aug.   21,    1715,  settled  in  26.  Thomas,  bap.  June  25,  1727. 
Torrington.  27.  Reuben,  bap.  Dec.   22,    1728. 

22.  Mary,  b.  Apr.  11,   1717.  28.  William,  bap.  June  7,  1730. 

23.  Robert,  b.  June  11,  1719,  d.  young.  29.  Rachel,  bap.  Oct.  22,  1732. 

19.  JoN.ATH.^N,  son  of  Robert  and  Barbara  (Parmele)  Coe,  married  Eliza- 
beth Elmer,  of  Windsor, '  Sept.  23,  1737.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  is 
said  to  have  been  of  Torrington^ ;  indicating  that  he  had  been  in  the  town 
during  the  summer,  and  at  work  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  his  residence  here. 
He  settled  on  a  tarm  adjoining  Ebenezer  Lyman's  on  the  south  where  he  lived 
about  thirty  years.  He  was  one  ol  the  first  petitioners  for  sociL-ty  piivileges, 
and  seems  to  have  been  a  very  good  citizen  ;  one  of  the  original  members  of 
the  first  church  ;  a  man  esteemed  and  honored.  He  removed  to  Winchester, 
ill  1 768,  having  spent  thirty-one  years  in  Torrington.  His  wife,  Elizabeth, 
d.  June  28,  1794,  a.  84  years  ;   he  d.  April  23,  1795,  a.  84  years.   Children  : 

30.  Oliver,  b.  in  T.,  Sept.  3,  1738,  m.  35.   Martha,  b.  in  T.,  Jan    15,  1749. 

31.  Robert,  b.  in  T.,  March  28,  1740,  m.        36.    Ebenezer,    b.  in    T.,    Dec.    2,    1750,  d. 

32.  Jonathan,  b.  in  T.,  Aug.   20,  1742,  m.  Oct.  18,  1784. 

33.  Elizabeth,  b.  in  T.,  Sept.  15,  1743.  37.    Lucretia,    b.  in   T.,    June    9,    1755,  "^• 

34.  Jerusha,  b.  in  T.,   March  27,  1746,  m.  Daniel    Murray,  March    18  j    1776,    d.  in 
John  Lucas  of  Goshen  Dec.  5,  1763.                  J^ns,  1792. 

30.  Oliver,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Elmer)  Coe,  m  Marv  Agard, 
of  Torrington,  Oct.  7,  ij6i.  In  1765,  or  soon  after,  he  settled  on  a  farm 
deeded  to  him  by  his  father,  in  Winchester,  near  Torrington  line,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death  Dec.  31,  1775,  at  the  age  of  37.  He  served  in  the 
continental  army  under  Captain  Sedgwick  and  Colonel  Hinman,  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  in  1775  ;  vvas  discharged  Nov.  20th  ;  was  taken  sick  on  his  way  home 
near  Lake  George  ;  procured  a  horse  on  which  he  reached  home  Nov.  28th, 
and  was  confined  to  his  bed  with  the  camp  or  typhoid  fever,  until  his  death 
five  weeks  afterward.  He  left  a  widow  and  six  children,  all  of  whom  were 
sick  with  the  same  disease.  These  facts  are  gathi-red  from  a  memorial  to  the 
assembly  by  his  administrator,  asking  a  reimbursement  of  the  expenses  of  his 
sickness  and  death,  on  which  a  grant  was  allowed  of  £14  6  s.^  Children  : 

38.  Abner,    b.  April    12,  1763,    m.  and  re-  removed  to  Jewett,  N.  Y. 

moved  to  Vt.  42.    Mary,     b      Dec.     6,     1769,     m.      Dr. 

39.  Oliver,  b.  Nov.  7,  1764,  m.  Abraham  Camp  of  Mt.  Morris,  N.  Y. 

40.  Mary,    b.    Sept.  2,    1766,   d.    Sept.    13,  43.   Job,  b.  April  22,  1772. 
1766.  44.   James,  b.  May  31,  1774. 

41.  Justus,  b.  Sept.  I,  1767,  m.  Ruth  Bailey, 

31.  Robert,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Elmer)  Coe,  m.  Chloe, 
dau.  of  Joel  Thrall,  of  Torrington,  Dec.  26,  1764,  and  settled  on  a  farm  near 


'  Not  of  Durham  as  in  lytnchesttr  Annals.  2  lown  Rec.  3  H^inchcster  Annals.,  51. 


670 


History  of  Torrington. 


his  brother  Oliver's  in  Winchester.  He  sold  this  farm  to  his  brother  Jonathan, 
and  removed  to  the  western  part  of  Winchester,  and  thence  to  Unadilla,  New 
York,'  where  he  died  in  1830,  a.  90  years.  His  wife  Chloe,  d.  about  1810, 
and  he  m.  a  second  wife.      Children  : 

45.  Joel,  b.  May  4,   1765,  removed   to  Ox-  separately,  because  some  of  them  returned 
ford,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.  to  Torringcon. 

46.  Armanda   (son),    b.    July    3,    1767,    d.  48.    Ariel,    b.   Oct.    31,    1772,  removed  to 
young.  Coventry,  N.  Y. 

47.  Abijah,    b.    Oct.    23.     1769,    m.    Sibyl  49.  Roswell,  b.  Feb.  5,  1780,  went  west. 
Baldwin  in  1792.      This   family  is  treated 

32.  Ens.  Jonathan,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  (Elmer)  Coe,  known  as 
Ensign  Jonathan  Coe,  reinoved  with  his  father  and  mother  in  1768,  on  the 
farm  until  then  occupied  by  his  brother  Robert  Coe.  He  m.  April  11;,  1767, 
Eunice  daughter  of  Dea.  John  Cook  of  Torrington.  He  removed  to  Winsted, 
in  1796,  where  he  d.  August  i,  1824.  His  wife  Eunice  d.  April  12,  1818. 
Ensign  Coe  has  been  considered  the  lather  ot  the  Methodist  denomination  in 
the  town  of  Winchester  ;  having  been,  probably,  the  earliest  adherent  and  a 
consistent  and  earnest  supporter  of  that  order  through  his  life.      Children: 

50.  Lavinia,  b.    in  T.,    Feb.  11,    1768,    m.  Woodruff  of  Barkhampsted. 

Asahel  Miller,  Oct.  26,  1788.  55     Huldah,    b.    Jan.    3,    1779,    ^-    Major 

51.  Jonathan,  b.  in  T.,  Mar.  23,  1770,  m.  Lloyd  Andrews,    May  16,  1796,  who  was 

52.  Eunice,    b.    Mar.    23,    1772,   m.    Abiel  cousin  to  Dea.  John  Whiting. 
Loomis,  Jan.  20,  1793.  56.    David,  b.  Feb.  11,  1781. 

53.  Roger,  b.  July  27,  1774,  m.  57,   Daniel,  b.  Feb.   2,  1783. 

54.  Rhoda,    b.    Mar.    27,    1777,    m.    Eben  58.    Eben,  b.  July  9,   1785. 

39.  Oliver  Jr.,  son  of  Oliver  and  Mary  (Agard)  Coe,  m.  Sarah,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Marshall  of  Torrington,  Dec.  1,  1791.  He  m.  second  Chloe 
Spencer  daughter  oi  Thomas.  He  owned  and  lived  on  the  Henry  Drake  farm 
in  Winchester,  near  the  Torrington  line,  from  1805,  to  1814,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Hudson,  Ohio.  He  served  on  several  tours  of  duty  in  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  and  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Indian  war  again  enlisted  for  three 
years.      He  d.  in  Hudson,  Ohio,  August  14,  1825,  a.  61  years.*      Children  : 

59.  Norris,    b.    May    16,    1792,    m.    Chloe      61.   Artemisia,   b.    Dec,    1799,   "^-   George 
Hubbell.  Chase. 

60.  Demas,  b.  Jan.  11,  1794,  m.  Eliza  Ward. 

51.  JONATHAN  3d,  son'of  Jonathan,  2d,  and  Eunice  (Cook)  Coe,  m.  Char- 
lotte, daughter  of  Thomas  Spencer,  Oct.  3,  1792.  She  d.  July  15,  1842,  a. 
70  years.  He  m  second  Huldah  (Spencer)  Wetmore,  widow  of  John  Wet- 
more,  second,  and  sister  of  his  first  wife.  She  d.  July  10,  1845  ;  he  m.  third 
Mrs.  Betsey  (Miller)  Wetmore,  of  Wolcoitville.  He  d.  in  Winsted,  May  31, 
1849  ;   she  d.  Sept.   18,  1850,  a.  80  years.      Children: 

62.  Jehial,  b.  Oct.  5,  1794.  67.   Sylvia,    b.  Aug.    12,    1806,    m.    Samuel 

63.  Chloe,  b.  Feb.    24,  1797,   m.  Chauncey  Boyd. 

Eggleston.  68.    Huldah,  b    Apr.  6,  1809,  m.  Erastus  S. 

64     Wealthy,  b.    Mar.  l,    1799,  m.  Nelson  Woodford. 

Wilson.  69.   Jane,    b.    Aug.     14,    1812,   m.    Henry 

65.  Charlotte,   b.  Aug.    24,    1801,   d.    Feb.  Hinsdale. 

15,  1814.  70.   Ruth,    b.   Apr.    5,    1814,   m.   Abel    A. 

66.  Msahel,  b.  Apr.  4,  1804.  Smith. 

56.    David,  son  of  Jonathan,  2d,  and  Eunice  (Cook)  Coe,  married  Prudence 


'  Annals  of  IVinchester,  $Z.  2  ylnnals  of  IVinchtsttr,  53  ;    Town  Rec. 


Genealogies.  6yi 

Ward,  Mar.  15,  1804.      She  died  Feb.  23,  1823,  a.  42  years.      He  married, 
2d,  Esther  Wright.      He  d.  June  12,    1834.      Children  : 

71.  Samuel   Ward,   b.   June    15,    1806,  m.  office-bearer    in   the   M.   E.  church   from 

Aug.  16,  1831,    Abigail   B.  Sanford  ;   she  early  manhood.       His  children  were  Chas. 

died  Dec.  23,    1838,  and   he   married   2d,  Betts,  David  Ward,  Francis  Abby,  Wilbur 

May  10,  1841,  |ulia  M.  Starks.     In  com-  Fisk. 

piny    with    Luman    Hubbell    and    E.    S.  72.   Emery,   b.   Mar.  17,  1809,  m.    May  7, 
Woodford,  he   engaged    in    trade   at    Win-  1837,  Almira  Griswold,  and  had  children, 
sted  about  1830,  and  continued    the   busi-  Sarah,  Jane,  Edward,  Griswold. 
ness  untill  his  death,  Sept.  20,  1868,  and  73.   Sally,  b.  June   24,  1811,  m.  Alvin  Gil- 
was   largely  identified    with   the  public  in-  bert. 

terests  of  the    town,   filling    with    ability  74.    David    Fletcher,   b.    June   30,    1819,  d. 

many  offices  of  trust   and  honor;  justice,  Sept.  7,  1823. 

town  clerk,    senator,    and   judge    of   pro-  75.    Prudence,  b.   July  i,  1828,  d.  Sept.  II, 

bate.      He  was  also  a  faithful  member  and  1829. 

5?.  Rev.  D.'^niel,  son  of  Jonathan  2d  and  Eunice  (Cook)  Coe,  married 
Oct.  17,  1803,  Mrs.  Anna  (Sweet)  Keyes,  daug'iter  of  Rev.  John  Sweet  ;  she 
d  Nov.  29,  1818;  and  he  married,  2d,  Lucy  Hall,  Jan.  20,  1820.  He  died 
Jan.  12,  1847.      Children: 

76.  Caroline,  b.  Sept.  20,  1804,  m.  William  Loomis. 

Carrier.  79.   Col.  Nelson   Daniel,  b     Nov.   8,    1811. 

77.  Clarissa  Anna,   b.   Apr.    16,    1807,    m.  80.   Rev.  Jonathan,  b.  June  i,  1815. 
Shadrach  Manchester.  81.  Rev.  James  Roger,  b.    Mar.  30,  1818. 

78.  Louisa,  b.  Apr.  11,  1809,  m.  Oliver  H. 

57.  Eben,  son  of  Jonathan,  2d,  and  Eunice  (Cook)  Coe,  married  Eliza 
Hirkman  Dec.  i,  1806.      He  d.  Sept.   10,   1818.      Children: 

82.  Julia,  b.  Aug.   26,  1807,   m.   Voorhies.      84.   Eliza,  b.   Dec.   23,    181 1,  m.    Porter  of 

83.  Samuel  Mills,  b.  Feb.  21,  1809,  d.  Dec.  Cleveland,   O. 

26,1809.  85-   Charles,  b.  Oct.  25,    1816. 

60.  Demas,  son  of  Oliver  and  Sarah  (Marshall)  Coe,  m.  Eliza  Ward,  April 
15,  18 19.  She  was  b.  Nov.  29,  1800,  and  is  still  living.  Mr.  Coe  lived 
some  years  in  the  west  part  of  Wolcottville.      Children  : 

86.  Lewis,  b.  July  8,  1820,  d.  Feb.  22,  90.  Elizabeth  [..  b.  Nov.  12,  1829,  m.  C. 
1840,  and  was  the  first  interment  madein  J.  Wyman  Nov.  25,  1852,  April  10,  1871. 
the  new  Wolcottville  burying  ground.  91.    Edward  L.,  b.  April  8,  1835,  "^-  Char- 

87.  Sarah,  b.  Aug.  22,  1821,  m.  Elias  E.  lott  R.  Robb  Nov.  28,  1865,  d.  Aug.  2, 
Oilman   Jan.    3'-,    1854,    and    resides   in  1877. 

Winsted.  92.   Amos    Ward,    b.    June    15,    1841,    d. 

88.  Burell  F.,   b.    Aug.    12,    1823,    d.  Nov.  March  28,   1844. 

25,  1842.  93.   James  .M.,  b.  Feb.   21,  1845,  m.   Lucie 

89.  Oliver,  b.  March  18,  1827,  d.  Sept.  26,  E.  Sparks,  Jan.  17,  1867. 
1828. 

62.  Jehiel,  son  of  Jonathan,  3d,  and  Charlotte  (Spencer)  Coe,  married, 
Sept.  4,  1816,  Amanda  Betsey  Case,  born  in  Simshury.  She  died,  and  he 
married,  2d,  Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Sage,  Sept.  25,  1856.      Children  : 

94.  Charlotte,  b.   Dec.  21,    1817,  m.  Lem-  Carrie  Capron  of  New  York. 

phier  B    Tuttle.  97.    William    GiUmore,    b.   Sept.    10,    1829, 

95.  Luke  Case,  b.  June  13,  1821,  m.  Sarah  m.  Martha  A.  Williams,  and  2d,  Jean- 
J.  Andrews.  nette  T.  L-e. 

96.  Spencer  Wallace,  b.   Oct.  15,  1827,  m.  98.   Mary  Jane,  b.  June  20,  1831. 

66  As.^hel,  son  of  Jonathan,  3d,  and  Charlotte  (Spencer)  Coe,  married 
Louisa  Hak- of  Glastonbury,  July  31.  1803.  They  removed  to  Pennsylvania, 
settling  finally  at  Lock  Haven.      Children  : 

99.  Anna,  b.  Oct.  2,  1827,  m.  E.  S.  Wood-  100.  Jonathan  Hale,  b.  Mar.  6, 1831,  d,i832. 
ford.  loi.    Vvilliam  Hale,  b.  Jan.  25,  1843. 


672 


History  of  Torrington. 


79.  Col.  Nelson,  son  of  Rev.  Daniel  and  Anna  (Keyes)  Coe,  m.  Maria 
H.  Seymour,  Feb.  5,  1834.      He  d.  Nov.  i,  1856.      Children  : 

102.  Lucy    Ann,    b.    Nov.    18,     1834,    m.  104.    A  son,  b.  1838,  d.  same  day. 
Rufus  E.  Holmes.  105.   Daniel  Sidney,  b.  Aug.,  1840. 

103.  James   Nelson,  b.    Oct.   20,    1836,  m.  106.   Ellen  Maria,  b.  March   31,  1845. 
Kate  R.  Goddard. 

80.  Rev.  Jonathan,  son  of  Rev.  Daniel  and  Anna  (Keyes)  Coe,  m.  in  Bridge- 
water,  Mass.,  Oct.  15,  1844,  Sarah  Wales  Whitman;  b.  March  30,  1815. 
She  d.  Sept.  5,  1848  ;  and  he  m.  2d,  Susan  L.  Whitman,  sister  ot  his  first  wife, 
Jan.  I,  1850.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Trinity  college,  Hartford,  a  minister  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  church  and  first  rector  of  St.  James'  church,  Winsted. 
He  died  of  a  rail  road  accident  at  Athens,  New  York,  about  1867.      Children  : 

107.  James    Herbert,  b.  July  22,  1845.  ill.   Robert  Henning,  b.  Oct.,  1852,  d. 

108.  William  Watson,  b.    Nov.,  1846.  112.   Reginald,  b.   July  22,  1854. 

109.  Harriet  Whitman,  b.  Sept.  2,  1848,  d.  113.    Mary  Cleaveland,  b.  July  22,  1856,  d. 
Sept.  4,  5848.  1857. 

no.   Alien  Whitman,  b.  Aug.  27,  1851,  d.      114.   Anna  Caroline,  b.  Oct.,  1858. 
April,  1852. 

81.  Rev.  James  R.,  son  of  Rev.  Daniel  and  Anna    (Keyes)  Coe,  m.    Oct. 

4,  1848,  Mary  Cleaveland,  b.  Dec.  23,  1830.  He  was  a  minister  of  the  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  church.      Children  : 

115.  Anna  Higley,  b.  Aug.  10,  1849.  118.   Charles  Cleveland,  b.    June  13,  1855. 

116.  Sarah  Whitman,  b.  Jan.  13,  1851.  119.   Mary  Cleaveland,  b.  Dec.  17,  1857. 

117.  George  Jarvis,  b.  May  7,  1853. 

2  1.    Ebenezer,  son  of  Robert  and  Barbara  (Parmcle)  Coe,  of  Durham,  m. 

Jane ,  and  settled  in  Torrington,  a  little  later  than  his  brother  Jonathan; 

his  house  standing  where  Mr.  x'\lonzo  Whiting's  spring  house  now  stands,  and 
hence  just  across  the  highway  from  Priest  Roberts.  In  after  years  the  remark 
was  made  ot  him  that  there  was  no  inan  in  town  as  well  off  as  Capt.  Coe.  He 
was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  forming  the  strict  Congregational  church,  and 
building  the  second  meeting  house.      Children  : 

120.  Eunice,  b.  April  29,  1742,  m.   Joseph  Wilcox,  Sept.  13,  1762. 

Hoskins,  Jr.,  Aug.  20,  1761.  122.    Rozel,  b.   Sept.   20,    1746,  m.    Esther 

121.  Mary,   b.    Sept.   7,    1744,    m.    Asahel  Bancroft. 

12  2.  RoswELL,  son  of  Ebcnczcr  and  Jane  Coe,  m.  Esther  Bancroft,  April 
22,  1766.  He  kept  a  tavern  a  number  of  years  a  little  south  of  the  crossing 
of  the  roads  on  Goshen  turnpike,  near  Alonzo  Whiting's.  He  began  for  him- 
self it  is  said,  with  more  property  than  any  other  young  man  of  his  day,  but 
with  the  keeping  of  a  tavern,  and  signing  notes  for  other  people,  which  he 
finally  had  to  pay.  he  lost  all  his  property  and  d.  poor.  He  and  his  wife  d. 
in  the  old  Dea.  Whiting  house  and  were  buried  in  the  same  grave.  They  had 
no  children. 

47.  Abij^h,  son  of  Robert  and  Chloe  (Thrall)  Coe,  m.  Sibyl,  daughter  of 
Israel  Baldwin,  of  Goshen,  Oct.  18,  1792,  and  settled  in  Goshen,  East  street, 
a  blacksmith,  where  he  reinained  until  1810,  when  he  came  to  Torrington, 
near  Wist  pond,  where  he  resided  until  the  decease  of  his  wife.      She  d.  April 

5,  1848.      He  d.  in  Wolcottville,  April  8,   1852.      Children: 

123.   Chloe,  b.   Mar.  5,    1793,  m.  Ira   Mott  Sophia  C,    b.   Dec.   24,    1816;   Flora,    b. 

in    1813,  and    lived   in  Winchester.      He  Dec.    22,    1818,    Asahel,   b.    March    27, 

d.  Mar.   20,   1846,  she  d.  in  1877.     They  1820,  d.  Dec.  30,  1825  ;    Ira,  b.  April   5, 

had:   Edward    W.,    b.    Jan.    24,    1814;  1822,    d.    April    8,    1824;   Emerson,    b. 


Genealogies. 


673 


Nov.  I,    1824,   d.   at  sea,    Feb.  8,    1845  ;  127.   Norman,  b.  May  i,  1801,  m. 

Ellen,  b.  Aug.    17,   1826;    Wakeman,    b.  128.    Eliza,  b.  Nov.  27,  1803,  m.  Chauncey 
June  21,  1830;    Chloe  Ann,  b.  Nov.  16,  Spencer    1827,    and    d.    Aug.    26,    1830. 

1834;    Adeline,  b.  Feb.  21,  1827.  They  had:   Homer,  b.  Aug.  14,  1828. 

124.  Israel,  b.  Dec.  14,  1794,  m.  129.   fiber  Norton,  b.  March  7,  1806,  m. 

125.  Flora,   b.    Feb.    17,    1797,    m.   Anson  130.   Sibyl,  b.  June  29,  1808,  d.  unm.  Sept. 
Stocking,    May    15,     1825.      They    had:  11,  1864. 


Flora  E.,  b.  June  22,  1827  ;    Omer  C,  b 
Oct.    14,    1828,   Fanny   M.,    b.    Dec.    4, 
1830;   Phila  H.,  b.  April  2,  1836;   fiber 
N.,  b.  Feb.  14,  1838. 
126.   Asahel,  b.  Jan.  28,  1799,  m. 


131.  Orrel,  b.  Nov.  25,  1 8 10,  m.  Samuel 
J.  Stocking,  Mar.  22,  1835,  d.  Dec.  8, 
1850. 

132.  Harvey,    b.    Jan.    3,    1817,    d.    Aug., 


1839,  in  Alabama. 

124.  Israel,  son  of  Abijah  and  Sibyl  (Baldwin)  Coe,  married  Nancy  Wet- 
more  Sept.  17,  1817.  She  was  born  July  19,  i  796,  and  died  Aug.  30,  1838. 
He  married,  2d,  Huldah  De  Forrest  Oct.  16,  1839.  (^See  Biogrtiphy.) 
Children  : 

133.   Lyman,  b.   Aug.  14,    1818,  d.  Apr.  5,      138.   Cornelia,  b.   Feb.  18,    1828,  m.   Israel 


1819 

134.  Lyman  W.,  b.  Jan.  20,  1820,  m. 
13J.  Russell  A.,  b.  Nov.  10,  1821,  d.  Nov. 
24,  1867,  in  Detroit,   unmarried. 

136.  William  H.,  b.  Jan.  17,  1824,  m. 

137.  Sarah  M.,  b.  April  27,  1826,  m.  Je- 
dediah  Hibbard,  at  Detroit,  May  9,  1850. 
He  was  born  Sept.  13,  18  14,  and  d.  Feb. 
8,1856.  Their  children  :  Nancy  Wet- 
more,  b-.  April  14,  1851,  d.  Aug.  30, 
1853  ;  Charles,  b.  June  23,  1853  ;  Rus- 
sell Abernethy,  b.  Mar.  9,  1855,  d.  Oct. 
17,  1868. 

126.  As..\HEL,  son  of  Abijah  and  Sibyl  (Baldwin)  Coe,  married  Maria 
Wetmore,  June  2,  1830.  She  was  born  May  14,  1805.  He  resided  some 
years  in  Wolcottville,  being  engaged  with  Geo.  D.  Wadhams  and  Webster,  in 
the  button  business,  and  in  1838  removed  to  Waverly,  111,  He  had  five  sons  in 
the  late  war,  all  of  whom  returned  home  uninjured.  They  went  with  Gen. 
Sherman  through  Georgia.      Children: 


Holmes  2d,  in  Detroit,  May  22,  1848. 
He  was  born  Aug.  10,  1823.  He  with 
his  family,  spent  several  years  after  1863, 
in  England  in  business  engagements. 
Their  children  :  Martha  Cornelia,  b. 
July  17,  1850;  Samuel  Judd,  b.  Jan.  14, 
1853,  d.  July  4,  1855;  William  Coe,  b. 
Aug.  25,  1854;  Franklin  (Jarter,  b.  Aug. 
21.  1859;  Charles  Leland,  b.  Oct.  16, 
1863,  in  England  J  Frederick  Nelson,  b. 
Nov.  12,  1864,  in  England;  Walter 
Wetmore,  b.  Oct.  13,  1866,  in  England. 
139.   Adelaide  E.,  b.  Apr.  26,  1833. 


140.  Charles  W.,  b.  March  8,  1831;  m.j 
in  the  late  war. 

141.  Edward  B.,  b.  Feb.  22,  1833;  in  the 
war;    d.  at  Cheyenne,  April  i,  1876. 

142.  Lauren  W.,  b.  July  25,  1835,  m. ;  in 
the  late  war. 

173.  Louisa  M.,b.  April  18,  1838,  m.  John 
M.  Van  Deren,  Springfield,  HI.,  Sept.  8, 
1864. 


144.  William,   b.   Nov.    13,    1841  ;    in  the 
late  war. 

145.  Alfred,   b.   April  4,  1843;   in  the  late 
war. 

146.  Israel,  b.  Aug.  19,  1847. 

147.  Sarah  Eveline,  b.   Oct.  31,  ,1849, 


127.  NoRM.^N,  son  of  Abijah  and  Sibyl  (Baldwin)  Coe,  married  Naney 
Whiting  Aug.  26,  1827  ;  removed  to  Alabama,  where  he  resided  some  years, 
and  thence  to  Grenada,  Mississippi,  where  he  d.  Oct.  i,  1859.      Children: 


148.  Irwin  P.,  b.  July  15,  1828. 

149.  Edwin  M.,  b.   May  23,  1830. 

150.  Norman,   b.   Feb.   22,    1834,   d.   June 
27,  1854. 

251.    fiber,   b.   Sept.    5,    1835,   d.   June   20, 
1836. 


152.  Eliza   M.,  b.   Oct.  30,    1837,  in   Ala- 
bama. 

153.  Flora    Janette,    b.    Sept.    3,    1841,  in 
Alabama,  d.  in  Miss.,  Sept.  10,  1856. 


129.   Eben  Norton,  son  of  Abijah  and  Sibyl  (Baldwin)  Coe,  married  Sarah 
85 


674 


History  of  Torrington. 


Townsend  Apr.  lo,  1837.      She  was  born  Mar.  4,  1820.      He  died  in   Ala- 
bama Dec.   16,  1857.      His  wife  Sarah  died  Mar.   13,  1849.      Children: 

154.  Ellen  Cornelia,  b.  April  9,    1838.  156.    Marion  Napoleon,  b.  Aug.   5,    1847. 

155.  Martha  Frances,  b.  Aug.   22,  1840.  157.   William  Harvey,  b.  Feb.  28,  1849. 

134.  Lyman  Wetmore,  son  of  Israel  and  Nancy  (Wetmore)  Coe,  m.  Eliza, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Seymour,  of  Wolcottville,  Nov.  3,  1841,  and  has  resided 
some  years  in  Waterbury,  but  since  1863,  in  Wolcottville,  and  is  a  prominent 
man  in  the  town,  counfy,  and  state.      {See  Biography.)     Children  : 

148.    Adelaide  Eliza,    b.  Oct.   29,    1745,  m.  Oct.  9,  1873. 

W.  H.    K    Godfrey  of  Waterbury,  where  160.   Ella  Seymour,    b.    Feb.    24,    1854,  m. 

they  reside.   Had:   Mary,  b.  July  16,  1876.  Oct.    21,    1874,   Thomas   J.   Nichols,  of 

159.   Edward  Turner,  b.   June  i,  1846,   at-  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Charles  M.  and 

tended  school  at  Mr.  F.  W.  Gunns  Wash-  Sarah  M.  (Green)    Nichols.      Mr.   T.    J. 

ington,  Ct.,  and  at  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Russell's,  Nichols  is  engaged  as  clerk  with  the  Tur- 

military    school    New    Haven;   m.    Lelia  ner  and  Seymour  company. 

dau.    of  Amos  Wheeler  of  Wolcottville, 

136.  William  H.,  son  of  Israel  and  Nancy  (Wetmore)  Coe,  m.  Deborah  S. 
Archer,  at  Waverly,  111.,  Nov.  11,  1846.      She  was  b.  Sept.  I,.i824,    Children: 

161.  Frederick  Archer,  b.  Aug.  12,  1847.        163.   Charles  Henry. 

162.  Franklin  Lyman,   b.  Apr.   8,  1850,  d.      164.   William  Augustus. 
Aug.  30,  1867,  at  Appleton,  Wis. 

140.   Charles    W.,   son  of  Asahel   and  Maria  (Wetmore)    Coe,    m.  Phebe 
Crawford  in  Iowa.      Children  : 
165.   Louisa  M.,  b.  Oct.  26,  1857.  166.    Franklin,  b.  Oct.  12,  1859. 

142.  Lauren  W.,  son  of  Asahel  and  Maria  (Wetmore)  Coe,  m.  Martha 
E.  Jarins,  Aug.  31,  1858.      She  was  b.  July  i,  1837.      Child: 

167.  Russell  J.,  b.  July  22,  1859. 

28.  William,  son  of  Robert  and  Barbara  (Parmela)  Coe,  of  Durham,  and 
being  a  younger  brother  of  Jonathan  and  Ebenezcr,  came  to  Torrington  some 
years  later  than  they,  and  purchased  in  1752,  twenty-eight  acres  of  land  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  town.  Whom  he  m.  is  not  known  ;  the  town  records 
giving  the  names  of  only  two  children.  He  and  his  wife  united  with  the 
Torrington  church  in  1757,  and  afterwards  removed  to  Torringtord  where  he 
d.  in  1  766.      Children  : 

168.  Seth,  b.  Dec.  21,  1757,  m. 

169.  William,  b.  March  23,  1764,  nothing  is  known  about  him. 

168.  Capt.  Seth,  son  of  William  Coe,  was  in  the  Revolution  eight  years, 
enlisting  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  leaving  his  mother  a  widow.  After  the 
war  he  settled  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  town  on  a  farm,  still  known  by 
his  name.  He  drew  a  pension  many  years,  living  to  be  quite  aged,  and  was 
always  ready   to  tell   stories  to  the   young  people  about  the   war.      He    m.   first 

Hopkins,   second   Elmer,    sister   of  Abialliar.      Children    by 

1st  wife  : 

170.  Lucianna,  b.;   m.  Scoville. 

By  2d  wife  : 

171.  Luranna,  b.,  never  m.  173-   Marilla,  b. 

172.  Henry,  b.  Sept.  2,  1792,   m.  174.  Sylvester,  b. 

172.    Henry,  son  of  Seth  and  (Elmer)  Coe,  m.  Sophrona,  daughter 

of  Alexander  Elmer,   March   16,    1815,   and  lived   on  his  father-in-law's   farm 
until  1836,   when  he    removed  to  Wolcottville,    where  he  had  purchased   fifty 


Genealogies.  675 

acres  of  land  and  built  him  a  house,  on  South  Main  street,  where  he  lived  until 

his  death,  Jan.  4,   1862.      Children  : 

175.    Henry  P.,    b.    Aug.    3,    1877,  "i-    ^st  178.   Oliver  P.,  b.  Apr.  25,  1828,  m. 

Mary  dau.  of  Porter   Bissell,    2 ,  and  179.   Laurana,  b.  Dec.  20,  1830,  d.  Jan.  18, 

removed   to    Clayton,    111.,    and    has   five  1833. 

child. en.  180.   James  £.,  b.    Jan.  16,    1834,  went   to 

176    Sophrona    E  ,    b.    Sept.    16,    1820,   d.  Chicago,    where     he    m.     and     has     five 

Mar.   16,  1836.  children. 

177.  Jane  E.,  b    Nov.  20,  1824,  m.  Samuel  181.   Nelson  W.,  b.  Jan.  2,  1837. 

A.  Healy  of  Torrington,  lives  Canton,  Ct. 

178.  Oliver.  P.,  son  of  Henry  and  Sophronia  (Elmer)  Coe,  m  Annie  Ash- 
born,  Sept.  I,  1864,  who  d.  July  14,  1874.  He  m.  second  Lucy  A.  Upson, 
of  Wolcott,  Oct.  19,  1876.  He  is  foreman  in  the  Coe  Furniture  Manufactory. 
Children  : 

182.  William  Henry,   b.  Aug.  13,   1865,  d.  July  19,  1871. 

Sept.  18.   1866.  185    Sophronia  Isabel,  b.  Feb.   17,  1872. 

183.  Mary  Elizabeth,  b.  June  12,  1867.  186.    Oliver  Elmer,  b.  Apr.  20,  1874. 

184.  Harry    Elmer,    b.    Oct.    28,    1869,    d. 

181.  Nelson  W.,  son  of  Henry  and  Sophronia  (Elmer)  Coe,  m  Caroline 
E.,  daughter  of  Samuel  Workman,  Sept.  19,  1862,  lives  on  North  Main  street. 
Children  ; 

187.  Frank  E.,  b. ;   d.  young.  189.   Frank  E.,  b.  Feb.,  1872. 

188.  Grace  F.,  b.  June,  1866. 

COLT.  The  name  of  Dution  Colt  appears  often  in  English  history.  He 
was  dispossessed  of  his  estate  for  opposing  popery,  and  afterwards  regained  it 
by  valiant  service  for  his  countrv,  and  war  granted  one  of  the  coat  of  arms  of 
the  Colt  family.  He  was  probably  son  of  Sir  Oliver  Colt.  We  read  during 
the  15th  century,  also,  of  Sir  Thomas,  Sir  Henry  and  Sir  George  Colt.  It  is 
yrobable  the  line  of  descent  is  as  follows: 

Sir  Peter,  a  peer  in  Enghnd,  son  of  Sir  John  Dutton  Colt. 

John,  son  of  Sir  Peter  Colt. 

John,  son  of  John. 

John,  son  of  John. 

John,  son  of  John,  who  was  born  in  England  about  the  year  1625,  came 
from  Colchester,  England,  during  the  troubles  of  George  I,  at  the  age  of  eleven 
years.  In  1638  he  removed  from  Dorchester,  Mass.,  to  Hartford,  with  a  col- 
ony that  came  thither  during  that  year.  He  afterwards  married  Skin- 
ner and  settled  in  Windsor.  He  probably  married  for  a  2d  wife,  Mary 
Fitch,  daughter  of  Joseph  Fitch,  from  whom  he  received  land  in  Windsor  for 
love  and  good  will.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  and  was  much  troubled  with  the  Indians.  In  1665,  he  subscribed  six 
shillings  to  raise  the  minister's  salary.      He  lived  to  the  age  of  105    years. 

John,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Fitch  Colt,  was  born  in    1658. 

Benjamin,  son  of  John  Colt,  born  in  Conn.,  in  1700,  was  one  of  the  early 
proprietors  of  Harwinton,  though  probably  he  never  lived  there  himself  In 
1735,  he  deeds,  "for  the  natural  love  and  good  will  I  do  have  for  my  son 
John,  all  my  land  in  Harwinton." 

John,  married  Mercy  Higley  and  lived  about  one-half  mile  east  and  then 
one-half  mile  north  of  the  present  church  in  Harwinton.      Children  : 

1.  Jonathan  Higley  b.  Oct.  13,  1735.  5.   Ruth,  b.  Dec.  14,  1742. 

2.  Anna,  b.  May  6,  1737.  6.  John,  b.  March  16,  1745. 

3.  Mary.  b.  April    5,  1739.  7-   Ann,  b.  Nov.  17,    1747. 

4.  John,  b.  Feb.  19,  1741.  8.    Dorothy,  b,  Sept.  10,  1753. 


676 


History  of  Torrington. 


I.  Jonathan  Higley,  son  of  John  and  Mercy  (Higley)  Colt,  married  Oct. 
12,  1761,  Mary  Tutile  of  Harwinton,  born  Mar.  22,  1741,  and  died  Oct. 
17,  1822.      Children  : 

9.   John,  b.  Sept.  9,  1762.  Hopkins. 

10.  Eliphalet,  b.  Feb.  12,  1764,  m.  Huldah  16.  Sarah,  b.  Oct.  3,  1776  ;  m.  Darius  Wil- 
Adams,  settled  in  Otis,  Mass.,  removed  son.  Had  a  son  Darius  who  m.  Clarissa 
and  d.  in  Ohio  in  extreme  old  age.  Treadway. 

11.  Anson,  b.  July  19,  1766.  17.    Pollythi,  b.   Dec.  20,  1778;   m.  James 

12.  Allen,   b.    March    4,    1769,    m.    Polly  Wilson,  lived  in  Paris,  Canada. 
Webster,    had    several    children:     Allen,  18.   Huldah,    b.    Aug.    7,     1780,    m.    Silas 
Polly,  Nancy  and  others.  Gridley,   had   Eliza,  Sally,    Belinda,  Silas 

13.  Truman,  b.  Jan.  13,  1771.  Riley. 

14.  Milicent,  b.  Jan.  I.,  1773  ;  m.  1st,  Ruel  19.  Electa,  b.  April  i  5,  1785;  m.  and  set- 
Gridley,  2d  Abel  Gridley.  tied  in  Western  New  York. 

15.  Rhoda,  b.  Jan.  11,  1775;   m.  Benjamin 

9.  John,  son  of  Jonathan  Higley  and  Mary  (Tuttle)  Colt,  m.  Ruth  Gilbert, 
Dec.  7,  1785,  and  lived  in  Harwinton  ;  she  d.  June  iith,  1792  ;  he  m.  2d, 
Chloe  Bull,  June  5,  1793-      Children  by  1st  wife: 

20.    Belinda,  b.    Sept.   7,    1786,   m.    Edward  m.  Almira  Strong. 

Bartholomew,  and  is  still  living  and  in  her      21.   John,    b.    Dec.    23d,    1788,    m.    Mary 
92d  year.      Her  son,  John    Bartholomew,  Grimes  Dec,  1819. 

Children  by  2d  wife: 

22.  Gilbert,  b.  April  19,  1794.  lotte,    b.     Feb.    12,    1835;  Yi.   Mary,    b. 

23.  Lyman,  b.  March  22,  1796.  April  8,  1837;  vii.   Lyman,  b.   Feb.    12, 

24.  Riley,  b.  Dec.  4,  1797.  1^39  >   viii.   Caroline,  b.  Jan.    20,    1841  ; 

25.  Wolcott,    b.    July  II,    1801,  m.   Sept.          ix.  Adaline,  b.  March  5,  1842 ;  viii.  Julia, 

10,  1826,     Polly     Tomkinsj  Their          b.  Sept.    12,  1844;   x.   Martha,    b.   April 
children     were:   i.   James    W  ,  b.     June          30,  1848;   xi.   Ruth,  b.  Dec.  7,  1849. 
20,1827;  11.    Charles,  b.   March  3,  1829;      26.    Elias,  b.  Aug.  4,  1803. 

III.  John    Riley,    b.  Jan.    ist,    1831  ;  iv.      27.   Elias,  2d,  b.  Feb.  14,  1807. 
Cornelius,    b.    Feb.    ist,    1833;  v.   Char- 

13.  Truman,  the  filth  son  of  Jonathan  Higley  and  Mary  (Tuttle)  Colt, 
m.  Anna  Forbes,  and  settled  in  East  Han,  had  two  children  : 

28.   Willis,    b.  ,  traveled    south    and  residedin  New    Haven,  and   later  in    New 

d.  in  New  Haven.      Children:   i.   Edwin,  York.  Children:   i.  William  Tomlinson;  11. 

m.    lived    and    d.   in    Stockton,    Cal.  ;    11.  Frederic   Sherman;    iii.    Mary   Henrietta; 

Francis,  m.  S.  B.   Jerome  ot  New  Haven  ;  iv.    Charles    Frederic;   v.   Sherman    Pres- 

III.    Orilla:    Sarah,  m.  R.  S.    Stillman  of  cott  ;  vi.    Charlotte  Jannett ;  vii.    William 

North  Haven;  Anson  T.,  b.  June  30,  1822,  Edward;   viii.   James  Bennett. 
m.  Dec.  31,  18 — ,  Mary  Ann  Tomlinson, 

II.  Anson,  the  third  son  of  Jonathan  Higley  and  Mary  (Tuttle)  Colt,  m. 
Feb.  23d,   1792,  Chloe,  daughter  of  Jabez  and  Ann  Gillett. 

He  came  from  Harwinton  to  Torringford  when  twentv-one  years  of  age, 
and  was  married  when  twenty-six.  He  built,  first,  the  second  house  south  of 
the  present  Torringford  church  on  the  same  side  of  the  road,  also  the  shop 
standing  near;  he  afterwards  lived  in  the  large  two  story  house  standing  where 
James  Woodward's  house  now  stands,  6ne-half  mile  north  of  the  church. 
About  the  year  1813  he  removed  to  Greenwoods,  and  after  living  in  the  one  story 
brown  house  three  years,  built,  in  1816,  the  substantial  house  now  occupied  by 
George  Colt.  Here  they  lived  and  fulfilled  well  the  mission  assigned  them, 
and  were  gathered  to  their  heavenly  home  at  a  ripe  old  age,  Mrs.  Colt  retain- 
ing her  mental  faculties  perfectly  to  the  age  of  96  yeai's.  In  visiting  their  rela- 
tives and  friends  in  Windsor  and  Otis,  Mass.,  the  journey  was  performed  on 
horseback,  the  mother  taking  a  child  on  a  pillow,  and  the  father  taking  a  younger 


Genealogies.  677 

one  on  a  pillow  in  front  of  his  saddle.      He   died   Oct.    28th,    1848,   aged   82 
years.      Children: 

34.  Nancy,  b.  Jan.  15,  1793,  ™-  Ralzinion  Cornelius,  b.  June  19,  1831,  d.  March 
Loomis,  July  1 1,  18  19,  removed  to  Char-  26,  1834.  Marcellus,  b  Oct.  28,  1833; 
lestown,  Ohio,  making  the  journey  with  d.  May  22,  1857;  Charlotte  Ann,  b.  May 
oxen  and  cart  in  40  days  {See  Loomis  6,  1840;  m.  May  30,  1861,  to  Nathan 
Family).      She  d.  Jan.  30,  1S76.  Bronson,    who    was    b.    Nov.    ao,     1837. 

35.  Anson,  b.   fan.  11,  1795.  She  d.  Dec.  7,  1871.      Children  :  i.  Alice, 

36.  Chloe,  b.  Feb.  12,  1797,  m.  Feb.  14,  b.  Aug.  23,  1862;  11.  Henry  B.,  b. 
1830,  to  Leverett  Tuttle.  {See  luttle  Sept.  6,  1864,  d.  June  8,  1865  ;  in. 
Family.  Joseph   S.,     b.    Aug.    22,     1866,   d.    June 

37.  Henry,  b.  Nov.  25,  1800.  17,   1870,  iv.   Wilbur   N.,   b.    Nov.    29, 

38.  Charlotte,  b.  Feb.  21,    1803,  m.  Burton  1870;  d.  June  11,  1876. 
Pond,   Oct.    5,    1829,  and   had    children:  39.   Cornelia,  b.  Dec.  20,  1843. 

35.  Col.  Anson,  son  of -^nson  and  Chloe  (Gillett)  Colt,  married  Sept. 
12,  1824,  Mary  Ann  Newberry  Barber.  H3-traveled  south  in  the  mercantile 
business  while  a  young  man,  and  settled  as  a  farmer  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street  to  his  father  He  possesssed  sound  mind,  good  judgment,  and  business 
ability.      He  died  .Aug.   16,   1865.      Children: 

40.   Christopher,  b.  May  14,  1829  ;  m.  Sept.  May  23,    1862;   11.   James   C,   b.   March 

28,  1851,    Francis  Chidsey  who  d.    Aug.  17,  1869. 

15,  1S58  ;    he    m.   2d  Sarah  Barber,  Oct.      41.    John  Anson,  b.  April  3,  18365    d.  July 

29,  i860.       Children  :       i.    John    B.,  b.  23,  1859. 

37.  Henry,  son  of  .•\nson  and  Chloe  (Gillett)  Colt,  married  Chloe  Catlin 
Oct.  19,  1829.  He  also  traveled  south,  trading  in  dry  goods,  and  afterwards 
settled  on  his  father's  homestead  where  he  lived,  honored  for  his  piety  and  in- 
tegrity, and  died  Nov.  22,  1876       Children  : 

42.    Henry   Gillett,    b.    Nov.   2,    1832;   m.  1843;   had  Julia  Maria,    b.  July  6,  1866. 

Nettie  Grisvvold    (b.  June  24,  1 849),  Mar.      45.    Emerette     S.,   b.    Nov.    21,    1 841;    m. 
'9>  1874  ;    lives  in    Winsted.      Children:  David  Strong,  June  7,  1 866.       Children: 

Ella  Chloe,   d.   Dec.    19,    1874;    Florence  Frederick  Clark,  b.  May  12,    1867.      Ar- 

A.,  b.  Jan.  7,  1876;    Henry  L5ne,  b.  July  thur  David,  b.    Apr.  7,18705    d.  Feb.    2, 


n 


15-    i**77-  1871  ;   HerbertGillett,b.  Dec.2o,  1871  J 

43.^  Maria  C,  b.   Sept.  6,  1834;   m.    David  Walter  Colt,  b.  June    15,  1875;   d.   Jan. 

Strong,    b.    Aug.    17,     1825;     Sept.     14,  15,1877. 

1857;   d.  Feb.  2,  1865,    had  John  Henry,  46.   Luman  Catlin,  b.   Jan.   20,    1849;   m. 

b.  Sept.  1st,  1859;   d.  Aug.   20.  i860.  Oct.  11,  1870,    Mary  Virginia    Tutile,  b. 

44.   George  Kellogg,  b.  Oct.    26,  1838;   m.  Dec.  2,  1850;   lives  in  Winsted,  has  Chas. 

Dec.  24,  18635    Margarette    E.  Griswold,  Henry,  b.  Sept.  24,  1872. 

daughter  of  Richard  Griswold  ;   b.  Feb.  4, 

COOK,  Capt.  .Aaron,  was  b.  in  Plymouth,  England,  about  1610,  and  was 
at  Dorchester,  Mass.,  in  1630;  and  received  a  grant  of  land,  voted  him,  July 
5,  1636,  in  Windsor.  He  in.  as  supposed,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Smith,  of 
Springfield,  son-in-law  of  William  Pyncheon.  From  V\indsor  he  went  to 
Northampton,  where  he  was  a  representative,  and  thence  to  Hadley,  which 
town  he  also  represented  at  the  Mass.  Gen.  Court.  "  Mr.  Cooke  was  a  man 
of  great  energy,  and  a  devoted  friend  of  the  regicide  judges,  GofFe  and  Whalley ; 
while  they  were  in  this  country,  they  resided  in  his  neighborhood  ;  his  first 
wife  was  a  dau.  of  Thomas  Ford  ;  his  second,  was  Joan,  dau.  of  Nicholas 
Denslaw  ;  he  had  a  third  and  a  fourth  wife,  and  d.  in  the  year  1690."  (///>/, 
Dorchester.^      Children  : 

1.  Nathaniel;    no  record.  6.   Samuel,  b.  Nov.  21,  1650. 

2.  Joanna,  b.  Feb.  21,  1640.  7.    Elizabeth,  b.  April  7,    1653. 

3.  Aaron,  bapt.  Feb.  21,  1640.  8.    Noah,  b.    June  14,    1657  (old   ch.  Rec, 

4.  Miriam,   b.  Mjrch  12,  1642.  Windsor.) 

5.  Moses,  b.  Nov.  16,  1645. 


678 


History  of  Torrington. 


I.  Nathaniel,  son  of  Capt.  Aaron  Cook,  m.  Lydia  Vore,  June  29,  1649  ; 
was  made  freeman,  May  16,  1650.  He  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Windsor  church.  He  died  May  19,  1688  ;  his  widow  Lydia,  d.  June  14, 
1698.      Children  : 

9.  Sarah,  b.  June  26,  1650.  13.   Abigail,  b.  March  i,  1660. 

10.  Lydia,  b.  Jan.  9,  1652,  d.  Oct.  24.  14.  John,  b.  Aug.  3,  1662. 

11.  Hannah,  b.  Sept.  11,  1655.  15.  Josiah,  b.  Dec.  22,  1664. 

12.  Nathaniel,  b.  May  13,  1658. 

14.  John,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Lvdia  (Vore)  Cook,  m.  and  lived  in  Wind- 
sor.     Children  : 

16.  John. 

16.  Dea.  John,  was  son  of  John,  the  son  of  Nathaniel  (certified  by  the 
late  Herman  Cook,  of  Wolcotiville).  This  Dea.  John  Cook,  was  an  original 
proprietor  in  Torrington,  and  is  called  invariably  John  Cook,  2d,  or  junior. 
He  was  one  of  sixteen  men,  appointed  by  the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor, 
to  locate  the  corner  monuments  of  Torrington,  and  the  other  five  towns,  which 
were  included  in  Hartford  and  Windsor's  "  western  lands."  Dea.  Cook's 
initials  were  on  stones  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Torrington.  The  record  of  his 
family  h^s  not  been  obtained.  He  d.  in  1751.  His  widow  Edee,  d.  in 
Torrington,  Oct.  29,  1781.      Child: 

17.  John,  b.  in  1718. 

17.  Dea.  John,  son  of  Dea.  John  Cook,  of  Windsor,  came  to  Torrington, 
in  1740,  and  was  m.  to  Rachel  Wilson,  sister  to  Noah  and  Amos,  June  22, 
I  741.  His  father  gave  him  the  farm  lot,  56,  of  the  first  division  on  which  he 
built  so  tar  as  is  known  the  first  framed  house  in  the  town,  probably  in  the 
spring  of  1741,  and  in  this  house  he  lived  until  his  decease  ;  and  the  place  is 
still  known  by  his  name  ;  the  frame  of  the  house  is  still  standing  but  has  been 
recovered,  and  is  in  good  repair.  In  this  house  the  first  church  was  organized 
and  the  first  minister  ordained,  October  21,  1741.  Dea.  Cook  was  much 
honored,  and  apparently  greatly  respected  as  long  as  he  lived.  Dea.  Cook's 
mother  Ede,  d.  in  Torrington,  Oct.  29,  1781.  He  d.  April  8,  1779.  -^'^ 
widow  d.  April  8,   1789.      Children: 

18.  Rachel,   b.   May    2,    1742,    m.    David  Beach,  Jr.,  Jan.  4,  1776. 
Soper  Jan.  26,  1764.  25.   Urijah,  b.  Sept.  I,  1754,  m. 

19.  John,  b.  Aug.  29,  1743,  m.  26.   Lucy,  b.  Oct.  2,  1756,  m.  Moses  Loomis, 

20.  Eunice,  b.    March  5,    1746,  m.  Ensign  Jr.,  Aug.  8,  1782. 

Jonathan  Coe,  Jr.,  April  15,  1767.  27.   Hannah,  b.  March  3,  1758,  m.  Simeon 

21.  Francis,  b.  Sept.  18,    1747,  d.    Dec.  23,  Moore,  Jan.  21,  1784. 

1750.  28.    Elihu,  b.    Feb.  18,    1760,    d.    Feb.    20, 

22.  Shubael,  b.  April  21,  1749,  m.  1760. 

23.  Sarah,    b.     Oct.      31,    1750,     m.    Levi  29.   Elihu,  b.  March  29,  1761,  m. 
Hurlbut  July  26,  1777.  30.    Mary,  b.  Nov.    10,    1764,  d.    Nov.  14, 

24.  Edee,    b.    Nov.    28,    1752,   m.    Joseph  1784. 

19.   John,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Rachel  (Wilson)  Cocjk,  married  Deborah 
Palmer,  of  Windsor,  May  25,  1769.      She  died  Aug    25,  1775.      He  married 
2,  Bethiah  Winchel,  Feb.  2,  1777.      He  died  Jan.  16,  1823,     She  died  Mar. 
5,  1823.      Children  by  first  wife: 
31.    Deborah,  b.  Nov.  25,  1769,  d.  Oct.  14,      32.   John,   b.   Dec.    2,    1741,    d.    Feb.    29, 

1774-  1775- 

By  second  wife  : 

33.  John,  b.  May  27,  1779.  35.   Luther,  b.  Sept.  21,  1783. 

34.  David,  b.  Jan.  31,  1781. 


^^^^^.. 


G  (^^"-^-^^ 


Genealogies. 


79 


22.  Dea.  Shubael,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Rachel  (Wilson)  Cook,  married 
Sept.  17,  1773,  Sarah  Bassert  Gillcit  of  Windsor.  He  removed  in  1792  to 
Winsted  and  settled  on  the  Daniel  Tuttle  farm,  adjoining  Torringford  line  on 
South  street.  About  18  iq  he  removed  to  a  house  on  the  south  side  of  Green- 
woods  turnpike,  in  which  he  died  Dec  27,  1824,  aged  75.  His  wife  died  in 
1827,  aged  79.  In  1802,  he  was  chosen  deacon  ol  the  Congregational  church, 
which  office  he  filled  with  great  fidelity  and  acceptance,  until  his  death.  Dea. 
Cook  was  a  man  of  warm  and  cheerful  piety,  poor  in  this  world's  goods,  but 
rich  in  Christian  attainments,  and  in  the  love  uf  his  brethren.'     Children: 

36.  Rosinda,    b.    Mar.    17,    1774,   in  Tor.,      38.   Ede,  b.  in  1783,  d.  single,  Feb.  i,  1818, 
m.  Asher  Loomis  of  Windsor,  where  she  a.  35. 

d.  in  1805.  39.    Reuben,  b.  Sept.  10,  1786,  a  manufac- 

37.  Reuben,  b.  ;   d.  young,  scalded.  turer  in  Winsted. 

25.  Urijah,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Rachel  (Wilson)  Cook,  married  Submit 
Tuttle  Feb.  8,  1779.  ^^  removed  to  Winchester  in  1788,  and  in  18 19,  he 
removed  to  Barkhamsted  where  he  died  June  28,  1832,  aged  73.  His  wife. 
Submit,  died  Dec.  16,  1844,  aged  88.  He  was  a  farmer  ;  a  zealous  theolo- 
gian and  federalist.      Children  : 

40.  Anson,  b.  Oct.  4,  1779,  m.  44.  Rachel,   b.    Jan.   7,    1790,   m.   Hamlin 

41.  Lois,  b.  Mar.  25,  1781,  m.   Giles   Rus-  Russell. 

sell.  45.    Huldah,  b.  Feb.  9,  1795. 

42.  Sally,  b.  March,  28,  1782,  d.  unm.  46.   Philo,   b.   Sept.  28,    1798,  d.    in   Bark- 

43.  Rhoda,    b.  Jan.    7,  1790,   d.   April  29,  hamsted,  1858. 
1807. 

29.  Elihu,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Rachel  (Wilson)  Cook,  married  Huldah 
Yale  Jan.  6,  1787.      Children: 

47.  Huldah,  b.  Feb.  14,  1788.  49.   Ophelia,  b.  Jan.  3,  1794. 

48.  Roxy,  b.  Oct.  28,  1790.  50.   Riley,  b.  Jan.  14,  1797. 

33.  John,  son  of  John  and  Bethiah  (Winchell)  Cook,  married  Lydia  Loomis 

of  Harwinton, 19,  1806.      He  died  Sept.  7,  1863,  and   his   wife   Lydia 

died  Feb.  7,  1861.      Children: 

51.   Herman,  b.  Feb.  2,  1807.  52.   Lewis,  b.  Sept.  23,  1817. 

34.  David,  son  of  John  and  Bethiah  (Winchell)  Cook,  married  Hannah  L. 
Beach  Dec.  21,  1806.  They  removed  to  Charlotte,  Vt.,  where  he  died,  Sept. 
24,  1857,  and  his  widow,  Hannah  L.,  died  May  9th,  1870.      Children: 

53.    Mary  A.  b.  Aug.  20,    1808,   m.  Frank-      54.   Charles  B.,  b.  Mar.  24,  1814,  m. 
lin  Barber,  Mar.  23,  1835,   and   had  Ar-      55.    Harriet  P.,  b.  July  12,  1816. 
thur  C,   b.   Jan.   4.    1837;   Ellen    M.,  b. 
June  3,  1843  >   Cljarles  H.,   b.   Feb.    10, 
1847. 

35.  Luther,  son  of  John  and  Beihiah  (Winchell)  Cook,  married  Louisa 
Fuller,  of  Kent,  Feb.  9,  1815.  He  died  Nov.  19,1855.  His  widow,  Louisa, 
died  Dec.  2,  1863.      Children: 

56.  John  W.,  b.  March  12,  1818.  Ashborn,  Feb.  14,    1859. 

57.  Maria  L.,  b.  Sept.   26,  1833,  m.  James 

39.  Reuben,  son  of  Shubael  and  Sarah  B.  (Gillett)  Cook,  m.  Apr.  15, 
18  I  I,  Ruth,  dau  of  Eldad  and  Rebecca  Shepard,  born  in  Hariland  Apr.  27, 
1787;  removed  to  Winsted  in  early  life,  and  became  a  manufacturer  of  bar 
iron.      Shed.  Jan.  8,   1841,  and  he  died  Mar.  16,  1872.      Children: 


>  Sec  Hist.  Ifiruhtsttr. 


68o  History  of  Torrington. 

58.  Jerusha,  b.  Mar.  17,  1812,  m.  Jan.  62.  Julia,  b.  Dec.  i,  1820,  d.  Jan.  22,  1837. 
1856,  Daniel   Spring.  63.   John   R.,  b.    Feb.    18,   1813,   m.   Mar- 

59.  Sarah,  b.  June  9,  1813,  m.  Shepard  S.  ietta  A.  Phelps  of  Norfolk,  Oct.  15,  1845  ; 
Wheeler  5   d.  Feb.  8,    1855.  she  d.  Jan.  21,  1861,  and  he  m.  2d  Sept. 

60.  Charles,  b.  Oct.  15,  1815,  m.  Sept.  29,  1863,  Jane  M.  Dickinson  of  New 
1837,  Mary  Jane  Lewis  of  Suffield,  had,  Britain,  who  d.  July  25,  1873,  and  he 
1.  Jane  Elizabeth, b.  in  1838, d  June  1842;  m.  3d  July  13,  1875,  Mrs.  Helen  M. 
%  Rollin  Hillyer,  b.  Aug.  24,  1844,  m.  Wickham  of  Winsted.  He  d.  Nov.  10, 
June  1866,  Minnie  Graves  of  New  Mil-  1876.  Children  :  i.  John  Phelps,  b. 
ford  5  shed.  Oct.  20,  1868,  leaving  Min-  Jan.  25,  1849,  m.  Mar.  3,  1877,  Eliza- 
nie  Graves,  b.  June  1867,  and  Eliza  Jane  beth  L.  Norton  of  Norfolk;  2.  Eliza 
b.  Sept.  30,  1868.  He  m.  2d  Rose  Phelps  b.  Feb.  15,  1857;  3.  Marietta, 
Terry  of  Hartford,  April    16,  1873.  b.  June  5,  1861,  d.   at  Chicago,  July  12, 

61.  Harriet,  b.    i\Iay  29,    1818,   m.  Sept.  7,  1864. 
1853,  Eli  R.  Miller. 

40.  Anson,  son  of  Urijah  and  Submit  (Tuttle)  Cook,  m.  Dec.  31,  1806, 
Amelia  Hinsdale,  who  d.  May  15,  185  I,  a.  70.  He  was  a  millwright,  and 
was  an  industrious,  quiet,  upright,  good  man.  He  d.  Dec.  17,  i860,  a.  81. 
Children  : 

64.  James,  b.  Mar.  9,    1809.  (Stillman)^Cross.      Children:   Edward,  b. 

65.  Rhoda  A.,  b.  Dec.   16,  1810.  Dec.     20,     1841  ;     2.     Frederick    M.,    b. 

66.  Sherman  T.,  b.  Mar.  22,  1813,  m.  Nov.  Mar.  28,  1843  '■>    3-    Cornelia   E.,  b.   Sept. 
27,  1839,  Cornelia  E.   Jaqua,  b.  Oct.  16,  15,  1850  ;   4.  Emma  A.,  b.  Oct.  3,  1853. 
1817.       She    d.    by    a    railroad    accident  67.   Anson  Russell,  b.  Dec.  12,  1814. 
about  1858,  and   he   m.    2d    Mrs.    Lucia  68.   Laura,  b.  May  24,  1818. 

50.  Riley,  son  ot'  Elihu  and  Huldah  (Yale)  Cook,  married  Emerette  Allyn  ; 
lived  on  his  father's  homestead  until  his  death.  May  9,  1865.      Children  : 

69.  Frank,  b.   Jan.  13,    1839,    d.    Dec.    2,  mour  Eldredge  of  Goshen  Jan.  21,  1866. 

1845.  72.   Ella,  b.  Aug.  28,   1850,  m.  A.  F.  Bat- 

70.  Albert,  b.   July    30,    1842,    d.    Jan.    2,  ler,  Dec.  21,  1876. 

1846.  73.   Frank,  b.  Sept.  30,  1852. 

71.  Emogene,    b.    Nov.    18,    1849,  m.  Sey- 

51.  Herman,  son  of  John  and  Lydia  (Loomis)  Cook,  m.  Augustine  Dare, 
May  22,  1836.      Children: 

74.  Lucy  J.,  b.  May  18,  1843.  76.   John  E.,  b.  March  24,  1846. 

75.  Mary  E.,  b.  Sept.   17,  1844. 

52.  Lewis,  son  of  John  and  Lydia  (Loomis)  Cook,  m.  Eliza  A.  Mills  of 
Canton,  March  25,    1844. 

54.  Charles  B.,  son  of  David  and  Hannah  (Beach)  Cook,  m.  Harriet  M. 
Breckenridge,  Oct.  5,  1836;  2d  Mary  A.  Callender,  Jan.  13,  1864.  He 
resides  in  Charlotte,  Vt.      Children  : 

77.  Mary  C,  b.  Jan.  2,  1865.  79.    Harriet  B.,  b.  April  24,  1872. 

78.  Charles  D.,  b.  June  21,  1867. 

56.  John  W.,  son  of  Luther  and  Louisa  (Fuller)  Cook,  m.  Cornelia,  dau. 
of  Caleb  Beach,  of  Winchester,  Nov.  22,  1864.      Children: 

80.   Louisa  J.,  b.  Feb.  27,  1868,  d.  Jan.,  8,      81.   Charles  W.,  b.  Nov.  5,  1770. 
1870. 

COWLES,  Elijah,  was  b.  in  New  Hartford,  Sept.  6,  1776,  and  was  the 
son  of  John  Cowles  who  lived  and  d.  in  New  Hartford.  He  m.  Cliloe 
Woodruff,  in  New  Hartford,  March  i,  1799.  She  was  b.  Sept.  5,  1778. 
He  came  to  Torrington  about  1800,  and  established  himself  as  a  hatter  on  the 
Goshen  road  a  little  above  Harney  Palmer's,  where  he  continued  his  trade  many 
years.      While  he  made  hats   his  wife  made  bonnets,  the  latter  being  made  of 


Genealogies.  68  i 

rye  straw  and  leghorn,  and  for  the  leghorn  she  received  fifteen  dollars  each. 
Mr.  Cowles  d.  Feb.  6,  1855,  a.  78  years.  His  widow  Chloe  d.  Oct.  24, 
1859,  a.  82  years.      Child  : 

1.  Albro  W.,  b.  Dec.  17,  1799. 

1.  Albro  W.,  son  of  Elijah  and  Chloe  (Woodruff)  Cowles,  m.  Eliza,  dau. 
of  David  Tallmadge,  March  5,  1828,  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead  an'd  the 
Harvey  Palmer  place  which  he  bought.  He  d.  Feb.  14,  1866,  a.  66  years. 
His  widow  is  still  living,  one  of  the  old  members  of  the  Torrington  church  and 
highly   esteemed.      Children  : 

2.  Burton  Tallmadge,  b.  April  30,  1829,  m.  4.  Jane    E.,  b.  June   2,    1847,    an    adopted 

3.  Angeline  Eliza,  b.  Nov.  28,  1831,  m.  dau.  m.  Wolcott  Wheeler  of  Litchfield 
Franklin  Abbott  of  jMiddlebury  March  30,  Nov.  7,  1867;  has  William  H.,  b.  Oct. 
1852.  30,  1868. 

2.  Burton  T.,  son  of  Albro  and  Eliza  (Tallmadge)  Cowles,  m.  Eliza  H., 
dau.  of  Moses  Waugh,  Dec.  23,  1851,  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 
Child  : 

5.    Willard  Albro,  b.  Sept.  17,  1858. 

COWLES,  S.'^MUEL,  came  from  Farmington,  before  1753,  probably  in  con- 
nection with  Timothy  Judd  and  Ebenezer  North.  He  was,  probably,  brother 
of  Timothy,  Joseph,  Lemuel  and  Daniel  Cowles,  who  settled  in  Canaan,  about 
1740.      He  probably  removed  to  Canaan.    '  Children  baptized  in  T.  : 

1.  Abigail,  bap.  June  17,  1753.  3.  Zilpha,  bap.    June    20,    1762.      He   had 

2.  Lois,  bap.  May  i,  1757.  other  children  before  coming  to  T. 

Samuel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Martha  Cowles,  m.  Sibyl,  daughter  of  Ebenezer 
North,  April  14,  1756.      He  removed  to  Norfolk.      Children: 

4.  Lois,  b.  Apr.  25,  1757.  6.   Zilpha,  b.  June  7,  1762. 

5.  Noah,  b.  Oct.  17,  1759. 

CUMMINGS,  Samuel,  m.  Margaret,  daughter  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Roberts, 
Sept.   28,   1778.      Children  recorded  in  Torrington  : 

1.  Rama,  b.  Sept.  6,  1778.  4.   Reuben,  b.  Sept.  4,  1786. 

2.  Nathaniel,  b.  July  6,  1780.  5.    Zilpha,  b.  Oct.  17,  1788. 

3.  Esther,  b.   Nov.  20.  1782.  6.    Lovell,  b.  Apr.  17,    1791. 

CURTISS,  Capt.  Zebulon,  came  to  Torrington  with  Ebenezer  North  and 
purchased  land  with  him  on  the  west  side  of  the  town  in  1741,  where  he  re- 
sided, probablv,  twenty  years  or  more.  His  sons  settled  in  Torringford.  His 
wife  Lydia  d.  June  22,  1776.  Capt.  Thomas  Curtiss,  probably  the  father  of 
Zebulon,  d.  Jan.  20,  1752.  Children: 
I.    Job,  b.  July  5,  1745,  m.;    hid:   Zebulon,      2.    John,  b.  March   10,  1746. 

bap.  Apr.    29,  1770,    Un,  bap.    Sept.    18,      3.    Lydia,  b.  Dec.   24,  1751. 

1771. 

2.   John,  son  of  Zebulon,  m.  Mary  Fillcy,   June  4,  1769. 

4.  Jeremiah,  b.  April  8,  1770.  7.    Lorrain,  b.  Sept.  18,  1775. 

5.  Huldah,  b.  Feb     17,  1772.  8.    Thomas,  b.  Apr.  3,  1778. 

6.  Junia,  b.  Feb.  16,  1774.  9.   Mary,  b.  Dec.  26,  1779. 

Solomon,  had  a  son  Solomon  bap.  Dec.   1762. 

DAV7,  John,  m.  Emma  Smith  in  1852  ;  is  a  shoe  merchant  in  Wolcott- 
ville.      Children  : 

1.  William  T.  5.  Florence  C. 

2.  Fred.  6.  John  S. 

3.  Eliza  A.  7.  Kitty. 

4.  Emily  E.  8.  Grace. 

86 


682  History  of  Torringto 


N. 


DAYTON,  Marcus,  b.  Apr.  4,  1827,  m.  Jenette  Starkwell  Sept.  26, 
18152.      Children: 

1.  Albert  M.,  b.   Sept.  19,    1854,  m.  Anna      5.    Ella    Jenette,    b.    Nov.     2a,    1857,    m. 
Dayton,    Sept.    20,    1876,   lives  in   Win-  Heniy  Beach,  Feb.  14,  1876. 

Chester.  4.   Alice  Irene,   b.  Nov.    16,    1859,  d.   May 

2.  Etta  Jane,   b     Nov.   8,    1855,  m.    Elihu  16,  1861. 
Dayton,  of   Winchester. 

DELEBER,   Samuel,  b.  May    31,    1785     married    Minerva,   daughter  of 

Raphael  Marshall,  June  19,  1806.      She  was  born  May  30,  1789.      Children: 

1.  Mary  K.,  b.  Oct.  17,  1808.  4.   Lucius,  b.  April  12,  1815. 

2.  Raphael,  b.  Fen.,  i,  1810.  5.    Samuel,  b.  July  18,  1819. 

3.  Daniel,  b.  June  24,  1812. 

DIBBLE,  Abraham,  born  May  15,  1684,  was  the  son  of  Thomas  who  was 
the  son  ot  Thomas  Dibble,  an  early  settler  at  Dorchester  and  at  Windsor. 
Abraham  Dibble  was  an  original  proprietor  in  a  thirty-eight  pound  right,  and 
the  second  lot  ot  land  laid  out  in  the  town  in  the  southeast  corner,  was  his,  and 
on  this  lot  his  son  Thomas  settled  in  the  spring  of  1745,  ^""^  ^^^^  father  came 
later,  and  was  a  man  of  much  importance  in  those  early  days  ot  Torringford. 
Abraham    married  Hannah  Hosford  Aug.   18,  1809.      Children: 

I.  Abraham,  b.  May  4,  1711.  6.    Martha,  b.  Dec.  25,  1719. 

a.  Hannah,  b.  Dec.  2,  1712.  7.   Daniel,  b.  Nov,  5,  1721. 

3.  Ann,  b.  Dec.  16,  1714.  8.   Hannah,  b.  My  6,  1724. 

4.  Mary,  b.  Sept.   24,    1716.  9.    Abigail,  b.  March  30,  1728. 

5.  Thomas,  b.  July  12,  1718. 

5.  Thomas,  son  of  Abraham  and  Hannah  (Hosford)  Dibble,  married 
Hannah  Woolworth  ofSufReld,  Dec.  22,  1843,  and  was  the  first  settler  in  Tor- 
ringford, making  his  home  there  in  the  spring  of  1745.  His  house  stood  on 
Torringford  street  at  the  south  end  on  a  little  hill,  the  site  being  still  known  as 
the  Dibble  place,  Here  Thomas  Dibble  broke  the  silence  of  the  forests  w^ith 
the  first  sound  of  the  axe,  and  put  up  his  log  house  and  introduced  civilized  life 
to  that  region  which  was  afterwards  called  Torringford  Society.  Here  he 
toiled  the  few  short  years  allotted  him,  finishing  his  life  work  Aug.  20,  1758, 
and  his  remains  were  the  first  to  be  committed  to  the  dust  in  the  Torringford 
burying  ground.      Children  : 

10.   Daniel,  b.  Oct.   20,    1744,  in   Windsor,  11.  Ebenezer,  b.  June  21,  1750. 

and  hence  as  his   father  was  the  first  set-  12.   Hannah,  b.  Jan.  11,  1753. 

tier  in    Toiringford,   he  itiust  have  come  13.  Thomas,  b.  iNjay   25,    1757,  d.   Dec.  2, 

thither  in  the  spring  of  1745.  '759- 

10.  Daniel,  son  of  Thomas  and   Hannah   (Woolworth)   Dibble,   m.,    ist, 

Anna  .Nov,  17,  1768,   who  d.    Feb.    14,    1786;   2d,   Ruth  Phelps  of 

Windsor,  Jan.  8,  1788,  and  she  d.  Feb.  23,  1834,  a.  84.  He  was  killed  by 
being  thrown  out  of  a  wagon  coming  down  the  Eno  hill  towards  Wolcottville, 
July  13,  1821,3.  77.      Children: 

14.  Mehitable,  b.  Jan.  28,  1770,  m.  Harvey      17.   Isaac   Hayden,    b.    Oct.    31,    1781,   not 
Palmer,  Nov.  25,  1795.  m. ;   d.  on  the  homestead  April  23,  1834, 

15.  Aurelia,  b.  March  5,    1772,  m.  a.  52. 

Hayden  of  Windsor.  18.   Lucretia,  b.  Jan.  17,  1784,  m.  Janna  B. 

16.  Miriam,  b.    Mar.  22,  1776,  m.  John  P.  Phelps,    had    son    Fredeiick,   who   m.    in 
Wetmore,  Nov.  25,  1795.  Lit«.hheld,  and  d.  early. 

DOOLITTLE,  David,  m.  Taphath. Ciiildren  recorded  inTorrington  : 

1.  Eli,  b.  July  15,  1773.  3.  David,  b.  Oct.  3,  1777. 

2,  Lydia,  b.  July  23,  1775. 

DRAKE.     The  family  of  Drake  has  been  distinguished  in  England,   from 


Genealogies.  683 

the  earliest  ages  by  a  long  array  of  noblemen,  soldiers,  navigators,  clergymen, 
martyrs  and  authprs.  Among  the  many  noble  families  of  the  name,  in  Great 
Britain,  the  familv  who  held  their  seat  at  Ashe,  were  ever  prominent  and 
from  them  it  is  supposed  the  Drakes  of  New  England  were  descended 

Of  this  familv  was  John,  one  of  the  council  of  Plymouth,  England,  a  member 
of  the  original  company  established  by  King  James  in  1606,  for  settling  New 
England.  Several  of  his  sons  came  hither  and  settled,  viz:  Richard,  who 
came  over  with  two  or  more  sons,  and  nine  daughters,  and  settled  at  Hampton, 
N.  H.  ;  and  John,  who  came  to  Boston,  in  1630,  and  afterwards  settled  at 
Windsor.      From  these  are  descended  all  of  the  name  in  America' 

1.  John,  son  of  John,  member  of  Plymouth  council,  in  England,  was  among 
the  earlv  settlers  in  Windsor,  and  of  him  the  Windsor  Records  say  :  "  August 
17,  1659,  John  Drake  senior,  d.  accidentally  as  he  was  driving  a  cart  loaded 
with  corn  to  carry  from  his  house  to  his  son  Jacob's,  the  cattle  being  two  oxen, 
and  his  mare.  In  the  highway,  against  John  Griffin's,  something  scared  the 
cattle,  and  they  set  a  running,  and  he  laboring  to  stop  them  by  taking  hold  on 
the  mare,  was  thrown  down  on  his  face  and  the  cart  wheel  went  over  him, 
broke  one  of  his  legs,  and  bruised  his  body,  so  that  he  was  taken  up  dead, 
being  carried  into  his  daughter's  house,  had  life  come  again,  but  d.  in  a  short 
time,  and  was  buried  on  the  1  8th  of  August,  1659."  "  Old  widow  [Elizabeth] 
Drake,  d.  Oct.  7,  1681,  at  100th  year  of  age,  having  lived  a  widow,  22 
years."     Children  : 

1.  Job.  3.  Jacob. 

2.  John. 

2.  John,  son  of  John  the  emigrant,  m.  Hannah  Moore,  Nov.  30,  1648,  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  at  Simsbury  ;  inventory  presented  Sept.  12,  1689; 
Simsbury  property  £393,  15s   ;    Windsor  property  £223.  2S.      Children: 

4.  John,  b.  Sept.  14,  1649,  settled  in  Dan-        9.  Simon,  b    Oct.  28,   1659. 
bury.  10.   Lydia,  b.  Jan.  10,  1661. 

5.  Job,  b.  June  15,   1651.  11.    Elizabeth,  b.  July  22,  1664. 

6.  Hannah,)  b    Dec.  8.  1655.  12.    Mary,  b.  Jan.  29,  1666. 

7.  Enoch,     J  13.   Mindwell,  b.  Nov.  10,  1671. 

8.  Ruth,  b.  Dec.  8,  1657.  14.  Joseph,  b.  June  26,  1674. 

7.  Enoch,  son  of  John  and  Hinnah  (Moore)  Drake,  m.  Sarah  Porter,  Nov. 
II,  1680,  lived  in  Simsbury.      Children: 

15.  Sarah,  b.  May  31,  1681.  18.    Hannah,  b,  Oct.  6,  1695. 

16.  Enoch,  b.  May  5,    1683.  19.    Nathaniel,  b.  (in  probate  record). 

17.  Samuel,  b.  July  27,  1688. 

16.  Enoch,  son  of  Enoch  and  Sarah  (Porter)  Drake,  m.  Elizabeth  Barber, 
April  20,  1704  ;   she  d.  April  2,    1717  ;    he  m.  2d  Lydia  Cook,    who  d.  May 

18.  1718  ;   he  m.  3d  Dorcas  Eggleston,  May  6,    1719-      Children: 

20.  Enoch,  b.  Jan.  12,  1705.  27.  Hezekiah,  b.  Jan.   17,  1722. 

21.  Llizjbeth,  b.  Feb.  3,   1708.  28.  Dorcas,  b.  Sept.  11,  1723. 

22.  Eunice.  29.  Dudley,  b.  Aug.  30,    1725. 

23.  Lois,  b.  June  15,  1710.  30.  Lydia,  b.  Nov.  15,  1727. 

24.  Noah,  b.   June  13,  1714.  31.  Ebenezer,  b.  Nov.  28,  1729. 

25.  Hannah,  b.  March   29,  1717.  32.  Isaac,  b.  July  13,  1733. 

26.  Jerusha,  b.   June  14,  1720. 

24.  Noah,  son  of  Enoch  and  Elizabeth  (Barber)  Drake;  m.  Hannah 
Skinner,  Oct.   i,   174I  ;   lived  in  Simsbury.      Children: 


I  See  Hist,  of  JVindmr. 


684  History  of  Torrington. 

33.  Noah,   b.  May   30,    1743,  ^-   June  13,     37.   Lucy,  b.  May,  8,   1754,  m.  Silas  Fyler, 

1743.  Feb.,  1779 

34.  Hannah,  b.  1743,  m.  Zacheus  Munsell.      38.    Noah,    b.    Sept.     10,    1758,    m.    Anne 

35.  Noah,   b.    May    5,    1744,    d.    July    21,  Parsons. 

1744.  39.   Armira,  b.   Jan.    15,    1762,    m.    Aaron 

36.  Moses,  b.    May   23,    1751,  m.    Abigail  Loomis,  d.  in  1814. 
Hubbard. 

36.  Moses,  son  of  Noah  and  Hannah  (Skinner)  Drake,  m.  May  3,  1783, 
Abigail  Hubbard,  of  Wintonbury,  and  settled  in  the  edge  of  Winchester,  where 
Hewett  Hills  afterwards  lived.  He  d.  July  4,  1831,  a.  80  years:  his  widow 
x'\bigail,  d.  Nov.  29    1849,  a.  91  years.      Children  : 

40.  Abigail,  b.  Feb.,    1784,  m.  ist   Stephen  44.   Ira,  b.  1792,  d.  March  8,  1794. 
Wheadon.   Winchester.  45.    Lucy,  b.    April  18,    1796,  m.    ist  Hins- 

41.  Chloe,  b.  Jan.,  1786,01.  Grove  Weslin,  dale,  2d  Owen  Brown,  d.  in  Hudson,  O., 
went  to  Ohio.                                                            Sept.  17,  1876,  a.  80. 

42.  Moses,  b.  Feb.  14,  1788,  m.  46.   Huldah,    b     1806,    m.    William    Ford, 

43.  Roxa,  b.  March,  I  ,  90,  not  m.  d.  a.  17.  went  to   Ohio. 

38.  Noah,  son  ot  Noah  and  Hannah  (Skinner)  Drake,  m.  Anna  Parsons, 
who  was  b  May  7,  1764.  He  settled  in  Newfield,  a  little  west  of  Silas  Fyler's 
farm.      Children: 

47.  Noah,  b.  1784,  m.  ;  d.  Nov.  i,  1874,  a.  49.  Rufus,  b.  1791,  m.  ;  d.  April  15,  1874, 
91.  a.  83. 

48.  Hezekiah,  b.  March  7,  1789,  m. 

42.  Moses,  son  of  Moses  and  Abigail  (Hubbard)  Drake,  in.  Lucy  Shepard, 
of  Somers,  lived  on  his  father's  homestead.      Children  : 

50.  Roxana  F.,  b.  March  5,  1817,  d.  Sept.  53.  Delia  C,  b.  March  I,  1824,  m.  Levi 
6,  1869,  a.  52  ;  m.  David  Norton,  Goshen,  Hodges. 

went  to  111.  54.  Sherman,  b.  Jan.   2,  1826,  d.   Aug.  18, 

51.  Marantha,    b.    Oct.    5,    1818,    m.    ist  1828. 

Alexander  Gillett,  2d  John  M.  Wadhams      55.    Henry,  I  b.  June  9,  )  Helen  m.    F.   El- 
of  Goshen.  56.    Helen,/    1829,  m.  /  more,  went  to  O. 

52.  Martin,  b.  Jan.  10,  1822,  m. 

47.  Noah,  son  of  Noah  and  Anna  (Parsons)  Drake,  m.  Polly,  dau.  of 
Stephen  Fyler;  lived  in  north  part  of  Newfield  ;  quite  a  land  owner  and  farmer. 
Children  : 

57.  Mary  Ann.  b.  Dec.  31,  1805,  m.  Har-  58.  Flora  P.,  b.  Oct.  i,  1817,  m  Thomas 
vey  Ford,  June  26,  1825  ;  had  Nelson  D.,  A.  Starks. 

and  Reuben  F. 

48.  Hezekiah  son  of  Noah  and  Anna  (Parsons)  Drake,  m,  Lucy  Covey, 
Feb.  21,  i8r4  ;  she  d.  May  28,  1861,  a.  70.  He  lives  with  his  dau.  Mrs. 
Martin  Drake,  and  is  in  his  eighty-third  year.      Children  : 

59.  Edwin  C,  b.   Nov.   9,  1819,   m.  Betsey  in  the  north  pjrt  of  the  town. 
Carrier,  Dec.  24,  1845;    removed  to  New      61.   Chester  P.,  b.  Feb.  8,    1824,  m. 

York  state,  had  children.  Lucia  W.,  b,  April  29,  1827,  m.  Sterling 

60.  Sally  A.,  b.  March  20,  1822,  m.  Martin  E,  Elmore,  Sept.,  23,  1845;  had  Edgar 
V.  Drake,  Oct.  27,  1847  ;  lives  on  the  S.,  b.  Dec.  24,  1846;  Lucy  J.,  b.  April  5, 
hill  north  of  the  old   Noah    Thrall  place,  1849. 

49.  RuFus,  son  ot   Noah  and  Anna  (Parsons)  Drake,  m.   Children  : 

62.  Lucius  M.,  b.  Aug.  24,  18 17.  64.   Frances  W. 

63.  Lorrain  N. 

52.    Martin,  son  of  Moses  and  Lucy  (Shepard)  Drake,  m.  Sally  Drake,  Oct. 
27,  1847.      Children  : 
65.   Mary,  b,  Feb.  1 1,  1 853,  an  adopted  dau.      66.   Lucy    Barnum,    b.    Jan.    7,    '867,    an 

m.  Stanley  Pulver,  Oct.   1,  1872,  lives  in  adopted  dau. 

Terryville. 


Genealogies.  685 

55.  Henry,  son  of  Moses  and  Lucy  (Shepard)  Drake,  m.  ist  Harriet 
Elmore,  Dec.  25,  1850,  who  d.  Sept.  28,  1872  ;  m.  2d,  Mrs.  Lucia  (Drake) 
Elmore,  Dec.  25,    1877.      Children  : 

67.   Ella  S.,  b.    Nov.    8,    1851,   m.    Roger     68.   Eddie  M.,  b.  June  9,  1854,  d.  a.  5  years. 
Starks,  Nov.  29,  1877. 

61.  Chester  P.,  son  of  Hezekiah  and  Lucy  (Covev)  Drake,  m,  Caroline 
(Moore)  Fyler,  Dec.  24,  1846,  lived  in  New  Haven.      Children  : 

69.  Carlton  Fyler,  b.    Aug.  29,    1857  ;  gra-  Nov    6,  i860. 

duated  at  Yale    law  school  in   1877.  71.    W.  Sherman,  b.  Sept.  10,  1864. 

70.  Willie    Moore,  b.    March    12,    i860,  d. 

6z.  Lucius  M.,  son  of  Rufus,  m.  Harriet,  dau.  of  John  Knccttle,  of  Lowell, 
Mass.,  June  4,   1843.      Children  : 

72.  Henrietta  A.,  b.  April  i,  1844,  d.  May  1858. 

!•  18+8.  75.   Lucius  P  ,  b.  Sept.  i,  1852. 

73.  Hannah  F.,  b.  Sept.  4,  1847.  76.   Mary  M.,  b.  Nov.  5,  1856. 

74.  Rufus  N.,  b.    Dec.  2,    1850,  d.   Feb.  5, 

75.   Lucius  P.,  son  of  Lucius  M.,  m.  Adelia,  dau,  of  Wallace  Bruce,  Oct. 
2,  1872.      Children  : 
77.   Luella  A.,  b.  March  29,  1873.  78.   Gertrude  A.,  b.  Nov.,  1874. 

DRAKE,  Joseph,  of  T  ,  m.  Elizabeth  Barber  of  Windsor,  Mar.  7,  1751, 
and  settled  as  one  of  the  first  in  ihe  western  part  of  Newfield,  half  a  mile  west 
of  the  corners  near  the  burying  ground.      Children  : 

1.  Ursula,  b.  Jan.  21,  1752.  4.    Hannah,  b.  Mar.  12,  1761. 

2.  Elizabeth,  b.  Feb.   i,   1754.  5.   Loranda,  b.   Nov.    18,  1765. 

3.  Sarah,  b.  May  13,  1756.  6.  Julianna,  b.  Mar.  28,  1769. 

By  2d  wife  : 
7.   John  Eson,  b.  Sept.  10,  1777. 

DUNBAR,  Bassett,  m.  Mary  Munn  and  lived  on  the  Munn  place  at  Day- 
tonville.      Children : 

1.  Riley.  4.  Allen,  lives  in  Ohio. 

2.  Esther,  m. Palmer,  lived  below  Wol-  5.  Betsey,  m.  in  New  York  state. 

cottville.  6.  Mary. 

3.  Lucius,  went  to  Ohio.  7.  Abijah. 

1.    Riley,  m.  Rhoda,  dau.  of  William  Huntington.      Children: 

8.  Solon  G.,  m.   Mary  Evans.  10.   Addie  L. 

9.  Adelaide,  d.  young.  11.   Edward  M. 

R.ALPH  came  to  Torrington  about  the  time  his  brother  Bassett  Dunbar. 
Children  : 

12.  Hiram.  18.   Albert. 

13.  Nelson.  19.   Emeline. 

14.  Mary  Ann.  20.   Frederick. 

15.  Lyman.  21.    Walrer. 

16.  Morton.  22.  Minerva. 

17.  Harriett. 

DURWIN,  Samuel,  from  Waterbury  was  in  the  town  as  early  as  1749  ; 
his  farm  joined  New  Hartford. 

DOWNER,  WiLLi.AM  J.,  son  of  William  J.  Downer  of  Colchester,  of 
Spanish  descent,  was  born  Dec.  27,  1818,  and  married  Elizabeth  A.  Watson, 
of  Canaan,  Ct.  ;   she  was  born  Nov.  25,  1819.      They  were  married  May    2, 

1841  ;   settled  in  Wrightville  in  1865,  where  they  still   reside.      Children  ; 


686  History  of  Torrington. 

1.  William  Watson,  b.   Feb.  27,    1842,   m.  4.   Helen   Elizabeth,  b.   Sept.    13,    1851,  d. 
ISIrs.  Julia  J.  Evans.  May,  19,  1852. 

2.  Edwin  Martin,  b.  Oct.  3,  1845,  "'•  ''^^s  4.   Delia  Elizabeth,  b.  March  10,  i860. 
in  Auburn,  N.  Y. 

t^"  EGGLESTON,  Edw.^rd,  son  of  John  and  Esther  (Mills)  Eggleston,  of 
Windsor,  married  Esther,  daughter  of  Thomas  Eggleston,  and  resided  in  Wind- 
sor, on  Broad  street,  west  side,  opposite  the  present  St  Gabriel's  church.  His 
1/  father  John  was  grandson  of  Bigot  Eggleston,  who  came  in  Mr.  Warham's 
company  to  Dorchester,  Mass.,  and  thence  to  Windsor  in  1635  ;  Edward  was 
b.  Jan.  31,  1707;  d.  in  1758  ;  his  estate  in  Torrington  amounted  to  £120. 
Children  : 

I.   Edward,  b.  April,    1736.  4.   Timothy,  b.  Apr.  7,  1746. 

^  1.   Benjamin,  b.  Mar.  16,    1743.  5.   Ason,  b.  May  11,  1747,  d.  six  days  after. 

3.  Joseph,  b.  Aug.  10,  1744. 

I.  Edward,  Jr.,  son  of  Edward  and  Esther  (Eggleston)  Eggleston,  came  to 
Torrington  and  married  Elizabeth  Curtiss  Dec.  4,  1760.  She  died  Nov.  27, 
1801.      He  died  Sept.  28,  1807,  aged  71.      Children  : 

6.  Esther,  b.  Mar.  5,  1762.  9.  Ezekiel,  b.  Mar.  13,  1769. 

7.  James,  b.  May  17,    1764.  10.  Philo,  b.  Apr.  7,  1771. 

8.  Eunice,  b.  Oct.    30,    1766,  d.  Nov.  11,      11.  Curtiss,  b.  Apr.  4,  1774. 
1801. 

^  2.  Benjanin,  son  of  Edward  and  Esther  (Eggleston)  Eggleston,  came  to 
Torrington  and  married  Hannah  Agard,  of  Litchfield,  Jan.  5,  1769.  He  set- 
tled in  south  part  of  Newfield  on  west  side  of  Walnut  mountain.  Besides  cul- 
tivating a  little  land  he  was  a  tinker  and  smith,  mending  and  recasting  pewter 
dishes  and  spoons  of  all  kinds  ;  mending  articles  made  of  copper.  He  also 
made  copper  buttons  of  various  descriptions  for  boys  and  young  men  ;  made 
nails  for  shoes  and  other  uses.  Children  : 

12.  John,   b.    May    9,    1770,  d.   March   6,      16.  Jedediah,  b.  Dec.  30,  1777,  never  m. 
1791,  a.  21.  17.   Jonathan,    b.   Sept.     12,    1780,   m.   and 

13.  Linda,  b.  Dec.  17,  1772,  never  m.  lived  m  Vt. 

14.  Ann,  b.  Sep.    30,  1773,  m.  Perry  Hub-      18.   Molly,  b.  Nov.  21,  1782,  never  m. 
bard.  19.   Ethan,  b.  Jan.  7,  1785,  never  m. 

15.  Judah,  b.  Oct.  9,  1775, removed  to  N.  Y.      20.   Benjamin,  b.  Apiil    16,  1788,  m. 

3.  Joseph,  son  of  Edward  and  Esther  (Eggleston)  Eggleston,  m.  Susanna 
Mason,  of  Litchfield,  Mar.  23,  1775.  He  settled  in  Newfield  a  little  south  of 
his  brother  Benjamin  ;   was  a  farmer  and  laborer.      Children  : 

21.  David,  b.  April  29,  1776.  24.    Nabby,  b.  June  15,  1789. 

22.  Timothy,  b.  Oct.  21,  1779.  25.    Eunice,  b.  Aug.  31,  1791. 

23.  William,  b.   June  21,  1787.  26.    Anson,  b.  July  15,  1794.     * 

7.  James,  son  of  Edward  and  Elizabeth  (Curtiss)  Eggleston,  m.  Jemiah 
Phelps,  of  Tor.  Dec.  24,    1789.      Children: 

27.  Jerusha,  b.  June  21,  1791. 

II.  CuRTiss,  son  of  Edward  and  Elizabeth  (Curtiss)  Eggleston,  m,  Amarilla 
Fowler,  June  27,  1  799.  The  births  of  three  children  are  recorded  in  Torring- 
ton.     He  removed  to  Hiram,  O.      Clnldren: 

28.  Norman  F.,  b.  July  17,  1800.  31.   Amarilla. 

29.  Elizabeth,  b.  July  7,    1803.  32.   Rhoda,  m.    Roswell    Parsons  of  Charl- 

30.  Amanda,  b.    Feb.    11,    1805,    m.    Geo.  ton,  O. 

Pitkin  of  Mullville,  Utah.  33.    Esther,  m.  Geo.  Wood  of  Mulville,  Utah. 

i^  20.  Benjamin,  son  of  Benjamin  an.l  Hannah  (.^gard)  Eggleston,  m.  Sophia 
daughter  of  John  Atkins  of  Vermont,  May  12,  1816.      He  resided  in  Newfield 


Genealogies.  687 

and  worked  by  the  day  for  farmers  and  others  most  of  his  life.      He  d.  March 
5,  1852,  a.  nearly  64  years.      Children: 

34.  Elmira,  b.   June    22,  1818,   m.    Daniel  Blackwell's  Island,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  i,  1864. 
A.  Grant,  Nov.  6,  1845.  39     Sophia  J  ,  b.  Oct.  9,    1833,  m.    Samuel 

35.  Lucia  A.,  b.  Aug.  i,  1821,  d.  Feb.  19,  Cluud  of"  Missouri  where   she  resides,  and 
1853,  not  m.  has    children  :   Dewitt,    Wilbur,    Horatio 

36.  Mary  A.,   b.  Sept.  4,    1824,  m.    Henry  E.,  Louis,  Walter,  Norval  and  Lucia. 
Rouse,  resides  in  Missouri.  40.   Horatio  G.,  b.  Nov.  22,    1835  ;   was  in 

y^ll-  Candace  G.,  b.  May  5,  1827,  m.  Joseph,  the  army  and  d.  in  the  hospital  at  Alex- 
son  of"  Rev.  Frederick  Marsh  of  Win-  andria,  Va.,  Mar.  7,  1864  The  bodies  of 
Chester,  where  she  resides,  having  children  :  these  two  sons,  Philander  and  Horatio  G., 
Joseph,  Henry,  Ellen,  Parnell,  Jane,  and  were  broujiht  toKew  Haitford  and  buried 
Mary.  in  1  ne  grave  and  on  their  grave-stone  is 
38.  Philander,  b.  Feb.  19,  1830;  was  in  inscribed,  "The  only  sons  of  a  widowed 
the  army  of  the   late    rebellion  and   d.   at  mother." 

21.  David,  son  of  Joseph  and  Susanna  (Mason)  Eggleston,  m.  Sina  Benton, 
of  Harwinion,  Dec.   15,  1796.      Children: 

41.  Barnabas,   b.  M.ny  7,   1797.  46.   Alma,  b.  Oct.  3,  1806. 

42.  John,  b.  Feb.    28,  1799.  47.   Alexa,  b.  Nov.    2,  1808. 

43.  Barbarina,  b,  Dec.  2,  1800.  48.    Frederick  B.,  b.  Mar.  13,  1801. 

44.  Aurinda,  b.  Oct.  28,  1802.  49.   David  M.,  b.  Dec.    13,  1813. 

45.  Anna,  b.  Aug.  28,  1804. 

ELDRIDGE,  H.  Seymour,  son  of  Orson  B.  Eldridge,  was  b.  in  Salisbury, 
July  10,  1838,  and  m.  Emogene,  daughter  of  Riley  Cook,  June  21,  1866. 
He  has  a  market  on  Main  street.      Children  : 

I.   Archer  Wentworth,    b.   Sept.  20,    1873,      2..   Florence  Yale,  b.  Nov.  i,  1875. 
d.  Mar.  22,  1874. 

ELLIOT,  Thomas  A.,  came  to  Wolcottville  in  June,  1862,  m.  Sept.  1863, 
Sarah  J.  Buell  of  Litchfield  ;  is  a  merchant.      Children  : 

1.  Jennie  E.,  b.  Dec.  5,   1865.  3.  Susie  A  ,  b.  Nov.  17,  1870. 

2.  George,  b.  Oct.   15,  1868. 

ELMER,  Alexander,  b.  in  Windsor,  came  to  Torrington,  bought  400  acres 
of  land  part  in  Tor.  southeast  part,  m.  Elizabeth  daughter  of  Thomas  Pitkin 
of  Huntington.  He  d.  nearly  one  hundred  years  of  age.  He  lived  in  New 
Hartford  just  over  the  line.      Children  : 

1.  Abiel.  4.    Oliver,  removed  to  "Vermont. 

2.  John,  m.  Bull  of  Harwinton,  went      5.   Lucretia. 

to  Ohio.  6.    David. 

3.  Betsey,  m.  Wm.  Wood  of  South  Wilbra-      7.   Sophronia,    b.  Aug.  3,    1795,   m.    Henry 
ham,  d.  in  Hartford    in  1872,  a.  81    or  2  Coe,  Mar.  16,  1815. 

years. 

ENO,  James,  settled  at  Windsor,  in  1646,  and  m.  1st  Anna  Bidwell,  Aug. 
18,  1648,  and  2d  Elizabeth  Holcomb,  Aug.  5,  1658,  and  3d  Hester  Eggleston, 
April  29,  1680.      He  d.  in  1682.      Children: 

I.  Sarah,  bap.  June  15,  1649.  3.  John,  b.  Dec.  2,  1652,  m. 

■z.  James,  b.  Oct.  30,  1651,  m. 

2.  James  Jr.,  son  of  James  and  Anna  (Bidwell)  Eno,  m.  Abigail  Bissell, 
Dec.  26,   1678.      Hed.  July  16,   1714;   his  widow  d.  in  March,  1728,      Ch.  : 

4.  James,  b.  Sept.  23,  1679.  9.  John,  b.  Jan.  5,  1693. 

5.  Ann,  b.  Apr.  10,  1682.  10.  Samuel,  b.  July  7,  1696. 

6.  William,  b.  Dec.  15,  1684.  11.  Susjnnah,  b.  May  15,  1699. 

7.  Abigail,  b.  Mar.   I,  1686.  12.    David,  b.  Aug.  12,  1702. 

8.  Mary,  b.  May  5,    1691. 

10.   Capt.    Samuel,  son  of  James   and   Abigail   (Bissell)  Eno,    m.   Eunice 


688  History  of  Torrington. 

Marshall,   Dec.  24,    1735,    who  d.    May  7,    1792,    a.  83.      He  d.  Aug.    17, 
1778,  a.  82.      Children: 

13.  Eunice,  b.  Mar.  14,  1737,  d.    Mar.  23,      16.   Daniel,  b.  Apr.  12,  1742. 
1737.  17-   Asbel,  b.  Aug,  2,  1744. 

14.  Samuel,  b.  Mar.   19,  1738.  18.   Eunice,  b.  Oct.  5,   1746. 

15.  Eliphalet,  b.  Mar.  29,  1740.  19.   Moses,  b.  Aug.  13,  1752. 

15.  Eliphalet,  son  of  Samuel  and  Eunice  (Marshall)  Eno,  came  to  Tor- 
rington and  purchased  a  farm  on  the  hill  a  mile  east  of  Wolcottville,  on  which 
he  settled  and  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  a  farmer  of  considerable  reputa- 
tion. He  m.  Sarah,  daughter  of  Dea  John  Whiting,  Aug.  31,  1789.  He  d. 
Sept.  14,  1833,  a.  93  years  5  mo.  16  days.  His  widow  Sarah  d.  June  10, 
1838,  a.  88  years  6  mo.  12  days.  Child  : 
20.   Eunice,  b.  Nov.  23,  1794,  m.  Abiel  Taylor,  May  4,  1813. 

Hezekiah,  son  of  Lieut.  Daniel,   was  nephew  to  Eliphalet,  and  settled  on  a 
farm  east  of  his  uncle's.      He  was  b.  July  i,    1783  ;  m.  Betsey  Griswold  ;  had 
no  children.      He  d.  Oct.  14,  1830,  a,  57.      Child  : 
I.   George  P.  Bissell,    an    adopted   son,  who  his  wife   d.  and  were  both  buried    in   one 

m.  lived   on   the    homestead,  and    he  and  grave  in  1876. 

EVANS,  David,  son  of  Benoni  Evans,  was  born  in  Conway,  Mass.,  May 
6,  1809,  and  removed,  while  young,  with  his  father  to  Southington,  Conn., 
from  whence  he  came  to  Torrington  in  November,  1824,  and  engaged  in 
learning  the  shoe  maker's  trade  with  his  uncle,  Martin  L.  Sage,  at  the  place  now 
called  Drake's  mills.  David  Evans  married  Rhoda  C,  daughter  of  Harlem 
Brace,  May  10,  1839.  He  purchased  the  place  of  his  uncle  Sage  and  has  re- 
sided 'there  ever  since,  and  is  a  shoe  maker  still,  well  thought  of  by  all  the  peo- 
ple. Children  : 
I.    Orlando  D.,   b.  June    15,    1844;    he   en-  1863,  aged  19. 

listed  in  the  late   war  in    1862;   went  to      2.   Alfred  M.,   b.   Apr.     19,    1846,    d.   July 

Alexandria,  Va.,  returned  to  New  Haven,  15,  1859,  aged  13. 

where    he   d.    in    the   hospital    Feb.    28, 

Jesse,  son  of  Benoni  Evans,  was  b.  in  Mass.,  went  with  his  father  to  South- 
ington, Ct.,  when  but  three  years  of  age  ;  came  to  Torrington  when  18,  and 
learned  the  tanner's  and  shoe  mikcr's  trade  He  m.  Elvira  Goodrich  ot  South- 
ington in  1835.      Children  : 

3.  Augusta,   b.     1837,   m.    RuUin    Wilson,  in    1872,    live    in    Burrville  ;     have    son 
live  in    Winsted.  George  Jesse,  b.  Aug.  1873. 

4.  George  M.,  b.    1840,    m.   Sylvia  E.  Case 

EVERITT,  Israel,  and  his  uife  Abigail  came  from  Wallingford,  and  was 
ainong  the  first  settlers  in  Torrington,  and  sef.L'd  near  the  Fowkr  place,  his 
second  house,  then  a  grand  one.  built  in  1761,  is  still  standing  and  is  owned  by 
Richard  Henncssee.  He  was  a  miller  and  built  the  first  corn  mill  in  the  town 
as  near  as  can  be  ascertained.  His  son  Samuel  was  a  miller  also,  and  bought 
part  of  the  Wilson's  mill.  He  married  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Strong  and  some 
time  afterwards  removed  to  Colcbrook,  Ct.  The  births  of  three  children  are 
recorded  in  the  town  : 

1.  Hannah,  b.  May  7,  1747.  3-   Eunice,  b.  April,  16,  1755. 

2.  Israel,  b.  June  16,  1752. 

2.  Israel,  son  of  Israel  and  .Abigail  Evcritt,  m,  Abi  Fylcr  of  Ncwfield,  Sept. 
26,  1782,  and  after  some  years  he  and  his  family  removed  to  Ballston,  N.  Y. 
Children: 


Genealogies.  689 

4.  Israel,  b.  June,  i8,    1783.  7.   Abi,  b.  Dec.  28,  1792,  m.  Arvin  Miller, 

5.  Josiah,  b.  Nov.  14,  1785.  in  1819;  d.  in  Tyringham,  Mass. 

6.  Fyler  b.  April  7,  1787. 

FELLOWS,  Ephr.'MM,  son  of  Ephraim,  and  grandson  of  Ephraim,  all  of 
Canaan  (but  originally  from  Stonington),  was  born  Aug.  31,  1803.  He  mar- 
ried Sabra,  daughter  of  Abel  Roberts,  Nov  2,  1825,  and  resided  in  Cornwall 
until  1850,  wlien  he  settled  in  Torrington  on  the  Abel  Roberts  place  where 
he  still  resides.  His  wite,  Sabra,  d.  Apr.  18,  1872,  aged  69.  He  m.,  2d,  Lucia 
(Vaill)  Taylor  Nov.  20,    1875.      Children: 

1.  Mary  L.,  b.  May  3,  1827,  m.    Dea.  Sam-  3.   George  W.,  b.  June  3,    1832,  m. 
uel   J.  Stocking,  June  9,  1852.  4.    Harvey  R.,  b.  Aug.  15,  1834,  m. 

2.  Sarah  A.,  b.  Oct.  3,  1829,  m.    Lewis  H.  5.   William  H.,  b.  Nov.  5,  1836,  d.  young. 
Todd,  June  30,   1853,  and  bad  Alice  M.,  6.   Russell  F.,  b.  Dec.  15,    1838,  d.  in  rebel 
b.  Aug.  15,  1854;   Charles  H.,   b.    Nov.  prison,  Florence,  S.  C,  Nov.  20,  1864. 
II,  1856  i   Rosa   M.,   b.    Apr.  8,     i860;  7.   Charles  L.,  July  31,  1842,  m. 

Estella  A.,   b.  Jan.    5,  1863  5   Emma   A.,      8.   Lucy  E.,    b.  Aug.    28,    1844,    d.   May  4, 

b.  July   4,    1865;   Dora   W.,    b.   Jan.    i,  1861. 

1869. 

3.  George  W.,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Sabra  (Roberts)  Fellows,  m.  Ellen  S. 
Todd  of  East  Plymouth  Aug.  1,  1852,  and  resides  in  Forestviile,  and  is  en- 
gaged  in  the  clock  shop.      Children  : 

9.   Wilbur  R.,  b.  Sept.  2,  1853.  11.   Addie,  b.  Apr.  20,  1864. 

10.    Edith  L.,  b.  June  8,  1858. 

4.  Harvey  R.,  son  of  Fphraim  and  Sabre  (Roberts)  Fellows,  m.,  1st, 
Caroline  A.,  dau.  Lewis  A.  Morris  Apr  24,  1856.  He  m.,  2d,  Sarah  Coe, 
of  Winst-jd,  Sept.  5,  1872.      Children  by  1st  wife. 

12.   Frederick  L.,  b.  May  17,  1858.  13.   Willie,  b.  Jan.  23,  1865. 

5.  WiLLi.'^M  H.,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Sabra  (Roberts)  Fellows,  m.  Rhoda 
Sackett  of  Thompson,  O.,  May  19,  1857.  He  resided  a  time  in  Ohio,  until 
his  health  failed  when  he  came  home  and  died  May  22,  1861.  His  widow  d. 
June  25,  1865. 

7.    Charles  L.,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Sabra  (Roberts)  Fellows,    m.    Julia   E. 
Crippin  May  25,  1864,      He  is  principal   of  Wolcottxille    High   School,    and 
has  been  some  four  years  ;    has  taught  school  twelve  years.      Children: 
14.   Edwin  Russell,  b.  May  27,  1865.  15.    Herbert  Clinton,  b.  Dec.  4,  1871. 

FENN,  Isaac  Camp,  son  of  John  and  Betsey  (Camp)  Fenn,  was  born  in 
Middlebury,  Jan.  1821.  He  m.  Oct.  4,  1843,  Laura,  dau.  of  Eli  Curtiss,  of 
Northfield.  She  was  b.  Feb.  10,  1826.  They  settled  in  Torrington  hollow, 
soon  alter  their  marriage,  where  he  was  engaged  some  years  as  a  lock  maker. 
He  was  occupied,  to  a  considerable  extent,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  as  a 
farmer  and  gardener.  He  d.  Nov.  5,  1875.  She  d.  March  9,  1877.  Children: 
I.  Augusta  Laura,  b.  Aug.  7,  1846,  m.  2.  Frederick  Eli,  b.  Dec.  13,  1862. 
Albert  W.  Camp,  Jan.  12,  1871,  and  re- 
sides in   Northtield. 

FERGUSON,  James,  m.  Martha  Squire,  both  of  Durham,  Jan.  9,  1767. 
Children  : 

1.  Samuel,  b.  May  20,  1767.  3.  Joseph,  b.  Feb.  i,  1771. 

2.  James,  b.  March  2,  1769. 

FirCH,  Luther  and  Lydia  Fitch.      Children: 

1.  Wm.  Beecher,  b.  Feb.  11,  1801.  3.   Julia  Bethia,  b.  Feb.  5,  1805. 

2.  John  Mills,  b.  May  20,  1803. 

87 


690 


History  of  Torrington. 


FILLEY,  Wm.,  m.  Abiah  ,  joined  the  church  in  Torrington,  July  17, 

1754,  and  after  some  years  removed  to  Winchester,  Ct.  He  d.  and  his  wife 
Abiah,  m.  Joel  Beach,  and  lived  in  Winchester  afterwards      Children  : 

1.  William.  4.   Mary,  m.    John    Curtiss,  of  T.,  June  5, 

2.  Abraham.  1769. 

3.  Abiah,  m.    Adam    Mott,    Jr.,    of  Win-      5.   Marcy. 

Chester.  6.   Remembrance,  bapt.  in  T.  Aug.  1 1,  1754. 

FOWLER.  Crusader  to  Holy  Land  Knight,  and  Baron.  Coat  of 
Arms.  Shield: — Two  Lions,  rampant:  Owl,  perched  upon  the  Shield^  and 
head  partially  reversed.  Watchfully.      Motto  :      Sapiens  qui  vigilant. 

In  "  Weever's  Funeral  Monuments"  of  Monumental  Remains  at  Islington, 
near  (now)  London,  the  following  occurs.  "Here  Lyeth  John  Fowler,  1538. 
and  Alis  Fowler,  wife  of  Robert  Fowler,  who  d,  1540.  Divers  of  this  family 
lie  here  interred, — the  ancestors  of  Sir  Thomas  Fowler,  Knight  and  Baron, 
living  1630." 

St.  Thomas,  in  the  county  of  Stafford  was  long  the  chief  seat  oi  the  Fowler 
family,  descended  from  Sir  Richard  Fowler  of  Foxlev,  county  of  Buckingham  ; 
a  crusader  in  the  time  of  King  Richard  first  (^aboul  A.  D.  i  180},  who  because 
of  his  extraordinary  vigilance  in  saving  the  Christian  camp  from  a  nocmrnal 
surprise,  received  the  honor  of  knighthood  on  the  field  of  battle,  by  his  royal 
master  ;  who,  savs  tradition,  caused  the  crest  which  Sir  Richard  then  wore, 
(a  hand  and  lurej,  to  be  changed  to  the  vigilant  owl.  Alter  Sir  Richard  Fowler 
there  were  a  number  of  his  descendants  who  bore  the  honored  name  of  knights 
and  barons. 

I.  Mr.  William,  the  only  one  bearing  the  honorable  prefix  "  Mr."  of  the 
New  Haven  company,  was  the  ancestor  of  all  the  Fowlers  of  Milford,  New 
Haven,  Guilford  and  Windsor.      He  settled  in  Milford  ;   was  chosen  judge   in 

1639.  He  had  had  a  classical  education  and  was  a  man  of  prominence  and 
influence  in  his  native  land,  and  was  therefore  well  qualified  for  the  honor  and 
responsibility  conferred  upon  him  as  judge  in  the  new  world.  He  d.  Jan.  25, 
1660.      His  will  was  executed  in  1661.      Children,  all  born  in   England: 

2.  William,  lived  at  New  Haven;  was  exe-  and  had  a  numerous  family  of  children, 
cutor  of  his  father's  will.  His  descendants  Prof.  Wm.  Fowler  of  Durham,  graduate 
dwell  in  Milford,  Lebanon  and   Haddam.  of  Yale  college,  is  one_of  them. 

3.  Dea.  John,  removed  from  Milford  to  4.  Ambrose,  removed  from  Milford  to  Win- 
Guilford    in    1648  ;     where  he    m.   jMary  sor,  Conn.,  in  1640. 

daughter  of  George   Hubbard  of  Guilford 

4.  Ambrose,  son   of  Judge   William,  of  Mliford,   removed  to    Windsor,  in 

1640,  and  became  a  member  of  Mr.  Warham's  church.'  He  m.  Jane  Alvord, 
in  1645.      Children  : 

5.  Abigail,  b.  in    1646,  m.  Morease  Sikes,        8.   Samuel,  b.  Nov.  1652. 

of  Springfield,  Mass.  9.   Hannah,  b.  Dec,  1654,  m.  James  Sex- 

6.  John,  b.  in  1648,  m.  Mercy   Miller,  of  ton,  Westfield,  Mass. 
Northampton,  Mass.  10.   Elizabeth,  b.  Dec,  1656. 

7.  Mary,  b.  in  1650,  m.  Fearnot  King.  11.   Ambrose,  b.  in  1658. 

8.  Samuel,  son  of  Ambrose  and  Jane  (.'^Ivord)  Fowler,  m.  Abigail  Brown, 
of  Windsor,  in  1683  ;   removed  to  Westfield,  Mass.,  in  1689.      Children: 


»  Hist,  of  l^indiDr. 


i '' 


ipiiiisi 


iiff 


Genealogies. 


691 


18.  Hester,  b.  in    1695. 

19.  Sarah,  b.  in  1 698. 

20.  Isabel,  b.    in  1700,  m.    Ezra   Strong,  of 

Northampton. 

21.  Elizabeth,  b.  in  1704. 

22.  Mindwell. 


12.  Sannuel,  b.  in  1683. 

13.  Mercy. 

14.  Jonathan,    b.   in    1685,    m.     Catharine 
Marshall,  of  Windsor. 

15.  Abigail,  b.  in   1687. 

16.  Mary,  b.  in  1689. 

17.  Hannah,  b.  in  1693. 

II.   Ambrose,  son  of  Ambrose  and  Jane  (Alvord)  Fowler,  m.  Mary  Baker, 
Sept.   1693;   removed    to  Westfield,  Mass.      Children: 

23.  Ruth,  b.    1694,  m.    John    Seward,   Jr.,  children. 

1718-  26.  Joseph,  b.   July,    1703,  settled    in  Tor- 

24.  Mary,  b.  1696,  m.  Samuel  Hanchett,  of         rington. 

Westfield  and  removed  to  Durham.  27.    David,  "I  b.    Feb.,    1708,    both    d.    same 

25.  Samuel,  b.  Oct.,   1700,  m.    Mary ,      28.    Noah,  J       day. 

of  Durham  in  1742,  and  d.  same  year;  no 

26.  Joseph,  son  of  Ambrose  and  Mary  (Baker)  Fowler,  m.  Ruth,  dau.  of 
Samuel  Baker,  of  Branford,  April  2,  1734.  He  was  born  in  Westfield,  Mass., 
went  to  Durham  ;  m.  Ruth  Baker,  and  setded  there,  and  had  six  children; 
five  daus  all  born  in  Durham,  and  one  son  b.  in  Torrington.  In  1748,  he 
sold  his  estate  in  Durham,  and  removed  with  his  family  to  this  town  and  settled 
on  a  farm,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  ol"  Dca.  John  Cook's,  in  the  hollow,  south 
side  of  the  road,  west  side  of  the  brook.  This  farm  ot  fifty-two  acres,  he  pur- 
chased, with  a  "  mansion  dwelling  thereon."  That  house  is  still  standing,  and 
is  the  oldest  one  standing  in  the  town,  that  has  not  been  "re-covered  so  far  as  is 
known.  This  farm  they  occupied  until  some  time  after  Noah,  their  youngest 
child,  was  m.  when  what  were  left  of  the  family  at  home  removed  to  what  is 
still  known  as  the  Fowler  place.      Children: 


33.  Hannah,  b.  in  1742,  m.  Paul  Roberts 
of  Winsted,  had  a  daughter  Sarah  who  m. 
Caleb  Leach  of  Tor. 

34.  Sarah,  b.  in  1744. 

35.  Noah,  b.  Sept.  24,  1750,  in  Tor. 


29.  Phebe,  b.  in  1735,  never  m. 

30.  Noah,  b.  in  1736,  d.  young. 

31.  Ruth,  b.  in  1738,  never  m. 

32.  Mary,  b.  in  1740,  m.  Issachar  Loomis, 
Dec.  10,  1765,  lived  in  Torrington  ;  d. 
Sept.  16,  1800. 

35.  Noah,  son  of  Joseph  and  Ruth  (Baker)  Fowler,  m.  Rhoda,  daughter 
of  Capt.  Levi  Xuttle  of  East  Haven,  Feb.  10,  1774.  He  purchased  the  farm 
first  settled  by  Jacob  Strong  near  Dea.  John  Cook's,  and  made  it  his  home  ; 
and  it  is  known  to  this  dav  as  the  Fowler  place.  He  d.  in  1824,  a.  74  years, 
and  his  wife  d.  a.  90  years.      {See  Biographies.^      Children  : 


36.  Warren  R.,  b.  Mar.  2,  1773,  {See  Biog.) 

37.  Amarilla,  b.    Feb.  6,    ijiG,    m.  Curtiss 
Eggleston  and  removed  to  Hiram,  Ohio. 

38.  Norman,  b.  Apr.    9,    1777,   m.    Statira 
Blake. 

39.  George,  b.  Dec.  5,  1778. 

40.  Rhoda,    b.    in    1781,    m. 
Hudson. 

41.  Parleman  B.,  b.  in  1783 


42.    Desire,    b. 


m    I7J 


3» 


Baldwin;  removed  to  Marcy,  N.  Y.,  had 
children:  Fowler,  m.  had  no  children; 
Sabra  A.,  never  m.  ;  Laura,  m.  Eldridge 
Farwell  of  Holly,  had    children.   Fowler, 


Laura,     Gertrude    A.,     Susan,     Florence, 
Horace. 

43.  Raphael,  b.  in  1787. 

44.  Sibyl    Catlin,    b.    in    1790,   unm.    {See 
Biog.) 

45.  Remus  Marcus,    ")  b.     1793,    Romulus 
Daniel   Coe     46.   Romulus  Julius,  /    an  intelligent  youth 

d.  a.  14. 
47.  Ursula,  b.  in  1796,  m.  Rufus  Curtiss  of 
Torringford  ;  had  one  son,  Warren  R., 
who  d  at  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  a.  30,  unm. 
She  d.  at  Florence,  Mass.,  June,  1873, 
greatly  esteemed  and  honored.  Mr.  Cur- 
tiss d.  at  Wolco_ttville,  Sept.  1834. 


m.    Canfield    S. 


36.   Warren  R.,  M.D.,  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)   Fowler,  studied 
medicine   in  the  office  of  Dr.  Sheldon,   of  Litchfield  ;   m.    Polly    Hanford   of 


692 


History  of  Torrington. 


Washington,  Ct.,    where  he  settled  as  successor  to    Dr.    Hastings.      (See  Bio- 
graphy.)    Children  : 

48.   Henry  Hanford,  a  physician.  49.   George,  a  physician. 

38.  Norman,  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  m  Statia  Blake  of 
Stockbridge,  Mass ,  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead,  on  the  brow  of  "  Occident 
hill."  The  years  of  his  life  were  lengthened  to  ninety-five,  and  being  a  man 
of  good  judgment  and  of  a  clear  sense  of  right  and  honorable  life  he  became 
extensively  and  favorably  known  and  greatly  respected  in  his  closing  years. 
He  d.  in  1871,  a.  95.      Children: 

50.  Desire,  m.  had  no  children.  52.   Phebe,    m.    Addison    Palmer,   May   23, 

51.  Homer,  d.  in  Florida,  unm.  1839,  had  three  children. 

39.  George,  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  served  an  apprentice- 
ship, with  a  tanner,  and  engaged  in  business  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  where  he  died 
unmarried  in  1803. 

41.  Parleman,  B.,  M.D.,  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  was  a 
favorite  in  his  father's  family  and  greatly  beloved.  He  studied  medicine  with 
his  brother  Warren  R.,  and  was  settled,  and  practiced  medicine  in  Bethlehem. 
He  m.  Polly  Lemon,  of  Washington,  and  in  the  prevailing  epidemic,  so  fatal, 
in  1813,  he  d.  a.  33,  greatly  lamented.      Children: 

53.  Romulus,     who     early     entered     Yale  He  gave  great   promise  of  a  man   of  un- 
college,    was    taken    suddenly  ill    and    d.  usually  good  qualities. 

43.  Raphael,  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  learned  the  shoe- 
maker s  trade  ;  removed  to  Whitesboro,  N.  Y.,  and  m.  Hannah  Byard.'  He 
removed  to  Meridian,  N.  Y.,  thence  to  Jonesville,  Mich.,  where  he  d.  Nov. 
1870,  a.  83.      She  d.  Sept.   1874.      Children: 

54.  Parleman,  d.  young.  59.    Harriet,  m.  Walter  Thompson,  Clayton, 

55.  Raphael.  Mich.,  no  children. 

56.  Sarah,  m.  Wm.    I.  Carroll.  59.    Martin. 

57.  Ursula,  m.  Alexander  Beach,  of  Jones-  60.   Noah, 
ville  and  has  a  dau.  Mary   Fowler.  61.   Thomas. 

58.  Hetty,  m.  S.  K.    hartley,   of  Norwalk,  62.    Hannah,  m.  George  B.  Earle,  of  Daven- 
Ohio,  and    has   children  ;   Otto  K.,  Leon,  port,  Iowa,  and   has  child  j   Stella  May. 
Hugh. 

45.  Remus  M.,  M.D.,  son  of  Noah  and  Rhoda  (Tuttle)  Fowler,  studied 
medicine  with  his  brother  Warren  R.,  settled  and  practiced  in  his  profession 
at  New  Marlboro,  Mass.  He  m.  ist  Harriet  M.,  dau.  of  Timothy  Childs, 
of  Litchfield,  Ct.  She  d.  at  New  Marlboro,  Nov.  1824,  a.  31,  a  very  good 
woman.  He  removed  to  Washington,  Ct.,  as  successor  to  his  deceased  brother 
Warren  R.,  in  1826,  and  m.  2d  Mary  Miller,  dau  of  Wm.  Miller,  of  Tor- 
ringtord,  and  formerly  of  Hesse  Castle,  Germany,  prisoner  of  Burgoyne's 
army.  He  is  now  (1875),  in  active  practice  as  a  physician  at  the  age  of  82. 
His  wife  is  a  "  smart  house  keeper  at  the  age  of  83."      Children  : 

63.  Nancy    Maria,    m.    Dr.    Ford,    d.    April  thence  to  Chicago,  111. 

29,  1868,  a.  47,  no  children  ;  buried  at  W.      65.    Stanley  G.,  m    ;  no  children,  removed  to 

64.  Jane,  b.    1820,  m.  Woolsey   Leavitt,  of  Denver,    Col.,    is    editor    of   the    Denver 
Washington,      had      children  j     William,          Ne-jvs. 

Nellie,  and  removed  to  Portage  City,  Wis.,      66.   Harriet  M.,  not  m. 

48.    Henry  H,  M.D.,  son  of  Warren    and    Polly    (Hanford)    Fowler,    m. 
Betsey  Ann  Frisbie  of  Branford,  removed  to  Bristol,  Indiana.      Children: 
67.    George,  m.  ;   has  children.  68.   William. 


1  See  Records  Fresh.  Church, 


Genealogies. 


693 


49.  George,  M.D.,  son  of  Warren  and  Polly  (Hanford)  Fowler,  studied 
with  his  father  and  became  a  physician,  m.  Louisa,  dau.  of  Archibald  Camp- 
bell of  Pawling,  N.  Y.,  removed  to  Indiana,  where  he  d  She  m.  Rev.  John 
Pierpont,  since  deceased  at  St.  Luke's  Hospital  under  a  surgical  operation. 
Children  : 

69.  Archibald  Campbell, graduated  at  Union  college,  was  surveyor  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

55.  Raphael,  son  of  Raphael  and  Hannah  (Byard)  Fowler,  m.,  and  re- 
moved to  Galva,  Illinois.      Children  : 

70.  John.  72.    Robert,  in  Orleans  Co.,  N.  Y. 

71.  William,  in  Iowa.  73.   Martin. 

59.  Martin,  son  of  Raphael  and  Hannah  (Byard)  Fowler,  removed  to 
Snapping  Shoals,  Ga.,  m.  Sarah  Webb.      Children: 

74.  Mary  H.  77.   Varney. 

75.  Emma.  78.   Robert. 

76.  Flora. 

60.  Noah,  son  of  Raphael  and  Hannah  (Byard)  Fowler,  settled  in  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  and  m.  Flora  McKean.      Children  : 

79.  Georgia.  83.  William  Raphael. 

80.  Alice   Mary.  84.  Byard. 

81.  Hattie.  85.  Grace. 

82.  Jennie.  86.  Lizzie  Duncan. 

61.  Thomas,  son  of  Raphael  and  Hannah  (Byard)  Fowler,  m.  Julia  Breck- 
enridge  of  Litchfield,  Mich.,  resides  in  Jonesville,  Mich.,  was  an  officer  in  the 
war  of  the  rebellion.      Child  : 

87.    \\  illiam. 

65.  Stanley  G.,  son  of  Remno  M,  and  Mary  (Miller)  Fowler,  graduated 
at  law  school,  Yale  college;  m.,  removed  to  Chicago,  111.;  editor  ol  Railway 
Gazette;  removed  to  Denver  City,  Col,  ^dnor  o(  Denver  Sunday  News.  No 
children. 

69.  Archibald  C,  M.D  ,  son  of  Dr.  Georgeand  Louisa  (Campbell)  Fowler, 
graduated  at  Union  college,  xN.  Y,  studied  medicine,  was  assistant  surgeon  in 
the  U.  S.  navy  during  the  rebellion,  then  settled  in  general  practice  at 
Brighton,  Mass.      He  was  married  and  had  one  child.      He  died  in  1870. 

FREEMAN,  JuDE,  lived  on  Red  mountain  ;   owned  considerable  property  ; 
was  much  respected,  and  lived  a  very  honorable  life.      Children  : 
2.   Luke.  3.   Laura,  and  others. 

2.   Luke,  son  of  Jude  Freeman,  m.  Jane  Bradley,  once  a  slave.     He 

d.  in  1844.      His  wife  d.    previously.      Children: 


4.  Eleanor,  m.   Lorenzo  Bellamy  and  had   a 
family. 

5.  George,  d.  in  WolcottviUe. 

6.  Alvira^     \  b.  Oct.  \  Alvira    m. 

y    1807,  V    Almira  m.  William 

7.  Almira,  J  j       Harrison. 

FUESSENICH,   Leon.ard,  of  Duren, 
family  in  May,  1853.      Children  : 

1.  Leonard.  4 

2.  Anna  M.  5, 

3.  Helen  F. 

By  2d  wife  : 


8.  Julia  Ann,  d.  in  WolcottviUe. 

9.  Hiram,  went  west. 

10.  Charles. 

11.  Harriet,  m.   John   Johnson  of  Torring- 
ford. 

Prussia,    came  to  America    with  his 

Clara. 
Frederick  F. 


6.  William  F. 

7.  Mary  M. 


8.   Josephine  E. 


6q4  History  of  Torrington. 

5.  Frederick  F.,  son  of  Leonard,  came  with  his  father's  family  to  America, 
and  came  to  Wolcottville,  in  1857.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  drugstore  of 
IVIr.  Charles  McNeil,  twelve  years,  and  is  much  respected  as  a  citizen.  He  m. 
Lizzie  C.  Blake,  of  Essex,  Ct.,  Oct.  4,  1876,  and  resides  on  the  Litchfield 
road. 

FYLER,  Lieut.  Walter,  was  at  Dorchester  as  early  as  1637,  and  came 
to  Windsor  in  1635,  ^'^  house  being  within  the  Palisado  ;  the  well  being  still 
to  be  seen  on  the  place  of  the  Misses  Stiles.  He  was  deputy  lo  the  general 
Court  in  1647,  and  from  1661  to  1663.  He  was  juror  in  1637,  '42  and '44. 
He  d.  Dec.  12,  1683.  In  his  will  he  gave  the  use  of  his  estate  to  his  widow, 
Jane,  during  her  naturallife,  and  alsoXloo,  in  cash  to  bestow  upon  another 
husband,  or  to  reserve  it  to  herself  to  bestow  upon  whom  she  pleased.  He  gave 
his  grandson,  Thomas  (son  of  Zerubbabelj,  £20  ;  and  his  other  three  grand 
children  £5  each  ;  estate  i£3i8,6/  \od.  His  widow,  Jane,  died  in  1690. 
Children  : 

I.  John,  b.  at  Windsor,    Sept.    12,  1642;  ly^Si  leaving  a  large  estate,  no  children. 

graduate  of  Havard  in    1666,  m.  twice,  d.      2.   Zerubbabel,  b.    Dec.  23,    1644. 

2.  Zerubbabel,  son  uf  Walter  and  Jane  Fyler,  m.  Experience,  dau.  of  El- 
der John  Strong,  of  Northampton,  May  27,  1669.  After  living  a  time  in 
Windsor  he  removed  to  Stony  river  in  Suffield,  but  soon  returned  to  Windsor 
where  he  d.  Oct.  2,  1714,  leaving  a  good  estate.      Children  : 

3.  Thomas,  b.  Jan.  25,  1670.  1680. 

4.  Jane,  b    Jan.  I,  1672.  10.   Samuel  b.  Sept.   26,   1681,   at    Suffield. 

5.  Zerubbabel,  b.  Oct.    31,   1873,  d.  early.  11.    Abigail,  b.  Apr.  8,    1683,  at  Suffield. 

6.  Zerubbabel,  b.  Dec.   25,  1674.  12.   Stephen,  b.  Mar.  27,    1688,  d.  Feb.  21, 

7.  John,  b.  Mar.   2,    1676,    went  to  Suf-  1760. 

field,  d.  Aug.  10,  171  5.  13.   Ebenezer,  b.  Dec.   2,    1690,  d.  Dec.  16, 

8.  Samuel,  b.   Jan.    5,   1680,   d.   June    5,  1690. 

1680.  14.    Experience,  b.    Dec.  25,  1691. 

9.  Abigail,    b.   Jan.    5,    1680,  d.   June    9,      15.   Elizabeth,  b.  June  2,  1694. 

6.  Zerubbabel,  son  of  Zerubbaljel  and  Experience  (Strong)  Fyler,  m. 
Rachel,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Gillett,  of  Simsbury,  (an.  3,  1706,  and  was  a 
farmer  in  Windsor,  where  he  d.  Jan.  29,  1761.  His  wife  d.  Jan.  28,  1768. 
Children  : 

16.  Rachel,  b.  Sept.  29,   1706.  19.  Samuel,  b.  in  171  5,  m.  Oct.  11,  1739, 

17.  Experience,  b.  Feb.  7,  1707.  Ann  Stoughton  was  a  farmer  in  Windsor. 

18.  Silas,  b.  in  1710.  20.  Jeremiah. 

•'  18.  Silas,  son  of  Zerubbabel  and  Rachel  (Gillett)  Fyler,  m.  Catharine  Drake, 
of  Windsor,  in  1747.  They  lived  in  Windsor,  where  all  their  children  were 
born,  until  the  spring  of  1779,  when  he  came  to  Newfield,  in  Torrington,  and 
began  to  clear  his  land  and  put  up  a  house.  He  was  taken  ill  at  Chauncey  Hill's 
where  he  was  boarding,  and  d,  in  a  fit  April  12,  1779,  a.  69  years.  The 
farm  he  purchased  was  that  now  owned  by  Thomas  A.  Starkson  the  road  from 
Newfield  to  Burrville.  His  widow.settled  on  this  farm,  with  some  of  her  child- 
ren, but  afterwards  removed  to  Colebrook,  where  she  d.  in  March,  1809,  in 
her  80th  year.      Children  : 

21.  Abi,  b.    1748,  m.    Israel   Everitt,   Sept.  25.  Stephen,  b.  May  27,  1755,  m. 
26,  1782,  d.  at  Ballston,  N.  Y.  26.  John,  lb.   1760,  m. 

22.  Catharine,     b.    in     1750,     m.     Samuel  27.  Bethesda,  J  m.  Asbel  Bronson. 
Rowley  in  1770.  28.  Sabra,    b.    April    24,    1764,   m.   Junius 

23.  Silas,  b.  1752,  m.  North,  Feb.  25,  1785. 

24.  Jane,   b.    1754,    m.    Ephraim    Loomis,  29.  Roman,  b.  Aug.  12,  1769,  m. 
Oct.  30,  1783. 


Genealogies.  695 

« 

23.  Silas,  son  of  Silas  and  Catharine  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  Lucy,  daughter  of 
Noah  Drake,  Feb.  — ,  1779.  She  was  b.  May  8,  1754-  He  was  a  farmer  ; 
lived  nearly  two  miles  northeast  of  Newfield  churches,  and  d.  in  Sullivan,  N.  Y., 
I  81  2.     Children: 

30.  Lucy,    b.    Feb.    26,    1780,   m.    Orange      32.   Shaylor,  b.  Dec.  9,  1786,  m. 
Soper,  1797.  33.    Erastus,  b.  Oct.  2,  1789. 

31.  Silas,  b.  May  31,  1782,  m. 

25.  Capt.  Stephen,  son  of  Silas  and  Catharine  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  Polly 
Collier,  July  1778.  She  was  born  Jan.  15,  1758.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Revolution,  and  drew  a  pension  a  number  of  years.  He  came  to  Newfield, 
about  1781  ;  was  a  farmer,  and  generally  respected  and  honored  by  the  com- 
munity. He  was  captain  of  a  military  company  of  Newfield,  aher  the  Revo- 
Ijtion.  He  was  an  energetic,  hard  working  man.  He  d.  July  15,  1836,  a. 
81.      His  widow  Polly,  d.  June  12,  1847,  a.  89.      Her  mother,  Mary  Collier, 

second   husband    Coman.      He   d.  and   she    lived  a  time  in    Newfield, 

and  d.  Nov.  i,  1821,  a.  86.      Children  : 

34  Stephen  F.,  b.  Mar.  6,  1780,  at  Windsor.  Their  children:   Frederick   Beach,    a  far- 

35.  George,  b.  Feb.  10,  1782,  at  Tarring-  mer  living  at  Hunter,  N.  Y.  :  George 
ton,  removed  to  Burke,  Vt.  Beach,  lives  at  Catskill,  N.  Y. :   has  served 

36.  Polly,  b.  March  13,  1784,  m.  Noah  two  terms  in  the  state  senate:  Marcus 
Drake,  3d,  Nov.  1804.  Beach    lives    at    Hoboken,   N.    Y.  :     is  a 

37.  Catharine,    b.   July    16,    1786,    m.    Na-  man  of  wealth. 

than  Rowley,   Feb.    3,    1810,  removed   to  39.   Reuben,  b.  July  9,  1791,  d.  unm.  Jan. 

Tyringham,   Mass.;   no    descendants    re-  19,  1821. 

maiiiing.  40.   Juba,  b.  Aug.  5,  1793  ;    never  m.  ;   was 

38.  Roxy,  b.  Oct.  22,  1788,  m.  Fisk  Beach  a  farmer  with  his  brother  Harlow;  in  his 
Feb.     24,    1814.      He    was    born    March  will  he   gave   all   to   his    brother   Harlow; 

26,  1788.  '  She  d.  in  Winchester,  March  was  a  great  story  teller,  d.  June  22,   1869. 
13,    1823.      He     d.    in    Hunter,    N.    Y.  41.   Harlow,  b.  Dec.  21,    1795. 

26.  loHN,  son  of  Silas  and  Catharine  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  Esther,  dau  of 
James  Bacon,  Dec.  27,  1783.  She  was  b.  Apr.  12,  1764.  He  removed  to 
Colebrook  where  he  died  Dec.  20,  1839,  a.  80.  She  d.  Oct.  17,  1829,  aged 
65.      Children  : 

42.  Sally,  b.  Sept.  25,  1785,  m.  Elisha  44.  Horatio  N.,  b.  Feb.  27,  I799,"d.  unm. 
Smith,  of  Winsted.  at    Colebrook,    May   28,     1823.      Studied 

43.  John  C,  b.  April  15,  1787,  left  home  law  with  Charles  M.  Johnson  of  Pine 
Nov. 1809,  for  Pleasant  Valley, Poughkeep-  Plains,  N.  Y.  :  his  health  failed,  he  went 
sie,  N.  Y.,  and  has  not  been  heard  from  south,  returned  and  d. ;  was  greatly  lamcn- 
but  once  since.  ted  as  a  young  man  of  much  promise. 

27.  Bethesday,  dau.  of  Silas  and  Catharine  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  Ashbel 
Bronson,  removed  to  Elizabethtown,  N.  Y.      Children  : 

45.  Sylvia.  47.   Rhoda. 

46.  Ashbel.  48.    Roman,  b.  April  24,  1764. 

29.  Roman,  son  of  Silas  and  Catharine  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  1st  Hannah  Bar- 
ton, Feb.  8,  1793.  She  d  Nov.  15,  1794,  a.  25.  He  m.  2d,  Mrs.  Sally 
(Bray)  Lyman,  in  1797.  He  lived  in  Newfield,  joining  his  brother  Silas,  on 
the  same  street.  In  1794,  he  built,  in  company  with  Reuben  Marshall,  the 
Washington  Hatch  house  at  Winchester  centre,  in  the  north  wing  of  which  they 
kept  store,  while  Mr.  Fyier  kept  a  tavern  in  the  body  of  the  house.  About 
1800,  he  removed  to  Burke,  Vt.      Children  : 

49.  Orsamus  Roman,  b.  Nov.  4,  1793.  54.  Marcus  W.,  b.  1805,  lived  in  Killingly. 

50.  Barton  Nichols  I  b.  Oct.  17,  "Id.    unm.  54.  Calvin  L.,  b.  1808. 

51.  A  dau.  J  1795.  Jd.atb.  55.  Minerva,  b.  1810,  d.  1811. 

52.  Alfred  Bray,  b.  Jan.  17,  1799.  56.  Carlton  C,  b.   1812,  d.  a  young  man. 

53.  Horace  R.,  b.  1801,  livedin  Vt. 


6^6 


History  of  Torrington. 


31.  Silas,  son  of  Silas  and  Lucy  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  March  7,  1807,  Hylah 
Taylor,  who  was  b.  July  11,  1786,  She  d.  Feb.  20,  1855,  at  Sullivan,  Madi- 
son Co.,  N.  Y.,  Silas  d.  at  Sullivan,  April  16,  1841.      Children: 

57.  Silas  T.,  b.  July  4,  1809.  60.  Jerusha  M.,  b.  Dec.  11,  18  I  8,  m.  Wm. 

58.  Harriet,  b.   Jan.   28,    1812,    d.    Jan.  9,  Mecomber,    March    10,    1841,    who    was 
1816.  Feb.  29,  1820,  d.  Sept.  8,  1865. 

59.  Hylah  Ann,  b.  Feb.  11,  1816,  m.  John  61.   Clarrissa    C,    b.    Nov.     16,     1824,    tn. 
F.  Prosser,    Feb.    20,    1838,   who    was  b.  Stephen  D.  Lamatter,  March  7,  1844. 
Jan.  12,  181 6. 

32.  Shaylor,  son  of  Silas  and  Lucy  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  Mary  Hurlbut, 
June,  1819.  They  removed  to  Sullivan,  Madison  county,  N.  Y.  He  d. 
Oct    12,   1850.      Children  : 

62.  Sheldon  H.,  b.  Aug.  6,  1820,  m.  64.    Mary,    b.   Sept.    25,    1824,    m.    Abijah 

63.  Roman,  b.  Aug.  28,  1822,  m.  Elizabeth  Hubbard,  April,  1845,  d.  Nov.,  1845. 
M.  Brink,  March  24,    185a,  no  children. 

33.  Erastus,  son  of  Silas  and  Lucy  (Drake)  Fyler,  m.  Abigail  Smith,  May 
15,  1816,  at  Sullivan,  N.  Y.  She  was  b.  in  Mass.,  May  15,  1795,  and  d. 
Sept.  II,  i860.  He  removed  to  Sullivan;  d.  at  Parish,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  24,  1856.      Children: 

65.  Flora,  b.  April  3,  1817,  d.  young.  Davey,  Sept.  11,   1842. 

66.  Lorenzo  S.,  b.  June  i,  1818,  m.  69.   Hannah  M.,  b.    March    13,    1826,  m. 

67.  Harriet,  b.    June  17,    1820,  m.  Edward  Jesse  A.  Slawson,  Sept.  26,    1847. 

C.  Spicer,  Jan.  9,  1848.  70.   Eliza  F.,  b.  Nov.  12,  1828,  m.  Reuben 

68.  Lucy,  b.  April  11,    1822,  m.    Henry  A.  W.  Slayton,  June  26,  1850. 

34.  Stephen,  son  of  Stephen  and  Polly  (Collier)  Fyler,  m.  Almira  Wilson, 
Sept.  3,  1803.  She  was  b.  Mar.  15,  1780.  He  settled  in  Burke,  Vt.  He 
was  a  man  of  energy  and  resolution  ;  talked  loud  and  as  though  he  was  angry. 
He  returned  to  Winchester  on  South  street,  near  Torringford,  where  he  lived 
as  a  farmer  until  his  death,  Apr.  21,  1853.  His  widow,  Armira,  d.  Dec. 
27,  1856,  aged  87  years.      Children: 

71.  Hilaman,  b.  Aug.  8,  1804,  m.  73.   Albro,  b.  Feb.  29,  1808,  m. 

72.  Sophronia,  b.  Oct.  9,  1806,  m.  William      74.    Mason,  b.  Oct.   7,   1801,  m. 
San  ford. 

35.  George,  son  of  Stephen  and  Polly  (Collier")  Fyler,  m.  Prudence  Den- 
nison  of  Burke,  Vt.,  in  June    1808.      Children  : 

75.  George  Dennison,   b.  Feb.    5,  1810,  m.  79.   Catharine,  b.  June  25,  1816,  m.  Hiram 
Hannah    Bundy  lived   at  Burke,  a  farmer.  Perkins    iMar.    13,    1838,    had     Emily    b. 

76.  Elhanan  W.,  b.  July  23,   i8ii,m.  Dec.  4,  1838,  who  m.  Harvey  L.  Roberts  ; 

77.  Adaline,  b.  Nov    18 1 3,  m.  Levi    Mun-  and  Oscar  F.,  b.   Dec.   27,  1840,  who  m. 
sill,  Jr  ,  in  1843,  lived  in  Torrington;   no  Goldsmith  and  has  three  children, 
children,    d.     at      Winchester.  80.    Octavia,  b.  Feb.   10,    1818,  m.     Willard 

78.  Maria,  b.  Oct.,  1815  ;    m.  Dr.  Redding  Bundy,  Sept.  1843,  lives  in  Vt. 

of  Vermont,  who  died   soon,    had   a   dau.      81.    Alfred,    b    Mar.    23,  1823,    d.    a  young 
Octavia   who  lives  with   her  uncle   Elha-  man. 

nan,  in  Bridgeport,  Ct. 

41.    Harlow,  son  of  Stephen  and  Polly  (Collier)  Fyler,  m.   ibt  Prudence  E., 

daughter  of Crosby,  Nov.  26,    1818.     She  was  b.  at  Chatham,  July  i  795, 

d  March  6,  1819  ;  m.  2d  Sibyl  R  Tolles,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rosannah 
(Peck)  Toltes,  July  6,  1823.  She  was  b.  at  Montague,  Mass.,  Sept.  22,  1802. 
Mr.  Fyler  resided  on  the  old  homestead  undl  1874,  when  he  removed  to  Win- 
sted,  so  as  to  be  near  one  of  his  sons,  and  find  some  help  and  comfort  in  that 
fact  in  his  last  years.      {^See  Biogrnphy.^     Children: 


Genealogies.  697 

82.  Juba,    b.  Dec.    lo,    1824,  d.    Dec.    13,  86.   Chnrles  H.,    b.   Sept.  2,    1831,  d.    June 
1824.  23,  1832. 

83.  Carolina  Moore,   b.  Dec.    13,    1824.   an  87.   Charles  H.,  b.  Mar.  16,    1833,  d.   June 
adopted  daughter,  m.    Chester    P.    Drake,  10,  1834. 

Dec.  24,  1846.  88.    Florimond  D.,  b.  Dec.   11,  1834,  m. 

84.  Harlow,    b.    Oct.    3,    1827,    d.  Oct.    8,      89.    Carlton  C,  b.  Dec.  31,  1837,  m. 
1827.  90.   Orsamus  R.,  b.  Jan.  17,  1840,  m. 

85.  Jenette  E.,  b.  May  27,  1829,  not  m.  j 
went  to  school  at  Wilbraham,  lives  with 
her  father  at  Winsted. 

42.  Sally,  daughter  of  John  and  Esther  (Bacon)  Fylcr,  m.  Elisha  Smith, 
Dec.  3,  1812  He  was  deacon  of  the  first  church  in  Winsted,  and  d.  Jan.  9, 
1861.      Children: 

91.  Amelia,  b.    Aug.    30,    1S13,   m.   Alex-      94.   Sarah,  b.  Dec.    11,    1825,   m.    Sept.    8, 
ander  P.  Cleaveland,  Mar.  30,  1835.  1858.      Rev.    Henry    A.    Russell,    Cong. 

92.  Miles,   b.    July    6,    1817,    m.    Matilda  clergyman. 
Baldwin,  Dec.  3,  1839. 

93.  Zebina,  b.  Aug.  9,  1820,  d.  Nov.  25, 
1841. 

49.  Orsamus  R.,  son  of  Roman  and  Hannah  (Barton)  Fyler,  did  not  marry, 
but  was  a  man  of  much  energy  and  character.  He  was  first  inventor  of  a  clock 
to  run  eight  days  in  a  short  case,  so  far  as  i<nown.  He  manufactured  whet- 
stones in  Vermont  ;  and  afterwards  became  interested  in  selling  the  Quinabaug 
whet-stone.  He  was  a  man  oi  unusual  intellectual  powers;  studied  specially 
geology  and  chemistry  ;  became  familiar  and  well  versed  in  most  scientific  sub- 
jects, and  was  a  perfect  gentleman  in  manners  and  social  life.  He  educated  a 
young  lady  at  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  expecting  to  marry  her.  She  went  South  to 
teach,  met  a  young  southerner  and  m.  him.  It  was  afterwards  known  that  she 
met  the  young  man  before  going  south  and  went  there  tj  marry  him  instead  ot 
teaching.  This  transaction  so  turned  Mr.  Fyler,  against  the  ladies  that  he  not 
only  resolved  not  to  marry  but  disliked  to  hear  any  talk  about  them.  He  d. 
May  115,  1867,  and  his  remains  were  interred  in  the  Fyler  burying  ground. 

57.  Silas  T.,  son  of  Silas  and  Hylah  (Taylor)  Fyler,  m.  Lydia  M.  Eggles- 
ton,  Aug.  8,  1832.  She  was  b.  Aug.  16,  1812,  They  reside  in  Sullivan, 
Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.      Children  : 

95.  Silas  B.,  b.  Aug.  3,  1835,  m.  Galen    M.    Hardy,  April    16,    1859,  who 

96.  Alice    M.,    b.   July    2,  1839,    m.  Rev.  was  b.  Dec.  27,  1830. 

62.  Sheldon  H.,  son  of  Shaylor  and  Mary  (Hurlbut)  Fyler,  m.  Marian 
Richards,  Oct.  29,  1845.  She  was  b.  June  28,  1825.  Thev  resided  in 
Michigan  city,  Ind.      Children  : 

97.  Ellen  C,  b.  July  23,  1846, m.  Frederick      100.    Angle  M.,  b.  Oct.  30,  1852. 

W.  Taylor,  March  23,  1867,  wJio  was  c.  loi.    Ida,  b.  April    11,  1855,   d.  March    12, 
Sept.  21,  1845.  1859.. 

98.  Jane  A.,  b.  Nov.,  1848,  d.  Sept,  1S49.  102.    Willie,    b.  Aug.    3,   1858,    d,    March 

99.  Frederic,  b.    Dec.  2,  1850,    d.  Nov.  15,  11,  1859. 

1851.  103.   Label  M.,  b.  May  23,  i860. 

66.  Lorenzo  S.,  son  of  Erastus  and  Abigail  (Smiih)  Fyler,  m.  1st  Cordelia 
Wiltse,  Sept.  12,  1841.  She  d.  May  22,  1864.  Hem.  2d  Catharine  Wilise, 
March  1,  1865.  He  removed  to  state  of  New  York,  thence  to  Rosco,  111. 
Children  : 

104.  Edwin  W.,  b.  Nov.  5,   1843,  m.  107.   Infant,  b.  Oct.  21,  1859,  d. 

105.  Warren  E.,  b.  March  26,  1S46.  108.   Mary  F.,  b.  Nov.  27,  1862. 

106.  Dewitt  C,  b.  March  8,  1850. 

88 


698 


History  of  Torrington. 


71.  HiLAMON,  son  of  Stephen  and  Almira  (Wilson)  Fyler,  m.  Charlotte 
Hamilton,  of  Goshen,  April  23,  1850.  No  children;  lives  in  Winchester, 
on  Torringford  street,  a  little  north  of  his  father's  homestead  He  is  a  man  of 
good  abilities  ;  lectured  on  phrenology  in  the  southern  states ;  was  the  first  in 
this  region,  so  far  as  he  knows,  who  taught  juveniles  to  sing  by  note  and  keep 
time  ;  had  three  such  schools  in  Waterbury,  in  which  he  had  great  success  ; 
taught  public  school  several  winters.  His  favorite  study  has  been,  for  many 
years,  agricultural  chemistry. 

73.  Albro,  son  of  Stephen  and  Armira  (Wilson)  Fyler,  m.  Jane  E.  Kennie 
of  Colebrook,  June  23,  1850,  and  lives  near  his  father's  homestead.  Children: 
109.   Charles  S.,  b.  June  12,  1851,  m.  iii.   Martha  W.,  b.  Nov.  12,  1854. 

no.  Sarah  A.,  b.  Nov.  23,  1852,  m.  Ed- 
mund Muason,  lives  in  Winsted  ;  has 
children. 

74.  Mason,  son  of  Stephen  and  Armira  (Wilson)  Fyler,  m.  Martha  Mun- 
son  of  Wolcottville.      Went  to  California  about  185 1.      Child: 

112.  Ellen,  m.  Beardsley  and  resides  in  Winchester. 

76.  Elhanan,  son  of  George  and  Prudence  (Dennison)  Fyler,  m.;  was  a 
successful  paper  manufacturer  in  Maine  ;  returned  to  Winsted  and  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  condensed  milk  ;  removed  to  Bridgeport  ;  bought  a;  resi- 
dence on  the  Black  Rock  road  ;  was  the  original  contractor  for  the  building  of 
the  air  line  rail  road.  He  also  built  a  rail  road  in  Kansas.  He  is  an  honorable 
upright  man.      Child  : 

113.  George. 

88.  Florimond  D.,  son  of  Harlow  and  Sibyl  R.  (Tolles)  Fyler,  m.  Abbie 
A.,  dau.  William  S. ,  and  Caroline  A.  (Jones)  Steele,  of  Wolcottville,  Nov. 
28,  i860,  and  resides  in  West  Winsted,  near  his  father  and  mother,  to  give 
a  litde  care  to  them  in  their  declining  years  He  has  taken  considerable  in- 
terest in  the  genealogy  of  his  family,  and  thereby  there  is  a  much  better  repre- 
sentation of  that  family  in  this  work  than  otherwise  would  have  been.  He  has 
a  natural  mind  for  scientific  study,  and  m  the  state  scientific  survey  of  Illinois, 
made  considerable  geological  collections,  and  also  gave  some  attention  to  other 
departments  of  science  (See  Lawyers). 

89.  Carlton  C,  son  of  Harlow  and  Sibyl  (Tolls)  Fyler,  went  to  school 
at  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  m.  Aug.  15,  1861,  Louisa  R.,  dau.  of  Orson  Barber,  of 
Newfield.  His  business  engagements  have  been  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.  He  went  to  the  Black  hills  in  March,  1876,  among  the  first  who 
went  there,  where  he  is  still  engaged.      Children  : 

115.  Carlton  P.,  b.  Aug.  9,  1863.  117.   Walter  Stephen,  b.  March  15,  1873. 

116.  Sheridan  B.,  b.  Sept.  20,  1824. 

90.  Orsamond  R.,  son  of  Harlow  and  Sibyl  R.  (Tolles)  Fyler,  went  to 
school  at  Wilbraham  academy  ;  m.  Mary  E.,  dau.  of  Davis  Vaill,  of  Wolcott- 
ville, Dec.  14,  1865.  She  was  b.  in  Cornwall,  Oct.  3,  1844.  He  enlisted 
and  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  U.  S.,  Sept.  Ii,  1862,  a  private  of 
Co.  C,  19th  regiment,  infantry  ;  transferred  to  Second  Heavy  artillery,  and 
was  located  in  the  defences  of  Wasnington,  eighteen  months.  In  Dec  ,  ig63, 
was  sent  home  to  recruit  men  to  complete  the  regiment  ;  was  made  color 
seargent  while  in  camy  Dutton  in  Litchfield  ;  was  mustered  as  2d  lieutenant, 
March  4,  18^)4,  at  Robert  E.  Lee's  residence  on  Arlington  Heights;  joined 
Grant's  army  of  the  Potomac,  May  19,  1864  ;  was  in  the  engagements  of 
North  Anna  river.  Cold   Harbor,  in  front  of  Petersburgh,   Weldon  rail   road, 


Genealogies.  699 

and  at  Winchester,  Va.,  under  Sheridan,  Sept.  19,  1864,  where  he  was 
wounded  in  the  left  limb  below  the  knee,  which  resulted  in  making  him  lame 
for  life.  After  about  four  months  he  reached  Wolcottville,  where  for  one  year 
he  was  unable  to  move  about  with  comfort.  He  then  engaged  for  a  short 
time  in  a  flour  and  feed  store,  when  he  was  appointed  post  master,  in  1866, 
and  reappointed  in  1870,  by  Gen.  Grant,   which  offiee  he  still  holds.      Child  : 

118.  Gertrude  B.,  b.  Sept.  21,  1868. 

95.  Silas  B.,  son  of  Silas  T.  and  Hylah  (Taylor)  Fyler,  m.  Eunice  K. 
Fancher  Oct  29,  1856,  who  was  b.  Oct.  22,  1836.  He  resides  in  Sullivan, 
Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  is  a  successful  farmer.       Children: 

119.  Silas  W.,  b.  Jan.    13.    i860,    d.  Sept.      121.   Silas  H.,  b.  May  9,  1867. 

5,  1862.  122.   Preston  H.,  b.   Sept.  29,  1871. 

120.  Cora  B.,  b.  July  30,  1863. 

104.  Edwin  W.,  son  of  Lorenzo  and  Cordelia  (Wiltse)  Fyler,  m.  Josephine 
A.  Hinman,  Sept.  28,  1869.  She  was  b.  Feb.  2,  1849,  and  d.  June  15, 
1874.      He  m.,  2d,  Eliza  Smith  of  N.  Y.      Children  : 

123.    Albert  L.,  b.  Sept.    14,    1870,  d.  Jan.      124.   Frederick    E.,    b.   April    2,    1872,   d. 
23,  2875.  May  2,  1872. 

By  2d  wife  : 

125.  Walter,  b.  Feb.  4,  1877,  in  Camden,  N.  J. 

109.  Charles  S.,  son  of  Albro  and  Jane  E.  (Kinnie)  Fyler,  m.  Augusta 
Thrall  of  Bloomficld,  Ct.      Children  : 

126.  Oliver  C,  b.  July  13,  1874.  '^S.    Walter  A.,  b.  July  18,  1877. 

127.  George  F,  b     Dec.  15,  1875. 

FYLER,  Jeremiah,  brother  of  Silas,  who  settled  in  Newfield,  m,  Jerusha 
Kelscy,    of  Hartford,  and  lived  in  Windsor.      Children: 

1.  Jerusha,  b.  Jan.  30,  1739.  8.  Paris,  b.  April  26,  1754. 

2.  Clymena,  b.  Feb.  i,  1742.  9.  Norman,  b.  May  13,  1756. 

3.  Roj;er,  b.  May  3,  1743.  10.  Annie,  b.  Oct.  12,  1758. 

4.  Rachel,  b.  June  19,  1745.  II.  Ambrose,  b.  Jan.    15,  1751  ;  settled   in 

5.  Cynthia,  b.  Dec.  17,  1747.  Torringf'urd,  was  a  revolutionary  soldier. 

6.  Silvia,  b.  March    29,  1750.  12.  Horace,  b.  Jan.,  19,  1765. 

7.  Ulysses,  b.  Jan.  1 1,  1752,  m.  and  settled 
in  Torringtord  ;  a  very  fine  citizen  ;  a  real 
old  fashioned  gentleman. 

GAYLORD,  Dea.  William,  probably  one  of  the  passengers  of  the  Mary 
and  John,  in  1630,  was  one  of  the  first  deacons  of  the  Dorchester  church.  He 
signed  with    Dea.    Rockwell   the  first    land  grants  in    Dorchester  ;   was   deputy 

and  selectman  in  1635  and  6  ;   removed  to  Windsor.      He  m   ,  and  d. 

July  20,  1673,  a    88.      His  wife  d.  JuiiC  20,  1657.      Children  : 

1.  Elizabeth,    b.    in    England,   m.    Richard      3.    Walter. 
Birge,  Oct.,   I  641.  4.   Samuel. 

2.  William.  5.  John. 

2.  William,  Jr.,  son  of  William,  m.  Ann  Porter,  Feb.  24,  1644  ;  lived  in 
Windsor,  and  d,  Dec.   14,   1656.      Children: 

6.  Anne,  b.  April  24,  1645.  ^°-   Hezekiah,  b.   Feb.    11,  1652,  d.    1678; 

7.  Hannah,  b.  Jan.  30,  I  646,  m. Cran-  no  issue. 

dall.  II.   Josiah,  b.  Feb.   13,  1654. 

8.  John,  b.  Jan.  27,  1648.  12.   Nathaniel,  b.  Sept.  3,  1656. 

9.  William,  b.  Feb.  25,  1650. 


yoo  History  of  Torrington. 

12.  Nathaniel,  son  of  William  and    Anna  (Porter)  Gaylord,   m.   Abigail, 
dau.  of  Thomas  Bissell,  Oct.  17,  1678,  who  d.  Sept.  23,  1723.     Children: 

13.  Nathaniel,  b.  Nov.  23,  1681.  18.   Elizabeth,  b.  July  28,  1693.  m    Samuel 

14.  Abigail,    b.   March    13,  1684,  m.  John  Giiswold. 

Griswold.  19-   Ruth,  b.  April  10,  1700,  m.   Nathaniel 

15.  Joiiah,  b.  Feb.  24,  1686.         '  Griswold. 

16.  Thomas,  ]  b.  June      |  d.  June'21, 1 690.      20.   Esther,    b.    April    8,    1702,    m.    Benj. 

I  20,  1690,  V  m.  Sarah   Buck-  Griswold. 

17.  Joseph,    J  J       land.  21.   Rachel,  m.  Jonas  Barber. 

15.   JosiAH,  son   of  Nathaniel  and   Abigail   (Bissell)    Gaylord,    m.    Naomi 
Burnham,  May  7,  1713  ;  resided  in  Windsor.      Children: 

22.  James,  b.    May  14,    1714,  d.  June   22,      26.   Nehemiah,  b.  June  15,  1722. 
iyi4.  27.   Elijah,  b.  Sept.  13,  1725. 

23.  Naomi,  b.  Nov.  3,  1715.  28.   Giles,  b.   Dec.    19,    1728,    d.    Feb.    17, 

24.  Sarah,  b.  Dec.  11,  1717.  1736- 

25.  Josiah,  b.  Jan.  7,  1720. 

26.  Dea  Nehemiah,  son  of  Josiah  and  Naomi  (Burnham)  Gaylord,  m.  Lucy 
Loomis,  "a  very  pious  woman"  Nov.  10,  1748,  who  d.  Sept.  2,  1800,  a-  74. 
He  d.  in  1801,  a.  80.  He  was  elected  deacon  of  the  Torringford  church 
probably  in  1764,  when  the  church  was  organized.  He  was  in  Torrington, 
two  years  or  before  he  was  m.,  and  during  that  time  probably  built  a  log  house 
as  did  his  brother  Elijah.  In  1761,  Mr.  Gaylord  built  his  frame  house,  still 
standing  in  good  repair  ;  the  date  being  engraved  on  the  thumb  piece  ot  the 
door  latch.  The  house  was  very  nicely  finished  inside,  with  the  old  style 
panneling  below  the  windows  and  about  the  beams  and  stairway  and  chimney, 
and  the  lumber  was  of  the  purest  kind  possible  from  the  pine  swamp.  The 
house  was  large,  and  from  that  reason,  meetings  were  held  in  it  much  ot  the  time 
until  the  building  of  the  meeting  house,  and  also  was  school  "  kept"  in  it  some 
years.  Deacon  Gaylord's  name  is  prominent  in  the  transactions  of  the  society 
and  he  probably  served  as  deacon  forty-five  years,  and  was  gathered  to  his^ 
heavenly  rest  to  wait  until  the  coming  of  Father  Mills,  and  a  great  company  ot 
those  he  had  served  in  the  high  and  honorable  office  of  deacon.      Children  : 

29.  Lucy,  b.   Apr.  14,    1750,  m.   Zachariah      31.   Nehemiah,  b.  Oct.  14,  1754)  "^■ 
Mather,  lived  in  Torringford.  32.   Naomi,  m.  Asahel  Kellogg  of  Canaan. 

30.  Joseph,  b    Feb.  15,  1752,   m. 

27.  Capt.  Elijah,  son  of  Josiah  and  Naomi  (Burnham)  Gaylord,  m.  Margaret 
Taylor,  of  Windsor,  Nov.  11,  1749,  and  settled  on  the  farm  lying  east  and 
north  of  the  present  meeting  house.  His  first,  a  log  house  stood  on  the  east 
and  west  road  about  twenty  rods  southeast  of  the  present  meeting  house.  His 
first  framed  house  stood  in  what  is  now  the  door  yard  of  Richard  W.  Griswold. 
He  was  a  man  of  considerable  prominence  in  the  society  and  community  many 
years.  He  gave  land  for  a  burying  ground;  the  deed  dated  Oct.  1789,  but 
quite  a  number  of  burials  had  taken  place  in  the  yard  or  lot,  before  he  executed 
the  deed.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  for  such  a  ground  of  which 
there  can  be  any  conception.  The  Bolton  hills  east  of  the  Connecticut  are  in 
full  view,  with  a  beautiful  intervening  country  ;  to  the  northwest  the  view 
reaches  the  hills  of  Massachusetts  ;  to  the  west  and  southwest  those  ot  Cornwall, 
Litchfield;  and  Northfield  ;  to  the  southeast  those  of  Brisiol  and  Southington, 
Capt.  Gaylord,  m-  a  second  wife  who  was  the  mother  of  the  following  children  : 

33.   Margaret  Taylor,  b.  May  23,    1791,  m.      34.   Giles  A.,  b.  Aug.  i,  1793,  m. 
Thaddeus  Griswold.  35,   Elijah  Milo,  b.  Dec.  5,  1795. 


Genealogies.  701 

GTLLETT,  Jonathan,  Senr.,  came  with  his  brother  Nathan  to  Dorchester, 
Mass.,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Warham  in  1630,  and  removed  to  Windsor,  with  the 
first  emigration.  His  first  three  children  were  b.  before  he  came  to  Windsor, 
and  the  dates  of  their  birth  are  wanting.      Children: 

1.  Cornelius,   rr.  6.  Samuel,  b.  Jan.  22,  1642. 

2.  Jonathan,  m.  Mary  Kelsey  of  Hartford.  7.  John,  b.  Oct.  5,  1644. 

3.  Mary.  8.  Abigail,  bap.  June  28,  1646. 

4.  Anna.  b.  Dec.  29,  1639.  9.  Jeremiah,  b.  Feb.  12,  1647. 

5.  Joseph  bap.,  b.    July  25,  I  641.  10.  Josias,  bap.  July  14,  1650. 

1.  Cornelius,  son  of  Jonathan,  m.  Priscilla  Kelsey  and  settled  in  Windsor. 
He  d.  June  26,   17 — .      Children  : 

11.  Pr'scilla,  b.  Jan.  1659,  d.  young.  15.   Hester,  b.  May  24,  1671. 

12.  Priscilla,  b. May,  1661,  m.    Grimes.      16.   Sarah,    b.  Jan.  3,    1673,  m.  Webb. 

13.  Abigail,  b.  Sept.  20,  1663,  m.  1st, 17     Joanna,    b.     April    22,     idjd,    m.    ist, 

Loomis,  2d, Birge.  Allyn,  2d,  Bancroft. 

14.  iMary,  b.    Aug.  12,  1 658.  18.    Daniel,  b.  July  i,    1679. 

18.  Daniel,  son  of  Cornelius  and  Priscilla  (Kelsey)  Gillett,  m.  Mary  Eno, 
Jan.  28,  1703.  He  d.  Aug.  16,  1753,  a.  75.  His  widow,  Mary,  d.  Dec. 
17,  1773,  aged  92.      Children: 

19.  Daniel,  b.  Nov.  17,  1703.  m.  Bull,  ancestor  of  Dr.  Isaac  Bull  of  Hartford. 

20.  .Vlary,  b.  July  9,  1705,  m.  Anthony  24.  Hannah,  b.  Dec.  21,  1719,  m.  Thomas 
Hoskms.  Moore. 

21.  John,  b.  Sept.  11,  1707,  m.  25.    Margaret,   b.  Dec.   21,    1723,  Timothy 

22.  Ann,   b.    March    12,    171  i,m.   Samuel  Phelps. 

Barber.  26.    Dorothy,  b.    May  15,  1726,  m.   Samuel 

23.  Eunice,    b.    Feb.    21,    1717,  m.    Isaac  Cook,  Nov.  25,  1747. 

21.  John,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Eno)  Gillett,  m,  Elizabeth  Drake  Sept. 
30,  I  73  I  ;  lived  on  his  father's  homestead  in  Windsor,  and  d  Dec.  25,  1800. 
His  widow,  Elizabeth,  d.  Jan.  5,    1802.      Children: 

27.  Elizabeth,  b.  Sept.  26,  1732,  m.  Eli  31.  Ann,  b.  Aug.  16,  1740,  m.  Josiah 
Palmer,  2d  Thrall.  Moore. 

28.  Lucy,b.  Nov.  23,  1735,  '"•  Sam'l  Allyn.  32.    Prudence,  b.  May  22,  1743,  m.  Watson 

29.  John,     (  b.  July  30,    1738,  m.  Loomis. 

50.   Jabez,    f  33.    Daniel,  b.  Nov.  22,  1748. 

29.  John,  son  of  John  and  Elizabth  (Drake)  Gillett,  came  to  Torrington 
in  1761,  m.  Abigail,  dau.  of  Benj.  Catlin.,  of  Harwinton,  Aug.  30,  1770,  and 
made  his  home  in  Torringford  ;  was  a  man  of  high  moral  character,  and  of 
honorable  standing  in  the  community  ;  one  of  the  many  substantial  families 
of  that  society.  He  d.  Jan.  15,  1826,  a.  87  years,  and  hir  widow,  ."Abigail,  d. 
May  13,  1835,  aged  84  years.      Children: 

34.  Abigail,  b.  May  6,  1771,  m.  Orson  36.  Benjamin  C,  b.  Aug.  20,  1782,  d.  in 
Moore,  of  Windsor,  Jan.  5,  1796;  who  Wilmington, N.  C,  July  27,  1837,  a.  55. 
d.  in  1798,  leaving  a  dau.  Harriett,  m.  He  was  a  cabinet  maker  and  then  a 
2d  Samuel  Stoughton,  and  d.  in  Harttord  merchant  5  a  man  of  great  integrity  and 
in  1849.  a.  78.  honor;    never  m. 

35.  John,  b.  Mar.  30,  1776,  m. 

30.  Capt.  Jabez,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Drake)  Gillett,  came  to  Tor- 
rington in  1761,  and  m.  Ann  Loomis  of  Windsor,  June  15,  1762,  and  settled 
the  satne  year  in  Torringford,  and  joined  the  Torrington  church  under  the 
haltway  covenant,  that  same  year.  He  was  captain  in  the  Revolution  ;  was 
representative  a  number  of  years  ;  and  was  an  active  man  in  the  interests  of  the 
town  and  the  society.      His  wife  .'^nn,  d.  May  13,   1795,  and  he  m.,  2d,  Lau- 


702  History  of  Torrington. 

rana  Roberts,  of  Windsor,  Jan.  l  i,  1798.      He  d,  Apr.    29,    1818,  aged    80 
years.      Children  : 

37.  Ann,    b.    Dec.    11,    1762,    m.    Oliver  41.    Elizabeth,  b.  Aug.  10,  1773,  never  m., 
Phelps  of  Harwinton.  d.  in  1835,  a.  60. 

38.  Chloe,    b.   Jan.   23,    1765  ;   m.   Anson  42.   Aurelia,    b.    Apr.    24,    1776,  m.    Seth 
Colt.  Treadway,  and  lived  to  be  over  90    years 

39.  Roxanna,  m.  Hezekiah  Durand.  of  age. 

40.  Esther,  b.  Mar.    I,    1771,  m.    Uri  Cur-  43.   Horace,  b.  Oct.  6,  1779. 
tiss. 

35.  John,  son  of  John  and  Abigail  (Catlin)  Gillett,  m.  Mary,  daughter  of 
Dr,  Samuel  Woodward,  Feb.  2,   1824.      Children: 

44.   Rufus  W.,  b.  April  22,  1825,  m.  45.  John  C,  b.  June  5,  1827,  m. 

43.  Horace,  son  of  Jabez  and  Ann  (Loomis)  Gillett,  m.  Rachel  Austin, 
June.  I  80 1.  He  had  the  principal  management  of  the  Connecticut  Land  Com- 
pany's possessions  in  Ohio,  and  surveyed,  laid  out  and  distributed  to  the  pro- 
prietors. He  was  justice  of  the  peace  and  represented  Torrington  in  the  state 
legislature.  He  d.  Oct.  11,  1867,  a.  88  years  ;  his  wife  Rachel,  d.  Sept.  10, 
1849.      Children: 

46.  Electa,  b.  May,  1803,  d.  June,  1810.  49.   Harriet  E.,  b.  June  12,    1815,  d.    June 

47.  Horace  C,  b.  Feb.  6,  1806.  26,  1823. 

48.  Caroline,  b.   May  3,  1811,    m.    Charles  50.   Samuel  J.,  b.  Aug.  3,  1S17. 
N.  Henderson  July  29,   1837,   had  seven 

children. 

44.  RuFus  Woodward,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Woodward)  Gillett,  m. 
Charlotte  M.,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Smith,  of  Torringford,  May  26,  1847. 
He  removed  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  May,  1862,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  flour,  grain,  and  shipping  business,  and  has  been  moderately  successful.  His 
early  life  was  on  the  farm  in  Torringford,  and  afterwards  was  clerk  in  the  store 
of  Gen.  Frederick  Phelps,  at  Litchfield  ;  afterwards  owned  and  operated  the 
store  in  Torringford  so  long  kept  by  Nathaniel  Smith  ;  in  1856,  became  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  VVolcottville  Brass  Company,  where  he  remained  until 
he  removed  west.  His  shipping  business  in  Detroit,  aggregates  some  three  mil- 
lions of  dollars  a  year.  His  old  friends  in  his  nati\e  town  place  his  character 
at  par,  with  some  little  margin  yet  to  be  filled  out.      Children  : 

51.   Mary  W.,  b.  Feb.  19,  1849,   m.  Henry      52.    Charles  S.,  b.   Nov.  10,    1850,  d.  Oct. 
K.    Lathrop,    Jr.,    of   Detroit    where    she  18,  1876. 

resides.  53.   Harriet  W  ,  b.  May  11,  1854. 

47.  HoR.-^CE  C,  M.D.,  son  of  Horace  and  Rachel  (Austin)  Gillett,  m. 
Sarah  A.  Watson,  Oct.  i,  1834.  He  practiced  medicine  in  East  Windsor, 
and  in  1863,  removed  to  Chicago,  111.,  and  in  1875,  to  St.  Charles,  Kane  Co., 
Ill  ,  where  he  still  resides. 

GILLETT,  Z.ACHEUS,  son  of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  (Griswold)  Gillett,  m. 
1st  Ruth  Phelps,  Dec.  15,  1743:  2d  widow  Sarah  Dean,  of  Wolcott,  Ct., 
Dec.  17,  1778.  He  resided  in  Granby  until  1773  or  1774,  when  he  removed 
to  Wolcott.  He  d.  while  on  a  visit  to  Granby,  Jan.  7,  1793.  His  grand- 
father was  Nathan,  Jr.,  and  his  great  grandfather  Nathan  came  ro  America 
with  his  brother  Jonathan  and  settled  in  Windsor,  and  afterwards  in  Simsbury. 
Children  : 

1.  Zacheus,  b.  Nov.  11,  1745.  4.   Ruth,  b.  Sept.  29,  1751. 

2.  Ava,  b.  Oct.  4,  1747,  d.  Sept.  3,  1748.        5.   Mary,  b.  Aug.  4,  1753,  m.  Josiah  Atkins, 

3.  Alexander,  b.  Aug.  14,  1749.  of  Wolcott,  Ct. 


Genealogies.  -yoj 

6.  Nathan,  b.  Sept.  29,  1755.  10.   Rachel,    b.    Nov.   28,    1764,   m.    Noah 

7.  Elizabeth,    b.      March    30,      1758,    m.  Uzza  Norton,  of  Wolcott. 

Elkanah  Smith,  of  Wolcott.  11.   Timothy,   b.   July,  21,    1770,  d.    April 

8.  Benoni,  b.  July,   23,   1760.  22,  1780. 

9.  Anne,  b.  Jan.  3,  1763,  m.  George  Cor- 
nish, d.  March  13,  1793. 

3.  Rev.  Alexander,  son  of  Zacheus  and  Ruth  (Phelps)  Gillett,  m.  Adah, 
dau.  of  Dea.  Josiah  Rogers,  of  Wolcott,  Dec.  3,  1778.  He  preached  in 
Wolcott  and  Torrington,  and  d  Jan.  19,  1826,  in  the  77th  year  of  his  age 
and  the  53d  of  his  ministry.  His  wife  Adah  d.  May  10,  1839,  a.  -]■]. 
Children  : 

12.  Rev.    Timothy     Phelps,    b.    June    15,  15.   Adah,  b.  Oct.  10,  1787,  still  living  and 
1780,  m.  Sally  Hodges.  in  her  91st  year. 

13.  Asaph,   b.  Oct.    15,   1782,  d.    Aug.  21,  16.   Elias,  b.    June    11,    1792,   d.    Oct.    26, 
1846,  a.  64.  1871,  a.  79. 

14.  Esther,  b.    May  26,    1785,  d.    Dec.  30,  17.   Marianna,  b.  Jan.  13,  1796,  d.  Nov.  4, 
1834,  a.  50.  1S15,  a.  nearly   20. 

6.  Nathan,  son  of  Zacheus  ard  Ruth  (Phelps)  Gillett,  m.  Lucy,  dau.  of 
Dea.  Aaron  Harri'on,  of  Wolcott,  Ct.,  April  16,  1779  ;  resided  in  Torring- 
ton about  nine  yeais,  after  Rev.  Alexander  settled  here,  then  removed  to  Ohio. 
Children: 


18. 

Nathan,  b.  March  7,  1781. 

22. 

Lydia. 

19. 

Asa. 

23. 

Jerusha 

20. 

Anna. 

24. 

John. 

21. 

Salome. 

25. 

Lucy. 

13.  Asaph,  son  of  Rev.  Alexander  and  Adah  (Rogers)  Gillett,  m.  Eliza- 
beth Smith,  of  Wolcott,  settled  in  Torrington,  a  litde  south  of  Drake's  Mills, 
where  he  d.  Aug.  21,  1846,  a.  64.  He  was  highly  esteemed  and  honored  in 
the  town.      His  widow  d.  July  30,  1864,  a.  75.      Children: 

26.  Ellen  M.,  b.  Oct.  14,  1810,  d.  July  17,  S.  Champion  Oct.  19,  1842,  d.  June  3, 
^814-  i854,a  34,  leaving  children, Alexander  G., 

27.  Alexander  A.,  b.  Apr.  21,  1815,  m.  b.  July  19,  1843;  Henry  G.,  b.  Dec.  6, 
Marantha  B.  Drake  Oct.  24,  1839,  d.  1845;  Nathan  A.,  b.  July  24,  1852; 
Jan.  I,    1851,  a.  36.  John  S.,  b.  Apr.  23,  1852. 

28.  Mary  Ann,  b.  Oct.  16,  1819,  m.  Henry 

18.  Nathan,  son  of  Naihan  and  Lucy  (Harrison)  Gillett,  m.  Abby,  dau. 
of  Dea.  Guy  Wolcott,  May  z6,  1803,  and  built  and  occupied  the  house  on 
Main  street,  west  side,  near  the  river  bridge  in  Wolcottville.  In  this  house 
the  daughter,  Mrs.  Witter  says  she  saw  Rev.  Father  Mills,  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher 
and  Rev.  Dr.  Nettleton  ;  the  latter  held  a  meeting  here  one  evening.  He  re- 
moved to  Ohio  in  1817,  on  the  Western  Reserve,  and  d.  in  Middlebury,  O., 
in  1841  or  2.      His  wife,  Abby,  d.  Aug.  3,  1830.      Children: 

29.  Eliza  M.,  m.  Dr.  Titus  Chapman,  34.  Mary  Ann,  b.  Feb.  27,  181 3,  m.  Edgar 
had  children.  T.  Chapman,  no  children. 

30.  Catharine  W.,  b.  Nov.  7,  1805,  m.  35.  Amanda,  b.  April  10,  i8i  6,  m.  Sidney 
John  Nash,  and  had  5  children,  one  of  Bass  of  Ct.,  had  three  sons,  one  fell  at  the 
whom  m.  Rev.  Frank  Hemingway.  battle  of  Atlanta,  Ga. 

31.  Charlotte,  b.  Sept.  6,  1807,  m.  Elijah  36.  Abby,  b.  Dec.  18,  1818,  in  O.,  m.  ist 
Mason,  had  six  children.  Arthur,  2d  Wm.   Witter. 

32.  Lucretia,  b.  Sept.  10,  1809,  m.    Alfred  37.   Annis,  b.  d.  an  infant. 

Witter.  38.   Oliver  W.,  b.  May  22.  1823,  m.  had  3 

33.  Alexander   Wolcott,   b.   May  19,  1812,  children, 
wras  drowned  when  about  two  years  of  age. 

32.  LucREriA    dau.    of  Nathan   and    Abby   (Wolcott)   Gillett,    m.    Alfred 


1 


704  History  of  Torrington. 

Witter  Sept.  26,  1827.      Mr.  Witter  was  b.  Aug.   10,    1800,   in   Washington, 
Mass.      They  reside  in  Connellsville,  Pa.      Children: 

I.  Erastus  Witter,    b.    July   3,    1828,    m.  children. 

May    29,     1856,    Leora    Varney;    had    4  7.    Alfred  W.  Witter,  b.   Sept.  3,  1 841,  d. 

children;  lives  in  Missouri.  Oct.   14,  1864,  filled  a  soldier's  grave. 

a.   Eliza  M.   Witter,   b.  Mar.  18,  1830,  d.  8.   Abigail   D.  Witter,  b.  July  8,    1844,  d. 

Sept.   8,  1834.  Dec.  6,  1871,  in  Connellsville  Pa. 

3.  Emily  A.  Witter,  b.  Apr.  23,  1833,  m.  9.  Lucie  A.  Witter,  b.  Feb.  17,  1S47,  m. 
May  31,  1852,  Rev  Almon  Tiunman  of  D.  K.  Miller  of  Pittsburg,  Sept.  19,  1873, 
Indiana,  had  seven  children.  d.  Oct.  10,  1873. 

4.  Walter  Witter,  b.  Aug.  22,  1835,  d.  10.  George  A.  Witter,  b.  Oct.  30.  1849, 
Sept.  22,  1835.  m.   Emma  Rizer    Sept.    16,    1875,  reside 

5.  Alice  L.  Witter,   b     Sept.   7,  1836,  m.  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  have  one  child. 
John    K.    Rizer,   of  Pittsburg,    Pa.,   July  11.    iMary  E.  L.  Witter,   b.    Oct.    30,  1853; 
4,  i860,  d.    Feb.  21,    1866,   no  children.  m.  Rev.  J.  W.   Warner  Dec.    12,    1871, 

6.  Flora  E.   Witter,  b.    Mar.  23,  1839,  m.  has  two  children. 
James  Matthews  Oct.  30,  1858,   had    six 

GOODSELL,  Dr    Penfield,  came  to    Torrington    before    1792.      He    m. 
Nancv  Beach,  of  Torrington,  Oct.  26,  1791.    Children  recorded  in  Torrington  : 

I.   Aurelia,  b.  March  21,  1792.  2.   Penfield,  b.  Sept.  16,  1796. 

GOODWIN,  Isaac.      Children  : 

1.  Hannah,  m.  Meirills.  Isaac. 

2.  Isaac,  m.   ist,  Assenath   Hills,  2d,  .'Ihoda  3.    Anna,  m.  Ives. 

Hills,  had   Orson,   Benani,   Allen,   Ellen,  4.   Rhoda,  m.  Philo   Mills. 

Martha,    Assenath,     Abijah,    Ellen,    and  5.   Elijah,  m. 

5.   Elijah,  m.  Anna  Hubbard.      Children  : 

6.  Olive,    b.   March,  7,    1799,    m.    Hiram  Weeks,  no  children. 

Winchell,  no  children.  9.   Elijah  F.,   b.   Dec.  4,    1809,  d.   Jan.    18, 

7.  Leonard  H.,  b.  May  27,  1804.  1812. 

8.  George   M.,   b.   Dec.  4,    1807,  m.  Sarah 

7.  Leonard,  m.  Lucy  A.  Hamlin  in  1828.      Children: 

10.  Annette,  b.   Sept.  11,  1829,  m.  Samuel  Aug.    12,    1858,  and   Carrie,  b.   Aug.    9, 
Terry,  June  6,  1861.  1865. 

11.  Caroline  E.,  b.  June  3,  1833,  m.  Roger  12.   Hubbard  L.,  May,  11,    1835. 
C.   Barber  Nov.   20,    1856:   had   Ida,    b. 

8.  George  M.  m.     Children: 

13.  Lewis,  m.  three  times.  15.   Frederick,  m.  Lucy  Pond. 

14.  William,  m.  Octava  Buell.  16.  Sarah,  m.  Frederic  Wadhams. 

12.    Hubbard  L,  m.  Harriet  S.  Bissell  May  2,  1867.      Children: 

17.  Angle  E.,  b.  Sept.  3,  1868.  19.   Leonard  H.,  b.  Aug.  24,  1872. 

18.  Lena  E.,  b.  April  7,  1870.  20.   Leveme  E.,  b.  April  17,  1875. 

GRANT,  Matthew,'  was  one  ot  the  original  company  who  came  in  the 
ship,  Mary  and  John,  to  Dorchester,  in  1630  ;  was  a  freeman  there  in  1631  ; 
removed  to  Windsor  among  the  very  earliest  ;  was  second  town  clerk  there, 
also  the  first  and  for  many  years  the  principal  surveyor  ;  was  a  prominent  man 
in  the  church  ;  evidently  was  just  and  exceedingly  conscientious  in  all  of  his 
public  and  private  transactions  and  duties  ;  as  a  recorder,  he  often  added  notes 
explanatory  or  in  correction,  10  the  records,  which  have  considerable  value  to 
the  investigator  of  the  present  day  ;  he  was  the  compiler  of  the  Old  Church 
Record  so  often   quoted  in    the  history  of   Windsor  ;   in  short,    he  was  a   pious 


'  Great  ancestor  of  U.  S.  Grant,  president  of  the  United  States. 


Genealogies.  705 

hardworking,  conscientious  Christian  man,  and  a  model  town  clerk.  His  first 
wife's  name  is  unknown  ;  he  m.  2d,  Susannah  Rockwell  in  Windsor,  May  29, 
1645.  "Matthew  Grant,  recorder"  d.  Dec.  16,  1681.  His  wife  d.  Nov. 
1665-6.'      Children  by  first  wife. 

1.  Prissilla,  b.    in  Eng.,  Sept.  14,  1626,  m.      3.  Samuel,  b.  Nov.  12,  i63i,at  Dorchester. 
Michael  Humphrey,   Oct.  1647.  4-   Tehan,  b.  Feb.  3,  1633,     "  " 

2.  Josiah,  b.  in  England.  5.   John,  b.  April  30,  1642,  at  Windsor. 

3.  Samuel,  son  of  Matthew  and  Prissilla  Grant,  m.  Mary  Porter,  May  27, 
1658.  He  settled  in  East  Windsor  on  the  little  eminence  in  the  rear  of  the 
East  Windsor,  Theological  Institute,  which  Matthew,  the  father,  speaks  of  in 
1675-6,  in  the  old  church  records,  as  being  the  only  place  in  the  meadow 
which  was  not  covered  with  water  in  the  great  flood  of  1638-9.      Children  : 

6.  Samuel,  b.    April   26,    1659,=  m.    for  2d        9.   Josiah,  b.  March  19,  1668. 
wife  Grace  Minor  who  became  the  mater-  10.   Nathaniel,  b.  April  14,  1672. 
nal  ancestor  of  President  Grant.  11.   Mary,  b.  Jan.    19,1678. 

7.  John,  b.  April  24,  1664.  12.   Abigail,  b.  Jan.  19,  1678,  m.  Dr.  Samuel 

8.  Matthew,  b.  Sept.  22,  1666.  Mather,  April,    1704. 

8.  Matthew,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Porter)  Grant,  m.  Hannah  Chap- 
man, Oct.  29,  1690.  He  lived  and  d.  in  Windsor,  but  was  one  of  the  Windsor 
company  that  owned  the  town  of  Torrington.  In  the  first  division  he  had  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  or  a  half  a  mile  square,  adjoining  Goshen,  and  is  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Dea.  F.  P.  Hills.  It  was  the  largest  lot,  (number  86), 
measured  to  any  one  individual  in  that  first  division.  On  this  lot  his  son 
William  settled.      Children  : 

13.  Matthew,  b.  Oct.  22,  1691,  d.  April  19,  17.  Mary,  b.  Apr.  17,  1702. 
1710,  a.  18  years.  18.  Rachel,  b.  Apr.  17,  1704. 

14.  Daniel,  b.  Feb.  2,   1692-3.  19.  William,  b.  June  7,  1706. 

15.  Hannah,  b.  Mar.  5,    1694-5.  20.  Sarah,  b.  July  17,  1700. 

16.  William,  b.  Jan.  3,  1700,  d.  May,  1701. 

» 

19.    William,  son  of  Matthew  and  Hannah    (Chapman)  Grant,    m.  Sarah 
He  removed  to  Torrington  and  settled  on  the  farm  allotted  to  his 


father  in  the  first  division,  sometime  (probably)  before  October,  1739.  -^^ 
possessed  that  quality  of  mind  which  has  characterized  the  family  in  nearly  all 
the  descendants,  that  of  fixedness  of  purpose  and  judgment.  He  d.  Nov.  10, 
1786,  a.  80  years.      His  widow  Sarah,  d.  March  19,    1791.      Children: 

21.  Bathsheba,  b.  Oct.  26,   1728.  26.   William,  b.  Nov.  27,  1741,  m. 

22.  Matthew,  b.  Feb.  8,   1730,  m.  27.   Daniel,    b.   Dec.    28,     1743,    never   m. 

23.  Zerviah,  b.    Nov.  13,    1431,   m.  Amos  [See  Biog.) 

Wilson,  Oct.  26,  1752.  28.   Manara,  m.  Joseph  Blake. 

24.  Sarah,  b.  June  8,  1735. 

25.  Tryphena,    b.    Jan.  16,    1737,  m.    Sey- 
mour Bradley. 

22.  Matthew,  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Grant,  came  to  Torrington, 
when  a  boy,  with  his  father,  and  grew  up  at  hard  labor  in  clearing  away  the 
forests,  preparatory  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  He  married  Phebe  Foster, 
of  Wallingford,  Nov.  18,  1762,  She  was  sister  to  Dea.  John  Whiting's  wife, 
who  was  a  Foster  from  Wallingford.      He  lived  on  his  father's   homestead   un- 


^   If^indior  History. 

2  U.  S.  Grant,  president  of  the  U.  S.,  is  descended  from  this  family. 

89 


7o6 


History  of  Torrington. 


til  his  decease.     She  died  Nov.  7,  1777.      He  died  Jan.    14,    1794,  aged   64 
years.      Children : 

29.  Matthew,  b.  Sept.  4,  1763,  31.   Augustus,    b.   Aug.    i,   1773,  d.    Nov. 

30.  Phebe,    b.    Nov.    22,    1765,    m.,    Esq.  1777- 
Holmes,  who   removed  to  Vernon,  N.  Y. 

26.  William,  2d,  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Grant,  m.  Lois  Foster,  of 
Wallingford,  Nov.  18,  1762,  at  the  same  time  with  his  brother  who  married 
her  sister  Phebe.  He  settled  on  a  farm  adjoining  the  "  Ministry  lot,"  near  the 
center  of  the  town,  and  afterwards  bought  the  forty  acres,  the  Torringford 
part  of  the  ministry  lot,  where  he  lived  and  died.  She  died  Oct,  25,  1777. 
He  died  Sept.,  18  17,  a    76,  in  Vernon,  N.  Y.      Children: 

32.   Ira,  b.  June  30,  1765,  d.  from  the  kick      33.   William,  b.  Feb.  20,  1771. 
of  a  horse,  Oct.  16,    1772.  34.   Ira,  b.  Oct.  2,   1773,  m. 

29.  Matthew,  son  of  Matthew  and  Phebe  (Foster)  Grant,  married 
Rosannah  Lee,  Sept.  29,  1795  ;  a  girl  brought  up  by  John  Cook  of  Torring- 
ton.     He  lived  on  the  old  Grant  homestead.     Children: 

35.  Gerry,  b.  May  23,  1778,  m.  book-keeper  in   New    York   many  years; 

36.  Horatio,  b.  April  i,  1800,  went  to  Cal-  went  to  California  and  soon  after  died, 
ifornia    in    about    1850,     and   was   living  39.   Thomas,  b.  Feb.  18,    1806,  m.,  became 
therein  1870.  a    lawyer     and     commenced     practice    in 

37.  Albert,  b.  June  20,    1802,  d.  Feb.  18,  Oneida  Co.,   N.   Y.,  and   died  in  Califor- 
1804.  nia. 

38.  Albert,  b.  June   20,    1804,    m.,    was  a 

33.  William,  3d,  son  of  William  and  Lois  (Foster)  Grant,  m.  Candace, 
dau.  of  Seth  Hills,  Jan.  8,  1793.  He  lived  near  the  old  meeting  house  plot 
east  of  the  Naugatuck  river.  He  and  family  removed  to  Vernon  Sept.  10, 
1825.      Candace,  his  wife  d.  Mar.  15,  1849.      Children: 

40.  Lois  Foster,  b.   July  6,    1793.  Amelia,  m.  Vogel. 

41.  Harriet  L.,  b.  July  8,    1795.  Louisa. 

42.  Lewis  C,  b.  May  26,  1797. 

34.  Ira,  son  of  William  and  Lois  (Foster)  Grant,  m.  Susannah  Munsell 
Mar.   10,  1796.      Children  : 

43.  Augustus,  b.  Jan.  29,    1797,  m.  45.   Miles,    b.    Dec.    13,   1819.    (See    Bio- 

44.  Flora,  b.  Aug.  28,  1803,  d.  young.  S''''fky-) 

35.  Gerry,  son  of  Matthew  and  Rosannah  (Lee)  Grant,  m.  Louisa,  dau. 
of  Wm.  Whiting,  Nov.,  1825.  He  removed  to  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  thence  in  1852,  to  Applcton,  Wis.,  where  he  d.  He  had  one  daughter 
who  died  young. 

43.  Augustus,  son  of  Ira  and  Susannah  (Munsell)  Grant,  m.  Aurelia,  dau. 
of  Anderson  Cone.  Shed.  May  16,  1825,  aged  27  years,  and  he  m.,  2d, 
Roxanna  Clark  Aug.  29,  1826,  who  d.  Mar.  11,  1847,  a.  52  years.  He  m. 
3d,  widow  Eliza  Barber.  He  was  a  farmer,  and  was  a  partner  in  the  Scythe 
manufactory  in  Wrightville,  where  he  lost  much  of  his  property.      Children  : 

46.   Flora   M.,  b.    July  8,    1820,   m.  Luther     47.   Matthew  A.,^  j,      \J^^ 

Bronson  of   Winchester;   resides  in  Tor-     48.   M  illiam  A.,    V  b.  Sept.  23,  1821. '^J^\ 
rington  hollow.  49.   Daniel  A.,      J 

By  2d  wife  : 

50.  Susan  R.,  b.  Sept.  18,  1831,  m.  George 
R.  Clark,  and  removed  to  Erie,  Pa.,  and 
d.  leaving  a  son  George. 


Genealogies.  707 

47.  Matthew,  son  of  Augustus  and  Aurclia  (Cone)  Grant,  in.  Chloe  Cobb 
of  Colebrook,  Sept.  12,  1844;  lived  on  the  Ira  Grant  farm  fifteen  years,  then 
removed  to  Burrxille,  where  he  resides.      Cnildren  : 

51.  Louisa  C,  b.  Jan.  18,  1846,  m.  Henry  Burr;  lives  in  Wolcottville ;  has  Grant, 
Rowley  of  Winsted,  d.  Nov.  15,  1875,  b.  July  28,  1873;  Frank,  b.  Nov.  11, 
no  children.  1876. 

52.  Mary  A.,   b.  May  4,    1854,   m.  George  53.   Calista   L,  b.  Nov.  1 6,  1859,  d.  in  1862. 

48.  William  A  ,  son  of  Augustus  and  Aurelia  (Cone)  Grant,  m.  1st  Lu- 
cina  M.  Shattuck  of  Torringford  ;  she  was  b.  Dec.  23,  1823,  d.  Oct.  3  i,  1856, 
and  he  m.  2d  Elizabeth  L.  Wadhams,  of  Goshen,  who  was  b.  Aug.  9,  1830. 
Children  by  ist  wife: 

54.  Marcia  L.,  b.  Mar.  11.  1847,  m.  John  Humphrey  and  resides  in  Wolcottville. 
By  2d  wife  : 

55.  Adah  B.,  b.  Apr.  21,  1865. 

49.  Daniel  lit.,  son  of  .Augustus  and  Aurelia  (Cone)  Grant,  m.  Elmira,  dau. 
of  Benjamin  EggL-lston,  Nov.  6,  1845,   ^"'^'  resides  in  VVrightville.      Children: 

56.  Howard  A.,  b.  Feb.  27,  1847,  d.  Sept.  M.  Carr  and  resides  on  the  old  Riel  Brace 
10,  1876.                                                                    farm  halt'a  mile  west  of  Torrington  hollow. 

57.  Flora  R.,  b.  Jan.  30,  1850,  m.  Oriando 

GRISWOLD,'  Edward  and  Matthew,  were  brothers,  and  resided  in 
Kenilvvorth,  Warwickshire,  England,  where  another  brother  Thomas,  also 
lived.  Edward  and  Matthew  came  to  .'\merica  in  1639,  in  a  vessel  sent  out  by 
Mr.  William  Whiting,  and  in  company  with  the  Rev.  Ephraim  Huit,  and 
several  other  members  of  his  congregation,  who  settled  at  Windsor.  Matthew, 
m.  Anna,  dau.  of  Henry  Wolcott,  Oct.  16,  1646,  and  resided  a  time  in 
Windsor,  then  removed  to  Saybrook,  as  agent  for  Gov.  Fenwick.  He  sub- 
sequently purchased  a  large  estate  in  Blackhall,  a  pleasant  part  of  Lyme,  Ct., 
which  has  now  been  the  seat  of  the  Griswold  family  for  inore  than  two  cen- 
turies.     Of  this  family  were  the  two  governors 'Griswold.      Children: 

I.   Henry,  b.  Jan.  21,  16 — .  2.    George. 

Edward,    brother  of  Matthew,   b.  in    England,  in    1607,  m.    while  young 

Margaret ;   and    after  his  arrival    in  America,    he  settled    in  a  part    of 

Windsor  called  Poquounnoc.  He  afterwards  became  one  ot  the  first  settlers  at 
Killingworth,  Ct.  In  March,  1663,  he  was  appointed  one  of  a  committee  to 
lay  out  the  undivided  lands  in  Massaco  (Simsbury),  to  such  inhabitants  of 
Windsor,  as  desire  or  need  them.  In  Killingworth,  he  was  a  commissioner  and 
a  large  land  holder.  Hij  first  wife,  Margaret,  d.  in  Killingworth,  .'^ug.  23, 
1670;  he  then  m.  widow  Sarah  (of  James)  Bemis,  of  New  London.      Children: 

1.  Edward,  b.  in  England.  7.    Mary,  b.  Oct.  5,  1644,  m.  Timothy,  son 

2.  Francis,  b.  in  hngjand.  of  Wm.  Phelps,  March    19,  1661. 

3.  George,  b.  in  England.  8.    Deborah,  b.  June  28,   1646,  m.  Samuel, 

4.  John,  b.  in  England,  d.  in  1642.  son  of  Wm.  Ruel,   went  to   Killingworth. 

5.  Sarah,    b.   in  England,  m.  Samuel,  son  of  9.    Joseph,  b.  March  2,    1647. 

Wm.  Phelps,  2d  Nathaniel  Pinney.  10.   Samuel,    b.  Nov.    18,  1649,    d.   July  6, 

6.  Ann,     b.    in    America,     bap.     June    19,  1672. 

1642.  12.  John,  b.  Aug.  15,  1652. 

9.  Joseph,  son  of  Edward  and  Margaret  Griswold,  m.  Mary  Gaylord,  July 
14,  1670,  and  lived  in    Windsor.      He   d.  Nov.  14,  1716,  a.  67.      Children: 


1  Hittory  of  fVindtor,  Ct, 


7o8 


History  of  Torrington. 


13.  May,  b.    March    16,    1670,  m.   Joseph      15.  Francis,  b.  July  11,  1683. 
Gilbert.  16.   Matthew,  b.  Feb.  25,  1686. 

14.  Joseph,  b.  Jan.  22,  1677.  17.   Abigail,  b.  Aug.  11,    1689. 

14.  Joseph,  Jr.,   son   of  Joseph   and  Mary    (Gaylord)    Grisvvold,  married 

Deborah  .      Children: 

18.  Joseph,  b.  May  31,  1700.  23.   Abel,  b.  Feb.,  1714. 

19.  Shubael,  b.  May  2,  1701.  24.    Deborah,  b.  Mar.   10,  1716. 

20.  Jonah,  b.  Apr.    12,  1704.  25.    Lois,  b.  Aug.  29,  1721. 

21.  Roger,  b.  Jan.    30,  1708.  26.   Deborah,  b.  Jan.  26,  1723. 

22.  George,  b.  Feb.  1710.  27.   Joseph,  b.   Jan.  6,  1725. 

19.  Shubael,  son  of  Joseph  and  Deborah  Grisvvold,  m.  Phebe  Cornish  Nov. 
3,  1723.      He  d.  Mar.  6,    1733.      Children: 

28.  Shubael,  b.   Dec.    18,    1724,   settled   in      30.    Phebe. 
Tor.  31.   Sarah. 

29.  George. 

28.  Shubael,  son  of  Shubael  and  Phebe  (Cornish)  Grisvvold,  came  to  Tor- 
rington, a  young  man,  and  worked  here  several  years,  and  built  his  house  in 
the  spring  of  1754,  and  m.  Abigail  Stanley,  of  Litchfield,  June  8,  1754. 
This  house  was  probably  the  first  framed  house  built  in  Torringford  street. 
Tradition  says  the  siding  of  this  house  was  all  taken  from  one  tree,  which  stood 
near  the  present  site  of  the  printing  office  in  Wolcottville.  The  siding  was  not 
sawed  from  the  log,  but  rived,  and  shaved,  and  the  boards  were  about  four 
inches  wide  This  siding  is  still  on  the  house  and  is  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 
vation. When  this  house  was  built,  there  was  an  Indian  tent  standing  in  the 
door  yard,  where  it  remained  some  years.  The  house  was  partly  finished  for 
some  years,  and  meetings  were  held  in  the  unfinished  part.  He  kept  a  tavern, 
and  also  sold  tea  and  coffee,  indigo  and  other  articles  of  household  consump- 
tion. Shubael  Griswold  was  a  leading,  and  important  man  in  Torringford. 
He  died  Feb.  23,  1807,  aged  ']'].  His  wife  Abigail  d.  Apr.  16,  1783,  aged 
52.      Hem.,  2d,  widow  Catlin,  who  m.,  3d,  John  Gillett.      Children: 

32.  Phebe,  b.  April    17,    1755,   rn.  Andrew  34.   Shubael,  b.  July  26,  1761,  m. 
Austin.  35.   Stanley,  b.  Nov.  14,  1763.    (See  Biog.) 

33.  Mary,  b.  July  17,  1757,  m.  Dr.  Samuel  36.   Norman,  b.  July  7,  1767. 
Woodward.  37.   Thaddeus,  b.  May  12,  1771. 

34.  Gen.  Shubael,  son  of  Shubael  and  Abigail  (Stanley)  Griswold,  m. 
Sarah  Pitkin,  of  Hartford,  and  was  a  merchant  and  farmer  in  East  Hartford; 
became  quite  prominent  as  a  citizen,  and  rose  to  a  high  position  as  a  military 
man.  He  d.  in  East  Hartford,  July  l  l,  1823,  a.  62.  His  widow,  Sarah,  d. 
Nov.  26,   1829.      Children  : 

37.  Sidney,    not    m.  ;   was    connected    with      39.  Sophia,      m.     Barnard,      d.      in 

the  New  York  Tribune  some  years.  state  of  N.  Y. 

38.  Frederick,  d.  in  Paris. 

37.  CoL.  Thaddeus,  son  of  Shubael  and  Abigail  (Stanley)  Griswold,  m.  ist 
Esther,  daughter  of  Elijah  Phelps,  Feb.  1788.  She  d.  May  11,  181 1,  a.  39. 
He  m.  2d  Sally  Wallace  of  Litchfield,  April,  1813.  She  d.  Sept.  25,  1821, 
a.  36.  Hem.  3d  Margaret  T.  Taylor,  June  1 1,  1822,  who  d.  June  29,  1870, 
a.  79.  He  lived  on  the  old  homestead  all  his  life.  He  d.  Aug.  7,  1854,  a. 
84.      Children  : 

40.  Abigail  S.,  b.  Aug.  15,  1797,  m.  Trum-     42.   Richard  W.,  b.  July  21,  1815,  m. 
bull  Ives;   d.  May,  1846.  43.   Stanley,  b.  Mar.  4,  1817,  m. 

41.  Edward  T.,  b.  July  19,  1804. 

41     Edward  T.,  son  of  Thaddeus  and  Esther  (Phelps)  Griswold,  m.  Anna 


Genealogies.  709 

M.,  daughter  of  Charles  Tappan  of  Boston.      He  resided  in  Boston,  where  he 
d.  Jan.  10,  1838,3.  33.      Child: 

44.  Charles,  a  colonel  in  the  53  Mass.  regi- 
ment in  the  late  war  ;  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  the  Wilderness,  Va.,  a.  29. 

42.  Richard  W.,  son  of  Thaddeus  and  Sally  (Wallace)  Griswold,  m.  1st 
Julia  A.,  dan.  of  Dea.  Isaac  Curtiss,  April  16,  1838.  She  was  b  July  7, 
1818,  and  d.  Feb.  13,  1856.  Hem.  2d  Sarah,  dau.  of  Michael  Clark, 
of  Sandisfield,  Mass.,  Dec.  31,  1856  He  purchased  the  Elijah  Gaylord  farm, 
and  after  some  years  built  him  a  new  house,  where  he  resides.      Children  : 

45.  Margarette    E.,    b.    Feb.    4,    1843,    "^-  ^-    K.ellogg,    Oct.    4,    1870;    resides    in 
George  K.  Colt,  Dec.  31,  1865  ;    has  Julia  West  Winsted. 

M.,  b.  July  6,   1866.  47.   Mary    Frances,    b.    Jan.    6,     1851,    m. 

46.  Irving  R.,  b.  Feb.  22,  1845,  m.  Hattie  Charles  G.  Rood,  Nov.    12,  1873. 

43.  Stanley,  son  of  Thaddeus  and  Sally  (Wallace)  Griswold,  m.  Isabella, 
dau.  of  Ira  Seymour,  of  New  Hartford,  Nov.  12,  1840,  and  owns  the  old 
homestead,  but  resides  in  the  Nathaniel  Smith  house  across  the  road,  north  side 
of  the  old  turnpii<e.  He  is  an  independent  farmer,  having  several  hundred 
acres  of  land  upon  which  he  is  constantly  making  improvements.  His  farm  is 
well  stocked  with  the  highest  bred  Devonshire  cattle.  If  his  old  neighbor 
Charles  B.  Smith,  with  his  large  flock  of  fine  bred  sheep,  was  in  the  old  home- 
stead, Torrington  would  still  be  famous  in  agricultural  enterprise.      Children  : 

48.  Edward   Stanley,   b.    Oct.    15,   1842,  d.  1869;  Mr.  Davis  is  a  graduate  of  Middle- 
March  6,  1846.  town  college;   resides  in   Oneida,  N.   Y.  ; 

49.  Wellington    S.,  b.    Oct.    11,    1844,  d.  had  Isabella,  Stanley  W.,  and   Herbert. 
April  18,  1846.  52.   Ellen  P.,  b.   Nov.  21,  1853;  a  teacher. 

50.  Isabella    W.,.  b.    Sept.    21,    1846,    is   a  53.    Virginia,  b.  Nov.  25,  1858,  d.  Sept.  30, 
school  teacher  of  much  success.  i860. 

51.  Hannah    M.,    b.    Nov.    29,    1849,    has  54.   Corinth,  b.  Sept.  6,  1861. 
taught ;  m.    Edson    W.    Davis,    Dec.    6, 

HAMLIN,  Asa,  came  from  Somers,  Ct.,  m.  Abigail  Loomis,  lived  in 
Torrington  hollow,  and  Wolcottville.  He  d.  about  1870,  in  Winsted. 
Children  : 

1.  Laura,  b.  July  11,  1834.  4.   Margarett,  b.  Aug.    i,  1844,  m.   Dwight 

2.  Maryette,  d.  young.  Burr,  Oct.  30,  1864;   had:   Orrin   H.,  b. 

3.  Alma  Jane,  b.  May  14,  1840.  Jan.  25,  1866. 

HANCHETT,  Dr  Thatcher  S.,  was  b.  in  Canaan,  Ct.,  Nov.  8,  1838, 
m.  Emma  E.,  daughter  of  John  C,  and  Caroline  (Morgan)  Hayes  of  New 
London,  June  13,  1868.  She  was  b.  in  New  London  May  3,  1845  ;  was  at 
Music  Vale  institute,  in  Salem,  Ct.,  under  Prof.  Whittlesey  two  years,  and  was 
pupil  three  years  under  Prof  Eben.  Tourjee,  teacher  of  music  in  Providence, 
R.  I.  Dr.  Hanchett  has  been  a  practicing  physician  some  years  (^See  Biography.) 
Children  : 
I.   Anna  Thatcher,  b.  Apr.  22,  1871.  2.  Thatcher  Hayes,  b.  Aug.  24,  1876. 

HART,  David,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Alice  (Hall)  Hart,  m.  Hannah,  dau. 
of  John  Hudson,  of  Southampton,  L.  I.,  in  May,  1781.  This  David  Hart 
was  the  sixth  generation  from  Stephen  Hart  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Hartford, 
His  wife  Hannah,  being  a  young  woman,  living  at  Southampton,  during  the 
Revolution,  on  a  day  when  she  had  dinner  ready  a  company  of  British  soldiers 
came  in  and  were  about  to  eat  all,  when  she  very  decidedly  said  :  "  you  are 
British  soldiers,  you  have  an  officer  with  you,  and  of  him  I  demand  protection 


yio  History  of  Torrington. 

for  myself  and  house."  Upon  this  the  officer  gave  the  order  to  retire,  and  the 
family  ate  their  own  dinner.  David  Hart  resided  in  Meriden  ;  removed  to 
Goshen,  in  1776,  and  in  1786,  removed  to  Torrington,  east  side  of  Wist  pond, 
where  he  built  a  grist  mill.  Soon  after  1800,  or  about  that  time,  he  removed 
to  a  place  called  Hart's  hollow  in  the  town  of  Goshen,  where  his  descendants 
still  reside.  Some  parts  of  his  grist  mill  were  removed  and  placed  in  another 
mill  at  Newfield.  Mr.  Hart  d.  Sept.  13,  1845,  a.  89.  His  wife  Hannah,  d. 
Oct.  14,   1835.      Children  : 

1.  Luther,  b.    July    27,    1783;   a   minister.      4.   Alpha,  b.  Sept.  17,  1788. 
(^See  Biog.)  5.   Polly,  d.  a.  16  months. 

2.  Henry,  b.  Feb.  28,  1785,  m.  Ann  Street. 

3.  Miles,  b.  Dec.  10,  1786,  m.  Laura  Clark 
Jan.  I,  1820. 

HARRISON,  William.      Children  : 

1.  George,  b.  1847,  d.  Nov.  29,  1848.  5.   Frances,  b.  Sept.  7,  1855. 

2.  Hiram,   b.    Jan.    29,    1850,   d.   May  29,      6.    Augusta,  b.  Aug.  14,  1858. 

1865.  7.   Ida,  b.  Aug.  26,  1859;  d.  Feb.  6,  1876. 

3.  Stanley,  b.  Mar.  29,  1 841.  8.   Amy  Jane,   b.  Feb.  4,    1862,  d.   Oct.    5, 

4.  Augustus,    b.  July  9,    1853,  d.  June  25,           1862. 
1855. 

3.  Stanley,  son  of  William  and  Almira  (Freeman)  Harrison,  m.  Jane  dau, 
of  Benjamin  Chatfield.      Children: 

9.   Emma  J  ,  b.  Sept.  22,  1869.  11.   Hubert  E.,  b.  Aug.  12,  1871;. 

10.    Frederick  S.,  b    Dec.   20,  1870.  12.   Eugene  W.,  b.  Feb.  25,  1877. 

HAYDEN,'  William,  came  to  Dorchester,  Mass.,  with  the  first  settlers,  in 
1630;  was  made  a  freeman  in  1634;  served  under  Capt.  Mason  in  the 
famous  Pequot  fight  in  1637.  He  received  land  in  the  first  distribution  made 
in  Hartford,  in  1639,  and  sold  the  same  with  dwelling  house  thereon  Feb.  9, 
1643,  at  about  the  same  time  he  bought  lands  in  Windsor.  In  1669  he  deeded 
all  his  lands  in  Windsor,  and  buildings  thereon,  to  his  son  Daniel,  who  prob- 
ably had  not  left  the  old  homestead.  His  wife  d.  in  1655,  and  he  married  in 
Fairfield,  widow  Wilcoxson.      He  d.  at  KillingworthSept.  27,  1669.   Children: 

1.  Daniel,  b.  Sept.  2,  1640.  3.    Mary,  b.  June  6,  1648,  m.  Judah  Everts 

2.  Nathaniel,  b.  Feb.  2,  1642.  of  Guilford. 

1.  Daniel,  son  of  William,  m.  Hannah  Wilcoxson,  both  ofWindsor,  Mar, 
17,1664.      Shed.  Apr.   19,1722.      He  d.  Mar.  22,  1713,  a.  73.      Children: 

4.  Daniel,  b.  Oct.  5,  1666.  8.  William,  b.  Jan.  i,  1676. 

5.  Hannah,  b.   Nov.  9,  1668,  m.   William  9.  Samuel,  b.  Feb.  28,  1678. 
Phelps,  Jan.  4,  1693.  10.  Ebenezer,  b.  Dec.  14,  1681. 

6.  Nathaniel,   b.    March   23,    1671,   d.    in  11.  Maiy,    b.    Sept.    28,    1686,  d.  Oct.    31, 
infancy.  1708. 

7.  William,  b.  April  27,  1673,  d.  June  11, 
1675. 

9.  Samuel,  son  of  Daniel  and  Hannah  (Wilcoxson)  Hayden,  m,  Anna 
Holcomb,  both  of  Windsor,  Jan.  24,  1704;  shed.  June  13,  1756,  aged  81 
years.      He  d.  Oct.   12,   1742,  aged  64  years.      Children: 

12.  Anna,  b.  May  2.  1706,  m.  16.   William,  b.  Mar.  13,  1714. 

13.  Samuel,  b.  Oct.  7,  1707.  17.   Sarah,  b.  Sept.  17,   1716,  m.  Lyman  of 

14.  Nathaniel,  b.  June  18,1709  Goshen. 

15.  Joseph,  b.  Nov.  17,  171 1. 


'  fVindtor  Hist.     Hjnman. 


Genealogies. 


711 


13.   Samuel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Anna  (Holcomb)  Hayden,  m.  Abigail  Hall 

of  Somers,  Nov.  7,  1737.      Children: 


18.  Samuel, b.  Oct.  27,1738,(1.  Dec.  14,1743. 

19.  Augustine,  b.  Aug.  24,   1740,  settled  in 
Torringfbrd. 

20.  Moses,  b.  Sept.  30,  1742. 

21.  Abigail,    b.   Dec.    21,    1745,  m.  

Wetmore  of  Tor. 


22.  Samuel,  b.    Jan.    17,    1748,    settled  in 
Winsted.  d.  in  1838,  a.  90. 

23.  Aarorif  b.  May  4,    1750. 

24.  Luke,  b.  Jan.   7,    1752,    d.    Mar.    22, 
1756. 

25.  Seth,  b.  Apr.  2,  1756. 


19.  Augustine,  son  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Hall)  Hayden,  m.  Cynthia, 
dau.  of  Jeremiah  Fyler,  and  sister  of  Ambrose  Fyler,  who  lived  in  Torring- 
ford,  and  cousin  to  Stephen  Fyler,  who  settled  in  Newfield.  He  settled  in 
Torrinoford,  on  the  place  previously  occupied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Gould  and  known 
as  the  Havden  homestead.      He  was  a  hard  working,  influential  man.    Children  : 


26.  Augustine,  b.  Sept.  14,  1770. 

27.  Samuel,  b.  Feb.   18,  1772. 

28.  Luke,  b.  Aug.  30,  1773. 

29.  Nathaniel,  b.  March  30,  1775. 

30.  Cynthia,  b.  July  31,  1776,  m.  Theophi- 
lus  Humphrey  of  Canton. 

31.  Jerusha,  b.  April  21,   1778. 

32.  Seth,  b.  Jan.    19,    1780,   killed    by    the 
catholics  in  Mexico. 

33.  Hezekiah,  b.  Oct.  12,  1781. 


34.  Levi,  b.  April  i,  1783. 

35.  Amelia,  b.  1784,  m.  Thaddeus  Squires, 
of  Granville,  Mass. 

36.  Cicero,  b.  Nov.  23,  1787. 

37.  Tirzah,  b.  April  19,  1789,  m.  Seth  Bar- 
ber, of  Canton. 

38.  Nancy,    b.    1790,    m.    Solomon    Mead, 
Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y. 

39.  Betsey,  b.  1792,  d.  in  1794. 


26.  Dr.  Augustine,  son  of  Augustine  and  Cynthia  (Fyler)  Hayden,  m. 
Asenath  Hammon,  of  Suffield,  Ct.,  and  settled  as  a  physician  in  Chatham,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  followed  his  profession  many  years.  He  d.  at  Franklinville,  N. 
Y.,  March  28,  1838,  a.  68.      Children:  ' 

40.  Augusta,    b.  Feb.    14,  1800,    m.    Owen  42.   Wadsworth.  b.  May  4,  1809,  m.  Lucre- 
Terry,  of  Franklinville,  N.  Y.  tia   Taylor,  of  Franklinville,  N.  Y.  ;    had 

41.  Augustus,    b.  May   28,    1805,   m.  Mary  two  children.      He  and  his  wife  d.  in  Wis. 
Jewell,  of  Franklinville,  N.  Y. 

27.  Dr.  S.amuel,  son  ot  Augustine  and  Cynthia  (Fyler)  Havden,  became  a 
physician,  settled  in  Windham,  Pcnn.,  where  he  m.  Dorcas  Young,  in  March 
1810,  and  continued  his  profession  until  advanced  age.      Children: 


48.  Nancy,  b.  Oct.  10,  1823. 

49.  Emily,  b.  Aug.  11,  1826. 

50.  Ellen,  b.  June  23,  1829. 

51.  Joseph,  b.  Sept.  25,  1833. 

52.  Cicero,  b.  July  4,  1839. 


43.  Samuel  Fyler,  b.  April,  181 1. 

44.  Cynt.-.ia,    b.    April     15,     181 3,    m.    Dr. 
Hinckley,  Dec,  1833. 

45.  Clark,  b.  Feb.  17,  1815. 

46.  Frances,  b.  Sept.  2,  i8i7,m.  Augustine 
Barber,  1836. 

47.  Samuel    Fyler,  b.    Aug.,    1820,  d.  July 
24,  1835. 

28.   Luke,  son  of  Augustine   and  Cynthia  (Fyler)  Hayden,  m.  Ruth  Hum- 
phrey, of  Canton,  and  settled  in  Barkhamsted.      Children  : 

53.  Ruth,  b.  1806,  d.   1815.  58.   Julia,  b.  Feb.  i,  1815,  m. House, 

54.  Minerva,    b.    Feb.    i,    1807,    m.    Jared  of  Milwaukee. 
Thompson,  of  Milwaukee.  59.   Luke,  b.  Dec.  10,  1818. 

55.  Marietta,  b.  Nov.  26,  1810,  m.  Salmon  60.   Martha,  b.  Sept,  25,   1820. 
Howd,  1830.  6i.   Cicero,  b.  Aug.  7,  1823. 

56.  Julius,    b.     Aug.    24,     181 1,    went    to  62.    Catharine,  b.  March  21,  1826. 


Atlanta,  Ga. 


63.   Sarah,  b.  June  20,  1829. 


57.   Sidney,    b.  March    i,  1813,  m.    Florilla      64.   Franklin,  b.  Dec.  29,  1833. 
Miller,  of  Torringford. 


712  History  of  Torrington. 

29.  Nathaniel,  son  of  Augustine  and  Cynthia  (Fyler)  Hayden,  m.  Sally 
Ransom,  of  Barkhainsced,  and  settled  in  Hartford.      Children  : 

65.  Ransom,  b    about  1800.  6g.   Austin,  b.  about  1810. 

66.  Betsey,  b.  about  1802,  m.  Beach.  70.   Almira,  b.  about  181  3. 

67.  Nathaniel,  b.  about  1804,  m.  and  settled  71.   Emily,  b.  about   1815. 
in  Dover,  O.  72.   Addison,  b.  Dec,  1817. 

68.  Sarah,  b.  about  1806. 

32.  Seth,  son  of  Augustine  and  Cynthia  (Fyler)  Hayden,  m.  Sylvia  Jenks, 
of  Leyden,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  in  western  N.  Y.     Children  : 

73.  Louisa,  b.  1808,   m.  Alpheus  Taylor  of     77.   Gay,  b.  1819,  m.  ;   a  settler  in  Oregon. 
Milwauiiee,  and  settled  in  Berlin,  Wis.  78.   Charles,  b.  1822. 

74.  Cornelius,  b.  1812,  m.  Alexander  Alby,     79.   Cicero,  d.  a.  3  years. 
Madison,  O. 

75.  James,  ■)  b.  Feb.  20,  "I  d.    in    Boston   in 

76.  John,   j        1815,       J       1856. 

36.  Cicero,  son  of  Augustine  and  Cynthia  (Fyler)  Hayden,  m.  Sophia 
Squires  of  Granville,  Mass.,  Aug.  17,  1810,  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead. 
Children  : 

80.  Tullius  C,  b.  Aug.  20,  1811.  85.   Augusta,  b.  July  i,  1823,  m.  Jeremiah 

81.  Sophia,  b.  Sept.  29,  1814,  m.  Rev.  Geo.  Phelps,  M.D. 

W.  Fogg.  86.   Harriet,  b.  Aug.  31,  1828,  m.  Jeremiah 

82.  Amelia,  b.  Oct.  21,  1816.  Wainwright,  M.D. 

83.  Henry,  b.  Mar.  5,  1819.  87.   Caroline,    b.    Oct.    10,    1831,  m.    Rev. 

84.  Helen,   b.    Nov.    15,   1821,  d.   July  4,          Jeremiah  Wainwright. 
1822. 

80.  Tullius  C,  son  of  Cicero  and  Sophia  Hayden,  m.  Susan  C.  Chidsey, 
of  Canton.      Children: 

88.  S.   Ella,    artist   and  teacher,    m.    A.    D.      90.   Hattie  F.,  artist  and  teacher. 
Nooney.  91.   Charles  H.,  a  law  student  and  teacher. 

89.  Cicero,  d.  young. 

HIGLEY,  Isaac,  came  from  Simsbury  to  Torrington,  among  the  first  settlers, 
before    1740.      His   farm  was  on  the  hill  west  of  the  late  Joseph  Allyn  place. 
He  m.  Sarah    Porter,   Feb.  13,  1735,    ^^°    '^-   J^'y  ^9'  ^753-      ^^  ™-    ^'^ 
Sarah  Loomis,  Feb.  24,  1757.     Children: 
I.   Sarah,  b.  Nov.   23,    1735;   not  m.  ;   she     2.  Susannah,  b.  Dec.  8,  1741. 

sold    the   farm    to  Oliver  Allyn    Jan.    30, 

1800. 

HILLARD,  William  C,  son  of  William  Hillard,  of  Preston,  Ct.,b.  Oct. 
29,  1843;  came  to  Wolcottville,  in  1866  ;  m.  Alice  Eunice,  daughter  of 
Merritt  and  Henrietta  (Taylor)  Treat,  May  22,  1871.  Mr.  Hillard  is  a 
druggist.      Ch.  : 

1.  Caroline  E.,  b.  Sept.  4,  1872. 

2.  An  infant,  b.  Apr.  2,    1876,   d.  Apr.    4, 
1876. 

\  HILLS,  Benoni,  was  burn  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  in  1700.  His  father  d. 
before  and  his  mother  soon  after  his  birth.  He  was  m.  Dec.  19,  1723,  and 
settled  in  Suffield,  where  he  remained  a  little  more  than  one  year  and  removed 
thence  to  Durham  His  first  child  was  born  in  Suffield,  and  the  eight  follow- 
ing were  born  in  Durham,  and  removing  thence,  about  1740,  his  two  last  were 
born  in  Goshen.  In  August,  1747,  he  purchased  thirty-seven  acres  of  land  in 
Torrington,  a  little  north  of  Capt.  Abel  Beach's  house,  with  a  frame  standing 
on  it.      Half  of  this  land  with  the  frame  on  it  he  gave  to  his  son   Beriah,  who 


Genealogies.  713 

soon  after  settled  on  it.  In  1764  or  5,  Benoni  Hills  rented  a  house  of  Abel 
Beach,  and  in  1765,  he  bought  the  same  of  Mr.  Beach.  This  house  stood  a 
little  north  of  his  son  Bcriah's,  where  he  resided  until  within  a  few  years  of  his 
death,  when  he  removed  to  Winchester.  In  Torrington  he  was  well  known 
and  much  respected  for  his  uprightness  of  character,  and  sensible,  but  pleasant 
adinonitions  to  the  young.  While  sitting  in  Dr.  Hodges's  store  he  several  times 
remarked  to  the  clerks:  "Boys,  it  is  best  to  be  pretty  middling  honest." 
Some  years  before  his  death,  he  selected  two  rough  stones  of  mica  slate,  and 
shaping  them  to  his  liking,  engraved  on  one  of  them,  "  Benoni  Hills  ;  this  is 
thy  house  ;"  and  on  the  other,  ".O  eternity,  death  is  come."  To  which  has 
been  added  :  "June  24,  1793  ;  B.  H.,  aet.  93."  Working  upon  these  stones 
seems  to  have  been  the  special  enjoyment  of  his  leisure  hours.  He  took  them 
with  him  from  Torrington  and  gave  special  directions  to  have  them  placed 
over  his  grave,  where  they  now  stand,  in  the  old  Winchester  graveyard.  His 
wife  born  June  3,  1700,  d.  Oct.  21,  1776.      Children: 

1.  Hannah,  b.    Oct.   5,    1724,  m.   Aaron        7.    Mary,  b.   Sept.   25,    1754,  m.   Epaphras 
Loomis,  June  6,  1743.  Loomis,  Sept.  9,  1755. 

2.  Zimri,  b.Dec.  16,  1725,  d.  June4, 1760.        8.   Seth,  b.  Sept.  13,  1736,  m. 

3.  Beriah,  b.  Aug.  31,  1727,  m.  9.   Rachel,  b.  July  8,  1739,  '^-  J°^'  Soper. 
^4.   Medad,  b.  April  27,  1729,  m.                       10.   Bela,  b.  Aug.  24,  1741,  d.May  29,  1756. 

5.  Mary,  b.  June  I,  1731,  d.  Jan.  28,  1732.      11.   Ann,    b.    June    11,    1743,  m.    Luman 

6.  John,    b.   Dec.    13,     1732,    m.  ;   d.    in  Beach,   had  one  dau. ;  d.  in  Norfolk,  Jan. 
Charlotte,  Vt.,  Feb.  16,    1808,  leaving  2  26,  1777. 

sons  and  4  daughters. 

3.  Beriah,  son  of  Benoni  Hills,  m.  Mary  and  settled  in  Torrington 

in  the  spring  of  1748,  a  little  north  ot  Capt.  Abel  Beach's,  where  he  remained 
until  after  the  year  1769,  when  he  removed  to  Winchester,  north  of  Stephen 
Fyler's,  near  Torrington  line.  He  was  appointed  several  years  to  read  the 
Psalm  in  the  old  meeting  house  in  Winchester,  and  d.  Mar.  25,  1778.  His 
children  were  all  baptized  in  Torrington.      Children  : 

12.  Mary,  bap.   Mar.    20,    1748,   m.  Elijah  16.  Bela,  bap.  Aug.  25,  1756. 
Barber,  July  10,  1776.  17.  Roger  Eno,  bap.  Mar.  4,  1759. 

13.  Benoni,  bap.  Dec.  24,  1749,  m.  18.  Zimri,  bap.  Apr.  23,  1763. 

14.  Lois,  bap.  Feb.  2,  1752.  19.  Huldah,  bap.   Aug.  9,  1767. 

15.  Chauncey,  bap.  Feb.  17,  1754,  m. 

4.  CoL.  Medad,  son  ot  Benoni  Hills,  m.  Sarah  ;   was   a  goldsmith    ' 

in  Goshen,  and  made  muskets  tor  the  state  in  the  Revolution,  and  also  served 
some  time  as  an  officer  in  the  army.  He  was  a  large  land  holder  in  Winches- 
ter and  resided  there  a  time  in  the  Norris  Coe  house.  His  wife  Sarah  died 
Feb.   18,  1802,  a.  70.      He  d.  Apr.  9,  1808,  a.    79.      Children: 

20.  Seth.  22.    Hevk'itt,  bap.  in  Tor.,  Sept.  9,  1753,  m.  )i 

21.  Lucy,  m.  Daniel   Baldwin,    of"  Goshen;      23.  Rebecca,  m.,  and  had  Rueben. 
had    children,    Theodore,    Seth,    Collins,      24.    jNliles,  b.  Aug.  31,  1766,  m. 

Erastus,  Abigail,  Lucia.  / 

6.  Capt.  John,  son  of  Benoni  Hills,  m.  Jerusha,  about  1754,  and  resided 
in  Goshen  until  a  short  time  before  1776,  when  he  removed  to  Winchester  and 
lived  near  the  Hurlbut  cemetery.  He  was  a  gunsmith  by  trade.  He  sold  his 
place  in  1781  and  afterwards  removed  to  Charlotte,  Vt.,  where  he  died  Mar. 
15,  1808,  aged  76.      Children: 

25.  Jerusha,  b.    Nov.   26,    1755,    m.    Abel  27.  Zimri,  b.  Oct.  2,  1762,111.  Mille  Catlin 
Wetmore,  May  12,  1774.  Jan.  17,    1782. 

26.  Lorrain  L.,  b.   Feb.  6,  1758,  d.  Oct.  14,  28.   Esther,  "tb.  June 
1763.  29.  John,    J  I,  1766.,  d.    July    21,   1766. 

90 


A 


714  History  of  Torrington. 

30.  Lorrain,    b.  May  30,    1768,  d.  Mar.  7,      33.   Lewis,  b.  Sept.   8,  1775. 

1772.  34.   Roger,   b.    Jan.    9,   1779,    d.    Oct.    i, 

31.  Claraman,  b.  Oct.  5,  1770.  1780. 

32.  Olive,  b.  July  23,  1773. 

8.  Dea.  Seth,'  son  of  Benoni  Hills,  m.  Abigail  Soper,  in  1760,  and  lived 
T  in  Goshen,  until  near  1765,  when  he  settled  in  Winchester,  his  farm  bordering 
on  Torrington.  He  was  first  deacon  of  the  church  in  Winchester  and  first 
representative  of  that  town.  He  served  as  wagon  master  in  the  Saratoga  cam- 
paign ;  was  present  at  Btirgoyne's  surrender,  and  assisted  in  clearing  the  field  af 
the  dead  and  wounded  after  the  battle.  He  sold  his  homestead  and  in  the 
winter  of  1793,  went  to  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  a  place. then  without  a 
white  inhabitant,  save  two  or  three  who  went  with  him,  where  he  cut  down 
four  acres  of  heavy  forest,  on  which  to  build  his  future  home,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing autumn,  with  the  assistance  ot  his  son  Ira,  then  a  lad  of  sixteen,  burned, 
cleared  and  fitted  it  for  seed.  He  removed  his  family  thither  in  the  winter  of 
1799,  and  at  the  age  of  sixty-four,  began  the  settlement  of  a  new  puritan  town. 
He  d.  in  Vernon,  June  3,  1826,  a.  99  years.      Children: 

35.  Statia,  b,    July    6,  1762,    m.    ist    John      38.   Candace,  b.  June  i,  1772. 
Marshall,  of  Torrington,  March  30,1780;      39.    Hannah,  b.  May  19,  1776, 

2d  Andrew  Everitt,  in    1799.  4°-  Seth,  b.    April    20,    1779,   removed    to 

36.  Jesse,  b.  May  17,  1764.,  Vernon. 

37.  Elisha,  b.  May    8,    1766,    d.  June   11,     41.   Ira,  b.  June  22,  1782,  removed  to  Ver- 
1766.  non. 

13.  Benoni,  son  of  Beriah  and  Mary  Hills,  m.  Elizabeth  Agard,  Oct.  23, 
1773,  and  made  his  residence  in  Winchester.  One  of  his  daughters  m.  Chauncey 
Humphrey.      Children: 

42.  Theodosia,  b.  Feb.  i,  1775.  44.   Amanda,  b.  June  18,  17S0,  in  Torring- 

43.  Elizabeth,  b.  Oct.  20,  1776.  ton. 

15.  Chauncey,  son  of  Beriah  and  Mary  Hills,  lived  on  his  father's  home- 
stead, bordering  on  Torrington  line  until  about  1802,  when  he  removed  to 
Litchfield,  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y. 

20.  Seth,  son  of  Medad  and  Sarah  Hills,  m.  and  removed  to  Vernon, 
where  he  d.  in  1826.      Children: 

45.  Edmund.  47.  Fanny. 

46.  Anna. 

\J  22.  Hewitt,  son  of  Medad  and  Sarah  Hills,  m.  and  settled  in  Winchester, 
in  1788,  where  he  owned  a  large  farm  and  was  a  prominent  business  man. 
His  house  was  on  Blue  street  near  Torrington  line.  He  was  a  representative 
to  the  assembly  between  1790  and  1800,  and  filled  at  various  times,  most  of 
the  town  offices.  He  lived  a  time  in  Winsted,  and  removed  to  Vernon,  N 
Y.,  about  1305.      Children: 

48.  Lucy,    m.  Thomas    Spencer,    Jr.,    May      50.   Eliza,  m.  Isaac   Bronson. 
*7>  1795-  5'-  Louisa,  m.  Stephen  Wade,  March 

49.  Mary,   m.    Abijah   Bronson,    Nov.    16, 
1797. 

y  24.  Miles,  son  of  Medad  and  Sarah  Hills,  m.  1st  Abigail,  dau.  of  John 
Wilcox,  of  Goshen  ;  2d  Anne  Butrick,  March  9,  1794.  He  lived  in  Goshen, 
where  he  d.  March  10,  1815,  aged  49  years.  His  widow  d.  Oct.  12,  1830. 
Children  : 


1/  a>^ 


,1802.^    I 


'  See  Hilt,  (f^inchtsttr. 


Genealogies. 


715 


52.   Levi,    b.    May    39,    1795,   m.   went  to      56.    Mary  A.,  b.   Sept.  z,    1804,   m.   Frede- 


Georgia,  thence  to  Lisbon,  111.,   where  he 

died,  leaving  a  family. 

53.      Medad,  b.  June  17,  1797,  d.  Sept.  15, 

1803. 

^54.   Abigail,  b.  July  17,  1799,  m.  Nelson  T. 

Loomis,    Nov.,     1827,    lived   in  Cornwall 

and   then   in    VVinsted  ;    had   Sarah   L.    b. 

Vfune   26,    1829;   Frederick    L.,   b.   Aug. 

^    cL«^^-'  ^^34- 

1,      55.   Eben,  b.  Oct.  8,  1801,  removed  to  Ver- 


rick  P.  Whiting,  Feb.  15,  1826. 

57.  Frederick  P.,  b.  Sept.   I,    1808,  m. 

58.  Lucy  A.,  b.  March    18,  1810,   m.  Abel  >^ 
S.  Wetmore  of  Winchester,  Nov.  24,1829, 
had    Julia   A.,  b.   Aug.    18,   1830;  John 
N.,   b.  March  8,  1833;   Ellen  E.,  b.  Oct. 

29,  1834;  Leroy  W.,  b.  Sept.  23,  1836; 
Miles  H.,  b.  Sept.  6,  18405  Samuel  A., 
b.  Sept.  25,  18425  Hubert,  b.  Feb.  21, 
1847. 


non  and  then  to  Lisbon,  111  ,  had  Caroline,      59     Elisha,  b.  May  23,  1812,  m.  in  Vernon, 

Hubert,    Frederick   B  ,  Melissa,  Mary  A.,  had  a  family. 

Eben  L.,  Sarah  L.,  and  Luther  B.  60.   Roxy,  b.  Oct.  6,  1 8  14,  d.  Dec.  15,  1 8  1 6. 

57.  Dea.  Frederick  P  ,  son  of  Miles  and  Anne  (Butrick)  Hills,  m.,  1st, 
Lucy  E.,  dau.  of  John  Wetmore  of  Winchester,  Sept.  11,  1833,  lived  in  Win- 
chester until  April  1846,  when  he  settled  on  the  Matthew  Grant  farm  on 
Goshen  turnpike  where  he  still  resides.  He  is  a  successful  farmer  ;  has  been 
deacon  of  the  Torrington  church  many  years;  has  been  selectman  of  the  town 
a  number  of  years,  and  has  filled  other  positions  of  honor  and  trust  with  honor 
to  himself  and  the  town.  His  wife,  Lucy  E.,  died  Dec.  26,  1858,  aged  52. 
He  married,  2d,  Mrs.  Harriet  B  (Frisbie)  Bailey  of  Litchfield,  Dec.  7,  1859. 
Children  by  1st  wile: 

61.  Lucy  A.,  b.  Sept.  7,  1841,  m.  Leroy 
W.  Wetmore,  Feb.  12,  1861,  and  d.  Aug. 
24,  1871.   Her  husband  d.  Nov.  27,  1872. 

HINSDALE,  Barnaeas,  of  Hartford,  was  an  original  proprietor  of  lands 
in  Harwinton,  to  the  amount  of -£120,  and  when  Harwinton  was  laid  out,  six 
lots  were  appropriated  to  his  heirs  and  one  of  these  was  Jacob  Hinsdale,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  that  town.  Barnabas  had,  apparently,  six  children,  but  six 
names  are  found  : 

1.  Daniel.  3.  Mary. 

2.  Amos.  3.  John. 
2.   Jacob,  settled  in  Harwinton.                            4.   Martha. 

2.  Jacob,  m.  Hannah  Seymour  and  settled  in  Harwinton  on  lands  inherited 
from  his  father.      Children: 

4.  Jacob,  b. ,  probably  in  Hartford  and 

hence  the  date  is  not  on   Harwinton   Re- 
cords. 

5.  Hannah,    b. ,   m.     William    Cook, 

Mar.  7,  1759,  and  d.  Mar.  28,  1775. 


7.  Ezra,  Jan.  5,    1740,  m.  Sarah  Hopkins, 
had  8  children. 

8.  Stephen,    ")  b.  Mar.       1  m.  Rhoda  Judd. 

9.  Samuel,     /  22,  1743,/ 
10.   George,  b.  April  15,    1745. 


1 1.  Sarah,  b.  Mar.  i, 


1747- 


5.  Lois,  b.  Feb.  27,  1737. 

6.  Stephen,  b.  Nov.  16,   1738,   d.  Nov.  7, 
1741. 

4.  Jacob,  son  of  Jacob  and  Hannah  Hinsdale,  m.  Mary  Brace  of  Harwin- 
ton May  II,  1758  ;  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Canaan,  probably  soon 
after  1773,  and  he  is  said  to  have  had  ten  children,  but  six  are  recorded  in 
Harwinton.      Children  : 


12.  Jacob,  b.  April  18,  1759. 

13.  Elisha,  b.  Feb.  28,  1761,  m. 

14.  Elias,  b.  Apr.  20,  1763. 

15.  Abel,  b.    July  19,  1765. 

16.  Rhoda,  b.  Feb.  27,  1770. 


17.  Whiting,  b.  Oct.  17,  1773. 

18.  Sherman. 

19.  Eliazur. 

And  two  others. 


13.   Captain  Elisha,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Brace)  Hinsdale,  enlisted  at 


ji6 


History  of  Torrington. 


Canaan,  in  the  continental  army  and  served  principally  on  the  Delaware;  was 
under  the  command  of  LaFayette  ;  wintered  at  Valley  Forge.  After  three 
years'  service  he  left  the  army  completely  broken  down  in  health,  but  hoping 
to  do  something  he  learned  the  jeweler's  trade,  serving  his  apprenticeship  at 
Litchfield,  tradition  says,  when  the  elms  were  planted  in  that  village.  He  re- 
covered his  health  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 

In  the  year  1799,  Capt.  Elisha  and  his  brother  Dea.  Abel,  settled  in  Tor- 
rington, on  the  Naugatuck  about  three  miles  north  of  Torrington  hollow,  at  a 
place  once  called  the  axe  factory,  and  later  the  tannery,  and  Appley's  mills. 
Here  the  Hinsdales  made  the  celebrated  "  clover  leaf"  scythes  and  axes,  and 
did  general  blacksmithing,  until  18  16,  when  having  obtained  with  his  brother, 
land  in  the  western  reserve,  he  removed  with  his  wife  and  vounger  children  to 
Ohio,  and  the  year  following  settled  in  Norton,  now  Summit  county.  He 
made  the  journey  to  the  west  with  a  wagon,  drawn  by  two  yoke  of  oxen  in 
eight  weeks.  He  d.  at  Norton,  June  22,  1827,  a.  66  years.  His  first  wife, 
x^ssenath  Barnes,  d.  in  Torrington,  in  1800.  In  1801,  he  m.  Elizabeth 
Holcomb,  who  d.  in  Wadsworth,  Ohio,  in  1846,  a.  77.  He  was  captain  of 
a  company  in  Torrington  and  representative  in  the  legislalature,  and  in  Ohio 
was  justice  of  the  peace.      Children  by  1st  wife: 

20.   Horace,  b.  1776,  in  Canaan,  d.  May  31, 


I6I6,  a.  32. 
21.   Elisha,  b.  in  Canaan,  removed   to  Ohio, 
thence  in    18 31  to  Michigan  where   he  d. 
Feb.  4,  1S56,  a.  65.      His  widow,  Orpha 


25.  Assenath,  m.  Edward  Spicer,  d.  July  8, 
1835,3.  50,  and  their  dau.  Elizabeth  is 
living,  wife  of  Charles  Mattin. 

26.  George,  b.  in  Ohio,  d.  a.  25,  Mar.  31, 
1842. 


dau.   of  Giles    Whiting  of  Torrington   is      27.    Albert,  b.   July  18,   1809,  in  Tor.,  son 


of  Elizabeth  Holcomb,  went  to  O.,  with 
his  father  and  in  1836,  he  removed  from 
Norton  to  Wadsworth,  where  he  still  re- 
sides, a  respected  farmer  and  citizen.  He 
m.  Clarinda,  dau.  of  Judge  William  Eyles, 
who  removed  from  Warren,  Ct.,  to  O.,  in 
1814.      Their  children  are:   i.   Assenath, 


b.    Oct.    2,     1834,   d.    a.    13  ; 


II. 


Burke 


still  living  near  Adrian,  Mich.  They  had 
two  sons:  Whiting  still  living;  Elisha 
deceased. 

22.  Herman,  removed  to  Ohio,  d.  at 
Hudson,  Sept.  31,  1831,  a.  42.  He  m. 
Lucy  Drake  of  Torrington,  who  d.  in 
1876.  He  stood  second  to  no  citizen  of 
Hudson  as  a  man  of  upright  character. 
His  only  son  L.  M.  Hinsdale  d.  a.  44,  in 
1876.  His  daughter  Mrs.  Fidelia  Cray 
d.  in  1876,  and  his  three  daughters,  Mrs. 
Bissell,  Mrs.  Brown,  and  Mrs,  Hall,  all 
widows,  are  still  living. 

23.  Julius,  d.  in  Ohio,  Aug.  24,  18  18,  a.  23. 

24.  Sherman,  removed  with  his  father  to  O., 
d.  Aug.  30,  1859,  a.  59,  in  Wellington, 
O.  His  descendants  have  removed  further 
west. 

15.  Dea.  Abel,  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Brace)  Hinsdale,  came  with  his 
brother  Capt.  Elisha,  to  Torrington,  and  engaged  with  him  in  the  scythe  manu- 
factory and  blacksmithing.  He  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  Rev.  Joshua  Knapp, 
of  Winchester,  who  was  b.  Dec.  8,  1772,  and d.  in  Torrington,  Oct.  10,  i8f;i. 
He  was  elected  deacon  of  the  Torrington  church  in  1802,  and  held  the  office 
until  his  death  April  9,  1851.  He  is  very  highly  spoken  of  by  the  older  people. 
Children  : 


Aaron,  b.  Mar.  31,  1837.  {See  Biog.) 
III.  Roldon  O.,  b.  Mar.  27,  i84o^m.  ; 
resides  in  Wadsworth,  O.,  a  farmer;  iv. 
Louisa,  b.  Apr.  23,  1844,  d.  greatly  la- 
mented Sept.  8,  1876,  a.  32;  v.  Wilbert  B., 
b.  May  23,  1850,  m.  graduate  of  Hiram 
college  and  is  teaching  in  W.  Richland,  O. 


28.  Lophelia,  b.  July  27,  1795,  d.  Sept.  25, 
1863,  in  Tor. 

29.  Lorrain,  b.  Sept.  19,  1801,  m.  Aurora 
J.  Slater,  Feb.  28, 1 847.  b.  in  New  Britain, 
Mar.  30,  1 8 17,  no  children  ;  live  in  Win- 
chester. 


30.  Gilman,  b.  Dec.  26,  1803,  m.  Amanda 
Ward,  Mar.  23,  1827;  live  in  New 
Britain  ;  had  Mary  Louisa,  b,  Jan.  30, 
1830. 

31.  Abel  Knapp,  b.  Oct.  6,  1807;  was  a 
missionary.    (See  B'tog.) 


Genealogies.  717 

HODGES.*  There  was  a  Captain  Hodges  at  Boston  as  early  as  1633.  It 
is  supposed,  from  several  reasons  that  Captain  Hodges  of  Boston  and  William 
Hodges,  who  was  enrolled  in  the  militia  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1643, 
were  the  same  individual.      He  died  in  Taunton,  April  2,  1654.      Children: 

I.  John,  b.  about  1650.  2.    Henry,  b.  1652. 

I.  John,  son  of  William  of  Taunton,  Mass.,  m.  Elizabeth  Macy,  May  15, 
1672.  He  resided  in  Taunton,  where  some  of  his  descendants  were  residing  in 
1853,  and  was  successful  in  the  accumulation  of  property.  He  died  probably 
about  1745.      Children: 

3.  John,  b.  April  5,  1673.  7-   George,  b.  Nov.  27,  1685,  d.  in  Norton, 

4.  Nathan,  b.  April  2,  1675.  Mass.,  Aug.  10,  171  3,  a.  27. 

5.  Samuel,  b.  May,  20,  1678.  8.   Ebenezer,  b.  March  13,  1687. 

6.  William,  b.  June,  6,    1682.  9.   Nathan,  b.  Oct.  z£,  1690. 

6.    William,  son  of  [ohn  and  Elizabeth  (Macy)  Hodges,  m.,  1st,  , 

2d, Clapp,  and  lived  on  his  father's  homestead.      He  d.  June  23,  1766, 

aged   84.      Children : 

10.   George.  13.   Elijah. 

II.  Abigail.  14.    Abijah. 

12.   Job.  15.    Mary,  m.  Chandler. 

10.    George,  son  of  William    and  Hodges,  m.  Susannah  and  lived 

in  Taunton  and  Norton,  Mass.,  and  Woodstock,  Conn.  He  was  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  mind  and  influence.  He  died  in  1786  aged  78.  Child- 
ren : 

16.  George,  b.  in   Norton,  Jan.   26,    1789.      20.   Leonard,  removed  to  Vt. 

17.  Silas.  21.   Susannah,    m.      John     Richardson     of 

18.  Elkanah,  b.  1747.  Woodstock  Conn. 

19.  Daniel. 

18.   Dr.  Elkanah,  son  of  George  and   Susannah Hodges,    came  from 

Woodstock  to  Torrington,  and  became  eminent  as  a  physician  and  merchant. 
He  m.  1st  Roxalany,  dau.  of  Ashbel  North,  Jan.  14,  1777,  and  she  d.  Feb* 
1 3'  1777-  2d,  Rebecca,  dau.  of  Dea.  John  Whiting,  March  26,  1778. 
His  farm  and  house  were  on  the  hill  a  litttle  north  of  the  meeting  house  at 
Torrington  Centre.  An  ulcerated  tooth  caused  his  death,  March  21,  1797,  a. 
50.  His  widow  Rebecca,  d.  July  13,  1839,  a.  82.  (See  Biography^ 
Children  : 

22.  Willard,  b.  Dec.  16,  1778,  m.  26.   William    Franklin,   b.  Aug.    24,    1789, 

23.  Erastus,  b.  March  9,  1781,  m.  was  graduated    at     college,   studied 

24.  Roxalany,  b.   April   27,  1784,  m.   Rev.  law,  went  to  south    and   d.    in    Alabama, 
Amasa  Jerome,  of  New  Hartford,  and  d.  Oct.  10,  1837,  a.  48  years;   not  m. 

Feb.  12,  1856,  leaving  a  number  of  child-      27.    Alpheus,  b.  May  4,  1792. 

ren.  28.   Henry  Elkanha,  b.  Oct.  3,  1794. 

25.  Sally,  b.  March  29,  1787,  m.  Rev. 
Timothy  P.  Gillett,  of  Branford.  She  is 
living  and  in  her  90th  year. 

22.  Willard,  son  of  Dr.  Elkanah  and  Rebecca  (Whiting)  Hodges,  m. 
May  28,  1811,  Ruth  Mansfield  of  Harwinton.  She  was  b.  July  2,  1779. 
He  continued  in  business  as  a  merchant,  with  his  brother  Erastus,  after  his 
father's  death,  in  the  old  store  on  the  hill,  until  about  1809,  when  they  dissolved 
partnership  and  he  bought  the  Aaron  Loomis  place  on  which  he  lived  and 
died.      He  had    a  large    farm   including  the    old  priest   Robert's   place  ;   was   a 


'  Genealogical  Record  of  the  Hodges  Family. 


yiS  History  of  Torrington. 

kindly  disposed  man,  possessing  many  agreeable  qualities.  His  brief  life  closed 
June  8,  1817,  atthe  age  of  38  years.  His  widow  survived  him  and  was 
known  as  a  woman  of  decided  religious  character,  good  sense,  entertaining  to 
the  young;  and  was  much  esteemed.  The  school  house  being  near  her  farm 
and  orchard,  she  gave  the  school  children  one  of  the  best  apple  trees  in  the 
orchard,  which  they  were  to  use  as  their  own.  The  apples  were  very  beautiful, 
having  red  cheeks,  and  were  often  placed  in  rows  along  the  writing  desks  in 
the  school  house,  adding  beauty  to  the  place  as  well  as  enjoyment  in  the  eating. 
She  departed  this  life  Jan.   15,  1863,  a.  64.      Children: 

29.  Sally  Emeline,  b.  March    8,    1812,    m.  30.   Eunice  W.,  b.  Jan.  19,   1817,  m.  John 
Sheldon  Barber,  April  lo,  1833.  M.  Wadhams,  of  Goshen,  Oct.  30,  1837, 

30.  George    Elkanah,  b.  Sept.    19,  1814,  d.  d.  Aug.  7,  1855. 
Feb.  8,  1815. 

23.  Erastus,  son  of  Dr.  Elkanah  and  Rebecca  (Whiting)  Hodges,  m. 
Laura,  dau.  of  Richard  Loomis,  Jan.  5,  1809.  He  was  one  of  the  most  pro- 
minent, successful  and  respected  citizens  of  the  town.  (See  Biograph-^,  and 
Torrington  as  a  Business  Centre.)  He  d.  June  13,  1847,  a.  66.  His  wife, 
Laura,  d.  Dec.  7,  1839,  a.  52.      Children  : 

31.  Edwin,  b.  June  26,  1810.  34.   Levi,  b.  Jan.  26,    1817,  m. 

32.  Elkanah  H.,  b.  Jan.  12,  1812.  35.    Willard,  b.  May  25,  1820,  m. 

33.  Roxa,  b.    May    7,    1814,    never  m.    d.      36.    Laura  M.,  b.  July  25,  1827,  not  m.  ;  d. 
June  22,  1838,  a.  24.  Aug.,  1864. 

27.  Alpheus,  son  of  Dr.  Elkanah  and  Rebecca  (Whiting)  Hodges,  was 
never  m.  ;  lived  on  his  father's  homestead  and  conducted  his  farm  many  years. 
He  possessed  a  quiet  and  agreeable  disposition,  good  judgment  ;  and  was  much 
respected  in  the  community.      He  d.  Dec.  27,   1870. 

28.  Henry  E.,  son  of  Dr.  Elkanah  and  Rebecca  (Whiting)  Hodge's,  m. 
Betsey  Fowler,  of  Guilford,  and  was  a  merchant  Taylor  in  New  Haven,  where 
he  d.' March  13,  1859.      Child  : 

37.  Caroline,  an  adopted  daughter. 

31.  Edwin,  son  of  Erastus  and  Laura  (Loomis)  Hodges,  m.  Catharine 
Hickox,  of  Mass.  He  had  a  store  in  Torrington  hollow,  where  he  also  was 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  clocks  ;  was  also  interested  a  time  in  the  cotton 
factory  ;  removed  to,  and  kept  a  store  some  years  in  Wolcottville  ;  and  in  later 
years  removed  to  Kansas.      Children  : 

38.  Roxa  Elvira,  d.  June  24,  1840,  a.  3  yrs.      40.   George,    lives    in     Elkhorn,    and    is     a 

39.  Laura,  m.   Charles   Bricton  of  Elkhorn,  druggist. 
Wis.,  and  had  three  children. 

32.  Elkan.'\h  H.,  son  of  Erastus  and  Laura  (Loomis)  Hodges,  m.  Mary 
Purdv.  He  removed  to  San  Francisco,  Cal  ,  where  he  d.  in  March,  1862. 
Child  : 

41.   A  child,  d.  young. 

34.  Col.  Levi,  son  of  Erastus  and  Laura  (Loomis)  Hodges,  m.  Delia,  dau. 
of  Moses  Drake  )r.,  Sept.  24,  J  844,  and  lived  on  the  homestead  of  his  father, 
and  was  a  farmer.  He  possessed  very  amiable  qualities  and  was  much  re- 
spected and  honored  by  all  classes  of  citizens  ;  was  a  strong  supporter  of  the 
church  and  all  humane  and  benevolent  enterprises;  a  straight  forward,  upright, 
and  honorable  citizen.  When  he  departed  this  life,  the  people  mourned  as  for 
a  brother,  whose  place  as  a  citizen  would  remain  vacant  in  all  the  years  to 
come.      He  d.  Dec.  27,  i860.      Children: 


Genealogies.  719 

42.   Lucy,   b.    Dec.    24,    1846,  m.    Frederic  43.  Erastus,  b.  Jan.  20,  1848,  d.  Mar.    12, 
Wilcox  of  Portland,  Ct.,   May  25,    1871,  1S65. 

and  resides  in  Waterbury  ;   Mr.  Wilcox   is  44.   Levi,  b.  May  12,  1849,  m. 

a  druggist.     They  have  :    William    H.,   b.  45.   Helen,  b.  June  20,  i860. 
July  6,  1874,  and  Levi,  b.  Jan.  19,  1876. 

35.  VViLLARD,  son  of  Erastus  and  Laura  (Loomis)  Hodges,  was  graduated 
at  Yale  college  in  1845  ;  engaged  in  business  in  New  York  city  a  short  time 
and  then  settled  on  a  farm  near  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  he  still  resides.  He 
m.  Jane  A.  Bradley,  of  Fairfield,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  28,  1848. 
He  has  served  several  terms  in  the  legislature  of  New  York  state,  and  is  well 
reported  as  a  farmer  of  enterprise  and  intelligence.      Children  : 

46.  Guerdon  H.,  b.   May  8,  1850,  d.    Mar.     48.  Roxy  Jane,  b.  Oct.  6,  1855. 

7,  1S62.  49.    Amy  Martha,  b.  Aug.  19,  1858. 

47.  Alpheus  C,  b.  Feb.  i,  1853,  ^^^  spent      50.   Mary  Louise,  b.  Apr.  16,  1861. 
three  years  in  Yale  college.  51.   Fannie  L.,  b.  May  21.  1863. 

44.  Levi,  son  of  Levi  and  Delia  (Drake)  Hodges,  m.  Lucy  M.  H.,  dau. 
of  Dr.  Henry  F.  Fish,  of  Waterbury,  Feb.  15,  1873,  and  resides  with  his 
mother  on  his  father's  homestead,  and  is  a  farmer.  He  is  the  only  one  of  the 
name  residing  in  the  town  ;  is  much  respected;  has  represented  the  town  in 
the  legislature.      Children  : 

52.   Lucy  Helen,  b.  May  13,  1875,  May  20,      33.   Elkanah,  b.  April  27,  1877. 
1876. 

HOLBROOK,  Abijah,  came  from  Bellingham,  Mass.;  was  son  of  Asa 
Holbrook,  who,  in  his  advanced  life,  came  to  Torrington  and  died  here.  He 
m.  Mary,  dau.  of  Dr,  Silas  Pratt,  of  Mass.,  and  sister  to  Elijah  Pond's  wife. 
Her  mother,  Mrs.  Pratt,  came  to  Torrington  and  d.  here.  Mr.  Holbrook, 
having  slaves  and  other  property,  was  considered  wealthy.  He  built  a  flouring 
mill  and  saw  mill,  and  it  is  thought  had  some  hope  of  working  the  iron  mines 
supposed  then  to  exist  in  Torrington.  He  had  children  but  no  account  of 
them  has  been  obtained.  His  widow  m.  Judge  Hopkins  of  Mount  Morris,  N. 
Y.      She  sold  her  property  at  Holbrook's  mills  in  1814. 

HOLBROOK,  Sylvanus,  and  wife,  Betsey,  had  children  recorded  in  Tor- 
rington : 
I.   Huldah,  b.  June  27,  1804.  2.   Uri,  b.  March  11,  1806. 

HOLLEY,  Francis  N.,  son  of  Newman  and  Sarah  (Stiles)  Holley,  was 
born  May  13,  1807,  in  Salisbury,  Ct. ,  and  m.,  1st,  Eliza  A.  Hotchkiss  May 
27,  1846;  she  was  born  May  29,  1824,  died  May,  1866.  Hem.,  2d,  Mrs. 
Lucinda  R.  Hayden,  dau.  of  Charles  Bronson  of  Waterbury,  Dec.  22,  1869. 
Mr.  Holley  came  to  Wolcottville  about  1837,  and  engaged  in  the  woolen  mills. 
When  this  the  first  mill  was  burned  in  in  1844,  he  and  John  Hungerford  formed 
the  Union  Manufacturing  Company  and  bought  the  old  finishing  house  and  es- 
tablished what  is  now  the  woolen  mill  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  doe- 
skin cloths  ;  in  which  business  he  continued  with  good  success  until  1872,  when 
he  sold  his  interest  in  that  mill.  He  has  served  the  town  in  various  offices  with 
credit  and  honor  and  maintained  the  high  esteem  of  its  citizens,  and  though 
living  in  retired  life  is  benevolently  interested  in  the  prosperity  of  the  town. 
Children   by  1st  wife: 

1.  Edward  H.,  b.  July  17,    1848,  m.  Nellie      3.   Harriet,  b.   May   31,    1857,  d.  June    17, 
M.    Wheeler    of     Wolcottville,     May     4,  1857. 

1876;   resides  in  East  Bradford,    Pa.  4.   Horace,  b.  April  17,  i860. 

2.  Francis  A.,   b.   Aug.   29,   185 1,  d.  Sept. 
9,  1853. 


720  History  of  Torrington. 

Mrs.  Holley's  children  by  her  first  husband,  Edmund  J.  Hayden,  are  : 
5.   Helen  E.  Hayden,  b.  March  29,  1861.  6.   Edmund  Hayden,  b.  Nov.  13,  1865. 

Ransom,  brother  to  Francis  N.,  was  born  in  Sahsbury  Aug.  8,  1813,  and 
was  the  son  of  Newman  Holley  who  was  connected  with  the  iron  works  in 
that  town.  Mr.  Holley  came  to  Wolcottville  in  1859,  ^"*^  became  a  partner 
in  the  woolen  mill  with  his  brother,  and  remained  in  business  until  1872,  when 
he  and  his  brother  sold  their  interest  in  that  property.  He  married,  1st,  Mary 
M.,  dau.  of  C.  S.  Sperry  of  VVaterbury,  in  1864.  She  died  in  May  1874, 
and  he  married,  zd,  June  10,  1875,  Laura  Ward,  adopted  dau.  of  ex-Gov.  A. 
H.  Holley  of  Connecticut.  He  is  well  and  favorably  known  as  a  business 
man  ;  resides  on  Main  street  next  north  of  the  post  office,  the  house  built  by 
George  D.  Wadhams,  but  Mr.  Holley  has  refitted  it  and  beautified  the  grounds 
so  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  village. 

^         HOLMES,  David,  m.  Chloe,  dau.  of  Asahel  Strong  ;   had   a  large  family, 
removed  to  Russell,  Mass. 

Joseph,  m.  Lydia  Curtiss  Sept,  9,  1778,  both  of  Torrington.  {Town  Rec.') 
Children  : 

1.  David,  b    Apr.  27,    1779.  3.  Jerusha,  b.  Apr.  25,  1783. 

2.  Rufus,  b.  Apr.  29,  1781. 

Seth,  m.  Phebe  Grant  Mar.  31,  1785.      Child  : 
Marens,  b.  May  5,    1786. 

Levi,  a  blacksmith,  a  man  of  great  physical  power  ;  learned   his  trade  with 
A,     Dea.  Abel  Hinsdale. 

Levi,  son  of  Lebeus  of  Goshen,  m.  Hancey  Ward,  and  d-  at  Norfolk  in 
1876  ;   had  a  dau.  Hancey  who  m.  Tibbies  of  Norfolk. 

HOPKINS,  Harvey  P.,  of  Warren,  Ct.,  m.  Lydia  Tanner  in  1844  ;  set- 
tled on  Torringford  street  about  1857  ;  bought  the  farm  of  Rufus  W.  Gillett, 
where  they  still  reside.      Children  : 

1.  Edward   T.  4.   Ella  A. 

2.  Arthur  E.  5.   Albert  H.  ' 

3.  Frank  N. 

I.   Edward  T.,  son  of  Harvey  P.  and  Lydia  (Tanner)   Hopkins,   m.   Ger- 
trude Waterman  and  resides  in  Winsted.      Child  : 
I.   Grace  W. 

HOPSON,  Orrin  L.,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Wells,  Rutland  county, 
Vt.,  June  23,  1814.  His  father,  John  C.  Hopson,  was  at  the  battle  ofPlatts- 
burgh,  but  not  under  fire  in  the  war  of  1813.  His  grandfather,  Samuel,  of 
Wallingford  was  in  the  battle  of  Quebec,  when  Gen.  Wolfe  was  killed.      Mr. 

0.  L.  Hopson,  m.  Susan  Caroline  Wilson  at  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  July  7,  1837, 
and  resided  some  years  in  Waterbury  ;  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Wol- 
cottville in  February  1872  ;  having  previously  become  a  partner  in  the  Ex- 
celsior Needle  Company.      Children  : 

1.  Marion  Pamelia,  b.  Aug.  18,  1838,  m.  2.  William  Fowler,  b.  Aug.  30,  1849,  rn. 
1st,  Merritt  C.Ives,  Dec.  1855;  2d,George  Mary  Allen  of  New  Haven,  May  10, 
Partree.  Dec.  1867.  Child  by  ist  hus-  1871,  where  he  residesj  and  is  a  de- 
band:  John  C,  b.  Mar.  5,1860:  Child-  signer  and  engraver.  He  has  a  son  Or- 
ren    by    2d    husband:   Susan  H.,   b.   Jan.  rin  L.,  b.  Apr.  12,  1875. 

26,  1871,  d.  July  21,  1871;  Lewis  H., 
b.  Sept.  3,  1872  J  Marion  E.,  b.  Sept.  4, 
1875. 


Genealogies.  721 

HODGKINS,  Samuel,  from,  probably,  Essex,  England,  arrived  at  New 
Haven,  previous  to  1641,  and  was  traditional  brother  of  John  of  Guilford, 
Conn.  After  the  first  hundred  years  it  became  customary  to  write  the  name 
Hotchkiss.  The  ancestors  of  the  Wolcottville  family  are  as  follows:  Samuel, 
of  New  Haven,  Ensign  Joshua,  of  New  Haven,  Dea.  Stephen,  of  Cheshire, 
Dea.  Gideon,  of  Watcrbury  now  Prospect,  Asahel  of  Prospect,  and  Dyer,  of 
Naugatlick. 

HOTCHKISS,  Dea.  Charles,  son  of  Dyer  Hotchkiss,  of  Naugatuck,  was 
b.  Feb.  23,  18  I  I,  and  came  into  Torrington,  in  June,  1841.  He  purchased 
the  water  privileges  and  erected  a  saw  mill  and  two  dwelling  houses  at  the  place 
known  many  years  as  Hotchkiss'  mill,  and  more  recently  as  Drakes  mill,  about 
two  miles  north  of  Torrington  hollow.  In  1851,  Mr  Hotchkiss  removed  to 
Wolcottville,  and  in  1857,  sold  his  mill  property  above  Torrington  hollow  and 
purchased  the  old  Wilson's  mill  property  in  the  village  and  established  what  is 
now  the  shops  and  lumber  yard  of  Hotchkiss  and  Sons,  builders.  A  large 
proportion  of  the  buildings  in  Wolcottville,  have  been  built  by  Mr.  C.  Hotch- 
kiss and  this  firm,  and  they  are,  at  the  present  time,  very  busy  in  the  same 
line  of  work.  Their  work  has  been  extended  into  the  adjoining  towns  of 
Litchfield,  Goshen,  Norfolk,  Harwinton  and  Northfield.  Mr.  Hotchkiss  has 
served  as  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church  sixteen  years,  and  therein  has 
been  a  good  representative  of  his  ancestors  Dea.  Stephen,  and  Dea.  Gideon. 
He  m.  in  Feb.   1833,  Electa  Susannah,  daughter  of  Harlan  Brace.      Children  : 

1.  Edward  C,  b.  Nov.  5,  1833.  5.    Albert  G.,  b.  Aug.  4,  1844. 

2.  Lucia  E.,  b.    Nov.    25,  1835,  m.    Henry  6.   Fidelia,    b.    Aug.    21,    1846,    m.    Hiram 
Wilmot,  and  d.  Feb.  28,  1863.  Clemence  June  14,  1868  and  has  Charlie, 

3.  Chauncey  G.,  b.  Nov.,  1838,  d.  a.  5  yrs.  b.  May,  1869.  and  Eva,  b.  Feb.,  1870. 

4.  Henry  E.,  b.  Feb.  5,  1841.  7.   Eugene,  b.  May  18,  1854. 

I.  Edward  C,  son  of  Charles  and  Electa  S.  (Brace)  Hotchkiss,  m.  Amelia 
Briggs,  of  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  April  9,  1856.  He  is  a  builder  in  the  firm  ot  C. 
Hotchkiss  and  Sons  ;  has  been  to  the  legislature  twice,  and  is  a  successful, 
honored  business  man.      Children  : 

8.  Edward  H.,  b.  Oct.  29,  1861.  10.   Minnie  E.,  b.  Nov.  5,  1866. 

9.  Josephine  A.,  b.  Nov.  29,  1864. 

4.  Henry  E.,  son  of  Charles  and  Electa  S.  (Brace)  Hotchkiss,  m.  Jennie, 
daughter  of  Allen  G.  Brady,  Dec.  i,  1866.  He  is  a  builder  of  the  firm  of 
C.  Hotchkiss  and  Sons.      Cliildren  : 

11.  Hattie  Electa,  b.  Oct.  26,  1867.  13.   Jennie  Elizabeth,  b.  Oct.  19,  1871. 

12.  Mary  Lucinda,  b.  Oct.  17,  1869.  14.   Clara  Isabel,  b.  July  25,  1875. 

5.  Albert  G.,  son  of  Charles  and  Electa  S.  (Brace)  Hotchkiss,  m.  Ella 
Osbond  of  Naugatuck,  June,  1869,  and  resides  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  is  a 
machinist  in  a  needle  shop.      Child  : 

15.  Walter,  b.  Oct.,  1871. 

7.  Eugene,  son  of  Charles  and  Electa  S.  (Brace)  Hotchkiss,  m.  Amanda, 
dau.  of  Henry  Berry,  Dec.  9,  1874  ;  works  with  his  father  and  the  firm  as 
builder.      Child  : 

16.  Ella  A.,  b.  Nov.  25,  1876. 

HOSKINS,  Joseph,  perhaps  of  Litchfield,  m.  Eunice  dau.  of  Ebenezer  Coe, 
Aug.  20,  1761,  and  settled  just  over  the  line  from  Newficld,  in  Winchester, 
about  1769,  but  three  of  the  children  were  baptized  in  Torrington  church.  He 
served    as   trumpeter   in    the    cavalry    detachment  that   went    from    Litchfield 

91 


722  History  of  Torrington. 

county  to  Long  Island  in  the  Revolution,  whose  gaunt  appearance,  rusty  equip- 
ments, and  pacing  horses  excited  the  ridicule  of  Washington's  army,  until  their 
good  service  in  the  battle  and  retreat  from  Brooklyn  Heights  made  them  better 
acquainted.  He  was  a  kind  hearted,  jovial  man  as  was  indicated  by  his  life  long 
sobriquet  of  "  Uncle  Jo."  He  d.  in  Winchester  in  Dec.  1818,  a.  88  years. 
Children  : 

1.  Rachel,  bap.  April  12,  1762,  m.  Laura-  5.  Alexander,  b.  Aug.  31,  1773,  lived  a 
nus  Palmer.  short  time  in  Winchester  then  removed  to 

2.  Theodore,  bap.  May  20,  1764,    d.  young.  Vernon,  N.  Y. 

3.  Theodore,  bap.  April,  1766,  lived  in  6.  Loranda,  b.  Dec.  19,  1778,  m.  Ichabod 
Winchester.  Loomis,  Nov.  22,   1 803. 

4.  Roswell,  bap.  Aug,  30,  1769.  7.   Gustavus,  b.  March  4,  1784. 

Elisha,  probably  brother  to  Joseph,  m.  Delight  Holmes,  Dec.  24,  1766. 
{Town  Rec.')     Children  :  "^ 

8.  Benjamin,  b.  Nov.   27,  1767.  12.   Tamma,  b.  Jan.  5,  1775. 

9.  Elisha,   b.  June    18,  1769,   d.  July   26,      13.  Luther,  b.  Jan.    5,  1777. 
1771.  14.   Calvin,  b.  Sept.  24,  1778. 

10.  Ladema,  b.  May  17,  1771.  15.   Delight,  b.  Jan.  8,  1782. 

11.  Elisha,  b.  Jan.  16,  1773. 

HOYT,  Ira,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Anna  Hoyt,  was  born  in  Danbury,  Jan. 
13,  1787,  and  married,  1st,  Anna  Plumb  of  Litchfield,  in  1808,  and,  2d,  Anna 
Shove,  dau.  of  Levi  and  Abigail  Shove  of  Warren,  Oct.  1821.  He  was  a 
blacksmith,  and  lived  in  Warren,  Litchfield  and  Torrington.  In  the  last  named 
town  he  lived  on  the  Waterbury  turnpike  a  mile  south  of  Newfield  and  kept 
the  toll  gate  many  years.  His  first  wife  died  May,  1821,3.  35.  He  removed 
to  Halsey  Valley,  Tioga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  Jan.  2,  1864,  aged  77. 
Second  wife  still  living.      Children  : 

1.  Harriet,  b.  March  30,  1810,  in    Warren,  unm.,  and  living  in  New  York  city. 

m.  Frederick  North,  June  14,  1830.  4.   Ruth  E.,  b.   April  8,    1817,  in  Tor.,  m. 

2.  Ann,  b.  July  4,  18  I  2,  in  Warren,  m.  1st,  Lewis  Smith,  resides  in  Constantia,  N.  Y. 
Isaac  Riggs,  and  2d,  James  Haggadom,  in  5.  Zeri,  b.  Nov.  8,  1818,  d.  in  N.  Y.  city, 
1856,  resides  in  Spencer,  N.  Y.  in  1871. 

3.  Charles,  b.  Dec.  12,  1814,  in   Litchfield, 
By  2d  wife. 

6.  Ira,  b.  Sept.  1822,  m.  ist,  Helen  Rob-  8.  Maria  Lucy,  b.  June,  1832,  m.  George 
erts,  and  2d  Lydia  Hollenback,  in  1864,  Taylor  In  1854,  resides  in  Halsey  Valley, 
lives  in  Halsey  Valley  N.  Y.  N.  Y. 

7.  Alonzo,  b.  Feb.  2,  1826,  d    in  1831.  9.   Warren  Jerorne,  b.  Sept.  17,  1834. 

9.  Warren  Jerome,  son  of  Ira  and  Anna  (Shove)  Hoyt,  m.  Jenctte  H., 
dau.  of  Matthew  Manchester  of  Torrington,  Aug,  30,  1853.  He  removed 
Middlebury  and  thence  to  Halsey  Valley,  N.  Y.,  where  he  resides.    Children; 

10.  Ella  M.,  b.  June  23,    1854,  in  Middle-      12.   Vesta  C,  b.  Oct.  16,  1857. 
bury.  13.   Seth  S.,  b.  June  14,  1862. 

11.  Addie  M.,  b.  Dec.   29,  1855,  in  Halsey 
Valley. 

1.  HUDSON,  Daniel,  wife,  two  daughters,  and  sons  William  and  Daniel, 
came  to  America  in  one  of  the  ships  which  arrived  at  the  New  England  colony 
in  1629  or  1630,  possibly  with  the  Dorchester  company.  Daniel  Hudson 
and  family  settled  in  Lancaster,  now  Leominster,  Mass.,  in  1630.  He,  his 
wife  and  daughters  were  killed  there  by  the  Indians  in  1697.      Children  : 

2.  William.  Two  daughters. 

3.  Daniel. 

2.  William,  son  of  Daniel,  ist,  m.  Experience,  dau.   of  John  Willis,  was 


Genealogies. 


723 


made  freeman  in  Boston  in  1631.      He  afterwards  removed  to   West  Bridge- 
water,  where  he  d.  without  children. 

3.  Daniel,  Jr.,  son  of  Daniel,  ist,  removed  to    South   Bridgewater,  Mass., 
and  married  Mary,  dau.  of  William  Orcutt,  in    1697.      Children: 
4.   Mary,  b.  1701,  m.  Isaac  Lazell,  in  1719.      5.   Daniel,  b.  1704. 

He.  d.  1750.  6.   William,  b.  1707. 

5.  Daniel,  3d,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Orcutt)  Hudson,  m.  Mary,  dau. 
of  John  Fobes,  and  removed  to  Middletown,  Ct.  He  died  in  1775,  aged  71. 
His  widow,  Mary,  died  in  1786.  aged  81.      Children: 

7.  Mary,  b.  1727,  m.  Dea.  Nathan  Alden,  10.   Daniel,   b.    1738,    removed   to   iVIiddle- 
1750.  town,  Conn. 

8.  Abigail,   b.    173c,    m.    John    Howard,  11.   Nathan,  b.  1740. 
1752.  12.  John,  b.  1743. 

9.  Reliance,  b.  1735,   m.  Samuel  Billings, 
1756. 

6.  William,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Orcutt)  Hudson,  m.  Sarah,  dau.  ot 
John  Fobes,  1737.      She  d.   1789  ;   he  1796,   a.  87.      Children  : 

13.  Sarah,  b.  1738,  m.  John  Ward  of  Mid-  17.  Edward,  b.  1745,  went  to  New  Brain- 
dletown,  Ct.,  1768.  tree. 

14.  Silence,  b.  1740,  m.  Ebenezer  Soule  of  18.  Marah,  b.  1747,  m.  Asaph  Soule  of 
Plympton,  1764;    d.  1835,3.  94  yrs.  8m.  Plympton,    1767. 

15.  Barzillai,  b.  1741,  removed  to  Hartford,  19.   Asa,  b.  1749. 
Ct.  20.  Eli,  b.  1 751. 

16.  William,  b.  1743. 

10.  Daniel,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Fobes)  Hudson,  removed  from 
Bridgewater,  Mass.,  to  Middletown,  Ct.,  and  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  David  Coe, 
July,  1766.'-^  She  d.  Dec  8,  1787,  aged  42.  He  m.,  2d,  Dorothy  Hubbard 
of  Glastonbury,  Dec.  10,  1788,  who  d.  May  4,  1807.  He  m.,  3d,  Abigail 
Watson  of  Torringford  He  d.  Aug.  1821,  a.  83.  His  widow,  Abigail, 
d.  in  Mar.    1834.      Children: 

21.  Hannah,  b.  1767,  m.  Phineas  Elmer  of  Kinsley  of  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  had  chil- 
Wintonbury.  dren,  went^to  Ashland,  N.  Y. 

22.  Rhuda,  b.  1768,  removed  to  Torring-  26.  Adah,  b.  Feb.  8,  1778,  m.  Gen.  Uriel 
ford  in  1 768,  one  of  the  early  settlers,  m.  Tuttle  of  Torringford,  had  John  Hubbard 
David  Birge   of  Torrington.  Tuttle. 

22.  Molly,  b.  May   i,  1770,   m.  Zenas  Wil-     27.   Barzillai,  b.  Aug.  13,  1780.       ' 

son  of  Torrington,  had  children,  removed  28.    Clarissa,  b.    June   7,    1782,   d.    Dec.    5, 

to  Concord,  O.  N.,  Chardom.  1782. 

23.  Grace,  b.  Apr.  17,  1772,  m.  Ozias  29.  Sarah,  b.  Nov.  18,  1783,  d.  Jan.  17, 
Bronson,  went  to  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.   (See  1784. 

Annals  of  Wincheiter.^  30.   Clarissa,  b.    Dec.    29,    1785,  m.  Daniel 

24.  Daniel  Coe,  b.  Apr.  24,  1774.  Tuttle  of  Torringford,  had  children.     She 

25.  Eunice,  b.  Feb.  5,    1776,   m.   Benjamin  is  now  living  (1878). 

11.  N.^THAN,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Fobes)  Hudson,  m.   Betty,   dau    of 
Capt.  Joseph  Gannett,  1767  ;   who  d.   in  1777,   a.    28  ;   m.  2d,  Anna  Gibbs, 
of  Sandwich,    1777.      He  d.  in    1834,  a.    93.      His   wife,   Anna,  d.  in  1831, 
aged  81.      Child: 

31.   Betty,  m.  Rev.  Wm.  Briggs  in  1799. 

12  John,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Fobes)  Hudson,  m.  Bethiah,  dau.  of 
Dr.  Isaac  Otis,  in  1769.      He  d.  in  1819,  a.  "]■].      His  widow  d.  in    1825,  a. 

78.      Children: 


1  See  Middletown  Records. 


724  History  of  Torrington. 

32.  Mary,  b.  1770,  John  Q^Keith  1792.  38.   Melzar,   b.     1784,     m.    Lucinda,    dau. 

33.  Mehitable,  b.  1772,  m.  Jonathan  King-  of  Mark  Phillips  in  1818,  had  a  family, 
man,  1793.  39.   Susannah,  b.    1788,   m.   Martin    Whit- 

34.  Otis,  b.  1774,  a  bachelor.  man  1810. 

35.  Hannah,  b.  1777,  m.  Cyrus  Edson  1797.  40.   Isaac,  b.  1791,  m.  Molly,  dau.  of  John 

36.  Daniel,  b.    1779.  Wade,    1819,    and    had    a    family.      (See 

37.  Abigail,   b.    1782,    m.    Jonathan    Snell  History  of  Bridgc-zuater,   Alass). 
1809.  41.    Bethiah,  m.  Nicholas  Wade,  1823. 

24.  Daniel  C,  son  of  Daniel  and  Mary  (Coe)  Hudson,  m.  Mary,  dau. 
of  Capt.  Epaphras  Loomis,  Feb.  16,  1797.  She  d.  July  22,  1804.  He  m. 
2d  Rhoda  Fowler,  dau.  of  Noah  Fowler,  Jan.  24,  1805.  He  bought  and 
settled  on  a  farm  (the  old  Burr  Hostlery)  adjoining  his  father's  homestead,  on 
the  northwestern  brow  ol  Torringford  hill.  (^See  Biography.)  He  d.  July 
1840,  a.  66.  His  widow,  Rhoda,  d.  May  20,  1850,  at  Springfield,  Mass. 
Child  of  ist  wife  : 

42.  Daniel,  b.  Mar.  9,  1798,  d.  Mar.  16,  1805. 
By  2d  wife  : 

43.  Erasmus  Darwin,  b.  Dec.  15,  1806.  Elias  Oilman  of  West  Hartland,  and  Win- 

44.  Daniel  Coe,  b.  Jan.  16,  1808,  d.  while  sted.  She  d.  Oct.  12,  18525  no  children. 
on  a  business  tour,  unm.  at  Trenton,  Ohio,  47.  Mary  Loomis,  b.  Mar.  31,  1818,  m. 
March  10,  1832,  of  pneunomia,  a.  24.  Henry     Rummell    of    Wolcottville  ;    re- 

45.  Flora  HoUister,  b.  May  6,  1811,  m.  moved  to  Florence,  Northampton,  Mass.  ; 
James  H.  Seymour  of  Wolcottville.  had  George,  Frank,  Philip  and  Charlotte. 

46.  Charlotte  L.,  b.  Oct.  21,  1813,  m.  Dea. 

OW^^r^  27.   Barrillai,   son  of  Daniel  and    Mary  (Coe)  Hudson,   m.  Content,   dau- 
^     A(^of '^iuidtby  Pickett,  of  Windsor,  Ct.,  Jan.  26,  1803.      He  d.  in  i860,  a.  80. 
"'        Children : 

48.  Ann  Squires,  b.  Oct.  21,  1803,  m.  d.  the  same  day  and  were  buried  in  the 
Rufus  Burr  of  Winsted,  and  removed  to          same  grave. 

Bloomington,   111.,  had  :   Alonzo,  Hudson,  50.   Abigail    Watson,    m.    Dea.     Eben.    N 

Franklin,  Adeline,  Luman,  John,  Helen,  Gibbs,  of  Farmington,  had  George  E.  and 

Annette,  Delphine.  Mary  E. 

49.  Mary  Coe,  b.  April  12,  1806,  m.  Dea.  51.  Juliette  King,  m.  John  S.  Bancroft  of 
Thomas  A.  Miller  of  Torringford,  had  :  South  Windsor,  Ct.,  had  Mary,  and  Julia 
Gaylord  B.,  John  T.,  Hobart  B.,  all  resid-  Hudson. 

ing  at  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.      He  and  she 

42.  Dr.  Erasmus  D.,  '  son  of  Daniel  C,  and  Rhoda  (Fowler)  Hudson* 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  R.  M.  Fowler,  was  graduated,  M.  D.,  at  the  Berk- 
shire Medical  college,  Mass.,  December,  1827  (see  Bzog.).      Children: 

52.  Romulus  Fowler,  b.  April,  1828,  in  34.  Erasmus  Darwin,  b.  Nov.  10,  1843,  in 
New  Marlboro,  Mass.  Northampton,  Mass. 

53.  Daniel    Wyatt,    b.    Dec.    10,    1853,    in 
Torringford. 

52.  RoMULus,  F.,  son  of  Erasmus  D.,  and  Martha  (Turner)  Hudson,  m. 
Elizabeth  Hutchings,  of  Lowell,  Mass.  Resided  a  time  in  Hartford,  associated 
in  Exchange  Bank.  Removed  to  New  York,  in  1865,  and  was  associated  with 
A.  G.  Paine  &  Co.,  a  Woolen  Goods  House.  No  children.  His  wife 
Elizabeth,  d.  Feb.  1873.  -^^  '"•  ^d,  Caroline  Troocshlut,  of  New  York. 
Nov.,   1873. 

53.  Daniel  W.,  son  of  Erasmus  D.,  and  Martha  (Turner)  Hudson,  learned 
book  binding  at  Hartford.      In  1854,  he  had  a  protracted  and  painful  sickness. 


1  A  Malacca  ca:i;  was  brought  to  this  country  by  D.iiiiei  HuJson,  in  1630,  which  has  been  transmitted 
through  the  Daniels  of  ths  fainily,  and  is  now  in  possesiion  of  Dr.  E.  1).  HuJson,  awaiting  some  Daniel 
Hudson  to  prove  title  to  it. 


Genealogies. 


725 


of  which  he  died   January    25,   1855,    a.  21.      His   remains  were   interred  in 
Springfield  Cemetery,  Mass.  (Hudson  Lot). 

54.  Dr.  Era-mus  D.  Jr.,  son  of  Erasmus  D.,and  Martha  (Turner)  Hudson, 
graduated  A.  B.,  at  the  college  of  the  city  of  New  York,  and  also  M.D.,  at 
the  college  of  physicians  and  surgeons,  of  the  same  city.  Passed  through  a  prac- 
tical course  of  nearly  two  years  in  surgical,  and  medical  wards,  at  the  Bellevue 
Hospital,  New  York  ;  and  became  a  practicing  physician  and  surgeon  in  the 
city,  and  professor  ot  the  theory  and  practice  of  medicine  in  the  Female  Medical 
college  and  New  York  Infirmary  in  New  York.  He  was  an  extensive  con- 
tributor to  Johnson's  Cvclopedia,  and  has  also  contributed  several  popular  essays 
on  medical  subjccrs.  He  m.  Laura  A.,  dau.  of  Samuel  Shaw,  M.  D.,  of  Plain- 
field,  Mass.      She  was  a  graduate  ot  Vassar  college.      Children  : 

55.  Samuel  Fowler,  b.  ^lay  18,  1872.  57.   Darwin  Shaw,  b.  Aug.  31,  1876. 

56.  Helen  Turner,  b.  Aug.  8,  1874,  ^■ 
March  7,  1877,  interred  in  cemetery  lot, 
Springfield,  Mass. 

HUNGERFORD,  John,  was  born  in  Southington,  Ct.,  in  1787  ;  lived 
a  time  in  Harwinton  ;  m.  ist  Elizabeth  Webster,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  ;  came  to 
Wolcottville,  about  1813,  and  commenced  a  store  south  of  the  bridge.  His 
wife  Elizabeth,  d.  June  12,  18  19,  and  he  m.  Charlotte  Austin,  June  5,  1820, 
and  spent  his  life  in  Wolcottville,  as  a  merchant  and  manufacturer,  and  died 
in  1856.  {See  Biography.)  His  widow  still  survives,  cheerful  and  courageous, 
and  has  been  of  much  advantage  to  the  author  of  this  work,  in  regard  to  the 
history  of  several  families  of  Torringford,  specially  that  of  Father  Mills. 
Children  bv  1st  wife  : 


2.  Elizabeth  W.,  b.  April  19,  1817,  m. 
Roderick  White,  M.D.,  and  lived  in 
Simsbury. 


resides  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  has  daus. 
Sarah,  Lotrie  and  Hattie. 
9.   Frances    A.,  b.  Oct.    17,  1833,   m.  Dr. 
J.  B.  Whiting,   lived    in    Wolcottville,  d. 
June,  1823. 


10.   Ellen  L., 


I.  John  T.,  b.  June  4,  1S15,  m.  Susan 
McQuarter  in  Georgia,  in  which  state  he 
was  a  merchant. 

Children  by  2d  wife  : 

3.  Walter  M.,  b.  Feb.  6,  1822,  m.  Miss. 
Swift,  of  Dutchess  county.  N.  Y.,  and  kept 
the  store  on  the  corner,  now  occupied  by 
Agard  and  Church  until  after  his  father's 
death.  In  1874,  he  romoved  to  Mount 
Pleasant,  Iowa  ;  his  children  are  :  Mary, 
Frances,  Morton  S.,  Charles  B.,  Harrie  S. 

4.  Austin  N.,  b.  Oct.  20,  1824,  m.  Sarah 
Prinile,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  d.  Nov., 
1873,  leaving  son  Harrie  Prindle 

5.  Charlotte,  b.  April  15,  1825,  d.  Oct.  15, 
1826. 

6.  Edward  (Rev.),  b.  Sept.  10,  1829,  m. 
Maria  Buell,  of  Burlington,  Vt.  ;  preaches 
in  Meriden,  Ct.  (see  Bic^.),  has,  Linnie, 
Charles  L.,  Frederic  B.,  Catharine. 

8.    Dana   L.    R.,   b.    April    19,    1827,    m. 

Caroline    Grace,    of   Hartford,    and    is    a 

merchant  in  New  York. 
8.   Charlotte    A.,    b.    July    13,    1831,   m. 

Roger  Olmstead,  M.D.,  of  New  Haven  j 

HUNTINGTON,  Joseph,  of  Harwinton,  m.  Rachel  Preston  of  Litchfield, 
June  10,  1773.     Children  : 

I.   Lucy,  b.  .March  8,  1775,  0:1  Wednesday,      2.    Rachel,  b.  Aug.  4,  1776,  on  Sunday,  m. 
m.  Blazo,  and  removed  to  Vt.  Fraud  and  removed  to  Vt. 


II.  Helen, 


"]  m.  George  Foot, 
I     of   Detroit     in 
b.  July        I     i860,  and  has, 
1-13.1837,   y    George        H., 
Lottie  A.,  Fre- 
deric J. 
d.  Jan.  7,  1838. 


12.  George  D.,  b.  Aug.  25,  1840,  d.  Aug. 
25,  1840. 

13.  Uri  T.,  b.  Dec.  14,  1841,  m.  Delia 
Hyde,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  ;  d.  in  March, 
1870  J   was  a  merchant. 

14.  Frank  L.,  b.  Nov.  6,  1843,  ^-  Sarah 
Churchill,  Dec,  1868,  and  has  son  William 
C.  J  is  a  lawyer  in  New  Britain. 


726 


History  of  Torrington. 


3.  Joseph,  b.  July  8,  1778,   on  Wednesday,  5.   William,  b.  April  I3,  1782,  m. 

when  young  went  to  Montreal,  Ca.  6.    Phebe,    b.  Aug.    19,    1787,  when  young 

4.  Rhoda,    b.    Nov.    27,     1780,    m.      went  to  her  sisters  in  Vermont  where  she 

Tryon  and  d.  in  N.  Hartford.  was  taken  ill  and  d. 

5.  William,  son  of  Joseph  and  Rachel  (Preston)  Huntington,  m.  in  Har- 
winton,  Elizabeth  Vincent,  of  Martha's  Vineyard.  He  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  but  had  a  carding  mill  in  Harwinton.  He  came  to  Torrington  — ^ — 
and  built  a  carding  mill  on  the  East  branch  a  little  distance  above  Daytonville 
which  he  conducted  some  years.  He  afterwards  lived  in  Wolcottville,  where 
he  d.      Children  : 

7.  Mary,  m.  David  Sammis  and  removed  to  i  3.   Susan,  m.  Dr.  William  Porter  of  Bridge- 
Warsaw,  Wyoming  Co.,  N.  Y.,  has  ch.  port,  where  she  resides. 

8.  Solon,  m.    Harriet  Summers  of  N.  Y.,  14.   Joseph,  d.  unm.  in  Warsaw,  N.  Y. 
resided  in  Oneonta,  N.Y.     He  is  a  farmer  15.    Ellen,    m.  Rev.  J.  E.  Yates,  resides    m 
and  of  considerable  success  and  wealth.  Elizabeth,  N.  J.     She  is  quite  well  known 

9.  Rhoda,  m.  Riley  Dunbar  of  Wolcottville.  in  literary  circles,  especially  as  the  authoress 


10.  Phebe,  m.  Henry  Pardee  of  Waterbury, 
resides  in  Oneonta,  N.  Y. 

11.  Elizabeth,  m.  Hiram  Yager  of  Oneonta. 

12.  Collis    P.,   m.;   is    president   of  Central 
Pacific  rail  road. 


of  the  poem  Tour  Mission,  which  has  be- 
come celebrated  through  the  lamented 
President  Lincoln.  She  is  continuing  her 
literary  labors  in  producing  poems  foj 
magazines  and  various  periodicals. 


IVES,  Abner,  of  Wallingford,  m.  Anna  Ferguson  of  Haddam,  May  ll, 
1768,  and  settled  in  Torringford,  on  the  place  still  known  as  the  old  Ives  place, 
a  little  way  east  of  his  brother's  home,  where  he  died.      Children  : 


1.  Eunice,  b.  March  10,  1796,  m.  Gay- 
lord  of  Goshen. 

2.  Jesse,  b.  Oct.  16,  1770,  m.  Polly 
Phelps,  and  removed  to  northern  N.  Y. 

3.  Abner,  b.  Sept.  29,  17725  lived  some 
time  in  this  town  and  went  to  Whites- 
town,  N.  Y. 

4.  Anna,  b.  July  11,   1774. 

5.  Amasa,  b.  Oct.  18,  1776,  m. 


6.   Catharine,  b.    Aug.    11,  1778. 

7.  Charlotte,  b.  Feb.  25,  178 1,  m.  Beebe 
Wadhams  of  Goshen  and  had,  Caroline, 
Henry,  Beebe,  Julius,  Willard,  and  Albert. 

8.  She'lbourn,  b.  Feb.  2.  1783. 

9.  Nancy,  b.  July  8,  1785. 

10.  Dimedia,  b.  Aug.  6,  1787,  not  m.;  d.  in 
this  town. 

11.  Trumbull,  b.  Oct.  24,  1789. 


JoTHAM,  of  Wallingford,  brother  of  Abner,  m.  .Anna  Foster  of  Walling- 
ford, May  10,  1769,  and  settled  in  Torringford,  east  of  Wolcottville,  on  what 
is  known  as  the  Elijah  Phelps  place.      He  d.  about  1823.      Children: 

12.  Joel,    b.    May    13,    1770,    removed   to      14.   Erastus,  went    to    Black   river    country, 
Black  river  country,  N.  Y.  N.  Y. 

13.  Anna,  b.  Sept.  26,  1771. 

5.  Amasa,  son  of  Abner  and  .Anna  (Ferguson)  Ives,  m.  and  lived  some 
years  west  of  Wolcottville  where  Mr.  Birney  resides. 

II.  Trumbull,  son  of  Abner  and  Anna  (Ferguson)  Ives,  m.  Abigail  S., 
dau.  of  Thaddeus  Griswold,  and  lived  on  his  father's  homestead, 

JOHNSON,  Jacob  (probably  son  of  Israel  or   .Abner  of  Wallingford),   m. 

Esjher She  was   a    professional   doctrcss  ;   a   very   noble   woman;  d. 

in  Torrington.      He  removed  with  his   family   to   Johnstown,    N.    Y.,   a   little 
after    i  800.     Children  : 


1.  Caleb,  b.  May  I,    1774. 

2.  Thankful,  b.  Oct.  16,  1776. 

3.  Stephen,  b.  May  9,  1778. 

4.  Charity,   b.  Dec.  25,  1779. 

5.  Jacob,  b.  Feb.  8,  1782. 


6.  Adolphus,  b.  April  25,  1784,  d.  Dec.  6, 
1787. 

7.  Susanna,  b.  April   23,  1786. 

8.  Abner  Adolphus,  b.  Jan.  11,  1788. 

9.  Jerusha,  b.  Nov.  24,  1789. 


Genealogies.  727 

1.  Caleb,  son  of  Jacob  and  Johnson,   m.    Mary    Beach   Dec.    20, 

1798.      Children  : 

10.  Frederick,  b.  Dec.  15,  1799.  12.   Caleb,  b.  Apr.  10,    1804,  in  Johnstown 

11.  James  W.,  b.  Dec.  27,  1801,  in  Johns-  N     Y. 

town,  N.  Y.  13.   John  Beach,   b.  Sept.  26,  1806,  in  Tor. 

JOHNSON,  Levi  F.,  was  b.  in  Cheshire,  Ct.,  Jan.  10,  1791,  in.  Mary 
M.  Morris  of  N.  Y.  state  in  1812.  She  was  a  slave,  and  her  father  bought 
her  time  when  she  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  She  is  nearly  92  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Johnson  is  much  respected,  and  has  been  sexton  of  the  Torringford  society 
over  fifty  years,  and  is  now  in  his  88th   year.      Children: 

1.  John  S.,  m.   in   1833    Huldah    Peterson,  man,  hjd  11  children,  d.  in  1862. 
had  2  children.                                                      4.   Jarvis  B.,  m. 

2.  Hilligar    J.,     m.     in     1833,     Artimicia      5.    Miles,  m.,  d.  Feb.  22,  1842. 
Thompson.  6.   Sarah  E.,  d.  Mar.  30,  1843. 

3.  Daniel  V.,  m.  about  1840  Elizabeth  Free- 

4.   Jarvis  B.,  son  of  Levi  F.,  m.  Elizabeth  Hills  in    1844.      Children: 

7.  Sarah  E.,  b.  1845,  d.  1866.  14.   William  H.,   b.  1863. 

8.  Emily  A,,  b.  1847.  15.   Nellie  F.,  b.    1868. 

9.  Celia  M.,  b.  1849,  d.  1863.  16.   Alice  L.,  b.  1872. 

10.  Julia  Ann,  b.  1852.  Hannibal  Randall,  son  of  Mrs.  Johnson, 

11.  Daniel  H.,  b.    1854.  b.  1 841,  went  to  the  war,  d.  at  Fort  Jack- 

12.  Fannie  M.,  b.    1856.  son,  La.,  Aug.  24,  1864. 

13.  Fatie  J.,  b.  1859. 

JONES,  Lewis  M.,  was  b.  in  Burlington,  Ct.,  fuly  16,  1835  ;  came  to 
Wolcottville,  in  1871  ;  m.  Christina  M.  Lankton,  and  lives  on  Migeon  avenue. 
Child  : 

I.   Grace  Mabel,  b.  Oct.,  1874. 

JONES,  David,  of  Shrewsbury,  England,  m.  Eliza  Norton,  Sept.,  1855  I 
came  to  Wolcottville,  in  187 1  ;  is  a  shoemaker.      Children: 

1.  Eliza,  b.  Nov.  22,  1856.  4.   Walter  D.,  b.  July,  1866. 

2.  James  H.,  b.  Mar.,  1862.  5.   Clara  B.,  b.  Sept.,  1875. 

3.  John  C,  b.  Aug.,  1864. 

JUDD,  Timothy,  of  East  Middleto\*n,  m.  Lois  Curtiss,  at  Farmington, 
Nov.  6,  1  744,  where  he  resided  some  years.  He  was  in  Tor.  as  early  as  i  754, 
when  his  son  Ozias  was  baptized  here  and  remained  until  after  1770.  He  had 
eight  children  baptized  here.  He  removed  to  Tyringham,  Mass.,  where  he 
d.  April  29,  1785,  a.  64,  He  uniied  with  the  church  in  Torrington,  May 
10,  1754.      Children  : 

1.  Timothy,  b.  Sept.  21,  1745.  7.   Selah,  b.  Mar.  2,  1758,  d.  Apr.  9,  1758. 

2.  Arunah,    b.    Dec.    16,    1747,    m.    Sarah        8.    Oliver,  b    June  10,  1761. 

Spring;  removed  to  N.  Y.  9.   Orange,  b.  Aug.  14,  1763,  bap.  in  Tor- 

3.  Lois,  b.  Jan.  13,  1750,  d.  July  18,  1777.  rington,  Aug.  21,  1763. 

4.  Rebecca,  b.   Mar.    15,    1752,   m.    Anjos  10.   Selah,  b.  Apr.  10,  1765. 
Spring.  II.  Thomas  Curtiss,  Feb.  4,  1768. 

5.  Ozias,  b.  July  3,   1754.  12.   Asa,  b.  Sept.  23,  1770,  d.  Aug.  24, 1777. 

6.  Salmon,  b.  Apr.  9,  1756,  d.  Apr.  26,  1756. 

1.  Timothy,  son  of  Timothy  and  Lois  (Curtiss)  Judd,  m.  Mindwell  Cowles, 
of  Torrington,  Jan.  15,  1767.  Four  of  his  children  were  baptized  in 
Torrington.  He  removed  to  Sandisfield,  and  d.  there  April  7,  1819.  His 
wife  d.  in  Otis,  March  2,  1802.     Children: 


728 


History  of  Torrington. 


13.  Elnathan,  b.  Mar.  18,  1768.  16.   Mindwell,  b.  Oct.  22,  1773. 

14.  Mary,  b.  Aug.  29,  1769.  17.  Timothy,  b.    Nov.    30,    1775,  ^-    Nov. 

15.  Lois,     b.     Feb.     20,    1771,    m.  Jared  28,  1834. 

Thompson.  18.  Sylvester,  b.  May  3,  1782. 

5.  OziAS,  son  of  Timothy  and  Lois  (Curtiss)  Jiidd,  m.  Sarah  Wilson  (she 
may  have  been  of  Torrington,  dau.  of  Asahel)  ;  lived  in  Stockbridge  ;  d.  in 
1806,  leaving  one  son  who  removed  to  state  of  N.  Y. 

8.  Oliver,  son  of  Timothy  and  Lois  (Curtiss)  Judd,  m.  Triphena  Heath, 
Sep.  25,  1780;   was  deacon  in  Sandis  more  than  forty  years. 

9.  Orange,  son  of  Timothy  and  Lois  (Curtiss  Judd,  was  b.  in  Torrington, 
m.  Abigail  Deke  at  Sandisfield,  Feb.  4,  1784.  He  removed  to  Leroy,  Genesee 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  about  1812,  and  d.  there  in  1844.  His  children  were  all  born  in 
Mass.     Child  : 

9.  Ozias,  b.  June  12,  1791,  m.  Rebecca  cal,  agricultural  chemistry  at  Yale  college  j 
Wright, Jan.  i,  18  17,  removed  to  Niagara,  entered  the  office  of  the  American  yigricui- 
thence  to  Lockport,  thence  to  Oberlin,  O.,  /«;7'i7  in  New  York,  in  1853,  as  editor; 
to  educate  his  children  ;  returned  to  Lock-  became  proprietor  of  that  paper  in  1856, 
port,  and  afterwards  removed  to  Kansas.  in  which  he  has  had  unusual  success.  He 
His  son  Orange,  b.  July  26,  1822,  was  has  given  a  large  sum  as  an  endowment, 
graduated  at  Wesleyan  University,  Ct.  ;  to  the  university  of  Middletown  where  he 
and  afterwards  pursued  a  course  of  analyti-  resides. 

KELSEY,  Dea.  Jonathan,  of  Woodbury,  settled  in  Torringford,  about 
1753.  ^'^  wife's  name  seems  to  have  been  Ruth.  He  was  a  man  of  much 
value  in  the  society,  church  and  community,  and  d.  April  13,  1792,  a.  86  years. 
A  complete  list  of  his  family  has  not  been  obtained  ;  all  the  descendants  having 
disappeared  from  the  town,  so  far  as  known       Children: 

1.  Nathan,  m.  3.   Esaias,  d.  Sept.  21,  1759. 

2.  Jonathan,  m.  Rachel  Loomis,  of  Wind-  4.   Samuel,    m.     ist   Mary  ,  who    d. 

sor,  Nov.    12,  1767;   d.   Sept.    15,    1776,  May    10,    1770;   2d   Betsey   HoUister,  of 

a.  37  years.  Glastenbury,  Oct.  25,  1774. 

1.  Nathan,  son  of  Jonathan  and  Ruth  Kelsey,  m.  Sarah  Judd,  of  Farmington, 
Dec.  10,  1760  ;   lived  in  Torringford.      Children  : 

5.  Nathan,  b.  Feb.  19,  1762.  8.    Amos,  b.  March  8,  1767. 

6.  Lois,  b.  Sept.  8,  1763.  9.  Rozel,  b.  June  7,  1768. 

7.  Noah,  b.  June  13,  1765. 

KIMBERLY,  Henry,  of  Goshen,  m.,Dec.  6,  1824,  Sylvia,  dau.  of  Jared 
Curtiss  of  Onondaga  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  on  the  Parmelee  farm  west  side 
of  Wist  pond,  in  Goshen,  where  he  d.  Jan.   l,  1855,  with  heart  disease.    Ch.: 

1.  Edward,  b.  April  17,  1826,  m.  Mary  killed  by  a  horse  in  California,  Sept.  2, 
Clark,  of  Cornwall,  Oct.    1849,  resides  in  1855. 

Goshen.  6.    Uri,  b.  July  14,  1834.  m. 

2.  AndrcA',  b.  Nov.   26,    1827,  d    in  Iowa,     7.    Daniel,  b.  Dec.   21,  1836. 

Jan.   13,  1856.  8.   Sylvia,  b.  Oct.  25,  1840,   m.  Elmer  Bun- 

3.  Henry,  b.  May  20,  1829,  enlisted  in  the  nell,  Oct.  10,1860,  resides  in  Broome  Co., 
late    war  5   was   killed    by    a  shell   at  the          N.  Y. 

battle  of  Fort  Darling,  May  14,   1864.  9.   Ledelia,   b.    June   26,    1842,   m.   Samuel 

4.  Sherman,  b.  May  14,  1831,  m.  D.  Reed,  Sept.  I,  1867. 

5.  Arthur   Mills,    b.    Oct.   21,    1832,     was 

3.  Henry,  son  of  Henry  and  Sylvia  Kimberly,  m,  Lucy  Hurlbut  of  Tor. 
Children  : 

10.  Emily,  b.  Aug.  15,  1854.  la.   Andrew  T.,  b.  Feb.  23,  i860. 

11.  Charles  H.,  b.  April  10,   1857. 

4.  Sherman,  son  of  Henry   and  Sylvia   (Curtiss)   Kimberly,   m.    Loretta 


Genealogies. 


729 


Pendleton  of  Norfolk,  April  27,  1856,  resides  on  his  father's  homestead  at 
Wist  pond.  He  lived  a  number  of  years  on  the  town  farm  of  Torrington 
which  he  conducted  with  success  and  a  good   name.      Children  : 

13.  Nellie  Maria,  b.  July  8,  1858.  15.   Kerrel,  b.  Oct.  1873. 

14.  Ellora  May,  b.   Aug.    16,    1866,  in  Tor. 

6.  Uri,  son  of  Henry  and  Sylvia  (Curtiss)  Kimberly,  m.  Maria  Davison  of 
Iowa,  where  he  resided.  He  enlisted  in  the  late  war  and  was  killed  by  a  min- 
nie  ball,  Sept.   19,  1864,  at  the  battle  of  Winchester,    Va.      Children  : 

16.   Henry  William,  b.  March  2,  1861.  17.   Delia  Alice,  b.  Jan.  13,  1863. 

7.  Daniel,  son  of  Henry  and  Sylvia  (Curtiss)  Kimberly,  m.  Jan.  28,  1856, 
Eliza  H.,  dau.  of  Junius  Baldwin.      He  enlisted  in  the  late  war  Aug.  28,  1 861, 
tor  three  years,  and  before  his  time  was  out   re-enlisted   for  three   more  ;   was 
wounded  and  d.  in  the  hospital  at  Hampton,  Va  ,  July  5,  1864.      Children: 
18.  Julia  Sylvia,  b.  Oct.  10,  1857.  19.   Carrie  Ledelia,  b.  Feb.    8,  1861. 

KUNKLE,  Edward  A.,  a  practicing  lawyer  in  Wolcottville,  wasb.  in  1850; 
m.  Emily  R.  Estlow  in  1871.      Children: 
I.  Emily  C,  b.  Sept.  10,  1872.  2.   Frederick  W.,  b.  Oct.,  1875. 

L.ATHROP,  Norman  B.,  son  of  Chauncey  Lathrop  of  Victory,  Cavuga 
Co.,  N.  Y  ,  was  born  Dec.  18,  1820.  He  was  engaged  four  years  as  book- 
keeper, in  the  wholesale  commission  house  of  Howe,  Mather  &  Morgan  of 
Hartford.  He  came  to  Wolcottville  in  Mar.  1846,  and  established  a  .  store  ; 
the  firm  being  Lathrop  &  Bradley,  in  what  is  now  the  Coe  furniture  building. 
He  has  been  in  the  mercantile  business  most  of  the  time  since  ;  is  now  in  his 
own  store  ;  the  Lathrop  block  on  Main  street.  He  m.  Sarah  Comstock  of 
Hartford,  Sept.   1,  1847,      She  was  b.  in  Kent,  Ct.,  Jan,  30,  1823.    Children: 

1.  Frank  P.,  b    Nov.  17,  1853.  4.   Mary  C,  b.  Mar.  7,  1869. 

2.  Edward  C,  b.  Jan.  20,  1856.  Willard  Mix,    b.  Feb.  14,  1844,  has  lived 

3.  Caroline  C,  b.  Sept.  12,  i860.  in  this  family  sixteen  years. 

LEACH,  Richard,  came  from  Ashford,  Winham  county,  Ct.^  and  was  b. 
in  1709,  and  d.  in  Torrington,  in  1805,  a.  96.      Children  : 

1.  Caleb.  3.   Ebenezer. 

2.  Richard.  4.   Nathaniel. 

1.  Caleb,  son  of  Richard,   m.  first  Experience  ,   who  d.  April  21, 

1770;   2d  Fowler.      Children: 

4.  Benoni,  b.  Apr.  12,  1770.  7.   David;  became  a  Baptist  minister  in  N.  Y 

5.  Oramel.  8.   Jesse  ;   removed  west. 

6.  Caleb  ;   removed  to  Chicago.  9.   Myron. 

2.  Richard,  son  of  Richard,  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  Jacob  Strong,  March 
23,  1775.  His  wife  Mary,  d.  April  19,  1791,  and  he  m.  2d,  Elizabeth  Ly- 
man, of  New  Hartford,  Jan.  12,  1792.  He  was  a  revolutionary  soldier  ;  d, 
in  Lyons,  July  6,  1827,  a.  72;   his  widow  Elizabeth,  d.  in  1847.      Children: 

10.  Pomeroy,  b.  Dec.  6,  1775.  '4-  Richard,  b.  May  10,   1784. 

11.  Jacob,  b.  Dec.   8,  1777.  15.  Lyman,  b.  Dec.  14,  1786. 

12.  Polly,  b.  May  28,   1780.  16.  Betsey,  b.  Mar.  3,  1789. 

13.  Percy,  b.  Sept.  3,  1782,  d.  same  day.  17.  Miles,  b.  Apr.  7,  1791. 

3.  Ebenezer,  son  of  Richard,  m.  Lettice  Ferguson,  of  Torrington.      Ch.  : 

18.  Washington,  b.  Nov.  i,  1785.  20.    Desdemony,  b.  Dec.  20,  1788. 

19.  Lorinda,  b.  July  6,  1785. 

92 


73©  History  of  Torrington. 

4.  Nathaniel,  m.  Eiinic  Marshall,  Nov.  19,  1779.      Children  : 

21.  Eunice,  b.  Nov.  29,  1780.  23.   Hannah,  b.  Aug.  5,  1785. 

22.  Olive,  b.  Nov.  10,  1782.  24.   Nathaniel,  b.  Feb.  12,  1788. 

5.  Oramel,  son  of  Caleb,  m.  Sarah,  daughter  of  Noah  Beach  ;  lived  on  the 
hill  where  Sheldon  Johnson  now  resides.      Children  : 

25.  Mary,  m.  Lewis  Murry.  27.    Laura,  d.  in  1873. 

26.  Candace,  m.  Childs   Pierpont.  28.   Lucius,  b.  Nov.  29,  18 11. 

9.  Myron,  son  of  Caleb,  m.  isi  Laura  Loomis,  zd  Almeda  Loomis  ;  is 
livirrg  and  in  his  92d  year.      Children  : 

29.   Roxa,  lives  in  Vermont.  30.   Laura,  m.  White  of  Cornwall. 

By  2d  wife : 

31.  Amanda,  m.  Grilly.  father  on  the  hill  northeast  of  Torrington 

32.  Luther,  m.  hollow. 

33.  Julia,  m.  Henry  Johnson,  lives  with  her      34.   Almeda,  m.  Lucius  Emmons. 

10.  PoMEROY,  son  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Strong)  Leach,  m.  Sarah,  dau.  of 
Abel  Beach  Jr.,  Sept.  24,  1797.  She  d.  with  cancer  Feb.  22,  1838.  He  d. 
Feb.   12,  1852.      Children: 

35.  Almena,  b.  Sept.  16,  1798.  37.   Almira,  b.  May  13,  1804. 

36.  Abel,  b.  May  22,  1800.  38.   Orphelia,  b.  May  12,  1806. 

23.  Lucius,  son  of  Oramel  and  Sarah  (Beach)  Leach,  m.  Adaline  Beardsley  ; 
resides  in  Torrington  hollow.      Children : 

39.   George  T.,  d.  in  1867.  40.   Jennie  M. 

LEWIS,  Walter  S.,  son  of  Capt.  Charles  Lewis  of  New  Haven,  was  born 
Feb.  21,  1833  ;  brother  of  Wm.  B.  Lewis  of  New  London  and  of  Henry  C. 
Lewis  of  Clinton,  Ct.  Walter  S.  came  to  Wolcottville  Dec.  1849,  engaged 
as  clerk  in  dry  goods  store;  is  now  a  prosperous  merchant  of  Wolcottville. 
Hem.  Mary  J.  Wooding,  Nov.  29,  1855. 

LOOMIS,'  Joseph,  was  probably  b.  about  1590.  He  was  a  woolen  draper 
in  Braintree,  Essex  county,  England;  sailed  from  London  April  11,  1638,  in 
the  ship  Susan  and  Ellen  and  arrived  at  Boston  July  17,  1638.  He  came  to 
Windsor,  probably  in  the  summer  or  autumn  of  1639,  and  is  generally  sup- 
posed to  have  come  in  company  with  Rev,  Ephraim  Huet,  who  arrived  at 
Windsor  Aug.  17,  1639.  The  Windsor  records  mention  that  he  bought  land 
in  that  town  Feb.  24,  1640.  His  wife  d.  Aug.  23,  1652.  He  d.  Nov.  25, 
1658.      Children  : 

1.  Joseph,  b.  in   England,  and   was  freeman  and   a  representative. 

in  1654.  5.   Thomas,  b.   in  England,  was  freeman  in 

2.  A  daughter,  m.  Nicholas  Olmstead.  1654. 

3.  Elizabeth,  b.  in  England,  m.  Josiah  Hull      6.    Nathaniel,  b.   in  England. 

May  20,  I  641,  and  removed   to  Fairfield.      7.   Mary,  b.  in  England,  m.  1st,  John  Skin- 

4.  John,  b.  in  England,  admitted   to  Wind-  ner,  2d,  Owen  Tudor,  Nov.  13,  1651. 
sor    church,  Oct.    11,    1640,  was    deacon      8.  Samuel,  b.  in  England. 

0  6.  Nathaniel,  son  of  Joseph  of  England,  m.  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  John  Moore, 
Nov.  24,  1653.  He  was  freeman  in  1654,  and  admitted  to  the  church  May 
3,   1663,  and  d.  Aug.   19,  1688.      Children: 

9.    Elizabeth,    b.    Aug.  7,    1655,   m.  John      11.   Abigail,  b.   March   29,  1659,  ^-  Josiah 
Lee,  Dec.  27,  1682.  Barber,  ofSimsbury,  Nov.  22,  1677. 

10.   Nathaniel,  b.  March  20,  1657.  12.  Josiah,  b.  Feb.  17,  1661. 


'  See  History  0/  tfindior,  also  Genealogy  of  Loomis  family,  by  Prof.  Loomis,  of  Yale  college. 


Genealogies.  731 

13.  Jonathan,  b.  March  30,  1664.  18.   Ebenezer,  b.  March  22,  1765. 

14.  David,  b.  Jan.  11,  1668.  19.   Mary,  b.  Jan.  5,  1680. 

15.  Hezekiah,  b.  Feb.  21,  1669.  20.  Rebecca,  b.  Dec.  10,  1682. 

16.  Moses,  b.  May  15,  167 1. 

17.  Mindwell,  b.  July  20,  1673, m.  Jonathan 
Brown,  Oct.  I,  1696. 

14.  David,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Elizabeth  (Moore)  Loomis,  m.  Lydia 
Marsh,  Dec.  8,  1692.     Children: 

21.  Lydia,  b.  Oct.  21,  1693.  26.   Elizabeth,  b.  Sept.  26,  1704 

22.  David,  b.  Dec.  2,  1694.  27.   Richard,  b.    June   i,    1707,   d.    Dec.  7, 

23.  Aaron,  b.  Sept.  5,  1696.  1726. 

24.  Hepzibah,  b.  Dec.  2,  1698.  28.   Hannah,  b.  Aug.  2,  1709. 

25.  Eliakim,  b.  July  27,  1701. 

•323.  Aaron,  son  of  David  and  Lydia  (Marsh)  Loomis,  m.  Deborah  Eggleston, 
Feb  5,  I  719,  and  settled  in  Torrington  first  on  a  farm  a  little  southwest  of  Charles 
S.  Munger's  present  dwelling,  in  a  house  by  the  creek.  After  a  few  years  he 
sold  this  farm  and  purchased  one  now  occupied  by  Sheldon  Barber,  where  he 
d.      Children  : 

29.  Deborah,  b.  April  10,  1720.  37.   Richard,  b.  Oct.  17,    1732,  d.  May  ic, 

30.  Grace,   b.  April   28,  1721,  m.   Stephen  I7S3- 

Loomis,  June  9,  1743-  38.   Eli,  b.  Feb.  18,   1734. 

31.  Aaron,  b.  Jan.  30,  1723.  39.   Issachar,  b.  May  28,   1736. 

32.  Mindwell,  b.  March  16,  1724,  m.  Isaac     40.   Naomi,  b.  May  10,  1738. 

Hosford,  of  Litchfield,  July  8,  1747.               41.   Abiah,  b.  April  22,  1742,  m.  Benjamin 

33.  Moses,  b.  Sept.   12,  1726.  Beach,  Aug.  31,  1763. 

34.  Abner,  b.  Nov.  26,  1727.  42.   Lemuel,  b.   May  8,  1744,   bap.  in  Tor- 

35.  Esther,  b.  June  30,  1729.  rington.  May  20,  1744,  d.  June  6,  1761. 

36.  Ephraim,  b.  April  i,  1731. 

3  I .  Aaron,  2d,  son  of  Aaron  and  Deborah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  Hannah, 
dau.  of  Benoni  Hills,  June  6,  1745.  ^^  lived  about  twenty  rods  south  of  the 
present  town  house,  on  the  east  side  of  the  road.  He  was  a  farmer.  He  d. 
Sept.  16,  1776,  a.  53.  His  widow  Hannah,  d.  March  28,  1812,  a.  87. 
Children  : 

43.  Aaron,   b.  Jan.  9,    1746,   d.    Feb.    23,  46.   Deborah,    b.    Jan.    4,    1752,    m.    Rial 
1746.  Brace,  about  1771  or  2. 

44.  Hannah,   b.   Dec.    6,    1746,  m.    Caleb  47.   Lucy,   b.    April    20,    1756,    m.    Elisha 
Lyman,  Sept,  28,  1768.  Smith,  Nov.  25    1773. 

45.  Huldah,    b.   Mar.    2,    1748,    m.    Wait 
.Beach  July  9,  1767. 

33.  MosES,  son  of  Aaron  and  Deborah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  Sarah  Rob- 
erts of  Simsbury,  Nov.  3,  1752,  and  settled  on  what  was  afterwards  called 
Brandy  hill,  where  Samuel  Reed  now  resides.  His  wife  is  said  to  have  been 
near  relative  to  Priest  Roberts.  He  and  his  brother  Abner,  purchased  a  piece 
of  land  half  a  mile  long  from  east  to  west,  or  from  one  highway  to  the  other. 
He  took  the  west  half  and  Abner  the  east;  their  houses  were  about  twenty 
rods  distant  from  each  other.  His  wife,  Sarah,  died  May  3,  1800,  aged  71. 
He  died  Aug.  8,  1803,  aged  76.      Children: 

48.  Sarah,  b.    Nov.    28,    1755,    m.    Josiah      50.    Moses,  b.  June  18,  1760. 
Whiting,    removed    to  Mass. 

49.  Jemima,  b.  July  9,   1758,  m.    Ephraim 
Bancroft  Nov.  2,  1775. 

34.  Abner,  son  of  Aaron  and  Deborah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  Sarah ■ 

July  28,  1757,  who  d.  May  19,  1784.      He  in.,  2d,  Chloe,  dau.  ofNathaniel 
Barber,  June  9,  1785,  who  d.  Dec.  3,    1836.      He   settled    near  his    brother 


732 


History  of  Torrington. 


Moses.  He  was  a  farmer  and  a  distiller  of  brandy.  He  d.  Jan.  18,  1809, 
a.  81.      Children: 

51.  Abner,  b.  Nov.   22,   1757,  d.   Sept.  11,  56.    Lovisa,  b.  Aug.  28,  1772,  d.  young. 
1776.  57.   Lovisa,  b.  Sept.  27,   1779,   ^-  Artemus 

52.  Richard,  b.  Dec.  25,  1758.  Phillow,  Dec.  11,  1800. 

53.  Sylvia,  b.  Jan.  6,  1760,  m.  John  Whit-  58.   Chloe,   b.   May  14,    1788,    d.    Sept.   9, 
ing  March  23,    1779.  1816. 

54.  Tryphena,  b.  Nov.    10,    1763,  m.    Seth  59.  Julia,  b.  Dec.  20,  1790,  d.  July  6,  1817. 
Whiting,  April  16,  1789. 

55.  Naomi,   b.  Aug.  26,  1769,  d.  Sept.  29, 
1839,  a.  70. 

Oj  36.  Ephraim,  son  of  Aaron  and  Deborah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.,  ist, 
Ruth  Hosford  of  Litchfield,  Oct.  31,  1756.  She  d.  May  i,  1764.  He  m., 
2d,  Jane  Campbell  of  Canaan,  Oct.  18,  1764.      He  d.  Apr.  4,  18  12.   Ch  : 

60.  Ephraim,  b.  July  12,  1758.  62.   Amy,  b.  April  28,  1764,  m.  Rice, 

61.  Ruth,  b.  Mar.  11,  1762,  m.  Job  Rowley  of  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y. 
of  Bloomfield. 

By  2d  wife  : 

63.  Aaron,  b.  May  25,  1766.  67.   Bildad,  b.  Feb.  12,  1773. 

64.  Solomon,  b.  Jan.  23,  1768.  68.   Rebecca,  b.  Sept.  26,  1774,  m.  Ichabod 

65.  Jane,    b.    Dec.    10,    1769,    m.    Samuel  Deming,  Mount  Pleasant,  Penn. 
Thorpe,  of   New  Hartford,    and  d.    April  69.   Elias,  b.  Nov.  13,    1776. 

4,  18 12. 

66.  Silas,    b.     April    12,    1771,     m.    Polly 
Cowdy,  removed  to  Waterbury,  Vt. 

38.  Eli,  son  of  Aaron  and  Deborah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  Dorothy,  dau. 
of  Ichabod  Loomis,  Dec.  18,  1762.  He  lived  on  a  farm  afterwards  owned 
by  Henry  Allyn,  on  the  hill  half  a  mile  east  of  Mr.  Lyman  R.  Pond's  present 
dwelling.      Children  : 

70.  Dorothy,  b.  Nov.  10,    J766,  m.  Asahel  73.   Margaret,    b.  Sept.    7,    1772,   m.  Arah 
Barber,  of   Harwinton,    near    1791.  Loomis,  May  15,  1799, d.  Sept.  28,  1841. 

71.  Lemuel,  b.  Oct.  17,  1764.  74.   Cyrus,  b.    June   30,    1775,  removed    to 

72.  Eli,  b.  Jan.  11,  1770,  removed  to  Ver-  Vernon,  N.  Y. 
non,  N.  Y. 

39.  IssACHAR,  son  of  Aaron  and  Deborah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  1st  Mary 
Fowler,  Dec.  10,  1765,  who  d.  Sept.  16,  1800  ;  2d  Hepzibah,  dau.  of  Joel 
Loomis,  May  6,  1802.  She  d.  May  13,  183  i.  He  d.  Feb.  11,  1804,  a.  68. 
He  was  so  very  small  at  birth  that  he  was  put  into  a  tankard'  and  the  cover 
was  shut  upon  him.  He  grew  to  be  a  man  weighing  over  two  hundred  pounds. 
He  resided  on  his  father's  homestead,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Sheldon  Barber, 
his  grandson.      Children  : 

75.  Joseph,  b.  Jan.  19,  1767.  77.   Rhoda,  b.  Feb.  27,  1777,  m. 

76.  Mary,    b.    Nov.    19,    1769,   m.    Abijah 
Barber,  March  19,  1795. 

50.  Moses,  2d,  son  of  Moses  and  Sarah  (Roberts)  Loomis,  m.  Lucy,  dau. 
of  Dea.  John  Cook,  Aug.  8,  1782.  He  resided  on  his  father's  homestead 
until  his  death,  Nov.  2,  1812.      His  wife  Lucy,  d.  Oct.  29,  1809.   Children: 

78.  Luman,  b.  July  13,  1783. 

79.  Sarah   "Sally,"    b.   Aug.    3,    1789,    m. 
Uri  Whiting,  of  Torrington. 


*  A  tankard  held  about  three  quarts. 


Genealogies.  733 

52.  Richard,  son  of  Ahner  and  Sarah  (Grant)  Loomis,  m.  Rachel  Higbee, 
May  30,  1780.  He  lived  on  the  farm  now  owned  bv  Mr.  Charles  S.  Munger, 
on  Torrington  hill,  southwestern  part  of  the  town.      He  d.  Aug.  9,  1826. 

80.  Clarissa,    b.    Oct.    29,    1780,    m.  86.   Harriet,  b.  Oct.  7,  1894,  m.  Starr  Clark, 

Lyman.  removed  to  Oneida  Co.,   N.  Y. 

81.  Levi,    b.    June    3,    1783,    removed    to  87.   Huldah,   b.    May    18,    1797,    m.    Levi 
Canada.  Hills,  April  28,  1818. 

82.  Chester,  b.  April  20,  1785,  removed  to  88.   Abner,   b.    Jan.    i,    1799,   removed    to 
Canada.  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  m.  and   d.  there. 

83.  Laura,    b.   May    28,    1787,   m.    Erastus  89.   Amoret,    b.    Dec.    15,    1802,   d.    with 
Hodges.  spotted  fever,  Aug.  4,  1809. 

84.  Richard,  b.  Aug.  2,  1789.  90.   Electa    Spofford,   b.  April    9,    1807,  m. 

85.  Rachel,  b.    Feb.    29,  1792,  m.    Chester  Dr.  Asahel  Grant.      She  d.  Aug.  4, 1831. 
Bancroft. 

T  60.  Ephr.aim,  2d,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Ruth  (Hosford)  Loomis,  m.,  ist, 
Jane  Fyler,  Oct.  30,  1783,  who  d.  Mar.  30,  1789;  2d,  Zerviah  Hill,  July  20, 
1789.  He  lived  in  Newfield,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  Dea.  Frederick 
North's  present  dwelling,  on  the  west  side  of  the  road,  his  farm  joining  his 
brother  Solomon's.      He  d.  in   1825,  a.  67  years.      Children  : 

90.  Reuben,  b.  Oct.  9,  1785,  removed  out  of  Leach,  of  Smithville,  ChenangoCo.,  N.  Y. 
the  state  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  Pa.                            95.   Ruth,  b.  Aug.  9,  1793,  m. Savif- 

91.  Oliver,    b.    May,    29,    1787,  m.    Mary  thll.      She  d.  in  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
Barber,  Feb.   4,    1 8 14,   lived   in    Winsted,  1848.                                                 ^ 

she  d.  March  21,  1870,    had  no  children.  96.    Ephraim,  b.  July  16,  1796.   ^  ^ 

He  was  a  much  esteemed  citizen.  97.   Charles  Grandison,  b.  March  28,  1798,^ 

92.  Ephraim,  b.  Feb.  28,  1789,  d.  1789.  lived  and  d.  in  Litchfield. 

93.  Asahel,    b.    April    8,   1790,    m.   Adah  98.   Roman,  b.  Aug.  6,  1800,  went  to  Che- 
dau.  of  John  Beach,  April   29,  1812,  and  nango  Co.,  N.  Y. 

d.  in  Black  river  country,  N.  Y.,  Jan  21,      99.   Caroline,  b.   Oct.  9,  1807,  m.  Zebulon 
1863.  Merrill,   Nov.     15,    1842,    lived  in   New 

94.  Zerviah,   b.    May    16,    1791,    m.    Jesse  Hartford. 

63.  Aaron,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Loomis,  m.  Annis  Drake 
of  Windsor,  Feb.  12,  1789,  he  m  ,  2d,  Alma  Loomis.      Children: 

100.   Aaron,  b.  May  16,  1790.  103.   Annis,  b.  June  23,  1797,   not  m. 

loi.   Jane,  b.  March  11,  1392.  104.   Alvin,  b.  Dec.  22,  1800,  no  family. 

102.   Laura,  b.   Feb.    17,   1794,    m.   Myron 
Leach,  Jan.  5,   1809. 

64.  Solomon,  son  ot  Ephraim  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Loomis,  m.  Elizabeth 
Olcott  of  New  Hartford,  Aug.  31,  1791.  He  lived  in  Newfield  at  little  west 
of  Dea.  Frederick  North's  present  dwelling,  had  a  large  farm  and  was  a  suc- 
cessful farmer.  He  d.  Mar.  15,  1848,  a.  80.  His  widow,  Elizabeth  d.  July 
7,  1857.      Children  : 

105.  Orlen,   b.  March    i,    1792,  m.  Ruby  108.   Levi,   b.    May   8,    1806,  d.   March  2, 
North,  went  to  South  America.  i^53>  never  m. 

106.  Hiram,  b.  Nov.  28,  1794.  109.   Candace,  b.  Nov.  6,  1807,  d.  in  1834, 

107.  Horace,  b.  Nov.  14,  1796.  never  m. 

67.  BiLDAD,  son  ot  Ephraim  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Loomis,  m.  Delia  Porter. 
No  children.  Owned  and  lived  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  Warren  Wil- 
cox, about  halt  a  mile  south  westerly  from  his  brother  Solomon,  about  a  mile 
northeast  of  Wrightville  on  the  northeast  road.  The  house  and  buildings 
stand  about  twenty  rods  from  the  road  north. 

69.  Elias,  son  ofEphroim  and  jane  (Campbell)  Loomis,  m.  Mary  Rood. 
He  d.  May  2,  1831,  in  New  Hartford.  His  widow,  Mary,  d.  Oct.  15,  1837. 
Children  : 


734  History  of  Torrington. 

no.  Miles,  b.  Oct.  3,  1799.  112.  Luther,  b.  Nov.  8,  1806. 

III.   William,  b.  Jan.  1804. 

71,  Lemuel,  son  of  Eli  and  Dorothy  (Loomis)  Loomis,  m.  Abigail  Parsons 
Oct.  17,  1793.  He  lived  in  the  house  west  of  the  late  Joseph  Allyn's  on  the 
hill,  north  side  of  the  road,  where  Henry  Allyn  afterwards  lived  and  d.  He 
was  a  weaver  by  trade — never  wealthy  —  but  a  good  citizen  and  a  well 
meaning  man.      Children  : 

113.  Pluma,  b.    Aug.  10,    1794,  m.  Willis      117.   Lydia,  b.   Aug.   4,    1802,  not    m.,    d. 
Crampton  of  Farmington   Feb.  15,  1836,  May  25,    1848. 

and  d.    1858,  and   the  family  removed  to  118.   Abigail,  b.   April    28,   1805,    m.    Asa 

Farmington.  Hamlin,  d.    1840. 

114.  Rueben,  b.  Feb.   11,  1796,  m.  Abigail  119.    Huldah,  b.   Dec.  20,    1806,  m.  Smith 
Burnham  Nov.  1820;  no  children;  she  lives  HarrisMay  13,    1838,  d.  1859. 

in  Torrington  hollow.  120.   Lucinda,  b.    Dec.    6,  1809,  not  m.,  d. 

115.  Almeda,  b.  Aug.    i,   1797^  tn.  Myron  May  31,   1865. 
Leach  and  d.  in  1847. 

116.  Lemuel,  b.   April    3,  1800,   not  m.,  d. 
in  Tor. 

75.  J9SEPH,  son  of  Issachar  and  Mary  (Fowler)  Loomis,  m.  Clymena  Tay- 
lor, removed  to  Wadsworth,  Ohio,  in  1816,  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace 
in  that  town  ;  d.  Aug.  15,  1835,  a.  68.  He  had  two  sons  and  several  grand- 
sons.     (See  Wadsworth  Memorial.) 

78.  LuMAN,  son  ot  Moses  and  Lucy  (Cook)  Loomis,  m.  Amanda  Thrall 
June  7,  1807,  who  d.  Apr.  12,  1835.  ^^  \\\ed.  on  the  Elijah  Barber  place 
a  little  west  of  his  father's  home,  and  d.  in  1875.      Children: 

121.   Albert,  b.  July  10,    1811,    m.   Emily      122.   Lucy,  b.  July  15,  1817,  m.   Asa  Lyon 
Curtiss   Nov.    10,   1841,  no    children  ;  d.  1835,  d.  June  28,   1837,  at  New  Haven. 

Apr.  26,  1875. 

90.  Reuben,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Jane  (Fyler)  Loomis,  m.  Sally  Westland 
of  Windsor,  Ct.  ;  removed  to  Mount  Pleasant,  Pa,  where  he  d,  Nov.  10, 
1849  She  d.  Aug.  4,  1866.  They  had  several  children. 
^  X  96.  Ephraim,  son  of  Ephraim  and  Zerviah  (Hills),  Loomis,  m.  Jemima, 
dau.  of  Elihu  Barber,  Feb.  15,  1817;  lives  on  the  Newfield  road  about  three 
miles  north  of  Wolcottville ;  a  farmer  of  considerable  success  and  influence. 
Child:  ^  ^: 

123.  Emery,    b.    Mar.  7,    1819,    m.    Laura  b.  May  1846,  who  m.   Enos  M.  Marshall 
Lyman,  Sept.  12,   1841,   had  Laura  Jane,  Mar.  16,  1864. 

/       97.   Charles,  son  of  Ephraim    and    Zerviah    (Hills)    Loomis,    m.    Emma 
Burgess  Nov.  7,   1827  ;   d.  in  Litchfield,  in  1852.      Children  : 

124.  Emily,  b.    Jan.    29,    1830,    m.   Perry      126.   Abigail,  b.  1834,  m.   George    Cramer, 
Odell,  Winchester.  Winchester. 

125.  Cornelia,  b.  1832,  m.   William  John- 
I                  son,  Winchester. 

.yv^^        106.   Hiram,  son  of  Solomon  and  Elizabeth    (Olcott)   Loomis,    m.   Abigail 

Ward  Mar.  29,  1821.     Children: 

(f'J''  127.   Elizabeth,  b.  July  22,  1822,  m.  Fred-      128.   George  Ward,    b.  Jan.    27,   1827,  m. 

^   '  erick  Griswold,  Sept.  30,  1845.  Harriet  Gilman   Oct.  26,  1853. 

107.    Horace,  son  of  Solomon  and  Elizabeth  (Olcott)  Loomis,  m    Pamelia 
Loomis,  who  d.;   2d,  Roxalena  Loomis,  who  d.;  3d,  Jerusha  Saxton,   who  d. 
in  1855.      Hed.  in  1869.     Children: 
129.   Harmon,  b.  Sept.  16,  1822,  m.    Erne-      130.   Orlan,  b.   Mar.  4,    1828,    m.   Drusilla 

line  Beach  July  15,  1848,  had  Emma  A.,  Green  1854,  South  America. 

who  m.  Nathan  A.   Champion,  and   Wil- 

ber. 


Genealogies. 


735 


LOOMTS,  Abraham,  son  of  Daniel,  of  Windsor,  was  b.  Dec.  13,  1696, 
in.  Isabel  Eggleston,  Feb.  5,  1718,  came  to  Torrington  ;  settled  a  little  north 
of  Dr.  Elkanah  Hodges.      Children: 


1.  Jerusha,  b.  Apr.    21,  1722,    d.  Jan.    16, 

1757- 

2.  Abraham,    b.    Oct.    17,   1724,  m.   Mary 
Taylor,  lived  in  T.  and  Winchester. 

3.  Isabel,    b.  Oct.  26,    1729,   m.   Benjamin 
Phelps,  Oct.  16,  1755. 

4.  Capt.  Epaphras,  b.  Nov.   13,  1732,  m. 

2.  Abraham,   son  of  Abraham   and  Elizabeth    (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  ist 

Mary  Taylor,  of  Litchfield,   Feb.   10,   1757,   who  d.  May  29,    1773  ;  m.  2d 

Mary  Wetmore,    of  Winchester,   Nov.    12,    1775.      He  d.  March    6,  1788. 
Children  : 


5.  Jemima,  b.  July  4,  1734,  m.  Noah  North, 
Mar.  25,  1756. 

6.  Benoni,  b.    Sept.  28,    1738,   d.    Feb.  27, 
1742. 

7.  Remembrance,    b.    Sept.    30,    1743,    d. 
Jan.  18,  1745. 


12.  Alexander,  b.  June  15,  1770,  m.  Submit 
Spencer,  June  3,  1792. 

13.  Jerusha,  b.  Sept.  4,  1780. 


8.  Benoni,  b.  Feb.  27,  1758,  m. 

9.  Mary,  b.  Dec.  15,  1760. 

10.  Abrahrm,  b.  July  25,  1764. 

11.  Mabel,  b.  June  26,  1766. 

4.  Capt.  Epaphras,  son  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m. 
Mary  Hills,  of  Goshen,  Sept.  9,  1755,  ^^o  d.  Feb.  12,  1813,  a.  78.  He  d. 
at  Winchester,  Sept.  10,  1812.  He  was  in  Revoluton  and  several  of  his  sons. 
Children  : 


14.  Epaphras,  b.  Mar.  31,  1756,  m.  Phebe 
Brown,  Dec.  5,  17775  served  in  the 
Revolution;   d.  1850,  at  Hannabal,  N.  Y. 

15.  Remembrance,  b.  Feb.  27.  1759,  d. 
Jan.  16,  1779,  a  British  prisoner  at  Mil- 
ford,  Conn. 

16.  Jerusha,  b.  Feb.  6,  1761,  m.  Noadiah 
Bancroft,  Sept.  7,  1780,  d.  Oct.,  1827. 

17.  Dea.  Lorrain,  b.  June  9,  1764,  m. 
Abigail  Rainsford,  1789,  removed  to  Win- 
chester. 


18.  Wait,  b.  Nov.  23,  1765,  m.  Sally  Stone, 
1796.      He  vi'as  in  the  Revolution. 

19.  Arah,   b.   July    7,    1767,    m.   Margaret 
Loomis,  May  15,  1799;   d.  at  Winsted. 

20.  Ira,  b.  Sept.  19,  1770,  m.  Polly  Thrall, 
July  25,  1793  ;   d.  in  Ohio. 

21.  Rachel,  b.  May  29,  1772,  d.  March  6, 

1774- 

22.  Mary,  b.   March  15,    1775,    m.   Daniel 
Coe  Hudson,  Feb.  16,  1797. 


8.  Benoni,  son  of  Abraham  and  Mary  (Taylor)  Loomis,  m.  Jemima,  dau. 
of  Nathaniel  Barber,  March  9,  1786,  who  d.  Oct.  6,  1828.  He  d.  Feb.  20, 
1820.      Children: 


26.  Elisha,  b.  July  27,  1798,  m. 

27.  Pamelia,  b.  Jan.  18,  1804,  m.  Horace 
Loomis,  April  21,  1824,  who  d.  Sept.  23, 
1824. 


23.  Warren,    b.  Nov.    9,    1787,  m.    Esther 
Sutliff,   of  Plymouth  ;   d.  in  1839. 

24.  Roxalena,     b.     March    27,     1791,    m. 
Horace  Loomis,   Jan.  29,  1828. 

25.  Horace   Allyn,    b.    Aug.    3,     1793,    m. 
Hannah  Judson  ;  went  to  Ohio. 

26.  Elisha,  son  of  Benoni  and  Jemima  (Barber)  Loomis,  m.  Ophelia  Leach, 
April  3,  1833.  He  bought  the  Guy  Wolcott  place  and  lived  there  until  his 
death,  Feb.  21,   1869.      Children: 

28.  Sarah  Fidelia,  b.  April  22,  1834.  30.   Flora  Amelia,  b.  Feb.  15,  1843. 

29.  Louisa    Ophelia,    b.    Sept.  7,    1837,  m.      31.   Elisha  Earle,  b.  Aug.  2,  1846. 
Thomas    Fitz  Simons,  Aug.    16,  1862,  d. 

Aug.  6,  1863. 

LOOMIS,  Ichabod,  son  of  Ichabod,  of  Windsor,  m.  Dorthy  Loomis,  Jan. 
25,  1738,  came  to  Torrington  ;   d.   1773.      Children: 

1.  Dorothy,  b.  July  5,  1740,  m.  Eli  Loomis,  Lewis,    removed  to    Winchester,    d.   July 
Dec.  18,  1762.  31,  1785. 

2.  Ichabod,  b.  Jan.  17,  1743,  m.  Mindwell      3.   Abiel,  b.  Sept.  13,  1748,  d.  suddenly. 


736 


History  of  Torrington. 


4.  Elijah,  b.  Nov.  6,  1753,  served  in  Revo-      6.   Elizabeth,  b.  March  13,  1760,  d.  young, 
lution,  d.  a  prisoner.  7.   Roger,  m.  Abigail  Bartholomew. 

5.  Daniel,    b.    Nov.    28,     1756,     m.    Ann 
Phelps,  d.  in  Hampden,  N.  Y. 

LOOMIS,  Isaac,  son  of  Isaac  (who  was  the  brother  of  Abraham,  who  settled 
in  Torrington),  and  Hannah  (Eggleston)  Loomis,  m.  Sarah  Gillett,  March  10, 
1743.      Children: 

1.  Sarah,    b.    March    12,    1744,   m.   Moses  4.   Isaac,  b.  Aug.  11,  1750. 
Rood,  Jan.  15,  1768.  5.   Hannah,  b.  Jan.  16,  1753. 

2.  Rhoda,  b.    July    11,    1746,  m.  Ebenezer  6.   Asa,  b.  Feb.  29,  1756,  m. 
Rood,  Sept.  6,  1770.  7.  Joseph,  b.  June  26,  1758,  m. 

3.  Michael,  b.  Oct.  13,    1747,  m. 

3.  Michael,  son  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Gillett)  Loomis,  m.  Huldah  Loomis, 
of  East  Windsor,  Oct.  9,  1777.  Resettled  in  Torringford,  where  Christopher 
Colt  now  resides.      Children  : 

8.   Chester,  b.   July  5,    1778,  d.   March  26,      9.   Chester,  b.  June  25,  1780. 
1779. 

6.  Asa,  son  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Gilllett)  Loomis,  m.  Priscilla  Austin,  June 
II,   1778,  lived  on  West  street  in  Torringford.    Children: 

10.  Abigail,   b.    July  16,    1779,   m.  George      15.    Polly,  b.  May  i,  1792,  not  m.  ;  d.  June 
Deming.  12,  1820. 

11.  Belinda,  b.    May  30,     1781,    not   m.  d.      16.    Austin,  b.  Sept.  14,  1794,  m. 

1840.  17.   Aurelia,  b.  April  17,  1799,  m.    Charles 

12.  Beulah,  b.  Oct.  30,  1783,  not  m.  d.  Nov.  L.  Curtiss,  Feb.,  1825,  resides  at  Charles- 
24,  1 8 10.  town,  O. 

13.  Asa,  b.  March  3,  1786,  m. 

14.  Wealthy,   b.    Aug.  3,    1788,  m.    Nancy 
Woodruff. 

7.  Joseph,  son  of  Isaac  and  Sarah  (Gillett)  Loomis,  m.  Rhoda  Stark. 
Children  : 

18.  Lavinia,  b.  1784,    m.  Lucretius    Bissell,  22.   Clarissa,  b.  1793,  m.  Chauncey  B.  Cur- 
d.  in  Austinburg,  O.,  1855.  tiss,  d.  in  1851,  Charlestown,  O. 

19.  Rev.  Harvey,  b.  1786;   m.  23.   Sophia,  b.  1796,  m.  Horace  Cook;  d.  in 

20.  Ralsamon,  b.  Aug.  24,  1788,  m.  1838,  in  Elkhart,  Ind. 

21.  Philomela,  b.   1790,  not  m.  d.  1818.  24.   Willard,  b.  1798,  not  m. ;  d.  1S23. 

13.  Asa,  son  of  Asa  and  Priscilla  (Austin)  Loomis,  m.  Sally  Burr,  removed 
to  Charlestown,  Ohio.      Children  : 

25.  Eliza  Ann,  b.  June  7,  1807,  m.  Andrew  31.   Abigail,  b.    April    15,  1822,   m.    Lozon 
Haymaker,  Charlestown,  O.  Bostwick,  Edinburgh,  O. 

26.  Lewis,  b.    May    11,    1809,    m.    Charity  32.    Cornelius,  b.    May  19,    1825,    m.  Milly 
Hough,  April  3,  1833,  Charlestown,  O.  Moore,  Charlestown,  O. 

27.  Beulah,  b.    July    27,    181 1,  not  m.  ;   d.  33.   Uriah   B.,  b.   March  18,  1828,    m.  ist, 
July  10,  1864  Elizabeth  I.  Boly  ;  2d,  Mary  Hart. 

28.  Martha,    b.    Sept.    19,    1814,  m.    Orrin  34.    Milo,  b.  Nov.  27,  1831,  d.  1832. 
Sanford,  Charlestown,  O.  35.   Addison,  b.  June  4,    1835,   m.   Miriam 

29.  Mary,  b.  March  22,  i8i7,m.  Robinson  Warner,  1863,  Clermont,  Iowa. 
Hinman,  Edinburgh,  O. 

30.  Harriet,  b.  June  7,  1819,  m.  Henry  Y. 
Woodruff. 

16.  Austin,  son  of  Asa  and  Priscilla  (Austin)  Loomis,  m.  Elizabeth  Hough' 
He  d.  in  1857,  at  Atwater.      Children: 

36.  Homer  A.,  b.  Sept.  29,  1823,  m.;  lived  Mary  D.  Mansfield,    1849;   2d,    Mary  L. 
in  Coldwater,  Mch.  Barr,  Burr  Oak,  Mich. 

37.  Dr.  Harvey,  b.  Sept.  27,  1824,   m.  ist, 


Genealogies. 


737 


38.  Elvira,  b.    1827,  m.    Dr.  Clebrom    Pal-     40.  John  S.  M.,  b.  July  3,  1837,  m.  Ange- 
miter,  1846,  Ligonia,  Ind.  line  Fowler,  i860,  Kendallville,  Ind. 

39.  Almira,    b.     1829,    m.    George    Clark, 
1851,   Louisville,  Ky. 

19.  Rev.  Harvey,  son  of  Joseph  and  Rhoda  (Stark)  Loomis,  m.  Nancy 
Battell  {See  Biog.  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loomis.)      Children  : 

41.  Charles  Battell,    b.   Nov.  12,    1812,  m.      44.   Ann  C,  b.  Jan.  18,  1818,  d.  March  6, 
1st  Emilia  Coulomb,  July  13,    1832,  who  1820. 

d.  Mar.  6,  1855,  m.  2d,  Mary  Worthing-  45.   Joseph  W.,  b.  Aug.  i,  1819,  d.  March 
ton,  July  18,  i860,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  25,  1820. 

42.  Harvey,   b.  Jan.    19,   1815,  m.   Martha  46.   Henry  M.,   b.  May  21,    1823,   d.  April 
Maria  L'Huilier,  of  Geneva,   Switzerland,  8,   1824. 

where  he  d.  Aug.   14,  1857. 

43.  Joseph  W.,  b.  July  24,  181  6,  d.  Feb.  i, 
1818. 

20.  Ralsamon,  son  of  Joseph  and  Rhoda  (Stark)  loomis,  m.  Nancy  Colt, 
July  II,  18  19,  removed  to  Charlestown,  Ohio,  making  the  journey  in  forty  days 
with  an  ox  team.      Children  : 

47.  Charlotte,  b.  April  29,  1820,  m.  Nelson  49.   Frederick,    b.    Oct.    11,1823,   "i-    '^t, 
Roberts,  Sept.  24,  1841.  Elizabeth  Wilson,  Sept.  13,  1848  ;  m.  2d, 

48.  Henry,  b.  Sept.  I,  1821,  not  m.j  d.  Jan.  Harriet   Wilson,   Oct.  28,    1852.      He  d. 
21,  1849.  Aug.  31,  1861. 

LOOMIS,  Timothy,  son  of  Timothy  of  Windsor,  came  to  Torringford 
and  settled  a  little  way  south  of  Augustine  Hayden's.  He  d.  Feb,  13,  1832,  a. 
82.      Children: 

1.  Anna,  b.  Nov.  2,  1774.  6.  Guy,  b.  Feb.  7,  1784. 

2.  Sarah  Talcott,  b.  July  27,  1776.  7.  Wells,  b.  Jan.  17,  1786. 

3.  Roxa,  b.  April  14,    1778.  8.  Ruhamah,  b.  May  9,   1790. 

4.  Timothy,  b.  Nov.  14,  1779.  9-  Orrel,  b.  June  18,  1792. 

5.  Allen,  b.  Sept.  2,  1781,   m.  Mary  Reed, 
Jan.  19,  1806. 

LOOMIS,  Joel,  son  of  David  of  Windsor,  settled  in  Torrington,  a  short 
distance  east  of  the  John  Brown  house.  He  was  nephew  to  the  first  Aaron 
in  Tor.,  was  born  June  2,  1721,  m.  June  4  1752,  Elizabeth  Brown,  who 
was  probably  a  near  relative  t  )  Owen   Brown.      Children  : 

1.  Elizabeth,  b.  Sept.  25,  1753.  3.  Joel,  b.  May  22,  1760. 

2.  Anna,  b.  Sept.  17,    1756.  4.    Hepziba,  m.  Issachar  Loomis. 

3.  Joel,  son  of  Joel  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Loomis,  m.  Prudence  West 
May  23,  1792.      Children  : 

5.  Betsey,  b.  Apr.  15,    1793.  7.   Harlow,  b.   May  30,  1798. 

6.  Ansell,  b.  July  3,    1795.  8.   Riley,  b.  Aug.    13,    1800. 

MARSHALL,  Capt.  Saiviuel,  was  in  Windsor  and  had  a  lot  in  the  Pali- 
sado  in  1637;  was  a  deputy  in  the  same  year  and  a  magistrate  in  1638.  He 
m.  Mary,  dau.  of  Lt.  David  Wilton,  May  i,  1652.      Children: 

1.  Samuel,  b.  May  27,  1653.  6.   Mary,  b.  May  8,    1667. 

2.  Lydia,  b.  Feb.  18,  1655.  7.    Eliakim,  b.  July   10,  1669. 

3.  Thomas,  b.  April  23,  1659.  8.  John,  b.  Apr.  10,  1672. 

4.  David,  b.  July  24,  1661.  9.    Elizabeth,  b.  Sept  27,   1674. 

5.  Thomas,  b.  Feb.  23,  1663. 

5.  Dea  Thomas,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Wilton)  Marshall,  m.  Mary 
Drake,  Mar.  3,  1686,  in  Windsor.  He  was  an  original  proprietor  in  Tor- 
rington, but  did  not  settle  here.      He  d.  in  Windsor  Nov.  8,  1735.   Children: 

93 


738  History  of  Torrington. 

10.  Thomas,  b.  Jan.  14,  1686,  d.  Aug.  26,      17.   Noali,  b.  Apr.  24,  1703.     v 
1689.  18.   (Rev.)  Daniel,  b.  1705. 

11.  Mary,  b.  Feb.  21,  1689.  19.   Benjamin,  b.  Aug.  8,  1707. 

12.  Samuel,  b.  July  23,  1691.  20.   Eunice,  b.  May    3,    1709,    m.  and  took 

13.  Thomas,  b.  Feb.  6,  1693.  upon   herself  to  preach    Baptist    doctrine. 

14.  Rachel,  b.  Apr.  12,  1696.  She  was  ordered   to  desist    and   not    com- 

15.  Catharine,  b.  Apr.    11,  1699.  plying,    was,    although    pregnant    at    the 

16.  John,  b.   April  3,    1701.  time,  thrown   into  jail. — Windsor  Hist. 

12.  Samuel,  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Drake)  Marshall,  m.  Abigail 
Plielps  July  12,  1706  ;   lived  in  Windsor.      Children: 

21.  Samuel,  b.  Aug.  17,  1717.  27.  Amasa,  b.  Jan.  17,  1729,  settled  in  Tor. 

22.  Rev.  Eliakim,  b.  March  i.  1719.  28.  Joseph,  Rev.,  j  b.  Feb.  17,  1731. 

23.  Abigail,  b.  March  6,  1722.  29.  Mary,  (  "  " 

24.  Noah,  b.  April  29,  1723,  settled  in  Tor.  30.  Assenath,  b.  May,  i,  1733. 

25.  Rachel,  b.  Feb.  I,  1725.  31.  Aaron,  b.  May  11,  1735, settled  '"  Tor. 

26.  Abner,  b.  Feb.  9,  1727,  settled  in  Tor. 

13.  Thomas,  son  of  Dea.  Thomas  and  Mary  (Drake)  Marshall,  m.  Elizabeth 
Tudor  Oct.  9,  1725.  He  settled  in  the  southwestern  part  of  Torrington  on  a 
farm  next  south  of  the  old  Jonathan  Coe  place,  some  time  before  1755.  His 
wife  was  of  French  descent ;  had  some  considerable  property  when  she  was 
m.,  and  was  a  woman  of  high  spirits,  in  which  qualities  probably  Mr.  Mar- 
shall was  not  much  lacking.  They  agreed  to  a  separation  for  a  time,  but  after 
about  two  years  revoked  the  decree.  He  d.  Feb.  4,  1772,  and  his  widow  d. 
Feb.  8,  1790,  aged  90  years.      Children: 

32.  Thomas,  b.  Oct.   13,  1726,  d.  young.  34.   Job,  b.  April  22,  1736. 

33.  Gad,  b.  Feb.  18,  1732.  35.   Thomas,  b.  Aug.  24,  1738. 

24.  Noah,  son  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Phelps)  Marshall,  came  to  Torrington 
a  young  man,  m.  Sarah  Taylor,  of  Litchfield,  Nov.  15,  1753.  He  d.  F"eb. 
3,  1777.      Children  : 

36.  Noah,  b.  Sept.  8,  1754.  39.  John,  b.  April  30,  1759. 

37.  Ambrose,  b.  April  12,  1756.  40.  Roswell,  b.  June  10,  1761. 

38.  Oliver,    b.  Nov.    23,  1757,  d.  Jan.  10,     41.  Sarah,  b.  May  12,  1767. 
1777. 

26.  Abner,  son  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Phelps)  Marshall,  m.  Hannah 
Marshall,  of  Windsor,  Jan.  4,  1759.  Hannah,  his  wife,  d.  June  24,  1800. 
Children  : 

42.  Hannah,  b.  Oct.  8,  1759,  in  Windsor.  46.  Julinus,    b.  Jan.    7,    1767,  d.   Jan.  23, 

43.  Abner,  b.  Nov.  17,  1761,  in  Tor.  1767. 

44.  Roger,  b.  Aug.  2,  1763.  47.   Abigail,  b.  July  13,  1769. 

45.  Nancy,  b.  Jan.  19,  1765. 

27.  Amasa,  son  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Phelps)  Marshall,  came  to  Tor- 
rington a  young  man  and  m.  Jane  Leeming,  of  Middletown,  Feb.  27,  1759. 
Child: 

48.  Eunice,  b.  June  i,  1761. 

31.  Aaron,  son  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Phelps)  Marsliall,  came  to  Tor- 
rington a  young  man  and  m.  Chloe  Agard,  Dec.  4,  1777.  She  d.  Dec.  24, 
1795.      Children: 

49.  Chloe,  b.  Oct.  4,   1779.  50.   Assenath,  b.  Aug.  5,  1786. 

35.  Thomas,  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Tudor)  Marshall,  m.  Desire 
Tuttle,  Jan.  30,  1 764.  She  was  b.  May  16,  1743.  His  father  gave  him  a 
farm  in  Newficld,  adjoining    Winchester  line,    in   1761,  and    he  settled    on  this 


Genealogies. 


739 


farm,  and  established  the  first  large  dairy  in  Newficld,  and  perhaps  the  first  in 
the  town.  He  was  a  man  of  peculiarities  like  many  men  in  his  day,  but  must 
have  been  more  than  ordinarily  enterprising,  and  energetic.  He  was  among 
the  first  settlers  in  Newficld,  and  was  a  man  of  considerable  influence  in  that 
part  of  the  town.  His  wife.  Desire,  d.  Aug.  14,  1808,  and  he  m.  2d,  widow 
Sarah  Butler,  of  Harwinton.  He  wrote  in  his  account  book,  "  In  1 799, 1  made 
78  barrels  of  cider;  in  1803,  80  ;  in  1807,  120."  "In  1805,  Isold  my  new 
milk  cheese  at  ten  cents  a  pound."  He  d.  instantly  of  dropsy  of  the  heart  May 
5,  1810.      Children  : 

51.  Raphael,  b.  May  II,  1765.  m.  1800,    when     he    removed    to     Vernon, 

52.  Reuben,  b.  Nov.   29,  1766,  m.;   was  a  N.  Y. 

merchant  at  Winchester  some  years,  they  56.   Roswell,  b.    Dec.  30,    1773,  m.   Sophia 

removed  to  Granville,  Mass.  ;   d.  Feb.  13,  Bass;   lived  in  Colebrook,  and  d.  Nov.  23, 

1814.  1845. 

53.  Harvey,  b.    June    29,    1768,   m.    Anna  57.   Seth,  b.  Dec.  2,  1775,  m.  Susan  Frisbie, 
Frisbie,  of  Burlington,    Ct.,   living   many  of  Burlington,  Ct.,  and  lived  in  Culebrook 


years  in  Colebrook,  removed  to  and  d.  in 
Hartford,  leaving  sons  and  daus. 

54.  Sarah,  b.  June  10,  1770,  m.  Oliver 
Coe,  Dec.  i,  1791,  had  :  Norris,  b.  May 
I,  1792,  m.  Chloe  Hubbell  ;  Demas,  b. 
Jan.  II,  1794;  Artemisia,  b.  Dec.  5, 
1799,  m,  George  Chase.  Mrs.  Sarah,  d. 
April  17,  1816. 

55.  Levi,  b.  April  19,  1772,  m.  Polly 
Gridley  ;  lived  in  Winchester  until   about 


many  years  j   removed  to  Painesville,  O. 

58.  Rachel,  b.  June  19,  178 1,  m.  Dec.  19, 
1799,  Capt.  Levi  Munsill,  and  resided  on 
her  father's  homestead  and  d.  there  Jan. 
16,  1842,  a  very  excellent  woman.  Their 
children  were  :  Marcus,  Sarepta,  Luman, 
Hiram,  Levi  T.,  and  Maria  R. ;  all  resided 
in  Winchester. 

59.  Susannah,  b.  Aug.  14,  1783. 


51.  Raphael,  son  of  Thomas  and  Desire  (Tuttle)  Marshall,  m.  Philomela, 
dau.  of  Daniel  Grant,  b.  .'^pril  17,  1769  He  was  a  farmer  and  tanner  on  the 
Gen.  Sheldon  place  on  Lyman  street  ;  and  was  an  energetic,  influential  citizen. 
His  wifePhilad.  Aug.  13,  1812,  and  he  m.  2d,  Mrs.  North,  widow  of  Phineas 
North,  Esq.,  and  d.  in  Colebrook,  Nov.  3,  1822.      Children: 

59.  Minerva,  b.  May  30,   1789,   m.  Samuel      63.   Daniel,  b.    Oct.  20,  1800,    d.  Apr.   25, 
Deliber,  d.  Feb.  17,    1842.  1804. 

60.  Maria,    b.    July   27,    1791,    m.    Henry      64.   Raphael    G.,    b.    July    1802,    d.    July, 


Skilton  Morris;  d.  Aug.,  1865. 

61.  Sarah  W.,  b.  Aug.  29,  1794,  m.  Rev. 
Alpheus  Geer,  of  Waterbury  ;  d.  in  Brat- 
tleboro. 

62.  Philomela,  b.  April  18,  1798,  m.  Dr. 
Geo.  O.  Jarvis  ;   d.  May  12,  1875. 


65.  Aurelia,   b.  Sept.    16,  1 804,  m.  Homer 
Higley,  of  Winsted,  d.  Nov.  11,   1870. 

66.  Lorinda,  b.  March  16,  1808,  m.  Nelson 
Hall,  of  Waterbury ;  resides  in  New  Haven. 


McCARTY,  William  H.,  son  of  William  W.  of  Wassaic,  N.  Y.,  was  b. 
March  5,  1842,  in  Tolland,  Mass.  He  enlisted  at  Wolcottville,  Aug.,  1861, 
in  Co.  C,  8th  Ct.  Served  until  Mar.  4,-  1863  ;  and  was  honorably  discharged 
by  reason  of  wounds  received  at  the  battle  of  Antietam,  Md.  ;  was  in  the  battle 
of  Roanoke  Island  in  1862,  of  Newbern,  N.  C,  Mar.  14,  1862,  and  at  the 
siege  of  Fort  Macon,  N.C.,  and  in  the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  Sunday,  Sept. 
14,  1862,  and  at  Aniietam  where  he  was  wounded  Sept.  17,  1863,  and  lay  in 
the  hospital  six  months,  when  he  was  sent  home.  He  went  as  a  private,  came 
home  a  sargeant.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the  brass  mill  thirteen  years.  He 
m.  Jennie  E.  Johnson  Aug.  9,  1863,  and  resides  on  Migeon  avenue.  Ch.  : 
I.  Albert  A.,  b.  Jan.  25,  1865.  2.  Gertrude  M.,  b.  May  28,  1869. 

McNeil,  Henry  L,  son  of  Elias,  was  born  at    Binghamton,    N.  Y.,  May 
30,  1815,  m.  at  Litchfield,  Ct.,  Oct.  zi,  '.840,  Martha  J.,  dau.  of  Col,  Wm, 


740  History  of  Torrington. 

O'Dell  of  Litchfield,  and  settled  in  Wolcottville  in  Sept.    1830.     He  d.    Aug. 
20,  I  868.     Children  : 

1.  William  Henry,  b.  1840,  d.  1853.  clerk  at  the  bank  of  Brooks  Brothers,  and 

2.  Edward  Lincoln,   b.   May  1854,  d.   Nov.  the  Wolcottville  Savings    Bank. 
1859.                                                                       4.   Catherine  Lucena,  b.  Dec.  19,  1858. 

3.  Charles  Leverette,  b.   Sept.  28,  1 855  ;   is 

Charles,  son  ot  Elias,  was  b.  at  Litchfield,  Feb.  25,  1829.      He  commenced 
the  drug  busineis  in  Wolcottville  in  1850,  in  which  he  siill  continues.      Hem. 
Emeline  Loveland  Feb.  5,  1851.      She  was  b.   at  Watertown,   Ct.,   Feb.    19, 
1832.      Children: 
I.   Frank,  b.  July  13,    1852.  2.  Merritt,  b.  Sept.  13,   1865. 

MATHFR,  Zachariah,  m.  Lucia  Gaylord  Apr.  20,  1769.  {Tor.  Rec.^ 
Children  : 

1.  Polly,  b.  Sept.  II,  i'JI'2-.  4.   Naomi,  b.  Nov.  27,  1777. 

2.  Lucinda,  b.  May  6,  1775.  5.   Sibyl,  b.  July  24,  1781. 

3.  Lucy,  b.  June  2,  1776.  6.   EliEabeth,  b.    Dec.  i,  1783. 

MATTHEWS,  Thomas,  m.  Hannah  Harris  Apr.  16,  1775.      Child  : 
I.  Sarah,  b.  Dec.  17,  1776.     (^Tor.   Rec.) 

MIGEON,  Henri,  was  b  in  Haraucourt,  France,  Sept.  11,  1799,  and  m. 
Marie  Louise,  dau  of  Francois  Beaudelot  of  Haraucourt,  France,  and  came  to 
America  in  1829,  and  was  a  successful  business  man,  and  a  resident  of  Wol- 
cottville. His  wife,  Marie  Louise,  d.  June  30,  1871.  He  d.  Dec.  24,  1876, 
aged  76  years.      {See  Biog.)      Children: 

1.  Pauline,     m.     Hiram     W.     Hayden,    of  Fairfield, Ct., children,  William  H.,  Achilla 
Waterbury,  and  had  children,  Edward  S.,  Migeon,  Louise  B.,  Elise. 

Leonia  M.,  Florentine  H.  5.    Achille    F.,  b.    Feb.  7,  1834,  in  Millbury, 

2.  Arcine,    m.     Henry     Munson,     of    East  Mass. 

Bloomfield,  Ontario  co.,  N.  Y .,  had  Adele  6.   Adele  R.,  b.  in    Wolcottville,  m.  Francis 

B.,  Ada,  Eliza  T.  V.    Beaudelot,      of     Haraucourt,   France, 

5.   Florentine,  b.  in  1826,  in  Sedan,  France,  where  she  resides,   and  has,  Louis,   Nelly, 

m.  Frederick  J.  Seymour.  Leon  G. 

4.  Eliza  Josephine,  m.  George  B.  Terrill,  of  7.   Louise  Justine,  b.  in  Wolcottville. 

5.  AcHiLLE  F.,  son  of  Henri  and  Marie  L.  (Beaudelot)  Migeon,  attended 
school  at  Rev,  John  Catlin's  in  Northficld,  Ct.,  and  then  a  time  at  the  Academy 
at  Litchfield,  then  at  the  Hamden  Military  school,  and  was  graduated  at  the 
Irving  Institute  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.  He  was  then  engaged  at  the  Middlesex 
woolen  mill,  at  Lynn,  Mass,  learning  the  business  of  manufacturing  woolen 
cloths  ;  aft'jr  which  he  entered  his  father's  re-finishing  shop  in  New  York,  and 
some  time  later  became  a  partner,  and  continued  there  until  1863,  when  he 
purchased  the  Wadham's  property  in  Torrington  hollow,  and  is  owner  ol  stock 
in  the  skate  shop,  needle  shop,  brass  mill,  and  has  an  interest  in  the  gold  mines 
at  Helena,  Montana,  where  he  is  at  present  giving  his  personal  attention.  He 
m.  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Almon  Farrell  of  Waterbury,  Sept.  1.  1858  ;  resides  on 
Migeon  avenue.      Children  : 

8.   Virginia  Beaudelot,  b.    Nov.    12,    1360;      9.   Clara  Louise,  b.  March  2,  1864. 
is  at  school  in  New  York. 

MILLER,  George,  was  an  early  settler  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town, 
had  quite  a  family  and  sf^ems  to  have  been  a  fine  man.  He  d.  Feb.  13,  1775. 
Children  : 

1.  George,  b.  March  7,  1755,  m.  3.  Joel,  b.  Jan.  10,  1758. 

2.  Phebe,  b.  Jan.  23,  1757.  4.    Asahel,  b.  Oct.  24,  1760. 


Genealogies.  741 

5.  Ruth,  b.  Nov.  19,  1762.  8.  Sarah,  b.  July  12,  1769. 

6.  David,  b.  Feb.  23,  1765,  m.  9.   Hannah,  b.  Sept.  14,  1772. 

7.  Josiah,  b.  April  12,  1767. 

1.  George,  son  of  George  and  Sarah  Miller,  m.   Phebe   Hurlbut   June  29, 
1775.      Children  : 

10.   Phebe,  b.  April  13,  1776.  11.   George,  b.  July  2,  1777,  d.  same  day. 

4.   AsAHEL,  son  of  George  and  Susan  Miller,  m.  Lovina   Coe,   of    Winches- 
ter, Oct.  26,  1788.      Child  : 

12.  Joel,  b.  June  26,    1790. 

6.  David,  son  of  George  and  Sarah  Miller,  m.  Hannah  Smith  Jan.  i,  1795. 

Children  : 

13.  Huldah,  b.  Sept.  15,  1795.  16.    Hannah  £.,  b.  Oct.  8,    1805. 

14.  Fanny  S.,  b.  Nov.  3,  1797.  17.   David  S.,  b.  April.  2,  1808. 

15.  Elihu  R.,  b.  Sept.  28,  1801. 

MILLER,  William,  m.  Polly  Cotton  in  1783,  and  may  have  been  an  older 
son  of  George  and  Sarah  Miller.      Children  : 

1.  Daniel,  b.  Jan.  5,  1785.  3.   Joseph,  b.  March  i,  1790. 

2.  Nancy,  b.  Feb.  5,  1787.  4.   Polly,  b.  April,  1791. 

MILLER,  Ebenezer,  came  to  Torringford  a  young  man,  and  afterwards  m. 
Thankful  Allins  of  Middletown,  Feb.   16,  1761.      Children: 

1.  Jonathan,  b.  Nov.   26,    1761.  8.   Samuel,  b.  Sept.  2,  1773. 

2.  Ebenezer,  b.  Jan.  7,  1764.  9.  Joshua,  b.  Mar.  8,  1775. 

3.  Elizabeth,  b.    Aug.    11,    1765,    d.    Oct.      10.    Henry,  b.  Oct.   11,    1776. 

">  1767.  II.   Experience,  b.  May  5,    1778,  d.  June  3, 

4.  Abigail,  b.  May  24,  1767.  1778. 

5.  Thomas  A.,  b.  Sept.  13,  1769.  12.   Jose.nh,  b.  Oct.  29,  1779. 

6.  Elizabeth,  b.  Nov.  8,  1770.  13.   Beula,  b.   Mar.    21,  1782. 

7.  Thankful,  b.  June  9,   1772. 

2.  Ebenezer,  son  of  Ebenezer,  m.  Dorothy  Gaylord   of  Middletown,   Feb. 
7,    1787.     Child  : 

14.  Willard,  b.  Dec.  31,    1787. 

10.    Henry,  son  of  Ebenezer,  Sr.,  m.  Abigail   Bristol   Dec.    3,    1799.      He 
d.  Feb.  28,  1861.      Shed    July  11,  1863.      Children: 

15.  Sophronia  A.,    b.   Nov.    17,    1800,    m.      19.   FloriUa   E.,   b.   Feb.    23,    1814,   m.    S. 
Bunnell,  Apr.  24,  1823.  Hayden  Mar.  23,  1836. 

16.  Lewis   B.,  b.  Dec.  12,  1804,  m.  20.    Minerva,   b.   Feb.  8,  1816,  d.  June  21, 

17.  Harvey,  b.  Mar.  11,  1807,  m.  Jane   F.  1871. 

Stanley,  Aug.  27,  i838.  21.    Martha  A,  b.    June    19,    1S21,   m.  J. 

18.  Luther,  b.  Dec.  5,  1810,  m.  C.  Lowry,   Aug.  11,  1842. 

16.   Lewis  B.,  son  of  Hcnrv,  m.  Jane  Trumiiull,  who  d.    Aug.    25,    1863  ; 
in.,  2d,  Harriets.  Hewitt,  Nov.  25,   1865.      Children: 

22.    Eleanor,  b.   Jan.    20,    1845,   m.   E.  G.      23.    Luther  E.,  b.  April  20,  1850. 
Richardson,  Aug.  30,  1870. 

By  2d  wife  : 

24.  Lewis  B.,  b.  Aug.  30,  1869,  d.  Sept.  15,  1869. 

23.   Luther  E.,  son  of  Lewis  B.  Miller,  m.  Alice  Hewitt  Nov.  24,1869.   Ch  : 

25.  Henry  L.,  b.  Jan.  11,  1871.  26.    Charles  H.,   b.  Oct.  8,  1872. 

MILLER,  William,  a  Hessian  soldier,  taken  prisoner,  was  brought  to  Tor- 
ringford in  the  Revolution  ;   and  after  a  few  years  he  ni.,  bought  him   a  lot   of 


742  History  of  Torrington. 

land  and  built  a  house  on  it  at  the  corner  of  West  street  and  the  Torrington 
turnpike  where  he  lived  and  died.     Children  : 

1.  Daniel,  removed  from  the  town  3.  Joseph,  removed  from  the  town. 

2.  Polly,  m.  Dr.  Remus   M.   Fowler. 

MILLS,  Peter,  ancestor  of  the  Wintonbury  Mills  family,  was  the  son  of 
Peter  Vander  Water  Menlen,  native  of  Holland,  Europe.  His  name  was 
changed  at  his  own  request,  by  the  general  assembly  to  that  of  Peter  Mills. 
He  was  b.  in  1666,  and  m.  Joanna  Porter,  July  21,  1792,  and  resided  near 
the  east  part  of  what  is  now  Bloomfield,  where  he  followed  through  the  active 
part  of  his  life  the  trade  of  a  tailor.      He  d.  in  1754,  ^-  ^^  years.      Children: 

1.  Peletiah,  b.    April  27,    1693,  was  an  at-     4.   Peter,  d.  April  28,  1700. 

torney  at  Bloomfield.  5.    Peter,    b.  April   12,  1701  ;    the  father  of 

2.  Gideon,    b.    Feb.    3,    1694,    graduate,   at  numerous  descendants. 
Yale,    1737,    settled   in    the    ministry    at      6.   Daniel,  b.  May  22,  1706. 

Simsbury  and  West  Simsbury.  7.  John,  b.  Feb.  14,  1708  ;  settled  in  Kent. 

3.  Jedediah,  b.   March  23,    1697,  graduated 
Yale,  settled  at  Huntington. 

7.  John,  son  of  Peter  and  Joanna  (Porter)  Mills,  m.  Jane  Lewis,  who  was  b. 
in  Stratford,  in  1712,  and  settled  in  Kent,  a  farmer.  He  was  drowned  in  the 
Housatonic  river  June  7,  1760.  His  widow,  Jane,  m.  Rev.  Phileinon  Robbins, 
of  Branford,  where  she  resided  until  his  death,  in  1781,  when  she  returned  to 
Kent,  where  shed,  in  1798,  a.  86.      Children: 

8.  Lydia,    b,  Nov.  2,    1734,  m.    Jeremiah  14.   Sarah,     b.    April    5,     1747,     m.    Rev. 
Fuller,  d.  July  4,    1755.  Jeremiah  Day,  of  New    Preston,  d.  Aug. 

9.  John,  b.  Jan.    23,  1736,  d.   at  Windsor  25,  1767.      It  is  said  that  she  was   visited 
unm.  March  24,  1762.  by  the  Rev.    Peter   Starr  as    well    as    Mr. 

10.  Lewis,  b.  Oct.  18,  1738,  m.  Day,  when  a  young  lady  but  that  she  chose 

11.  Peter,  b.  Oct.  14,  1741,  m  to  walk  by  day-light  rather  than  star-light. 

12.  Samuel,  b.  May  17,  1743,  m.  15.   Edmund,  bap.  June   16,  1751,   preached 

13.  Jane,  b.    April    5,  1745,    m.  Rev.   Joel  in  Sutton,    Mass. 
Bardwell,  Kent,  Sept.  6,  1759,  d.  May  2, 

1829. 

12.  Rev.  Samuel  J.,  son  of  John  and  Jane  (Lewis)  Mills,  m.  Esther 
Robbins,  of  Canaan,  Nov.  19,  1771  ;  he  then  being  settled  past  or  at  Tor- 
ringford,  where  he  remained  until  his  decease,  May  11,  1833,  lacking  five 
days  of  ninety  years  of  age.      His  wife  Esther,  d.  Dec.  30,  1809.      Children  : 

16.  Infant  dau.  d.  20.  Jeremiah  Fuller,  b.  in    1777,  m. 

17.  Infant  son,  d.  21.   Florilla    M.,  m.   Col.   James    Ripley,  of 

18.  Infant  dau.  d.  Cornish,  N.  H. 

19.  Infant  son,  d.  22.  Samuel  John, b.  April  21,  1783,  never  m. 

20.  Jeremiah  F,  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  J.,  and  Esther  (Robbins)  Mills,  m. 
Eleanor  Weller,  of  Roxbury,  and  was  a  farmer  in  Torringford  some  years, 
then  removed  to  New  Haven,  where  he  d.  Oct.  6,  183-?,  a.  56.  His  wife 
Eleanor,  was  b.  in  1785,  and  d.  in  New  Haven,  Feb.  29,  1831,3.  46. 
Children  : 

23.  Ellen  Louisa,  never  m.  in  Salisbury,  Ct.,  1836-7  ;  studied  theology 

24.  Rebecca  Florilla,  m.  Charles  Dickson,  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  1837-8;  taught  a 
of  Groton,  Mass.,  and  d.  a  few  years  since  private  school  in  Burlington,  N.  J., 
in  Kansas,  leaving  a  family.  1838-9;     was    at     Andover,     1839-41; 

25.  Julia  Sherman,  m.  Rev.  Samuel  C.  ordained  Sept.  1 5,  1841  ;  sailed  from  New 
Damon,  of  Mass.,  Oct.  6,  1841  ;  had  five  York,  March  10,  1842,  and  reached 
children  :  Rev.  Mr.  Damon  was  b.  in  Honolulu,  Oct.  19,  1842.  From  that 
Holden,  Mass.,  Feb.  15,  18  15,  graduated  time  to  the  present  he  has  labored  in  that 
at  Amherst  in  1836;   taught  the  academy  place  under  the  auspices  of  the  American 


Genealogies.  743 

Seaman    Friend's  Society  of  New    Yorli.  26.    Henrietta  Esther,  m.  Jonathan  Walcott, 

In  this  Bethel  chapel  he  has  preached  35  of  Natick,  Mass.      Both   have    d.  leaving 

years;   during    which    time   he  has    edited  three  children  :   one  dau.  ;    E.  H.  Walcott, 

The  Friend,  a    monthly  paper,    the   oldest  druggist  in   Natick,  Mass.  ;   and  Dana  W. 

periodical    published   in    the    Pacific.      He  Walcott,  a  minister  in  N.  J. 

and  Mrs.  Damon  have  enjoyed  good  health,  27.    Margaret   Augusta,  m.    in    Honolulu   in 

and   of  their  five  sons,    four   are   living;  1851,  Josiah  Fuller,  and  has  two  sons  and 

three   settled    on    the    island,   and    one    a  one  dau. 

graduate  of  Amherst  is    now   traveling  in  z8.  Samuel  John,  d.  at  Natick,  unm. 

Europe. 

MINER,  Charles  W.,  son   of  Darius   Miner  of  Cornwall,  m.   Martha  E. 
Frost  of  North  Haven,  Nov.   12,  1851.      He  purchased  and  settled  on  the  old 
Nehemiah  Gaylord  farm  on  Torringford  street,   in  the  spring  of   1855,  where 
he  d.  in  1867.      Children  : 
I.  J.  Stanley,  b.  Aug.  15,  1852,  d.  Sept.  7,      2.   Charles  H.,  b.  Mar.  28,   1858. 

1875.  3-   Ellsworth  S.,  b.  Nov.  20,  i860. 

Darius  D.,  son  of  Darius  Miner  of  Cornwall,  in.  Mary  E.  Wadsworth  Oct. 
10,  1842,  of  the  same  town,  and  settled  in    Torringford  in    March,  1844,   on 
the  Ebenezer  Bissell  place.      Children: 
4.   Edward  S.,  b.  June  18,   1844,  m.  5.  Mary  Ellen,  b.  Jan.  20,  1850. 

4.    Edward  S.,  son  of  Darius  D.,  m.  Josephine  Clinton,   of  North  Haven, 
Oct.  10,  1867.      He  is  a  merchant  at  Burrville.      Children: 

6.  Stiles  W.,    b.  June  8,    1871,  d.   Feb.  2,       8.   Nellie  D.,  b.  Aug.  7,  1874. 
1873. 

7.  Mary  L.,    b.  Aug.    6,  1873,  d.    Aug.  25, 
1873. 

MOORE,  Simeon,  and  his  wife  Hannah,  were  early  in  the  town.   {Tor.Rec.) 
Children  : 

1.  Benjamin,  b.  Mar.  i,   1756.  4.   Simeon,  b.  Mar.  20,  1760. 

2.  Chloe,  b.  Aug.  17,   1758.  5.   Eldad,  b.  Oct.  10,  1762. 

3.  Philander,  b.  Feb.  18,  1759. 

4,   Simeon  Jr.,  son  of  Simeon  and  Hannah  Moore,    m.  Hannah  Cook,  Jan. 
21,1784.    (tor.  Rec.)     Children: 

6.  Polly,  b.  Nov.  I,  1784.  8.    Wealthy,  b.  Mar.  24,  1789. 

7.  Lovina,    b.    Apr.    16,    1786,    m.    Elijah        9.  Simeon,  b.  June  8,  1791. 
Benedict.  10.   Hannah,  b.  Jan.  15,  1794. 

MORRIS,  Alanson,  son  of  David  and  Lois  (Loomis)  Morris,  m.  in 
181  2,  Lucy,  dau.  of  Rial  Brace  of  Torrington.  Mr.  Morris  came  to  Tor- 
rington  about  1816,  being  a  cabinet  maker,  but  bought  the  farm  next  east  of 
Willard  Birges,  at  the  corners,  where  he  farmed  it  53  years.  His  wife,  Lucy,  d. 
Apr.  20,  1871.  He  resides  with  his  son  Lewis,  in  Wolcottville,  being  in  his 
ninety-first  year.      Children: 

1.  Alanson  Lewis,  b.   Dec.   3,  1814,  m.  2.   Rial  Emery,  b.  Jan.  28,  181  9,  tn. 

I.   Alanson  L.,  son  of  Alanson  and  Lucy  (Brace)  Morris,   m.    Lucy   Ann, 
dau.  oflsaac  Hart  of  Litchfield,  Sept.  17,  1835,  settled  in  Wolcottville  and   is 
a  watchmaker  and  silver  smith.      Children  : 
3.    Henry  Lewis,    b.    Aug.    23,    1836,    m.  Thrall,  who  d.    May  17,  1866;   m.   2d, 

Mary  E.  Haight,   Aug.    1858;  had   Alice  Lewis  Riggs  Dec.    13,  1871. 

and  Lizzie.  4.   William  Julius,  b  May  9,  1845,  m.  Ann 

2.  Caroline  Amanda,  b.  April  19,  1838,  m.  Eliza  Way  ;   lives  in    Wolcottville. 
Harvey  Fellows  Jan.  i,  1871  ;   had  Fred-      5.    Mirtha  Semantha,  b.   Feb.  28,  1848,  m, 
erick  and  Willie.                                                      Charles   Huxford;    has   John    Wilour,  b. 

3.  Julia  Ann,  b.  Apr.  10,  1844,  m.  Edward  Mar.  3,  1872. 


744  History  of  Torrington. 

2.  Rial  E.,  son  of  Alanson  and  Lucy  (Brace)  Morris,  m.  Sarah  Mills  of 
Burlington,  and  d.  Feb.   28,  1861,  aged  42.      Children: 

6.  Mary  E.,  d.   Dec.  19,  1863,  a.  19. 

7.  Albert,  removed   to   Wisconsin,   m.   had 
a   family. 

MONGER,  Charles  L.,  son  of  Julius  Munger,  of  Litchfield,  was  b.  Jan. 
18,  1819,  m.  Lucy  C.  Colby,  Nov.  21,  1841.  She  was  b.  Feb.  20,  1823. 
In  1859,  he  purchased  and  settled  on  the  Richard  Loomis  farm,  a  little  north 
of  the  old  Israel  Everitt  place.      Children  : 

1.  Lemuel  I.,  b.  Feb.  22,   1843.  4.   Alice  L.,  b.  May  9,  1854,  m.   James  A. 

2.  Mary  C,  b.    Nov.  7,    1844,   m.   Hayden  Stewart,  Oct.  i,  1872. 
Palmer,  Feb.  26,  1865.  5.   Harriet  N.,  b.  Nov.  28,  1856. 

3.  Lyman  C,  b.  June  9,  1848,  d.  June  11,  6.   Lucy  J.,  b.  Sept.  15,  i860. 
1855.  7.   Edith  A.,  b.  Jan.  i,  1865. 

MUNN,  Jededlah,  son  of  Jedediah  and  Hester  (Squire)  Munn,  was  bap- 
tized in  Woodbury,  Feb.  12,  1751,  where  his  father  resided.  His  grandfather 
Samuel,  from  Milford,  Ct.,  was  one  of  the -original  settlers  of  Woodbury.  He 
settled  in  Torrington,  about  1792,  on  the  place  afterwards  owned  and  occupied 
by  Bassett  Dunbar,  in  Daytonville,  or  the  northern  part  of  Wolcottville.  He 
m.  Molly  .      He  d.  May  28,  1805.      Children  : 

1.  Clara,  b.  Feb.  26,  1787,  in  Southbury.  3.  Ransom,  b.  Jan.  8,  1793,  in  Torrington. 

2.  Abijah,  b.  Feb.  14,   1790,  in   Southbury,  4.  Betsey,  b.  Apr.  6,  1796. 
m.  dau.  of  James  Eggleston,  and  lived  on  5.  Jedediah,  b.  Jan.  23,  1799. 
his  father-in-law's    place  western    part   of 

Wolcottville. 

MURRY,  Daniel,  came  from  Guilford,  Ct.,  to  Torrington,  and  m.  1st 
Lucretia  Coe,  March  t8,  1776,  who  d.  June  5,  1792  ;  and  he  m.  2d,  Hannah 
Clark.      He  was  a  farmer  in  Newfield.      Children  : 

1.  Ruth,  b.  Sept.  7,  1776.  4.   Daniel,  b.  April  4,  1785. 

2.  Warren,  b.  July  8,  1779.  5.   Ammi,  b.  July  30,  1787. 

3.  Truman,  b.  Oct.  6,  1782.  6.   Riley,  b.  Jan.  9,  1792,  d.  July  11,  1816. 

By  2d  wife  : 

7.  Lewis,       1  1     .«      1 

8.  Lucretia,  r-^^'-^'^  19,1795- 

4.  Daniel,  son  of  Daniel,  m.  Roxalany  North,  March  25,  1810;  lived  in 
Winchester,  near  Long  lake.     Children  : 

9  Philomela,  b.  July  7,  1811.  13.  Lucretia,  b.  Dec.  5,  1820. 

10.  Frederitk,  b.  July  28,  1813.  14.  Sabra,  b.  July  4,  1823. 

11.  Flora,  b.  Sept.  4,  1815.  15.  Prudence,  b.  Sept.  14,  1826. 

12.  Jenette,  b.  April  2,  1818. 

I.  LYMAN,  Richard,  the  patriarch  of  all  the  Lymans  of  English  descent  in 
America,'  was  b.  in  High  Ongar,  Essex  Co.,  in  England.  He  m.  Sarah,  dau. 
of  Roger  Osborne,  of  Halstead,  in  Kent.  Richard  Lyman  and  family  em- 
barked in  the  sliip  Lion,  William  Pierce,  master,  for  New  England,  taking 
their  departure  from  the  port  of  Bristol.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  and 
original  proprietors  of  Hanford.  He  d.  in  August,  1640,  and  his  name  is 
inscribed  on  a  stone  column  in  the  rear  of  the  Centre  church  of  Hartford, 
erected  in  memory  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  city.      Children : 


'  Lyman  Genealogy^  p.  JJ. 


Genealogies. 


745 


2.  William,  buried  at  High  Ongar.  6  Richard,  bap.  Feb.  24,    1617. 

3.  FhiUis,    bap.  Sept.    12,    l6llj   came  to  7.  Sarah,  bap.  Feb.   8,  idio. 

N-  E-  8.  Anne,  bap.  April  12,  1621,  d.  young. 

4.  Richard,  bap.  July  18,  161  3,  d.   young.  9  John,  bap.    1623. 

5.  William,  bap.  Sept.  8,  1616,  d.  in  Nov.,  10.  Robert,  b.  Sept.,  1629. 
1616. 

6.  RiCH.ARD,  Jr  ,  son  of  Richard  and  Sarah  (Osborne)  Lvman  m.  Hcpziba, 
dau.  of  Thomas  Ford  of  Windsor.  Richard  resided  some  time  in  Windsor; 
remo\ed  to  Northampton.      He  d.  June  3,  1662,  a.  45.      Children: 

11.  Hepziba,  b.  at  Windsor.  15.   Eliza,  m.  Joshua   Pomeroy. 

12.  Sarah,  m.  i566.  16.   John. 

13.  Richard,  b.  in  Windsor.  17.   Joanna,  b.  1658. 

14.  Thomas,    b.    about    1649,  removed   to      18.   Hannah,  b.    1660. 
Durham. 

14.  Dea.  Thomas,  son  of  Richard  Jr.,  and  Hepziba  (Ford)  Lyman,  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Nonhamptcn,  about  1656,  where  he  m.  in  1678, 
Ruth,  widow  of  Joseph  Baker.  He  removed  in  1708  or  9,  to  Durham.  He 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  ;  one  of  the  first  deacons  of  the  church,  and  a 
representative  of  the  town  several  sessions.   He  d.  July  15,    1725,  a.  75.    Ch.  : 

19.  Tliomas,  b.  in  1678,  had   3  children.  22.   Elizabeth. 

20.  Mindwell,  b.  in  1680,  m.  John  Harris,      23.   Koah,  b.  in  1686. 

no  children.  24.   Enoch,  b.  Jan.  18,  1691. 

21.  Ebenezer,  b.  in  1682. 

2  1.  Dea.  Ebenezer,  son  of  Thomas  and  Ruth  (Baker)  Lvman,  m.  Ex- 
perience Pomeroy,  Jan.  2,  1706.  He  removed  to  Durham,  several  years  after 
his  father,  no:  later  than  1719,  and  lived  near  the  north  Ime  of  Durham  on  the 
west  or  lower  side  of  the  Durham  road  formerly  called  "  Crooked  Lane."  He 
removed  about  1740,  to  Torrington,  having  been  preceded  by  his  son  Ebenezer, 
some  three  years.  He  and  his  son  and  their  wives  were  among  the  first  mem- 
bers of  the  church  in  Torrington,  at  its  organization,  Oct.  21,  1741.  Ebenezer 
senior  was  elected  first  deacon  of  the  church  Jan.  1,  1742.  He  was  representa- 
tive from  Durham,  in  1737,  and  was  justice  of  the  peace  in  the  same  town. 
He  d.  Feb.  15,  1762,  a.  80.  His  widow  Experience,  d.  Nov.  14,  1769. 
Children : 

25.  Moses.  Oct.    29,    1741,    Jacob  Strong,  Jr.,   and 

26.  Experience,   b.    in   Northampton,  April  settled  in  Torrington. 

17,  1708,  d.  Sept.  30,  1708.  31.  John,  b.  in  1717,  m.  had  8  children. 

27.  Ebenezer,  b.  in  N.,  Sept.  20,  1709.  32.   Hannah,  bap.  in  Durham  June  30,  1723, 

28.  Stephen,  b.  in  N.,  Aug.  14,  1711.  m.  Asahel   Strong  of  Torrington,  d.  Feb. 

29.  Experience,  b.  in  N.,  Dec.  25,   1712.  19,  1771. 

30.  Mindwell,  b.  in  N.,  July  13,  1714,  m. 

27.    Eben£zer,  2d,  son  of-  Dea.  Ebenezer  and  Experience  (Pomeroy)  Lyman, 

m.  1st  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Noadiah  Seward.      She  d.  and  he  m    2d,  Sarah , 

about  1734.  He  removed  to  Torrington  and  settled  on  land  given  him  by  his 
father,  the  deed  bearing  the  date  of  June  4,  1737.  This  farm  was  on  Tor- 
rington hill,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town,  about  one  hundred  rods  south 
of  the  first  n'.ceting  house,  on  the  west  side  of  the  road.  The  only  record  of 
him  in  the  Durhmn  History,  is  the  baptism  of '•' Ruth,  dau  of  Ebenezer  Lvman 
and  his  2d  wite,  Nov.  30,  I73v"  Hence,  according  to  the  dales  this  Ruth 
muse  have  been  the  eldest  child.  "He'd,  suddenly,  April  1,  1753,  a.  44, 
Children  : 

33.   Ruth,   b.   Nov.    25,    1735,    f"-   Ashbel      34.   Lydia,   b.  June   16,    1738,   m.   Stephen 
North,  Jan.  26,  1757.  Tuttle,  March  23,  1758. 

94 


746 


History  of  Torrington. 


35.  Sarahjb.  July  5,  1740,  m.  Joel  Wetmore,  38.   Caleb,  b.  May  5,  1748. 
Nov.  13,  1763.  39.   Ebenezer,  b.  March  17,  1750. 

36.  Sibyl,  b.  May  25,  1742.  40.   Rhoda,  b.  July  12,  1753,  m.  Mr.  Hay- 

37.  Esther,  b.  Aug.  5,  1745,   m.  Nehemiah  den,  and  settled  in  Windsor. 
Lewis,  Dec.  30,    1767;    some   ot  her   de-  41.   Mary,  ni.  Benjamin  Tuttle. 
scendants  live  in  Bridgeport. 

38.  Caleb,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sarah  Lyman,  m.  Flannah,  dan.  of  Aaron 
Looinis,  Jr.,  Sept.  z8,  1768.  She  d.  in  1797,  and  he  m.,  2d,  Mrs.  Delight 
Marsh.      He  lived  on  the  homestead  of  his  father  until  his  death.       Children  : 

42.  Medad,  b.  Nov.  14,  1769.  children  have  a  prosperous  school  in  Mon- 

43.  Sibyl,    b.    June    8,     1778,    m.  treal,  Canada. 

Beach,  and  settled  in  Washington,  Ct.  45.   Eleanor,   b.    March   25,    1784,   m.    also 

44.  Rhoda,  b.  Nov.  7,  1782,  m.  Joseph  Joseph  Hurlbut,  who  d.  suddenly  in  Mass., 
Hurlbut,  of  Charlotte,  Vt.,  Feb.  14,  1803,  while  on  his  way  home  from  Torrington. 
had  one  dau.  who  m.  Haight,  her  46.   George,  b.  Aug.  i,  1790. 

Children  by  2d  wife: 

47.  Hannah,  m.  Rev.  Alvan  Ingersoll,  Jan.  George,  b.  Feb.  13,  1 8  30  5  Mary  C,  b. 
II,  1825;  Mr.  Ingersoll,  preached  some  July  18,  18325  Charles  Finney,  b.  Feb. 
years  in  Ohio,  then  settled  in  Rochester,  5,  1835,  was  ist  lieut.  in  the  late  war, 
N.  y.,  where  he  d.  Dec.  23,  1864.  His  d.  Dec.  13,  1861,  a.  26;  Emily  L.,  b. 
children  were,  Sarah  L.,  b.  Nov.  24,  1825  ;  May  6.    1839. 

Jonathan   Edwards,    b.   Nov.    16,    1827; 

39.  Ebenezer,  3d,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sarah  Lyman, m.  Ann  Young,  Oct. 20, 
1774,  and  lived  in  Torrington  until  after  1790,  when  he  removed  to  Vermont, 
where  he  d.  Mar.  7,  18  I  3,  a.  63.  Ann,  his  widow,  d.  Mar.  14,  1813,  seven 
days  after  her  husband.      His  five  children  were  born  in  Torrington.   Children: 

48.  Phineas,  b.  June  24,  1776.  Wadsworth  Feb.  28,    1808  ;  d.   at  Platts- 

49.  Roxalany,  b.  Oct.  15,  1777.  burg  Jan.  2,  1863,  a.  74. 

50.  Ebenezer,  b.  July  16,  1779,  m.  Clarissa  52.  Amanda,  b.  Sept.  22,  1790,  m.  Russell 
Loomis,  and  d.  Mar.  13,  1813,  one  day  Harrington  at  Burlington,  Vt.,  Mar.  17, 
before  his  mother  and  six  days  after  his  1810,  and  had  children,  Charles,  Juliette, 
father,  a.  34.  Donald,  •'  Marrien,"  and  Edward. 

51.  Laura,  b.   Oct.    17,    1788,    m.    George 

42.    Medad,  son  of  Caleb  and    Hannah    (Loomis)   Lyman,    m.,    ist,   Eliza 

Rich,  2d  ;  became  a  lawyer,  removed  to  Vermont   and    d.    about   40 

years  of  age.      Children: 

53.  Jledad,  removed   to  Ohio.  55.   George. 

54.  Eliza,    removed    to    Ohio,    m.    56.   Riley,  b.  in  Tor.,  Dec.  13,  1789. 

Barnum. 

Child  by  2d  wife  : 

57.  Hannah. 

46.  George,  son  of  Caleb  and  Hannah  (Loomis)  Lyman,  m.  Feb.  22,  1812, 
Ophelia,  daughter  of  Elihu  Cook,  b.  Jan.  3,  1794,  and  in  1817,  removed  to 
Wadsworth,  Medina  Co.,  Ohio.      Children  : 

58.  Emily  C,  b.  Dec.  15,  1812,  m.  Dr.  59.  Cornelius  N.,  b.  in  Ohio,  May  14,  18 19  j 
John  Brown,  son  of  Judge  Frederick  is  a  physician  in  Wadsworth,  O.  ;  m. 
Brown  of  Wadsworth,  Ohio.     She  d.  Feb.  Caroline  Beach. 

23,  1828,  leaving  no  children. 

56.  Riley,  son  of  Medad  and  Eliza  (Rich)  Lyman,  m.  Nov.  24,  1818, 
Christina  Case  of  Simsbury,  Ct.,  b.  Sept.  23,  1799;  where  he  resided  a  farmer 
for  some  years.      He  d.  in  Torrington,  Sept.  6,   1847.      Children  : 

60.  Erastus,  b.  Oct.  5,  1819.  Tuttle,  1851,  and  d.   in  Thomaston,  Oct. 

61.  Hiram,  b.  Oct,  18,  1823.  4,  1857. 

62.  Adeline  £.,  b.  Apr.  2,  i83i,m.  Burritt     63.   Edward,  b.  Oct.  4,  1835. 


Genealogies.  747 

60.  Erastus,  son  of  Riley  and  Christina  (Case)  Lyman,  never  m.;  d.  in 
Wolcottville,  Jan.  20,  1847. 

61.  Hiram,  son  of  Rilev  and  Christina  (Case)  Lyman,  m.  Julia  M.  Ostrom, 
of  Wolcottville,  May  7,  1848.  She  was  b.  Dec.  22,  1824,  and  d.  April  30, 
1858.  He  m.  2d  Eliza  M.  Booth,  of  Wolcottville,  Nov.  23,  1859,  who  was 
b.  Jan.  13,  1832.      He' resides  in  Thomaston.      Children; 

64.    Eva  S.,  b.    Jan.  10,    1851,  m.   Charles      65.   Mary  A.,  b.  Mar.  16,  1857. 
B.  Holt,  Nov.  30,  1871. 

63.  Edward,  son  of  Riley  and  Christina  (Case)  Lyman,  m.  ist  Ellen 
Marian  Potter,  of  Milton,  Ct.,  Nov.  25,  1857  ;  whod.  in  New  Haven,  Sept. 
29,  1865  ;  2d  Henrietta  E.  Blood,  of  Bridgeport,  Ct.,  May  27,  1867  ;  who 
d.  in  New  Haven,  March  18,  1869  ;  3d,  Caroline  H.  Brinsmade,  of  New 
Haven,  May  10,  1870,  who  was  b.  June  2,  1844-  Mr.  Lyman  is  engaged  as 
constructing  engineer  and  draughtsman,  in  New  Haven.     Children  : 

66.  Wilbur  Seeley,  b.  Feb.  22,  1863.  68.    Ralph  Brinsmade,  b.  June  21,  1874. 

67.  Charles  Harry,  b.  March  27,  1871. 

LYMAN,  David,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Gittau)  Lyman  of  Woodbury, 
m.  Oct.  20,  1773,  Mary  Brown,  a  relative  of  the  martyr,  Capt.  John  Brown. 
He  served  some  time  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution,  known  as  General  David  ; 
then  was  honorably  discharged  to  run  a  grist  mill  in  New  Hartford,  for  the 
supply  of  the  revolutionary  troops.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  resided  in 
Torringford,  where  he  d.  July  29,  1813.  Mary,  his  widow,  d.  July  22,  1822. 
Children  : 

69.  Elijah,  b.  Aug.  16,  1774.  73.    Daniel,  b.   Apr.    15,    1784,  d.   July  20, 

70.  David,  b.  June   14,    1776,  d.   Feb.    24,  1846,  a.  67. 

1850,  a.  74.  74.    Norman,  b.  Sept.   6,  1787,  d.  Oct.  20, 

71.  John,  b.  Oct.  q,  1778,  d.  July  20,  1865,  1850,  a.  65. 

a.  87.  75.    Mary,  b.  Aug.    18,    1789,    m.    

72.  Orange,  b.   July  26,    1780,  d.   July  16,  Pardee,  and  resided   in   Torringford. 
1850,  a.   71.                                                          76.   Samuel,  b.  Feb.   8,  1793,  not  m. 

69.  Dr.  Elijah,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman,  m.  Lorinda 
Smith.  He  was  a  practicing  physician  in  Torrington  some  ten  years,  then  re- 
moved to  Warren,  Ct.,  where  he  d.  Nov.  5,  1819,  a.  46.      Children: 

77.   Elijah  Smith,  b.  Apr.  26,    18 12,  a  phy.      78.  Lorinda. 
sician  in  Sherburne,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y. 

70.  David,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman,  m.  Rhoda  P.  Belden. 
He  was  a  farmer  in  New  Hartford.      Children  : 

79.  David   Belden,    b.  July  28,     1803,  was     82.   Edward,    b.    Aug.    5,    1810,   residence, 
graduated   at    Williams    college  in    1828;  Tallmadge,  O. 

m.  Nov.  3,  1 83 1,  Sarah  Joiner,  of  Royal-  83.   Luther  T.,  b.   Oct.  I,   18 14,  residence, 

ton,    Vt  ,    and   sailed,    shortly  after  as  a  Cleaveland,  O. 

missionary  of  the  American  Board,  to  the  84.   Rhoda,    b.    Nov.   22,    1816,   residence, 

Sandwich    Islands,    where    he  was  living  Newton  Falls,  O. 

in    1870,  as   principal  of  the    Missionary  85.  James,  b.  Feb.  14,  1818. 

High    school     for    the     natives    at    Hilo,  86.   Benjamin,  b.   July   8,    1819,  residence, 

Hawaii.  Jackson,  Iowa. 

80.  George,   b.    April    18,   1806,  residence,  87.   Gaylord  P.,  b.  Sept.  6,  1821,  residence, 
Cleaveland,  O.  Middlebury,  O. 

81.  Elijah,  b.  Feb.  6,  1808,  residence.  Tall-  88.   Julia  A.,  b.  May,   22,   1822,   m.   Alex, 
madge,  O.  Clark. 

71.  John,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman,  m.  Salome  Maltby, 
and  is  a  farmer  in  New  Hartford.      Children  : 


748 


History  of  Torrington. 


89.  Rev.   Jolin  Bennett.  95.   Laura  F. 

90.  Wm.  Maltby.  96.   David  Newton. 

91.  Clarinda  Mary.  97.   Sulomon. 

92.  Salome.  98.   Justin. 

93.  Marcella.  99.  Rufus. 

94.  Emily. 

72.  Rev.  Orange,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman,  was  a  Presby- 
terian minister,  m.  Maria,  daughter  of  Stephen  Dewy  of  Sheffield,  Mass.  (^See 
Biography.')      Children: 

100.  Stephen  D.,    b.    June    23,    1815,   is    a  103.   Thomas,    b.    Mar.     19,    1824,   resides 

lawyer  in  Iowa.  near  Chicago. 

loi.    Cornelius,  b.  July  20,    1818,    d.    a.    5  104.    Eurotas,  b.  Jan.  12,  1827,  d.  in  1837. 

years.  105.   Mary  E.,  b.  Aug.  6.  1829,  d.  in  1831. 

102.   Henry   Martin,    b.   Oct.    27,    1821,   a  106.   Edward,  b.  July  3,  1833,  d.  in  1837. 

farmer  in  111. 

73.  Daniel,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman,  m  Jerusha  Merrill, 
March  12,  1812,  lived  in  New  Hartford,  and   d.  Aug.  20,  1846.      Children  : 

107.  Frederic,  b.  Mar.  19,  1813,  m.  in  New  112.  James  D.,  b.  Oct.  23,  1823,  lived  in 
Hartford.  Torringford,  m.    1st,  Rhoda   Marsh,  Nov. 

108.  Henry   M.,    b.    Sept.    23,    1814,    m.  ;  1853;   2d,  Mary  E.  Stone  in  1859. 
lived  in  O.  113.  Jane   M.,  b.  Feb.    15,  1826,  m.   June, 

109.  Jerusha,  b.  Nov,  4,  1816,  d.  in  1819.  1847,  Rev.  Wm.  W.  Baldwin,  Wilming- 
lio.  Julia,  b.  Nov.  7,  1818,  d.  in  1829.               ton,  Ct.;  8  children. 

III.  Judson  G.,  b.  Nov.  21 ,  ]  820,  a  graduate 
of  Williams  college,  Baptist  minister  in 
Huntington,  Ct. 

74.  Norman,  M.D.,  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Brown)  Lyman,  m.  Eunice 
Smith,  of  Litchfield,  resided  in  Glastonbury  and  Warren,  Ct.  (See  Biog.^ 
Children : 

114.  Sidney.  117.   Mary,  b.   1823.  d.  1841. 

115.  George  S.,  b.  Aug.  31,  1818.  118.   Jonathan  H.,  b.   1826,  d.  1852. 

116.  Edward  P.,  b.  April  i,  1821.  119     Eunice,  b.  1828,  d.    1841. 

MUNSELL,  Zacheus,  son  of  Calkins,  who  was  son  of  Jacob  the  first  at 
Windsor,  was  b.  Aug.  17,  1845  ;  m.  Hannah  Drake,  May  4,  1768;  joined 
the  Shakers,  with  his  whole  family.  The  Munsells  are  said  to  have  descended 
from  Sir  Philip  de  Munsell,  who  came  from  Normandy,  to  England,  with 
William  the  Conqueror.  Among  the  children  of  Zacheus  was  Levi,  b.  Sept. 
9,  1775,  and  came  to  Torrington,  when  eight  years  of  age  to  li\e  with  Junia 
North.  Moses  and  Noah  Drake  were  his  ur.cles.  He  attained  the  military 
rank  of  captain.  Capt.  Levi  Munsell  m.  Rachel,  dau.  of  Thomas  Marshall,  Dec. 
19,  1799,  and  occupied  many  years  the  farm  of  his  father-in-law.  Cape. 
Thomas  Marshall,  in  Newfield.  He  was  a  hard  working,  good  citizen,  an 
earnest  devoted  Methodist,  a  class  leader  and  a  chorister.  Was  a  justice  of  the 
peace  ;  a  representative  two  years  and  was  elected  the  third  time,  but  being 
taken  ill  suddenly,  d.  and  was  buried  on  the  day  the  legislature  convened  May  1, 
1833,  a.  58  years.      His  widow  d.  Jan.   16,   1842,  a.  61.      Children: 

1.  Marcus,  b.  Oct.  13,  1800,  m.  5.  Levi   Tuttle,  b.    July    9,  1813,    m.  June 

2.  Sartpta,  b.  Dec.  28,  1803,  d.  unm.  1877.  20,  1842,    Adeline,    dau.   of  George    and 

3.  Luman,  b.  Dec.  31,  1806,  m.  Prudence  (Dennison)  Fyler,  of  Burke,  Vt. 

4.  Hiram,  b.  May  28,  1809,  d.  not  m.  Aug.  She  d.  Dec.  27,  1872,  a.  60,  he  lived  on 
9,  1841,  on  the  Mississippi  river  at  Plumb  the  homestead  until  about  i860,  then  he 
point    bend,  and    was    buried    in    Osceola,  removed  to  Winciiester. 

Arkansas.  6.  Maria  Rachel,   b.    April    26,    1819,   m 


Genealogies.  749 

July  7,  1841,   Theron    Bronson,  of  Win-  1866;    Wilber    M.,    b.    June    9,    1848; 

Chester.      He    d.    Jan.    20,    1873,    a.    64.  Maria  L.,    b.  Jan.    31,    1853,  d.  Feb.  28, 

Children  :    Edward  H.,  b.  July  31,  1842;  1856  ;    Elliot  B.,  b   Aug.  7,  1858  ;  Carrie 

Henry  T.,  b.    Jan.  i,    1845,  d.    Nov.  25,  M.,  b.  Jan.   17,  1863. 

I.  MUNSILL,  Marcus,  son  of  Capt.  Levi  and  Rachel  (Marshall)  m. 
Charlotte  Eno  of  Colcbrook,  Nov.  12,  1829.  He  lived  in  Torrington  and 
Winchester  ;  was  elected  deacon  in  1858.  His  wife  d.  May  3,  1867,  aged 
65.      Children : 

7.  Frances,  b.  Sept.  i,  1834,  d.  June  11,  B.,  b.  Jan.  6,  1864;  Marcus,  b.  Oct.  12, 
1835.  1868;  Clifford  L.,   b.   Apr.   28,  1874,  d. 

8.  Samuel  Mills,  b    April   21,  1837,  resides  Mar.  7,  1876. 

at  Winchester;    m.  Aug.    9,    1859,  Mary      9.    Anna  Maria,  b.    Dec.  9,    1838,   m.  Sept. 
Jane,  dau.  of  Gail  Borden  of  Texjs.   Child-  26,  1866,  Benjamin  W.  Pcttibone  of  Win- 

ren  :   Esther  E.,  b.  June  10,    1862;   Gail  Chester;   d.  Mar.  i,  1873. 

3.  LuMAN,  son  of  Capt.  Levi  and" Rachel  (Marshall)  Munsill,  m.  Sept.  5, 
1843,  Abigail  P.  Bronson,  and  lived  in  Winchester,  where  he  d.  Apr.  25, 
1877,  a.  70.      His  wife  d.  May  13,  1874,  a.  56.      Children: 

10.  Elbert  Marshall,  b.  Sept.  20,    1844,  m.  May  6,  1866,   Martha  E.   Eggleston    and 
June   1875,  Ella   G.    Germond    and    has  has,  Elbert  M.,  b.  Aug.  18,  1871. 
Warren  A.,  b  July,  1876.  12.   Ella  Adelle,  b.  Aug.  7,  1853. 

11.  William  Luman,  b.  Jan.   24,  1848,  m. 

MUNSON,  Augustus,  son  of  Lieut.  Levi  Munson  of  Wallingford,  was  b. 
in  Wallingford  Aug.  21,  1781.  While  young  he  came  with  his  father's  fam- 
ily to  Harvvinton,  and  when  a  young  man  came  to  Torrington,  where  he  m. 
Huldah,  dau.  of  William  Wilson  Dec.  4,  1803.  He  d.  in  Wolcotcville  Nov. 
29,  1840,  a.  59.      She  d.  Feb.   18,  1864,  a.  80.      Children  : 

1.  William  W.,  b.  Mar.  22,  1805,  m.  Lu-  5.  Charles  M.,  b.  July  18,  1813,  m.  Jan. 
cretia  Palmer  in  1832,  and  d.  in  Winsted  5,  1843,  Elizabeth  Fellows  of  Phila.,  d.  in 
June  21,  1850.  Feb.  1857. 

2.  Mary  M.,  b.  Aug.  16,  1806.  m.  May  30,  6.  James  P.,  b.  Mar.  11,  1816,  m.  Oct. 
1830,  Albert  B  Wilcox,  of  Bristol,  where  1839  Ellen  Barrows  of  Cincinnati,  O.,  d. 
they   reside.  in    Winsted  Sept.  25,  1848. 

3.  Lemuel  H.,  b.  Aug.  18,  1808,  m.  Clar-  7.  Martha  W.,  b.  July  3,  1S19,  m.  Apr.  17, 
inda  Bull  of  Winsted  Sept.  30,1833;  re-  18^3,  Mason  W.  Fyler  of  Winsted,  d. 
sides  in  Waterbury.  Mar.  13,  1846. 

4.  Lewis  A.,  b.  May  31,  181 1,  m.  Oct.  13,  8.  John  C.,  Nov.  i,  1823,  m.  April  1850, 
1863  ;  Anna  Yarington  of  Carbondale,Pa.,  Mary  Clark  of  New  Haven  ;  d.  in  Water- 
reside  in  Bristol.  bury  Mar.  23,  1874. 

NORTH,  Ebenezer,  came  from  Farmington  "  Great  swamp"  in  the  spring 
of  1741,  and  purchased  in  company  with  Zebulon  Curtiss,  two  farms  a  little 
south  of  the  old  Matthew  Grant  place,  where  he  settled,  but  in  the  autumn  of 
that  year  he  sold  his  part  of  these  farms  to  Mr.  Curiiss.  His  wife's  name  is 
written  "  Sibbillia"  on  the  town  records.  He  is  said,  aho,  to  have  come  from 
Rocky  hill,  in  Wethersfield.  He  d.  Aug.  5,  1789,  in  the  86th  year  of  his  age. 
His  wife,  Sibyl,  d.  Nov.   17,  1794,  in  the  91st  year  of  her  age.      Children: 

1.  Ashbel,  b.  Oct.  3,  1731.  6.   Asahel,  b.  May  13,  1743,  in  Tor.,  never 

2.  Noah.  b.  Jan,  10,  1733,  m.  m.;d.ini8o3. 

3.  Martin,   b.    Dec.  13,    1734,   m.    May  5,      7.   Ebenezer,  b.  June  27,  1746,  m. 

1805.  8.   Achsah,    b.    Aug.    14,    1748,    m.    John 

4.  Sibyl,  b.  Sept.  4,  1736,  m.  Samuel  Cowles,  Videto,  Jr.,  Dec.  12,  1780,  lived  in  Win- 
Apr.    14,    1756,    and    removed    early    to          Chester. 

Norfolk.  9,   Sarah,     b.     Dec.     i,    1752,    m.     Lebeus 

5.  Lucy,  b.  May  I,  1739,  m.  Amasa  Cowles,  Holmes  of  Goshen, 
and  settled  in  Norfolk. 


750 


History  of  Torrington. 


1.  AsHBEL,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sibyl  North,  m.  Ruth,  daughter  of  Ebenezer 
Lyman,  Jr.,  [an.  2,  1757.  He  was  a  farmer  on  what  is  i<nown  as  the  old 
Phineas  North  place,  and  was  an  enterprising  man.  He  d.  July  9,  1800,  a. 
68.      His  widow  Ruth,  d.  Feb    7,  1812,  a,  77  years.     Children: 

10.   Roxalany.    b.    Nov.    24,    1759,  m.    Dr.      11.   Phineas,  b.  July  19,  1762,  m. 

Elkanah  Hodges,  Jan.  14,  1777,  took  the      12.   Lemuel,    b.  Dec.    14,  1767,(1.    Mar.  3, 

small  pox  and  d.  within  a  month  from  her  1787. 

marriage. 

2.  Noah,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sibyl  North,  m.  ist,  Jemima,  daughter  of  Abra- 
ham Loomis,  March  25,  1756,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Newfield,  known  by 
his  name  ever  since.  His  wife  Jemima,  d.  Dec.  17,  1767,  and  he  m.  2d, 
Elizabeth  Humphrey,  iVIay  29,  1771,  who  d.  Aug.  5,  1822,  a.  78  years.  He 
was  a  very  important  man  in  that  part  of  the  town.  In  religion  he  was  a  puritan 
of  the  strict  and  thorough  kind.  In  going  to  the  barn  Sunday  afternoon,  his 
grandson  Cyrus  accompanying  him  slid  across  a  little  piece  ot  ice.  The  old 
gentleman  obtained  a  whip  and  proceeded  to  whip  him  severely,  and  the  boy 
was  heard  at  some  distance  crying  and  saying  :  "  I  won't  do  it  again,  I  won't 
do  it  again."  To  which  the  old  gentleman  was  heard  to  say  :  "  I  don't  mean 
you  shall."  This  was  done  as  a  religious  duty  rather  than  a  matter  of  passion 
or  want  of  love  for  the  child.      Children  : 

13.  Noah,  b.   June  12,    1757,  d.    April  28,      17.    Mary,  b.    Dec.  19,    1767,  m.  Hezekiah 
1789    a    23.  West,  a  Baptist  minister,  and    removed  to 

14.  Juna,  b.  Sept.  24,  1760.  Penn.,  where  she  d.  Sept.,  1827,  a.  52. 

15.  Remembrance,  b.  Oct.  13,  1762. 

16.  Jemima,    b.   April    7,    1766,   m.   Elihu 
Barber. 

3.  Martin,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sibyl   North,  m.  ist    Abigail  Eno,    April 

2,  1760,  and  had  four  children  ;   2d, ,  had  son.      He  removed  to 

Colebrook.      Children  by  ist  wife: 

18.  Martin,  b.  June  10,  1761.  20.   Lucina,  b.  June  6,  1767. 

19.  Abigail,  b.  April  3,  1764.  21.   Rufus,  b.  Dec.  24,  1769. 

By  2d  wife  : 
22.   Noah,  d.  early. 

7.    Ebenezer,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Sibyl  North,  m.  Jerusha,  dau.  of  Samuel 
Cowles,  Sen.,  Feb.   16,    1769.      He  removed  to  Colebrook,  and   d.  there  Dec. 

17.  1832.      Children: 

17,    1773  ;  removed   to 


23.   Enos,   b.  Nov. 
Colebrook. 


22.  Prudence,  b.  Nov.  16,  I759,m.  Jonathan 
Saxton,  son  of  Jonathan  from  Enfield, 
and  had  Jerusha,  b.  in  1800  ;  Anna,  i8o2j 
Milo,  in  1804  ;  Norman,  1807  ;  Ebenezer, 
181 1  ;   Melissa,  1814. 

II,  Phineas,  son  of  Ashbel  and  Ruth  (Lyman)  North,  m.  Chloe  Skinner, 
Dec.  3,  1787,  She  was  b.  April  17,  1767.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lived  on 
the  place  that  still  bears  his  name.  He  had  a  genius  of  mechanical  skill  ;  made 
several  brass  clocks  by  hand,  with  high  cases,  which  would  run  9  and  10  days, 
and  keep  the  day  of  the  month.  One  owned  by  Judge  F.  D.  Fyler,  of  Winsted, 
bears  date  1794-      Children: 


24.  Lemuel,  b.  Sept.  23,  1790,  m.  in 
Wadsworth,  Ohio,  where  he  d.  April, 
1832. 

25.  Roxalany,  b.  Dec.  27,  1796,  m.  James 
Humphrey,  of  Norfolk,  May,  1819,  d 
183s,  leaving  children. 


26.  Parmelia,  b.  March  2,  1801,  m.  Martin 
Webster,  of  Tor.,  Sept.,  1820,  d.  March 
31,  1831. 

27.  Phineas,  b.  Feb.  9,  1803. 

28.  Alfred,  b.  Sept.  17,  1807. 


Genealogies. 


751 


14.  Junius,  son  of  Noah  and  Jemima  (Loomis)  North,  m.  Sabrina  Fyler, 
Jan.  25,  178^,  and  settled  on  the  north  and  south  road  east  of  his  father's,  and 
where  his  son  Frederick  now  resides.  He  kept  a  tavern  many  years  ;  was  an 
active,  stirring  man  ;  and  was  called  by  all,  "Uncle  Juna."  His  wife  d  and 
he  m.  2d,  Sally  Covey,  Jan.,  1807.  He  d.  Nov.  14,  1828,  a,  68  years. 
Children  : 

zS.   Roxalany,  b.   Nov.  z,  1785,  m.  Daniel  33.   Sabrina,  b.  Aug.    15,  1794,  d.  May  22, 

Murry,    March,    1810,  and   in   after  years  1 875,  a.  81,  not  m. 

removed  to  Winchester,  where  she  is  still  34.   Junius,  b.    April  30,  1796  ;   removed  to 

living,  and  in  her  ninety- second  year.  Ohio,  m. 

29.  Triphena,  b.  March  14,  1787,  d.   April  35.   Lura,    b.    Oct.    7,     1798,    m.     Midian 
10,  1867,  a.  80,  not  m.  Griswold,  of  Litchfield,  March  19,  1822; 

30.  Ariel,  b.    Aug.    13,    1788,  d.    Sept.  22,  had  a  son  Midian. 

18 1 8,  a.  30  years  5   not  m.  36.   Lauiin,  b.    July   21,    1800,    m.    Harriet 

31.  Ruby,    b.  July    28,  1790,  m.    ist  Orrin  Ford,  and    had    children  :    Mary,    Ellen, 
Loomis,    Nov.,    1821,    2d,  Moses   Drake,          Henrietta. 

and  d.  May  16,  1875,  a.  85  years.  37.  Frederick,   lb.  Aug.     "I 

32.  Willard,  b.  June  5,    1792,  m.  38.  Philomela,  /  12,1803,  J  d.Apr.30,1804. 

15.  Remembr.ance,  son  of  Noah  and  Jemima  (Loomis)  North,  m.  Elizabeth, 
Lee,  Sept.  21,  1786.      He  d.  Aug.  10,  1802.     Children: 

39.  Noah,  b.  Sept.  4,  1787.  43.  Betsey,  b.  April  20,  1795. 

40.  Lury,  b.  May  21,  1789.  44.  Cyrus,  b.  May  6,  1797. 

41.  Prudence,  b.  March  28,  1791.  45.  William,  b.  Oct.  5,  1799. 

42.  Mary,  b.  June  14,  1793. 

27.  Phineas,  son  of  Phineas  and  Chloe  (Skinner)  North,  m.  Louisa  Wet- 
more,  Oct.  10,  1832.  He  lived  on  his  father's  homestead  until  his  death.  He 
was  an  energetic  farmer  and  business  man.  He  built  a  house  in  VVolcottville 
and  was  ready  to  move  into  it  ;  was  taken  ill  and  in  a  few  days  d.  May  7, 
1867.      His  widow  occupies  the   house  he  built  in  the  village.      Children: 

46.   Helen,   b.    Sept.    i,    1833,   m.  Sept.    I,     47.   Alfred  (Dr.),  b.  Oct.  5,  1836,  m. 
1856,  James  W.  Holmes,  of  Waterbury, 
and  d.  June  I  3,  1866. 

32.   Willard,  son  of  Junius  and  Sabrina  (Fyler)  North,  m.  Lucina . 

Child  : 

48.  Arvid,  b.  March  19,  1824. 

34.  Junius,  son  of  Junius  and  Sabrina  (Fyler)  North,  went  to  Ohio  and 
married.      Children : 

49.  Mary.  53.  Eliza. 

50.  Junius.  54.  Orson,) 

51.  Rhuby.  55.  Orton,f    ^^'"^- 

52.  Amelia. 

Dea.  Frederick,  son  of  Junius  and  Sabrina  (Fyler)  North,  m.  Harriet,  dau. 
of  L-a  Hoyt,  June  14,  1830,  lives  on  his  father's  homestead.  He  was  elected 
deacon  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Newfield  many  years  since  ;  is  a  farmer  and 
a  man  much  respected.*     Children  : 

56.  Charlotte    J,    b.    May    13,    1831,    m.  has     children,     Almira     b.     Aug.     1867, 
Joseph   Deming  of  Culebrook,  Mar.    12,  Waruga  F. 

1856,  and  had  children.  62.   Ann   M  ,   b.   March   27,    1845,  ^-  Ed- 

57.  Cjtharine,  b.  Aug.  29,  1833,  m.  ward  Y.  Clark,  of  Washington,  Ct.,  Oct. 

58.  Carrel  F.,  b.  June  29,  1835.  22,  1870,  has  Freddie  N. 

59.  Junius  D  ,  b.  June  17,   1839.  63.    Frederick  A.,  b.  April  10,  1846,  is  prin- 
60    Roxa  A.,  b.  April  23,  1842,   m.  Elbert  cipal  teacher  in  high   school  in  111. 

Norton  of  Goshen,  Dec.  31,  1865.  64.   Lyman   H.,  b.  Feb.  4,  1849. 

61.   Irene  H.,   b.  Oct.    14,    1843,   '"•    John      65.   Ruble  O.,  b.  May  30,  1851. 
A.   Moore  of  Colebrook,  Mar,   3,   18  56, 


-    1 


yc2  History  of  Torrington. 

OLMSTED,  RoswELL,  came  from  Windsor  and  settled  in  New    Hartford, 
Torringford  parish,  near  Torrington  line.      Children: 

1.  Lucy.  3-  ^I'li"- 

2.  Two  other  daughters.  4-   Stanley. 

3.    Elihu,  m.  Susan  Phelps  of  Harwinton,  lived  in  the  edge   of  New    Hart- 
ford, but  in  Torrington  society.      Children: 

4.  Roswell,  b.  Jan.,  1808.  7-   ^''^a,  b.  Feb.,  1815. 

5.  Lucius,  b.  Feb.  17,  1811.  8.  Julius,  b.  March,  1819,  d.  in  1847. 

6.  Sally,  b.  Dec,  1813. 

5.    Lucius,  m.  Catharine  E.  Brown  of  Westficid,  Mass.     Children: 
9.   Esther  J.  Wright,  lives  in  Harwinton.  10.   Charles  E.,  b.  Jan.  1844. 

Second  wife : 
II.  Lizzie  J.,  b.  June  14,  i860. 

OSBORN,  Timothy,  m.  Susannah  Higley,  both  of  Torrington,  Feb.  28, 
1761.      Children  recorded  in  Torrington: 

1.  Justice,  b.  Dec.  3,  1765.  3.   Isaac  Higley,  b.  Apr.  12,  1772. 

2.  Susannah,  b.  Mar.  10,  1770. 

OVL'\TT,  Marcus,  son  of  Luman  and  Rhoda  (Norton)  Oviatt,  of  Goshen, 
was  b.  Jan.  15,  1807,  m.  Deziah,  daughter  of  Stephen  Norton,  oi  Goshen, 
Feb.  12,  1829.  He  was  a  farmer  and  lived  in  Goshen,  until  184-,  when  he 
removed  to  VVatertown,  and  from  thence  in  1853,  to  Torrington  hollow  where 
he  d.  Oct.  10,  1854.      Children  : 

1.  Erastus,  b.  Dec.  21,  1829,  d.  in  Torring-  Whiting,  Oct.  28,  1855,  and  lives  in  Iowa, 
ton,  Feb.  X2,  i860.                                              4-   Everett,  b.  Mar.  9,   1838. 

2.  Stephen,  b.  Apr.  21,  1832.  5.   Elizabeth,  b.  May  8,  1841,  m.  Theodore 

3.  Hannah,     b.    Jan.     7,     1835,     m.     Uri  W.  Austin,  Oct.  1 6,  1867. 

2.  Stephen  N.,  m.  Emma  Brooker,  daughter  of  Martin,  Nov.  22,  i860. 
Children  : 

6     Carrie  N.,  b.  Aug.  31,  1861.  7.   Charles  S.,  b.  Jan.  I,  i860. 

4.   Everett,  m.  Hetty  Jones,  Jan.  i,  1861;.      Children  : 
8.   Clarence,  b.  Feb.  4,  1866.  9.   Willis,  b.  Jan.  I,  1868. 

PALMER,  Nicholas,  was  early  at  Windsor  ;   m.  Joan ,  who   died 

Apr    16,  1683.      He  d.  Aug.  30,  1689.      His  children  apparently  were  b.  in 

Windsor.      Children  : 

..   Mary,  b.  May  3,  1637.  3.  Timothy,  bap.  Mar.  20,  1641. 

2.   Hannah,  bap.  Oct.    11,  1640.  4.   Elizabeth,  b.  Aug.  7,  1644. 

3.  Timothy,  son  of  Nicholas  and  Joan  Palmer,  m.  Hannah  Buel  Sept.  17, 
1663  ;   who  d.  Sept.  26,   1704.      He  d.  Aug.  20,  17  13.      Children  : 

5.  Timothy,  b.  Aug.  25,  1664.  10.  Sarah,  b.  Apr.  12,  1675. 

6.  Hannah,  b.  Oct.  3,  1666.  11.   Samuel,  b.  Sept.  7.  1677. 

7.  Mary,  b.  May  14,  1669.  12.    Martha,  b.  Dec.   29,  1679,  «i-  young. 

8.  Sarah,  b.  Feb.  25,  1671,  d.  young.  13.   Benjamin,  b.  Feb.  24,  1682. 

9.  John,  b.  Apr.    i  3,  1673. 

9    John,  son  of  Timothy    and    Hannah   (Buel)   Palmer,  m.  Sarah   Mudge 

Jan.   14,  1695.      Children  : 

14.  John,  b.  June  11,  1696.  16.   Samuel,  b.  Apr.  5,  1712. 

15.  Benjamin,   b.  Dec.  23,  1703,  d.   young.      17.   Benjamin,  b.  Oct.  11,  1707. 

14.  Caft.  John,  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Mudge)  Palmer,  m.  Deborah 
Filley  Sept.  12,  1723,  who  d.  Jan.  29,  1797,  a  92.  He  d.  Apr.  11,  1794, 
a  98.     Children  : 


I 


Genealogies.  753 


18.  John,  b.   Feb.  7,    1724.  23.   Ezekiel,  b.   May  17,  1737. 

19.  Mary,  b.  Sept.  10,  1728.  24.  Jonathan,  b.  May  31,  1740. 

20.  Jthiel,  b.  Jan.  12, 1730, d.  Oct.  10,1756.  25.    Benjamin,  b.  Apr.   10,    1742. 

21.  Eli, b.  Oct.  13, 1733, m.  Elizabeth  Gillett.  26.   Deborah,  b.  June  21,  1746. 

22.  Joel,  b.  May  14,  1736. 

22.  Joel,  son  of  Capt.  John  and  Deborah  (Filley)  Pahner,  m.  Ann  Hayden, 
July  23,  1761.     Children: 

27.  Ann,  b.  May  16,  1762.  32.  Martin,  b.  Feb.  19,  1773. 

28.  Naomi,  b.  Oct.   i,  1763.  33.  Rubah,  b.  July  5,  1775. 

29.  Latimer,  b.  Feb.  4,  1766.  34.  Hczekiah  H.,  b.  Jan.  19,  1781. 

30.  Joel,  b.  July  26,   1768.  35.  Horace,  b.  Mar.  5,  1783. 

31.  Harvey,  b.  Nov.   30,  1770. 

31.  Harvey,  son  of  Joel  and  Ann  (Hayden)  Palmer,  learned  the  trade  of 
cloth  dressing,  in  Windsor,  and  came  to  Torrington  a  short  time  before  his 
marriage.  He  m.  Mehitable  daughter  of  Daniel  Dibble,  of  Torringford,  Nov. 
25,  1795.  Not  long  afier  this  he  built  a  house  a  little  west  of  Torrington  hol- 
low, now  owned  by  Mr.  Burton  T.  Cowles,  where  he  established  himself  as  a 
clothier.  His  carding  mill  stood  on  the  stream  east  of  the  house  by  the  present 
bridge  and  his  cloth  dressing  house  was  opposite  his  dwelling  on  the  north  side 
the  road.  His  first  fulling  mill  was  down  in  the  hollow  above  the  present  saw- 
mill dam.  He  went  down  steps  cut  in  the  rocks,  to  it,  and  afterwards  it  was 
removed  to  the  bridge  above  the  falls.  He  was  post  master,  keeping  the  office 
in  his  house  about  thirty  years.  He  was  also  assessor  of  the  town,  and  was 
active  in  public  matters  ;   was  a  good  citizen,  much  respected.      Children  : 

36.  Anna,  b.  Nov.  8,  1796,  m.  Seymour  41.  Arlaline,  b.  Aug.  i,  1808,  m.  Enoch 
Hopkins  of  Warren;  had:  Harvey  P.,  Johnson;  had:  Ellen  and  Emma,  lives 
and    Lucretia,   who    m.  Stodard  ;  in  O. 

lives  in  Carol  McHenry,  Hi.  42.   Emma  R.,  b.  Jan.  9,  1812,  m.  Charles 

37.  Eliza,  b.  July  5,  1796.  m.  PreKott  C.  Beers.  Sept.  28,  1831,  left  one  child 
Pond.  Anna,  who  is    adopted    by  her  Aunt  Lu- 

38.  Aurelia,   b.  Oct.   II,    1800,  d.  Jan.  23,           cretia. 

1834.  43.   Frances  A.,  b.  Feb.  7,  1814,  m.  Henry 

39.  Addison,  b.  Sept.  7,  1702.  H.    Newall;   lives    at    Great    Bend,    Pa.; 

40.  Lucretia,  b.  June  6,  1806,  m.  VVm.  W.  had  :   France?,  Gertrude  and  Lene. 
Munsun,    Nov.     21,     1832,     no    chilJren  44.    Mehitable   D.,   b.    Sept.    17,    1 3 1 6,    m. 
living.    She  is  a  widow,  living  in  Brooklyn,  Elihu  H.  Dwighf,   lived  in  Long  Meadow, 
N.  y.  Mass.,  d.  Dec.  18,  i860. 

39.  Dea.  AoDisorj,  son  of  Harvey  and  Mehitable  (Dibble)  Palmer,  m.  1st 
Phebe,  daughter  of  Norman  Fowler,  May  22,  1839.  She  d.  Jan.  26,  1868, 
and  he  m.  2d  Mrs.  Ann  P.  (Lucas)  Wadhams,  Oct.  27,  1869.  She  had 
three  sons,  Willard,  Henry  and  Edward.  Dea.  Palmer  lived  one  year  on  his 
father's  homestead,  then  sold  it,  and  bought  the  Norman  Fowler  place,  which 
he  still  owns.  He  was  elected  deacon,  in  Wolcottville,  in  1852,  and  is  much 
respected  in  the  town.      He  now  resides  in  Goshen.      Children  by  his  istwite. 

45.  Homer  F.,  b.  Feb.  22,  1840,  d.  a.  4  yrs.      46.   Frances  A.,  b.  Nov.  30,  1846,  m.  Cas- 

46.  Hayden  D.,  b.  June  26,  1841,  m.  samer     Bronson,     Oct.,     1866;  lives    in 

47.  INLiry  E.,   b.  Mar.    15,  18-15,    m.   Adel-  Waterbury  ;   has  Clara, 
bert  Welden,  Oct.,  1866,  lives  in  Water- 
bury. 

46.  Hayden,  son  of  Addison  and  Phebe  (Fowler)  Palmer,  m.  Mary,  dau. 
Charles  S.  Munger,  in  1863.  He  enlisted  in  the  late  war  in  the  Fourth  Conn., 
was  promoted  to  a  lieutenant  and  served  four  years  ;  was  slightly  wounded  by 
a  shell  at  Petersburg.  He  and  his  family  now  reside  in  Farmington,  Russell 
Co.,  Kansas,  and  is  clerk  of  the  district  court  of  the  county. 

95 


7^4  History  of  Torrington. 

PATTERSON,  Burton  C,  came  from  Cornwall  with  his  mother  and 
brother  Henry  S.  Patterson,  and  settled  on  a  farm  across  the  street  from  the 
Amos  Wilson  place,  owning  the  latter  also,  and  is  a  farmer.  He  m.  1st, 
Hattie  M.  Beach,  of  Goshen,  Feb.  8,  I  872,  who  d.  Oct.  18.  1874,3  30;  m. 
2d,  Anna  M.  Merwin,  of  New  Haven,  May  18,  1875.  Children  : 
X.   Silas  B.,  b.  March  15,  1873.  2.   Son,  b.  March  9,  1877. 

PARSONS,  Phineas  p.,  son  of  Samuel  B.  Parsons,  of  Northarnpton,  Mass., 
was  b.  Oct.  8,  1835,  and  m.  on  the  first  of  May,  i860,  Helen  A.,  dan.  of 
Charles  Bronson,  of  VVaterbiiry.  She  was  b.  Feb.  27,1839.  Mr.  Parsons 
was  engaged  as  secretary  and  treasurer,  with  the  Waterbury  Brass  Co.,  until 
1865,  when  he  removed  to  Wolcottville  and  engaged  with  the  Coc  Brass  Co., 
in  the  same  relations  which  he  had  resigned  at  Waterbury.  After  occupying 
this  position  for  a  few  years  he  resigned  and  became  interested  in  the  Coe 
Furniture  Co.  For  the  last  four  years  he  has  been  a  traveling  agent  of  the 
Waterbury  Brass  Co.  He  resides  in  the  western  part  of  Wolcottville,  on  High 
street,  where  he  has  a  commodious  house,  and  very  pleasant  grounds  around 
the  house.     It    is   one  of  the    desirable   locations   in   the  village.     Children  -. 

1.  Edmund    Hayden,  b.  May  13,    1861,  in      3.   Elizabeth    Sparks,   b.  Aug.    27,  1868,  in 
Waterbury.  Wolcottville. 

2.  Frank    Roberts,     b.  Jan.    7,     1863,    in     4.   Florence  Russell,  b.  March  16,    1872,  in 
Waterbury.  Wolcottville. 

PERRIN,  Rev.  Lavalette,  D.D.,  son  of  Aaron  and  Lois  (Lee)  Perrin, 
was  b.  May  15,  1816,  at  Vernon,  Ct.  He  m.  June  4,  1844,  Ann  Eliza, 
dau.  of  W'illiatn  and  Polly  (Keeler)  Comstock,  of  Ridgcfield,  b.  Nov.  29, 
1826,  at  Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  resides  in  Wolcottville  ;  is  pastor  of  the  Congre- 
gational church.      Children  : 

1.   Bernadotte,    b.     Sept.     15,    1847;     was  2.   Catharine,  b.  Dec.  8,  1850. 

graduated  at  Yale  college  in  1869;  studied  3.   Addison,  b.  Sept.  27,  1852. 

theology  in  Yale  seminary  one  year  ;  then  4.   Giles    Griswold,    b.   Jan.    19,    1856,    d. 
engaged   in  a  select  school  in    Hartford,  a  March  13,  1856. 

year,  from  which  he   went   into   the  high  5.   William  Aaron,  b.  Dec.  18,  1858,  d.  Jan. 
school  of  Hartford,  where  he  was  elected  30,  1863. 

associate  principal,  with  leave  of  absence 
one  year.  He  has  been  in  the  German 
universities  one  year  and  a  half. 

PHELPS,  Benjamin,  came  to  Torrington  a  young  man  and  m.  Isabel,  dau. 
of  x^braham  Loomis,  Oct.  16,  1755,  and  may  have  settled  on  what  is  known 
as  the  Phineas  North  place.      His  wife  d.  Dec.  15,  1784.      Children: 

1.  Jerusha,  b.  May  2,  1757.  5-   Jemima,  b.  Feb.'  6,  1765. 

2.  Joseph,  b.  Mar.    i6,  1759.  6.   Daniel,  b.  Nov.  9,  1766. 

3.  Isabel,  b.  June  15,    1761.  7.   Benjamin,  b.  June  15,  1769. 

4.  Jonathan,  b.  May  17,  1763. 

2.  Joseph,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Isabel  (Loomis)  Phelps,  m.  Rebecca  Leav- 
enworth, Oct.  27,  1804.      Children: 
8.  Sally,  b.  Sept.  6,  1805.  9.   Joseph  N.,  b.  Nov.  29,  1806. 

4.  Jonathan,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Isabel  (Loomis)  Phelps,  m.  Sylva  Beach 
Jan.  20,  1785.      He  d.  Sept.  27,  1791.     Ciiildren: 

10.  Anna,  b.  Oct.  8,  1785.  12.    Almira,  b.  Sept.  22,  1789. 

11.  Luman,  b.  June  26,  1787.  13.  Jerusha,  b.  Sept.  13,  1791. 

7.  Capt.  Benjamin,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Isabel  (Loomis)  Phelps,  m.    and 


Genealogies.  755 

lived  on  the  Phineas  North  place,  and  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  town  some 
years.     Cliildren : 

14.  Hiram, accidentally  killed  by  a  pistol  shot      i6.   Emeline,  m.  at  Hartford. 

at  Torrington  hollow.  17.   Cornelia,   m.   Frederick    Wadhams,   of 

15.  Lucretia,  m.  Sylvester  Spencer,  of  Litch-  Goshen,  removed  to  Ohio. 
field. 

PHELPS",  Elijah,  from  Windsor,  lived  in  Torringford.      Children: 

1.  Polly,  m.  Titus  Ives.  3.   Elijah. 

2,  Caleb,  not  m.,  d.  in  Torringford.  4.   Esther,  m.  Col.  Thaddeus  Grisv/old. 

J.'iNNAH  B.,  came  to  Torringford  with  his  brother  Elijah,  and  m.  LucretiaDib- 
ble  Nov.  26,  1812.      Children. 
I.   Frederick,  b.  Dec.  15,  1714,  and  perhaps  others. 

Abraham  from  Windsor,  lived  on  West  street,  Torringford,  near  the  Ives 
place,  and  d.  young.      Children  : 

1.  Chloe,  m.    Patrick  McCoe.  m.   Addis;   Rhodam.   Gould;   Fanny  m. 

2.  Mindvvell,  m.  Chester  Bristo.  Lemuel  Cook;  Charlotte  m.  Charles  Rey- 

3.  Rhoda,  m.   Patrick   McCoe,   had  Nancy,  nolds,  lives  in  Winsted. 
m. Castle;   Phelps,  d.  young  ;  Sally 

PHELPS,  Dr,  Jeremiah  W.,  m.,  ist,  Augusta  C.  Havden,  Dec.  25,  1846, 
who  d.  in  1858  ;  m.,  2d,  iUrs.  Mindwell  M.,  widow  of  Dr.  Peter  Beardsley, 
July,  1859.      Children  : 
I.  Jeremiah  W.,  b.   Dec.  29,    1866.  2.   Frank  S.,  b.  June  7,  1872. 

PHILLOW,  Artemas,  m.  Lovisa.  dau.  of  Abner  Loomis,  Dec.  11,  1800, 
and  lived  in  a  house  that  stood  a  litile  north  of  Esq.  Smith's  or  the  present  town 
house.  He  is  said  to  have  had  fifteen  children,  but  all  of  their  names  have 
not  been  obtained.  They  v/ere  a  pleasant  family  ;  iVIr.  Phillow  being  a  very 
humorous  man,  and  the  young  ladies  good  looking  and  quite  agreeable.  They 
removed  to  Illinois.  Seven  children  were  recorded  on  the  town  records. 
Children  : 

1.  Lura,  b.  Oct.  9,  1801.  7.  Onpha,  b.  Nov.  9,,  1808. 

2.  Edmund,  b.  Oct.  6,  1802.  8.  Loomis. 

3.  Dennis,  b.  Dec.  5,  1803.  9.  Nelson. 

4.  Addison,  b.  Nov.  27,  1804.  10.  Lucretia. 

5.  Emily,  b.  Dec.  16,  1805.  II.  Mary  Ann. 

6.  Adeline,  b.  April  30,  1807. 

POND,  Lyman  Russell,  son  of  Lyman  and  Lucy  (Spencer)  Pond,  m. 
Oct.  17,  1849,  Frances  S.,  dau.  of  Norman  B.  Rouse,  of  Torrington,  and  re- 
sides on  the  homestead  of  his  mother  and  grandfather  Asa  Spencer,  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  town.  He  is  descended  from  the  Branford  Pond 
family.      Children  : 

1.  Lucy  E.,   b.  Dec.   24,    1850,  m.    Edward  4.  Frances  G.,  b.  April    16,  1859. 
S.  Andrus,    Feb.    5,    1871,    and    has    ch.,  5.  Frederick  R.,  b.  Jan.    9,  1862. 
Julia  I.,b.  Jan.4,  1872,  HattieL.b.  Nov.  6.  Willis  L.,  b.  April  19,  1864. 
9,    1873.  7.  Miles  A.,  b.  Dec.  8,  1866. 

2.  Norman  R.,  b.  May   27,  1853.  8.  Lewis  H.,  b.  June  14,    1868. 

3.  Mary  E.,  b.  Oct.   17,  1856.  9.  Elijah  R.,  b.  May  5,  1S72. 

POND,  Prescott,  m.  Eliza,  dau.  of  Harvey  Palmer ;  lived  in  Wolcottville. 
Children  : 

1.  William,  d.  in  Ohio.  4.   Charles,  living  in  Newington. 

2.  George,  d.  in  New  Britain.  5.   Adaline,  m.  Brockway,   lives  in 

3.  Emily,  m. Westover,  of  Litchfield.  111. 


756 


History  of  Torrington. 


POND,  Preston,  m.  Esther  Wheadon  Apr.  27,  1814.      Child: 
I.  Lucia,  b.  March  5,  1815. 

POTTER,   Ambrose,  brother  of  Daniel    from    Farmington,    m.    Abigail 

Seward  April  8,  1805,  both  said  to   have   been   of  Torrington   at   the   time. 
{Tozvn  Rec.^     Cliildren: 
I.   Adelia,  b.  June  14,  1805.  1.   Lucius  F.,  b.  Aug.   27,  1808. 

POTTER,  Daniel,  said  to  have  been  from  Farmington,  m.  Mealy  Johnson 
Jan.  24,  1792.  He  removed  to  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  but  in  connection  with 
his  brother  built  the  first  store  building  in  Wolcoitville  south  of  the  bridge  on 
Main  street,  and  the  first  house  where  the  American  House  now  stands,  and 
another  dwelling  on  Litchfield  street.  He  also  atterwards  purchased  a  farm  or 
more  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town. 

PULVER,  Hiram,  son  of  Cornelius  M^  Pulvcr,  of  Copake,  Columbia  Co., 
N.  Y.,  b.  Dec.  I,  1824,  learned  his  trade  in  Salisbury,  m.  1st  Mary  S.  Hub- 
bard, of  Salisbury,  March  9,  1847.  She  d.  in  1848.  He  m.  2d,  March  18, 
1849,  Jane,  daughter  of  David  R.  Kimberly  of  Wolcoitville,  formerly  of  Guil- 
ford. He  lived  in  WolcottviJle,  some  two  years  after  his  2d  m.,  and  then 
went  to  California,  in  185  i,  when  he  remained  over  two  years  at  first  mining, 
afterwards  at  his  trade  and  did  quite  well.  On  returning  home  he  established 
himself  at  Wrightville,  in  the  trade  of  carriage  and  wagon  making.  Children 
by  1st  wife  : 

1.  Stanley,  b.  Dec.  18,  1842  m.  Mary,  dau. 
of  Martin  Drake,  Oct.  2,  1872,  and  re- 
sides in  Ancram,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y. 

By  2d  wife : 

2.  Albert  Henry,  b.  Dec.  22,  1851.  4.   Hudson  J.,  b.  Dec.  24,  i860. 

3.  Helen  Frances,  b.   Jan.  5,  1856,  d.    July      5.   Frank  Augustus,  b.  Apr.  22,  1866. 
15,  1864. 

R.'\Y,  Timothy,  m.  Lovicy  Richards,  Sept.  15,  1784,  and  lived  in  New- 
field.      Children  : 

1.  Rachel,  b.  Dec.  26,  1784.  3.  Lovicy,  b.  June  20,  1788. 

2.  Abigail,  b.  Nov.  23,  1786.  4.   Abner,  b.  Apr.  9,  1791. 

REED,  George  Daniel,  was  b.  in  Cornwall,  and  came  to  Torringford,  where 
he  bought  a  farm  which  he  kept  nearly  two  years,  and  then  sold  it  and  bought 
the  Frank  Whiting  place  and  afterward  he  bought  the  George  Whitirg  place, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  town  near  Luman  Loomis's  place;  m.  ist,  Eliza  Davison, 
2d,  Irene  Malory,  3d,  Julia  Sawyer.  He  resided  in  Torrington,  two  or  three 
years  and  then  settled  on  the  George  Whiting  farm,  where  he  d.  in  1873. 
Children  by  ist  wife  : 
I.  Samuel  Davison,  b.  Nov.   14,  1846.  2.   Franklin  Harvey,  b.  Mar.  14,  1847. 

By  2d  wife : 

3.  Edward  Daniel,  b.  June  11,  1852. 

By  3d  wife : 

4.  Ida  Estelle,  b,  Sept.  17,  1861. 

I.  Samuel  D.,  son  of  George  D.  and  Eliza  (Davison)  Reed,  m.  Ledelia, 
daughter  of  Henry  Kimberly,  of  Goshen,  Sept.  i,  1867,  and  lives  on  his  father's 
homestead.     Children  : 

5.  Fannie  Walker,  b.  Mar.  26,  1869.  8.   Holly  Elbert,  b.  Feb.  19    1872. 

6.  Edith  Mills,  b.  M.iy  25,    1870.  9.    Harry  Julian,  d.  July  30,  1877. 

7.  Mabel  Eliza,  b.  Oct.  2,  1871. 


Genealogies.  757 

3.   Edward  D.,son  of  George  D.,  and  Irene  (Malory)  Reed,  m.  Nellie  Eno, 
of  Simsbury,  Feb.  7,  1873.      She  wash.  Aug  22,  1855.      He  is  a  farmer  and 
resides  on  his  father's  homestead  with  his  brother.      Child  : 
10.   Nellie  Irene,  b.  Feb.  20,  1864. 

RICE,  Franklin,  son  of  Alexander  Rice  of  North  Bridge,  Mass.,  was  b. 
Oct.  6,  1834,  m.  Mav  4,  1859,  Sophia,  dan.  of  Asa  Spaulding  of  Strafford, 
Conn.  She  was  b.  Dec.  7,  1838.  Mr,  Rice  came  to  Torrington  Jan.  i8, 
1864,  and  entered   upon  work  in  the  scythe  shop  in  Wrightville.     Children: 

1.  Ellis    Alexander,  b.    July    16,    i860,  d.  3.   Hattie  Elizabeth,  b.  Feb.  11,  1864. 
Aug.  18,  i860.  4.   George  Levi,  Sept.  i,  1868. 

2.  Franklin   Ellsworth,  b.   Nov.    17,    1862,  5.   Cyius  Wm.,  b.  Oct.  26,  1872. 
d.  Aug.  4,  1863.  6.   Charles  D.,  b.  Nov.  30,  1876. 

Daniel  and  .Anna  Rice.     Child  : 

I.   William,  b.  Oct.  26,  1798. 

ROBERTS,  Henry,  was  born  in  Windsor,  Conn.,  in  1758,  and  m.  Mary 
Latimer  Apr.,  1784;  who  was  b,  at  Windsor  Mar.  24,  1765.  The  tradition 
of  this  family  is  that  it  is  of  French  descent  ;  that  it  left  France  at  the  lime  of 
the  St.  Bartholomew  massacre  ;  that  the  name  was  De  Roberts,  with  the  ac- 
cent on  the  last  syllable,  and  from  England  they  came  to  Boston  and  thence  to 
Windsor.  Mr.  Roberts  with  his  wife  and  one  child  settled  in  Torringford,  in 
the  Green  woods,  as  then  called,  in  1786,  where  he  cleared  and  worked  a  farm 
and  where  he  died  April  7,  18  13.  His  widow  Mary  died  Aug.  1854,  aged 
89  years.      Children  : 

1.  Henry,  b.   Aug.   31,    1785,  at   Windsor.      5.  Sarah,  b.  Sept.  5,  1793, d.  Dec.  10,  1794. 

2.  Mary  (Polly),  b.  Feb.  12,  1787,  in  Tor-  6.  Pelatiah,  b.  Oct.  24,  1795,  d.  1868,  m. 
ringford,  m.  Wm.  Wilson,  and  had  Al-  Sarah  Judd,  of  Canaan,  had  7  children, 
mira,   Henry,    Horatio,   Lorenson,    Eliza-  Rev.  W.  H.  Roberts   is  one. 

beth.      She  d.  Jan.  11,  1871,  a.  83.      He  7.  Sylvester,   b.   Feb.    12,   1797,  d.  May  5, 

d.  July  8,  1873,  3-  ^7-  iS45>  f"-    Mrs.   Amelia    Cook    of  Win- 

3.  Barzillai,  b.  April  19,  1789,  m.  Chester,  had  one  child. 

4.  George,   b.    June     30,     1791,    m.     Eliza      8.    Willard,    b.    Nov.    9,    1804,   m.  

Judd  of  Canaan,   had  children,    Willard,  Dayton,  of  Tor.,  d.  in   West  Virginia,  in 

Mary,    Edward,   Ann.      He.   d.    Dec.   20,  1874  or  5. 

1869.      She  d.  Sept.  21,  1870. 

1.  Henry,  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Latimer)  Roberts,  m  Chloe  Burr  Oct. 
14,  1805,  and  lived  on  his  father's  homestead.  His  wife,  Chloe,  d.  in  March, 
1826.   He  d.  Sept.  5,  1865,  aged  80  years.      Children: 

9.   Allen  Burr,  b.  Sept.  24,  1806,  m.  children,   Henry  R.,  b.   Feb.    19,    1833; 

10.  Sarah,  b.  July  8,  i8c8,  m.  Enos  F.  Rich-  Luman,  b.  Sept.  26,  1835;  Byron,  b. 
ards,  Dec.  24,  1832,  and  removed  to  Sept.  29,  1837;  Frank,  b.  July  2,  1842; 
Wisconsin,  where  he  d.  Sept.  18,  1872,  Horton,  b.  May  24,  1844;  Robert,  b. 
and  his   wife  Sarah,   d.   March  13,    1863,  June  I4»  1846. 

their  children    were,   Henry   A.,   b.   May  12.   Nelson,  b.  Sept.  12.  18 14,  m. 

16,  1834J   Hobert  A.,   b.  Aug.  7,  1636;  13.    Adah,   b.   April   22,    1820,    m.   Joseph 

Wilbert   B.,  b.   June  7,    1741  ;   Ema   £  ,  Wooster  of  Goshen,  Oct.   20,   1840,  and 

b.    March    26,    1848;   Ellen    E.,   b.    11,  had  children,   Charlotte  L.,   b.  Jan.    17, 

1849;   d.  in    1849;   Charles   L.,  b.   Aug.  1845  ;  Joseph  F.,  b.  Feb.,  16,  I  850 ;  Nel- 

22,  1850.  lie  S.,  b.  S.  b.  Jan.  7,   1857;  Jennie  A., 

11.  Emeline,  b.  Jan.  15,  181 1,  m.  Sylvanus  b.  Jan.  2,   1859. 
Pease,  of  Winsted  in  July  1832,  and  had 

3.  Barzillai,  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Latimer)  Roberts,  m.  Almira 
Humphrey  in  1812,  and  removed  to  Ohio  where  he  d.  in  1872,  and  his  wife, 
Almira,  d.  Feb.  17,  1871.     Children: 


758 


History  of  Torrington. 


14.  Harriet     M.,    b.    Jan.    29,    1813,    m.  Lovehndin  O  ,in  1839,  d.  Oct.  22,  185  3. 
Erastus  N.  Graham,  d.   July  31,  1844.           16.    Milo,  b.  Feb.    15,    1818,    m.     Sarah    J. 

15.  Cyrus  H.,   b.  Oct.    13,    18 15,  m.   Julia  Norton  in  1843,  lives   in    New   Hartford. 

9.   Allen  B.,  son  of  Henry  and  Chloe  (Burr)  Roberts,  m    Marrha  Cook, 
of  Torringford,  Nov    9,  1840.      Children: 
17.   Chloe,  b.  July  21,  1843.  18.   Allen  J.,  b.  Aug.  28,  1845. 

12.  Nelson,  son  of  Henry  and  Chloe  (Burr)  Roberts,  m.,  ist,  Charlotte, 
dau.  or  Ralsamon  Loomis  of  Charlestown,  O.,  Sept.  24,  1841.  She  d.  June 
I,  1858.  He  m.,  2d,  Chloe,  sister  of  his  first  wife,  June  6,  1859.  He  re- 
sides in  Vineland,  N.  J.      (^See  Biog.)     Children  by  ist  wife: 

19.   Harvey  L.,  b.  Oet.  20,  1843,  ^-  ^°-   Frank,  b.  Apr.    12,  1849. 

19.  Harvey  L.,  son  of  Nelson  and  Charlotte  (Loomis)  Roberts,  m.  Emily, 
dau.  of  Hiram  and  Catharine  (Fyler)  Perkins. 

ROBERTS,  Joel,  lived  in  Torringford.     Ciiildren  : 

1.  Nama,  b.  Sept.  26,    1760.  4.   Chloe,  b.  Apr.  15,  1765. 

2.  Samuel,  b.  Jan.  26,  1762.  5.  Joel,  b.  June  16,  1772. 

3.  Judah,  b.  Sept.  13,  1763. 

ROBERTS,  Abel,  was  b.  Nov.  27,  1762,  in  Middletown.  His  brother 
Squire  Roberts,  was  a  prominent  man  in  Middletown.  Abel  Roberts  came  to 
Torrington  a  young  man,  after  having  been  a  soldier  some  time  in  the  Revo- 
lution, where  his  health  failed.  He  taught  school  in  Torrington  ;  m.  Sally, 
dau.  of  Roger  Loomis,  May  11,  1789.  He  went  to  Schenectady  and  taught 
school  some  years  in  that  part  of  New  York  state.  In  1801,  he  returned  to 
Torrington;  bought  a  home  near  what  was  then  called  the  centre  district,  and 
where  his  son-in-law,  Ephraiin  Fellows,  now  resides.  When  he  was  quite 
aged  he  taught  school  in  the  school  house  opposite  his  own  dwelling.  He  d. 
Jan.  20,  1834.      His  widow  d.  Feb.  i,  1850.      Children: 

1.  Harvey,  b.   Oet.    25,    1791,    he    was    a  4.  Sabra,  b.  Nov.  2,  1802,  m.   E.    Fellows, 
printer,  and  d.  May  1827  at  Hartford.  Nov.  2,  1825. 

2.  William  T.,  b.  Mar.  5,    1794,  d.    June,  5.   Flora  E.,  b.  Dec.   26,    1810,  d.  June  12, 
1822,  lung  difficulty.  1832. 

3.  Laura,  b.  Feb.  5,  1798,  d.  Nov.  8,  1839, 
lung  difficulty. 

ROBERTS,  Rev.  Nathaniel,   from   Simsbury,    m.  ist,  Margaret,    dau.  of 
Rev.  Jonathan  Marsh,  of  Windsor  ;  she  d.   Oct.  1,  1747,  2d,  Esther,  dau.  of 
Aaron  Loomis,  Nov.    7,    17^8.      He   d.  March   4,   1776.      (See   Bhgrapby.) 
His  widow  Esther,  d.  Feb.  6,  1783,  a.  54.      Child: 
I.  Margaret,  b.  June  5,    1759,    m.  Samuel  Cumings. 

George  P.,  was  b.  in  Litchfield,  South  Farms,  in  1811  ;  was  in  Torrington 
a  little  time,  then  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  while 
thus  engaged  he  in.  Annis  M  Allyn,  of  Wolcottville,  May  15,  1842,  and  re- 
mained there  some  twenty-three  years.  He  engaged  on  the  Pacific  and  St, 
Louis  rail  road,  and  sold  the  first  ticket  on  that  road  ;  was  afterwards  made 
paymaster  on  the  road  which  office  he  held  about  twenty  years,  or  until  he  re- 
turned to  Wolcottville,  in  1865,  where  he  purchased  the  old  Samuel  Beach 
place  west  of  the  village  ;  enlarged  his  dwelling  and  fitted  up  the  barn  and  other 
buildings  in  good  style  and  seemed  to  have  every  thing  ready  for  living  when 
he  closed  his  earthly  life  Feb.  16,  1875.  ^'^  ^^'^^  ^  member  of  Dr.  Potts's 
church  in  St.  Louis  and  a  regular  worker  in  the  Sunday  sciiool.  Children  : 
I.  Mary  Jane,  d.  2.  George  A.,  b.  1847,  d.  Apiil  12,  1863. 


Genealogies.  759 

ROGERS,  HiLAN  M.,  son  of  Orlando  Rogers,  was  b.  in  Michigan  Jan.  lo, 
1838.  So  far  as  is  known  his  ancestors  were  :  Isaac  Rogers  who  removed  from 
New  Jersey  to  Fishkill,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  his  son  joe)  was  b.  about 
1770.  Joel  Rogers  removed  to  Nonh  East,  Dutchess  Co.,  about  1775,  and  d. 
there  in  18515.  Orlando  Rogers,  son  of  Joel,  was  b.  at  North  East  in  18  10, 
and  d  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  in  1871.  Mr.  Hilan  M.  Rogers  m.  |ofephine, 
dan.  of  Geo.  A.  Hoyt  of  .-^nsonia,  Jan.  26,  1870,  and  resides  in  Wolcottville ; 
is  ticket  agent  at  Naugatuck  depot,  and  has  a  coal  yard  at  the  same  place.  Ch.  : 
William  H.,  b.  Oct.  16,  1872. 

ROOD,  MosES,  m.  Sarah  Loomis  Jan.  5,  1768  ;  both  of  Torrington,  and 
settled  in  Torriagtord.      Children  : 

1.  Sarah,  b    Oct.  26,  1768.  5.   Hannah,  b.  Feb.  16,  1779. 

2.  Amos,  b.  Jan.  3,  1772.  6.   Moses,  b.  June  12,    1681. 

3.  Lydia,  b.  June  12,    1774.  7.   Aaron,  b.  Nov.  17,    1784. 

4.  Mary,  b.  Oct.  17,  1776.  8.   Lorrain,  b.   May  27,  1787. 

Ebenezek,  m,  Rhoda  Loomis  Sept.  6,  1770,  both  of  Torrington.   Children  : 

3.    Isaac,  b.  Sept.    10,    1771,  d.  away  fiom  9.   Anne,  b.    May    28,    I780,    m.    Elisha 

home.  Wetmoie,  d.  in  Ohio. 

6.  Rhoda,  b.  Apr.  6,  1774.  10.   Eunice,  b.  July  24,  1783. 

7.  Ebenezer,  b.  Mar.  27,  1776,  m.  11.   Amanda. 

8.  John,   b.   May    10,    1778,    m.    Abigail  12.  Calvin. 
Hewitt. 

7.  Ebenezer,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Rhoda  (Loomis)  Rood,  m.  Aurelia  A. 
Loomis.  She  was  b.  Nov.  8,  1788,  and  d.  Nov.  14,  1843.  He  d.  Apr.  26, 
1851.      Children: 

13.  Harvey  L.,  b.  Oct.    31,  1818,  m.  15.   Rufus,  b.  Apr.  10,    1822.  d.   Nov.    13, 

14.  Ann  A.,  b.  Mar.  15,  1820,  m.  Ezra  D.  1874. 

Pratt  of  North  Cornwall  about  1846,  had      16.   Ebenezer  H.,  d.  in  infancy. 
Dwight  M.,  and  Hattie  J.  17.   Ebenezer  H.,  b.  Sept.  29,  1825. 

13.  Harvey  L,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Aurelia  (Loomis)  Rood,  m.  Susan 
M.  Humphrey  of  Guilford,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  15,  1848.      Children: 

18.  Charles  G.  Rood,  adopted  son,  m.  Mary  1873. 

F.,  dau.   of   R.   W.   Griswold,   Nov.    12,      19.   Anna  J.  Rood,  adopted  dau. 

17.  Ebenezer  H.,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Aurelia  (Loomis)  Rood,  m.  Melissa 
Budd  of  Farmington,  111.,  Dec.  15,  1849.      Children: 

20.  Ellen.  24.   Hattie. 

21.  Isabel.  25.   Dwight. 

22.  John.  26.   Melissa. 

23.  Ida. 

RICHARDS,  Capt.  Eli,  came  from  Wethersfield,  and  settled  in  Newfield, 
kept  a   tavern  ;  was  a  prominent   man  in  that  part  of  the  town,   a  number  of 
years.     Child  : 
I.   Elizabeth,  b.  Apr.    16,  1785.      One  dau. 

is  said  to  have  m.  a  lawyer  in  Winchester. 

He  may  have  had. other  children. 

RICHARDS,  John,  m.  Rachel .     Children  : 

I.  Samuel,  b.  Aug.  5,  1776.  2.   Alpheus,  b.  Aug.  26,  1778. 

ROSE,  Daniel,  of  Branford,  Ct.,  removed  to  Wolcott,  where  he  d.   Ch.  : 

1.  Hannah,  b.  1773.  5-  Chandler. 

2.  Sally.  6.   Rensselaer. 

3.  Bela.  7.   Betsey,  b.  1791. 

4.  Daniel. 


760 


History  of  Torrington. 


3.   Bela,  son  of  Daniel,  m.  Mary   Brockett   and    lived    and  d.    in    Wolcott. 

He  lost  both  hands  in  a  wool  picking  machine  in  Plymouth  hollow.   Children  : 

8.  Charles.  13.    Daniel,  ir.. 

9.  Augustus,  b.  May  28,  1812.  14.  Jane,   m.  Moses. 

10.  Rebecca,  m.  Asahel  Thomas.  15.   Henry,  m.  Harriet  Seeley. 

11.  Mary,  m.  John  Payne.  16.   Bela,  m.  Amanda  ToJd. 

12.  Jesse  B.,  b.  Jan.  10,  1821. 

12.  Jesse  B.,  son  of  Bela  and  Mary  (Brockett)  Rose,  m.,  1st,  Perlina  Hart, 
2d,  Mrs.  Harriet  Griswold  of  Goshen.      Children  : 

17.  Edwin  C,  b.  May  17,  1844,  ^-  Mattie      19.  Willie  A.,  b.  Aug.  22,   1852. 

E.  Hamilton  Nov.  26,  1870  j   had  Edwin      His  second    wife    has    a    son    Frederick    H. 
H.,  b.  April  19,  1872.  Griswold  b.  May  4,    1862. 

18.  Wallace  A.,  b.  Dec.  16,  1848,  d.  Feb. 
16,  1850. 

ROSSITER,   Newton,    a  tanner   in  Burrville,   m.  Maria  ,   and  about 

1827  or  8,  removed  to  Ohio.      Children  : 

1.  Luther,  b.  June  19,  1813.  4.   Charlotte,  b.  Mar.  23,  1819. 

2.  Amos  H.,  b.  Mar.  20,  1815.  5.   Adaline,  b.  Feb.  11,  1821. 

3.  Harriett  Newell,  b.  Mar.  10,  1817.  6.   Gilbert,  b.  Feb.  9,  1823. 

ROWLEY,  Samuel,  came  from  Windsor,  Ct.,  and  m.  Catharine,  daughter 
of  Silas  Fyler,  in  1770  He  was  b  about  1745,  ^"^  settled  half  a  mile  east  of 
the  Newfield  meeting  houses  ;  his  house  is  still  standing  a  little  south  of  Harlow 
Fyler's  homestead.     Children  : 

1.  James,  b.,  paobably  in  Winchester,   d.  in  farmer  and  surveyor,  no  children. 
Winchester.  7.   Sabra,  b.  Apr.,  1782,  m.  John  Merchant 

2.  Samuel,  b.  May  22,  1772,  m.  at  Ballston,  N.  Y. 

3.  Jairus,  b.  Apr.  6,  1774,  m.  Rachel  Acatt.  8.    Pamelia,  b.  Mor.,  1784. 

4.  Melinda,  b.  1776,  m.  Daniel  Olcott.  9.   Nathan,   b.  Apr.  2,    1786.    m.  Catharine 

5.  Rachel,    b.   Oct.    12,    1777,    m.    Abner  Fyler,  Feb.  3,  1810,  had  two  children  who 
Perkins,  Apr.   30,  1806.                                            d.  young.      He  and  his  wife   d.  nearly  the 

6.  Stephen,    b.    Feb.     9,    1780,    m.    Roxy  same  time  at  Tyringham,  Mass. 
Whiting,    Dec.    23,    1808.       He  was    a 

2.  Samuel  Jr.,  son  of  Samuel  and  Catherine  Fyler  Rowley,  m.  Mary  Mer- 
rill, Feb.  26,  1801,  and  settled  in  Winchester,  in  1806,  near  Colebrook  line, 
and  d.  in  i85'4.      Children: 

10.  Calvin,  d.  in  Illinois.  13.  Edwin,  twin. 

11.  Eliza,  m.  Orrin  Freeman  of  Winchester.  14.  Edwin,  twin,  of  Colebrook. 

12.  Lucia   J.,  of  Colebrook    in    1858,  d.   in  15.  Mary,  twin,  m.  Miller. 

111.,  about  1859.  16.  Maria,  twin,  m.  Darwin  Smith. 

S.AGE,  Martin  L  ,  of  Berlin,  came  to  Torrington,  about  1823,  m,  Huldah 
Sanford  of  Rocky  Hill  ;  was  a  tanner  and  shoemaker.  Removed  to  Ohio, 
about  June,  1829,  had  son  Luther,  b.  in  Torrington,  removed  with  his  father 
to  Huntington,  Lorain  Co.,  O.  ^ 

Linus,  lived  where  David  Evans  does,'  and  then  built  the  little  house  now 
occupied  by  Loomis  Beach.  He  d.  where  Henry  Allyn  lived  on  the  hill  west 
of  George  Allyn's.      Children: 

1.  Harriet.  3.   Charles. 

2.  Caroline.  4.   Homer. 

SCOVILLE,  Stephen,  of  East  Haddam,  bought  sevcntv-five  acres  of  land 
in  Harwinton  and  gave  it  to  his  son  Ezckicl.  on  account  of  his  love  and  good 
will,  October  9,  1735.     This  Ezekiel  Scoville  m.  Mindwcll  Barber,  of  Windsor, 


Genealogies.  761 

Oct.  23,  1740,  and  lived  on  the  land    given  him  by  his  father,  in    Harwinton, 
and  had  the  foliowing  children.      Children  : 

1.  Mindwell,    b.    Sept.    26,    1742,    m.    Eli  5.  Joseph,  b.  July  21,  175 1,  m.  Abigail,  dau 
Wilson,  March,  15,    1 762.  ot  Dei.  John   Wilson. 

2.  Ezekiel,    b.    Jan.    5,    1744,   m,    Rebecca  6.   Sarah,  b.  July  6,  1754. 
Thompson,  Aug.   4,  1766.  7.   Mary,  b.  May  i,  1757. 

3.  Keziah,  b.  Feb.  28,  1746,  m.  8.    Hannah,  b.  Oct.  7,  1762. 

4.  Dau.  b.  Oct.  10,   1748. 

3.  Ezekiel,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Mindwell  (Barber)  Scoville,  m.  Rebecca 
Thompson,  of  Harwinton,  Aug.  4,  1766.      Children: 

9.    Daniel,  b.  April  27,  1767.  14.  Joseph  T.,  b.  June  6,  1777,  m. 

10.  Abner,  b.  May  4,  1769.  15.    Conant,  b.  May  27,   1779,  m. 

11.  Ashcr,    b.    Sept.    17,    1771,    m.    Sally      16.   Roswell,  b.   March  11,   1782,  m.  Anna 
Brooker,  of  Torringcon.  Ames. 

12.  Ezek:e!,  b.    Jan    17,    1773,    m.    Sabra,      17.   Chloe,     June    6,     1784,    m.     Ammon 
dau.  ot  Daniel  Wilson.  Wilson. 

13.  Steplien,  b.  June  8,  1775,  m.  18.   Levi,  m.  Statira  Johnson. 

9.  Joseph,  son  ot  Ez.-kicl  and  Mindwell  (Barber)  Scoville,  m.  Abigail,  dau. 
of  Dca.  John  Wilson,  of  Harwinton,  Oct.  20,    1771.      Children: 

19.  Abigail,  b.  May  12,  1772.  22.    Mary,  b.  July  4,   1779. 

20.  Jose|>h,    b.    June   8,    1774,  m     Lucina      23.    Mindwell,   b.    Dec.  13,    1781,   d.  April 
Coe,  Torringtoid.  7,  1784. 

21.  John,  b.  1777,  m.  24.   Champion,  b.  June  12,  1784,  m. 

12.  Ezekiel,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Mindwell  (Thompson)  Scoville,  m.  S^bra, 
dau.  of  Daniel  S.  Wilson,  of  Harwinton,  settled  on  a  farm  below  Wolcottville, 
now  owned  by  Frederic  L.  Taylor  ;  removed  to  Camden,  Ostego  Co.,  N.  Y., 
with  most  of  his  family.      Children: 

25.  Russell,  m.  30.  Linus,  m.  Jane  Snow,  of  Ashford. 

26.  Fanny,  m.  Jeremiah  Bailey,  in  Camden.  31.  Sabra,  m.  Warner  Penfield,  in  Camden. 

27.  John  Wilion,  m.  32.  Riley. 

28.  Joel  Warner,  m.  Lovicey  .  33.  Sidney,  lives  in   Woodbury. 

29.  Nelson.  34.  Watson,  m.  in  Camden. 

2  1.  John,  son  of  Joseph  and  Abigail  (Wilson)  Scoville,  m.  Chloe  Brooker  ; 
was  a  merchant  in  Wolcottville.      Children: 

35.  Mindwell,  m.  ist,  Dr.  Peter  Beardsley,  wlio  d.  and  she  m.  id.  Dr.  Jeremiah  W.  Phelps. 

25.  Russell  Wilson,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Sabra  (Wilson)  Scoville,  removed 
with  his  father  to  Camden,  m.  Harriet  Preston,  Dec.  5,  1830,  d.  April  10, 
1844  ;   had  five  children. 

27.  John  W.,  son  of  Ezekiel  and  Sabra  (Wilson)  Scoville,  m.  Martha,  dau. 
of  Amos  Wilson  Jr.,  Oct.   17,   1873.      He  d.  March  4,    1832.      Children: 

36.  Charles  Wilson,   b.  Mar.  26,  1836,  m.  40.   Frank  Russell,  b.  Aug.  13,  1844. 

37.  George     Warner,    b.     Oct.     31,     1837,  41.    Mary  Irene,  b.  Sept.  19,   1846,  d.  Mar. 
removed  to  III.,  m.  and  had  three  ch.  29,  1862. 

38.  Martha   Jane,    b.    Dec.    13,    1839,    m.  42.    Wai  ner  Penfield,   b.    May  4,  1852,    m. 
John  N.  Wetmore  of  Winchester.  Eva  A.  Newbury,  June  7,  1876,  and   has 

39.  John  Riley,  b.  Aug.  5,  1841.  Grace  M.,  b.  Oct.  18,  1877. 

36.  Charles  W.,  son  of  John  W.  and  Martha  (VVilson)  Scoville,  m,  March 
4,  i860,  Mary  S.,  daughter  of  Chaunccy  Potter  of  Harwinton.  She  was  b. 
Aug.  16,   1844,  d.  Aug  29,  1876.      Children: 

43.  Jenn'e  May,  b.  May  8,  1861. 

44.  Addie  Sophia,  b.  Jan.   i,  1865,  d.  Apr. 
29,  1871. 

9G 


762  History  of  Torrington. 

40.   Frank  R.,  son  of  John  W.  and  Martha   (Wilson)  Scoville,   m.  Lettie 
E,,   daughter  of  Junius  Scoville,    111.,   Jan.  26,    1869.     She   wash.    Oct.    12, 
1830.     Children: 
45.   Charles  Junius,  b.  June  19,  1870.  46.   Bertha  Jane,  b.  July  14,  1872. 

SEYMOUR,  Samuel,  b.  in  Watertown,  Ct.,  m.  Mchitable  Dayton  of 
Watertown.  Some  of  his  children  were  :  i,Saniucl;  2,  James  H.;  3,  Truman: 
Samuel,  Jr.,  came  to  Wolcotcville  a  young  man,  and  m.  Lura,  dau.  of  Joseph 
Taylor,  in  1812.  He  was  a  carriage  maker;  d.  in  Watertown.  His  widow 
is  still  living,  and  to  her  the  author  of  this  book  is  much  indebted  for  informa- 
tion concerning  many  things,  that  otherwise  could  not  have  been  written.   Ch.: 

1.  Julia,    b.    May    22,    1813,    m.    Samuel     4.   Eliza,     b.    May    25,    1820,     m.    Lyman 
Brooker  May  1834.  W.   Coe,  Nov.  3,  1841. 

2.  Maria,    b.    Oct.    21,    1815,    m.   Martin      5.   Frederick  J.,  b.  Oct.  24,  1824,  m. 
Brooker. 

3.  Mary,  b.  Mar.  14,   1818,  m.  ist  Daniel 
Robertson,  2d,  Samuel  Burr. 

2.  James  H.,  son  of  Samuel,  Sr.,  m.  Flora  H.  Hudson  in  1835.  He  was 
a  carriage  maker;   d.  at  Wolcottville  Nov.  5,  1872.      Children: 

6.  Charles  H.,  b.  Apr.  26,  1837,  m.  1st  Mary  win  J.,  b.  Feb.  10,  1871. 

Judd,  2d  Mrs.  Susan  Isbell,  Jan.  3,  1869,      7.   Charlotte  H.,   b.   Mar.  5,    1843,  m.   Uri 
has  Alice  E.,  b.  Oct.  11,  1865  ;  and  Ed-  Church  in  1868. 

3.  Truman,  son  of  Samuel,  Sr.,  m.  Clarissa  Bancroft  ;  lived  in  Wolcottville. 
Child: 

8.   George. 

5.  Frederic  J.,  son  of^  Samuel  and  Lucy  (Taylor)  Seymour,  m.  Florintine 
M.  Migeon  Aug.  28.  1849  ;   resides  in  Wolcottville.      {See  Biog.')     Children: 

9.   Frederick  H.,  is    a  law  student  in  De-      11.   Russell  A.,  d.  Nov.   14,  1856. 
troit,  Mich.  12.  Kittle  £. 

10.   Marie  L. 

SHELDON,  Remembrance,  of  Windsor,  had  children  : 

1.  Elisha,  b.  Feb.  29,  1710.  3.    Ep.iphras,  b.  Sept.  4,  1726. 

2.  Jerusha,  b.  Nov.  27,  1722.  4.   Remembrance,  b.  Oct.  23,  1728. 

3.    Epaphras,  son  of  Remembrance,   of  Windsor,  m.  Eunice  Allyn,   April 
30,  1752,  and  lived  in  Windsor.      She  was  sister  to  the  first  Joseph   Allyn,  in 
this  town.      Ciiildrcn  : 
5.   Epaphras,  b.  Aug.  2,  1753,  settled  in  Tor.      6.   Allyn,  b.  July  30,  1755,  d.  Feb.  4,  1762. 

5.  Gen.  Epaphras,  son  of  Epaphras  and  Eunice  (Allyn)  Siicldon,  came  to 
Torrington.  about  1769,  and  m.  Hannah  Lyman,  of  Goshen,  Nov.  17,  1774, 
and  built  his  hous?,  across  the  road  cast  from  Eben.'z?r  Lyman's,  a  little  north 
where  he  kept  a  ta\crn  until  he  bi.iilt  a  large  dwelling  tor  a  tavern  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  town,  afterwards  owned  by  Timothy  Childs.  Gen.  Sheldon, 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  in  the  town  in  his  time;  became 
general  of  the  state  militia.  Mrs.  Sheldon  was  a  very  fine  looking,  intelligent 
woman  ;   always  called  in  her  later  days.  Lady  Sheldon.      Children: 

7.  Daniel,  b.  Aug.  13,  1781.  10.   Allyn,  b.  July  20,  1786. 

8.  Samuel  Lyman,  b.  Nov.  16,  1782.  II.   Will  am,  b.  Dec.  12,  1788. 

9.  Esther,  b.  March  i,  1784.  12.    Henry,  b.  Oct.  27,  1791. 

SHELDON,  Job,  was  agent  in  the  cotton  factory  in  Torrington  hollow.  He 
had  a  family  and  removed  to  New  Milford. 


Genealogies.  763 

SHELTON,  William  P.,  son  of  William  N.,  and  Harriet  Shelton,  of 
Woodbury,  m.  Mahalia  A.  Saiiford,  of  Roxbiiry,  Aug.  12,  1861,  and  settled 
on  the  Child's  place,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town,  in  1865,  where  he 
still  resides.  Besides  attending  to  the  farm  he  is  engaged  in  the  cabinet  busi- 
ness at  Litchfield.  His  widowed  mother  resides  with  him.  This  house  is 
located  on  a  hill  of  considerable  eminence,  and  with  the  maple  trees,  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  in  number,  standing  on  each  side  of  the  highway,  is 
one  of  the  most  imposing  appearing  country  homesteads  in  the  countrv.  The 
trees  are  not  full  grown,  but  shade  the  road  from  fence  to  fence,  and  but  illus- 
trates, what  might  be  the  piciuresque  appearance  of  the  whole  town,  if  the  in- 
habitants had  spirit  and  ambition  to  this  eftjct ;  and  every  farmer  would  be  the 
richer  if  he  did  his  part  of  such  a  work.      Child: 

I.   Edward  M.,  b.  Oct.  3,  1868. 

SHERMAN,  Rev.  Henry  M.artyn,  son  of  Charles  H.  and  Lvdia  (Crow- 
foot) Sherman,  was  b.  June  26,  1838,  at  Bridgeport,  and  m.  Maria  L,  dau. 
of  John  Baker,  of  Bridgeport,  April  30,  1868.  She  was  b.  May  24,  1837; 
and  attended  school  at  the  Young  Ladies  seminary  at  Bridgeport.  He  is  pastor 
of  the  Episcopal  church  and  resides  on  Migeon  avenue.  Children  : 
I.   Margaret  Lydia,  b.  Dec.  24,  1870.  2.   Mary  Benson,  b.  April  22,  1873. 

SMITH,  Nathaniel,  was  b.  in  Milford,  Ct.,  in  1785,  and  came  to  Tor- 
ringtord,  in  1806,  and  was  clerk  in-the  store  of  William  Battell  two  or  three 
years.  He  went  into  mercantile  business  for  himself  at  Torringford  in  the  store 
which  he  built  and  which  is  still  standing  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  old 
turnpike  and  Torringford  street,  in  1809,  and  continued  in  business  in  the  same 
5tnre  until  his  death  June  26,  1854,  a  period  of  forty-six  years.  He  m.  Har- 
riet, dau.  of  Daniel  Winchell  in  1809,  Shed,  at  Wolcottville,  in  Nov.,  1861, 
a.  79  years.  He  was  appointed  post  master  in  1812,  and  held  the  office  with- 
out interruption  forty-two  years,  a  case,  probably,  without  parallel  in  this  country. 
Mr.  Smith  was  a  very  upright  and  careful  business  man.     Children  : 

1.  Harriet.  3.   Charlotte. 

2.  Charles  B.,  b.  1810. 

2.  Charles  B.,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Harriet  (Winchell)  Smith,  m.  Eliza- 
beth, daughter  of  Eli  Ensign,  of  Sheffield,  Mass.,  Dec.  18,  1839.  She  was  b. 
March  g.  1814.  He  was  a  merchant  in  Wolcottville,  and  d.  March  31, 
l86i.      {See  BiogrnphyS)     Children: 

4.  Elizabeth,  b.   Nov.  3,    1840;   is   a  music  6.   Isabell,  b.    Sept.  10,    1851,   m.    Oct.  21, 
teacher  in  Great  Barrington,  Mass.  1873,    John    M.    Hopson    of   Bridgepert, 

5.  Alice  B.,  b.  Apr.  25,    1842,  m.    Edward  afterwards  editor   of  the    Vallev  Index  of 
Robinson    of    Rockville,    Ct.,     had    son  Waterbury  ;  she  d.  June  I,  1876. 
Charles  L.,    b.    Nov.    19,  1866,  d.    June 

I,  1867. 

SMITH,  Elisha,  Esq.,  was  b.  in  Farmington,  Ct.,  Aug.  14,  1751,  and 
came  to  Torrington  a  young  man  and  m.  Lucy,  dau.  of  Aaron  Loomis,  Nov. 
25»  '773-  He  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the 
town.  {See  Bwg.)  He  d.  Jan.  9,  18  13,  aged  62.  His  widow  d.  at  Gene- 
ral Abernethy's  in  Wolcottville;  a  fine  woman,  of  noble  character,  and  posses- 
sed great  memory.     She  d.  in  1847,  a.  91.      Children  : 

1.  Elisha,  b.  July  19,  1775,  d.  Aug.  9,  1776.      3.   Almira,  b.  Jan.  12,   1780,  d.   April  21, 

2.  Orrel,  b.   Jan.    30,  1778,   m.   Russell  C.  1781. 
Abernethy,  Sept.  17,  1803. 


764  History  of  Torrincton. 

SMITH,  Aaron',  lived  a  little  north  of  Elisha  Smith's,  but  whether  related 
to  that   family  or  not  is  not  known.      Children  : 

1.  Hannah.  3.   Aaron. 

2.  Elizabeth.  4.   Dennis. 

SMITH,  Rev.  Sidney  K-,  son  of  Solomon  and  .Abigail  (Ketcham)  Smith, 
was  b.  at  Huntington,  Long  Island,  March  14,  1838.  He  is  pastor  of  the 
M.  E.  church,  in  his  third  year,  and  resides  on  Prospect  street.  (^See  Biog^ 
He  m.  Mary  Frances,  adopted  dau.  of  William  F.  and  Lydia  VV.  (Uovvej 
Barnard  of  Marlboro,  Mass.,  Sept.  13,  1865.      Children. 

1.  William  Barnard,  b.  June  22,  1866.  4.   Mary  Louise,  b.  March  29,  1S77. 

2.  Frank  Sidney,  b.  Nov.  9,  1868.  Helen  Gertrude  Ketcham,  b.  Oct.  12,  1856, 

3.  Ernest  Ketcham,  b.  Oct.   28,  1873.  has  lesided  in  this  family  twelve  years. 

SMITH,  Ch.'^rles  R.,  son  of  James  H.  Smith  of  Litchfield,  m.  Mary,  dau. 
of  Ira  Thrall,  Feb  29,  1872,  and  resides  on  the  homestead  ol' his  wife's  father, 
in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town.      Child  : 

1.  Julia,  b.  April  22,    1873. 

SMITH,  Alonzo  D.,  was  b.  in  New  Britain,  Ct.,  May  22,  1836  ;  came 
to  Wolcotiville  in  1849  ;  m.,  ist,  Manha  Haight,  who  d.  in  1872, and  hem., 
2d,  Sarah  Losee  in  1874  ;  has  been  engaged  with  the  Union  Hardware  com- 
pany since  1865.      Child  by  ist  wh^e  : 

Estelle  F.,  b.  Nov.  3,  1859. 

SMITH,  Ebenezer,  m.  Hannah  .      Children  : 

1.  Ebenezer,  b.  Apr.  18,  1763.  6.  Miles,  b.  Sept.   11,  1775. 

2.  Hann.ih,  b.  July  21,  1765.  7.  Saiah,  b.  Nov.   8,  1777. 

3.  Jesse,  b.   Oct.  28,   1766.  8.  Koiman,   b.  Auir.  7,  1782. 

4.  Ira,  b.  Jan.    14,  1769.  9.  Dolly,  b.  Nov.   20,   1787. 

5.  Joseph,  b.  Oct.  29,  1773. 

SOPER,  John,  m.  Phebe  Moore,  Jan.  30,  1730,  and  lived  in  Windsor, 
Ct.     Children : 

1.  Phtbe,  b.  Sept.  19,    1731.  5-   David,  b.  Dec.  15,  1738,  settled  in  Tor. 

2.  John,  b.  May  15,  1733.  6.    Abigail,  b.  May  6,   1741. 

3.  Joel,  b.  Feb.  I,  1734,  settled  in  Tor.  7.  Timothy,  b.  Aug.  12,    1742,    settled    in 

4.  Elizabeth,    b.    Oct.    31,    1736.  Tor. 

3.  Dr.  Joel,  was  a  physician  and  practiced  a  short  time  in  Torringford, 
then  removed  10  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. 

5.  David,  son  of  John,  of  Windsor,  settled  in  Torringford  a  few  rods  north 
of  the  first  meeting  house,  where  he  kept  a  tavern  quire  a  number  ofycars,  and 
was  a  man  of  considerable  busine:s  abilhy  ;  bought  and  sold  land  ;  built  saw 
mills  and  had  considerable  influence  in  the  town.  He  m.  Rachel,  dau.  ot  Dea. 
John  Cook  Jan.  26,  1764.      Children: 

8.  Olive,  b.  July  23,  1768.  Bissell  Jan.  22,  1789. 

9.  Rachel,   b.   April   12,   1772,    m.    Elijah      10.   Naomi,  b.  May  9,  1774,  d.  July  2,  1774. 

SPENCER,  Asa,  from  New  Hartford,  lived  first  in  Torrington  hollow, 
where  Mr.  Wait  Wilson  now  resides,  but  afterwards  removed  to  a  vacant  house 
with  about  one  acre  of  land  on  Torrington  hill,  near  where  Mr.  Lyman  R. 
Pond  now  resides.      This  house  and  land  were  never  claimed  by  any  one,  and 

by  law  became  the  property  of  the  Spencer  family  after  the  expiration  ot 

years'  possession.      Children : 


Genealogies.  765 

1.  Miles,  d.  n.  62,  not  m.  now  over  85  years  of  age. 

2.  Thedj,  m.  Hemy  Pond.  4.  Roxv,  never  m. 

3.  Foliy,  m.  'J'rum.iii   Hare  of  Colebrook  or  5.    Millicent,  m.  Solomon  Barker,  lived  east 

Norfolk.      Her  dau.,  Lucy  Hart,  m. of  Wolcottville,  where  she  died. 

Wilcox,  and  went  witii  him  as  a  missionary  6.    Lucy,  m.  Lyman  Pond. 

to  the  Sandwich   Islands,  where  they  re-  7.   Frederick,  b.  1802  or  3,  removed  to  Nova 
mained  35,  or  6   years  and   returned,    and  Scotia,  d.  Jan.  7,  1877  ^-  74- 

botii  died  a   few    days    after    they  reached  8.   Julia,  d.  in  1849. 
Colebrook.      The    widow    Folly   Hart,   is 

SPERRY,  RicH.^RD,  m.  Rachel  Ray,  March  10,  1807;  lived  a  little  west 
of  the  Lyman  place.      Children  : 

1.  Laura,  b.  Feb.  20,  1808.  5.    Lucy,  b.  March  31,  1818,  m.  Ira  Thrall. 

2.  Lewis,  b.  March  24,  1809.  6.   Lovise,  b.  May  27,  1820. 

3.  Albert,  b.  May  4,  18  11.  7.  Samuel,  b.  Dec.  20,  1822. 

4.  Homer,  b.  May  31,  181 5. 

ST.  JOHN,  Dr.  Bela,  m.  Marv  A.  Hodges,  Georgetown,  Ct.,  Dec.  29, 
1850.     Child: 

I.   Abbie  Etta. 

STARKS,  Thomas  A.,  son  of  Roger  Starks,  of  Winchester,  m.  Flora  P., 
dau.  of  Noah  Drake,  Jr.,  May  20,  I  840,  and  settled  on  her  lather's  homestead, 
it  being  the  old  Silas  Fyler  place,  in  Newficld.     Children  : 

1.  Octavia,  b.    Oct.    19,    1840,    m.     John        5.   Roger  S.,  b.    Aug.    23,    1845,    "^-   ^lla 
Andrews;   lives   in    Torringford,    and  has  S.  Drake,  Nov.  8,  1877. 

children  ;    Mattie,  Wilber,  Ernest.  6.    Adaline  R.,    b.  April  21,  1847,  m.  Feb. 

2.  Hiram   M.,   b.    Nov.  5,    1841,    m.    Mrs.  7,  1 872,  W  illiam  Beckley  ;   lives  in  South 
Irene    H.     Drake,    Sept.    6,     l865;   lives           Norfolk. 

next  house  west  of  his  father's  hoine.  7.    Lucius,   b.  Oct.    21,  1848,  d.    Jan.    13, 

3.  Harriet  A.,  b.  Feb.  7,   1X42,    m.  Franklin  1848. 

B.  Beach,  Dec.   25.  1863;  lives  in  Win-        8.    Jennie  L.,  b.  May  28,  1851. 
Chester;    has  Lizzie  and  Arthur.  g.    Flora  P  ,  b.  Feb.  14,  1854. 

4.  Mary  Ann,    b.    May  25,  1843,  m.  Emery      10.   Thomas  B.,  b.  Jan.  4,  1857. 

J  Johnson,  Feb.  18.  1862,  lives  in  Wallens      1 1.   Lincoln  F.,  b.  June  17,  i860. 
Hill,  north  of  Winsted  ;   has  Alton  J. 

STEELE,  George  and  John,  brothers,  b.  in  Essex,  England,  came  to  New 
England,  about  1631  or  2;  settled  first  at  Newtown,  now  Cambridge,  Mass.; 
removed  to  Hartford,  Conn.  George  was  made  a  proprietor  of  lands  at  Hart- 
ford, in  1639.  He  was  made  a  freetnan  in  Cambridge,  in  1634.  ;  he  d  in  ihe 
year  1663,  as  is  said  "very  old."  There  is  no  record  of  his  wife  but  that 
thcv  had  four  children  : 

1.  Elizabeth,  m.  Thomas  Watts  of  Middle-  Henderson,  had  a  daughter. 

town.  3.  Richard,  m.  ;   d.  in  1 639,  had  children. 

2.  A  daughter,  b.  in    1640,  m.   Harrison  or     4.  James,  m. 

4.  James,  son  of  George  Steele  of  Hartford,  m.  Anna  probably  daughter  of 
John  Bishop,  of  Guilford.      She  d.  in  1676.      Children  : 

5.  Sarah,  b.   1656,  m.  Samuel  Borman,  Jr.,        8.   Mary,  m.  Hall. 

Feb.  8,   1682.  9.   Elizabeth,  d.  unm. 

6.  Lieut.    James,  b.    1658,    m.    Sarah   Bar-  10.   Rachel,     m.    ist,     Edward    Allyn,     2d 
tholomew.  Demming. 

7.  Jolin,  b.  1660,  m. 

7.  John,  son  of  James  and  Anna  (Bishop")  Steele,  m.  Melatiah,  daughter  of 
Major  William  Bradford,  of  Plymouth.      Children: 

II. "John,  b.  1693,  d.  1712.  13.   Bethia,     m.    May    17,     1709,     Samuel 

12.  Ebenezer,  b.  1695,01.  Shepard. 


766 


History  of  Torrington. 


12.   Ebenezer,    son  of  John  and  Mclatiah    (Bradford)  Steele,   m.  Susannah 
-,   of  West   Hartford  ;   removed  to  Killingworth,   and  purchased   lands 


Feb.  23,  1723,  d.  in  1746.      Children 

14    John,  m.  Christina ,  Feb.  4,  1785.      19.   Melatiah,  b.  1732,   d.  Apr.    23,    1760, 

15.  Mary,  m.  John  Dodd.  not  m. 

16.  Daniel.  20.   Capt.   Bradford,    b.  Sept.    22,  1734,  m. 

17.  Susanna,  m.   Reuben  Flowers,  July  14,  Mary  Perkins  of  Derby. 
1747.                                                                   21.  Elisha,  b.  about  1737,  ni. 

18.  Huldah,    m.    Nathaniel    Flowers,    Sept. 
30,  1745- 

21.  Elish.^,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Susannah  Steele,  m.  Mary  Merrills,  .April 
12,  1760  ;  lived  in  Derby,  and  his  wife  d.  at  Hadley,  Mass.;  m.  2d,  Eunice, 
widow  of  Lieut.  Pritchard.      Children  : 

22.  Mary,  b.  Jan.  25,  1763.  25.  Lucy,  b.  May  28,  1769. 

23.  Candace,  bap.  Jan.  6,  1765.  26.   Elisha,  b.  Feb.  3,  1771,  lived  in  Water- 

24.  Clarissa,  b.  Feb.  9,  1766,  m.  Pomeroy ;  bury  and  d.  in  1792. 
lived  in  Hadley,  JSlass.  27.   Norman,  b.  1780. 

27.  Norman,  son  of  Elisha  and  Mary  (Merills)  Steele,  m.  Hannah  Spencer. 
She  was  b.  in  1778.      He  d.  in  1822,  a.  42.      She  d.  about  1822,  a.  42.   Ch. : 

28.  Clarissa,  d    at  the  age  of  12.  32.   Edwin,  lost  at  the  ag".  of  1  8. 

29.  Elisha,  b.  in  1803,  m.  Elizabeth  Hines  33.  Norman,  b.  1813,  m.  Sarah  Hitchcock, 
of  Waterbury,  had  Mary  Ann  and  Henry,  June  4,  1846,  had  Frederick  P.,  Herbert 
d.  in  1875.  A.,  and  Anna  E.  H. 

30.  Mary,  b.  1805,  m.  William  H.  Jones  34.  Ann  P.,  b.  Oct.  18,  1814,  m.  Lewis 
in  1825,  had  Sarah,  Stafford,  Norman  S.,  B.  Folletr,  Oct.  18,  d.  Oct.  18,  1856,  had 
Caroline  A.,  William  H.,  and   John  E.  Susan  Maria. 

31.  Susan,  b.  1807,  m.   Joseph  T.    Marr,  d.      35.   William  Spencer,  b.  1816,  m. 
in  1840,  had  Helen,   Marion  and  Louise. 

35.  William  Spencer.,  son  of  Norman  and  Hannah  (Spencer)  Steele,  m. 
Caroline  Amelia  Jones  Nov.  8,  1837,  and  came  to  Wolcottville  in  1839,  and 
was  engaged  in  the  Wadhams  button  shop,  as  overseer  of  the  work  until  his 
decease.      He  d.  Jan.  22,  1857.      Children: 

36.  Abbie  A.,  b.  Oct.  16,  1838,  in  Water-  which  he  was  firing  into  Petersburg,  Va. ; 
bury,    m.   Florimund  D.   F)ler,  Nov.   28,  was  buried  at  Fortress  Monroe. 

1860J    he  is  a  lawyer,  resides  in  Winsted.      39.    Elisha  J.,  b.  June  29,  1843,  m. 

37.  Mary,  b.  Dec.  19,  i>'39,  in  Torrington,  40.  Edwin  S.,  b.  Oct.  4,  1846,  d.  Feb.  14, 
m.  Willis  A.  Bradley,  July  14,  1859,  had  1855. 

Carrie  Isadorc,  b.  June  28,  1861.  41.    Albert   D.,  b.   Aug.  11,   1848,  d.   Aug. 

38.  William   L.,  b.   Sept.   6,    1841,  d.  July  21,  1848. 

14,  1864,  a.  23,  from  wounds  received  by     42.   George  B.,  b.  May  15,    1852. 
the  premature  discharge   of  a  cannon  by 

39.  Elisha  J.,  son  of  William  S.  and  Caroline  A.  (Jones)  Steele,  m.  Sophia 
S.  SkifF,  Jan.  25,  1864.      He  resides  in   Wolcottville.      Children: 

43.  Jennie  A.,  b.  July  30,  1866.  45.   William  S.,  b.  Feb.  20,  1876. 

44.  Abbie  A.,  b.  Dec.  7,  1870. 

42.   George  B.,  son  of  William  S.  and  Caroline  A.  (Jones)  Steele,  m.  Alice 
Diamond,    May  15,   1872.      Children: 
46.   Flora,  b.  June  16,  1873. 

STOCKING,  Samuel  J.,  m.  Orrel,  dau.  of  Abijah  Coe,  March  22,  1835. 
She  d.  Dec.  8,  1850.     He  m.  2d,  Mary  L.  Fellows,  June  g,  1852.    Children  : 

1.  Eliza  Ann,    b.  June   22,  1837,  d.  March  4.  Emma  O.,  b    Nov.  26,  1850. 
30,  1852.  5.  Frank  L.,  b.  Aug.  11,  1855. 

2.  Charlotte  C,  b.  Nov.  27,  1839.  6.  Martha  E.,  b.  Nov.  7,  1857. 

3.  Harvey  M.,  b.  March  23,  1843. 


Genealogies.  767 

Anson,  m.  Flora,  dau.  of  Abijah  Coe,  May  15,  1825.  He  d.  in  1857. 
Children: 

7.  Flora  E.,  b.  June  22,  1827.  10.   Phila  H.,  b.  April  2,  1836. 

8.  Omar  C,  b.  Oct.  14,  1828.  II.  Eber  N.,  b.  Feb.  14,  1838. 

9.  Fanny  M.,  b.  Dec.  4,  1830. 

STODD.ARD,  Ebenezer,  came  to  Torrington  a  young  man  and  m.  Abigail 
Strong,  May  6,  1785  ;  lived  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town,  south  of  Joseph 
Fowler's.     Children  : 
I.   Phena,  b.  March  18,  1786.  2.  Anne,  b.  May  8,  1787. 

STOWE,  Daniel,  lived  a  few  years  in  Torrington.     Children  : 

1.  Prudence,  b.  Sept.  17,  1769.  3.   William,  b.  June  9,  1773. 

2.  Daniel,  b.  Aug.  10,  1771.  4.   Polly,  b.  Sept.  7,  1775. 

STOUGHTON,  Daniel,  came  from  Windsor,  was  b.  Aug.  13,  1699,  and 
was  probably,  son  of  Capt.  Thomas,  son  of  Thomas  Sen.,  the  first  of  Windsor. 
He  m.  Joanna  Allyn,  Sept.  3,  1730,  who  d.  Sept.  30,  173';,  in  39th  year. 
He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  organization  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Society. 
Children  : 

1.  Chloe,  b.  July  16,  1731.  3.   Roxalena,  b.  Oct.  13,  1734. 

2.  Daniel,  b.  March  6,  1733. 

STRONG,  Jacob,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Warriner)  Strong,  m.  Nov. 

10.  1698,  Abigail,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Bissell,  of  East  Windsor,  Ct.  His 
ancestois  were  John,  b.  in  1626,  son  of  John  Strong,  who  came  with  the 
Windsor  company  in  1630.  He  was  a  farmer  and  d.  at  East  Windsor,  in 
1750,  a.  76  years.      His  wife  Abigail,   d.  March  25,  1749.      Children  : 

1.  Abigail,  b.  Feb.  24,  1699.  6.   Nathaniel,  b.    Sept.  i,   1712,   d.  Dec.  5, 

2.  Mindwell,  b.  July  19,  1701.  I795>  3.  83. 

3.  Jacob,  b.  Feb.  6,  1704,  m.  7.   Asahel,  b.  May  7,   1715,  m. 

4.  Ann,  b.  Jan.  8,  1708,  m.  Supply  Strong     8.  Timothy,   b.  1719,  lived   and  d.   in  East 
of' Litchfield.  Windsor. 

5.  Eunice,  b.  Aug.    17,  1710,  m.  Ebenezer 
Thomas  of  Lebanon. 

3.  Jacob  jr.,  son  of  Jacob  and  Abigail  (Bissell)  Strorg,  came  to  Torrington, 
in  1739,  ''"'^  "^-  Mindwell,  daughter  of  Dea  EbenczcrLyman,  of  Torrington, 
October  29,  1741,  and  settled  on  the  farm  known  for  many  years  as  the 
Fowler  place.  He  first  built  a  log  house,  and  afterward,  the  house  now  stand- 
ing. Mr.  Strongd.  Sept.  5,  I  776,  a.  72,  and  afier  his  death  Noah  Fouler  bought 
the  farm  and  occupied  it  all  his  life  and  his  son  Norman  after  him.     Ctiildren  : 

9.   Mindwell,  b.  July  28,  1742,  m.  Samuel  12.    Experience,  b.  Mar.  28,  1650. 

Everitt.  13.   Elizabeth,  b.  Sept.  10,  1755,  d.  Jan.  2, 

10.  Experience,  b.  and  d.  Aug.  13,  1743.  1756. 

11.  Abigail,    b.  Jan.   27,    1746,  m.   May  6,  14.   Mary,   b.    July    2,    1757,   m.    Richard 
1^85,  Ebenezer  Stoddard.  Leach  March   23,  1775. 

7.  Asahel,  son  of  Jacob  and  Abigail  (Bissell)  Strong,  m.  Hannah,  daughter 
ofDca.  Ebenezer  Lyman,  March  20,  1749.  Hannah  Lyman  was  great  aunt 
to  Dr.  Lyman  Beccher.  His  wife  Hannah,  d.  Feb.  19,  1 771.  He  d.  Nov. 
I  5,  1776,  a.  61.     Children  : 

15.  Asahel,  b.  Apr.  28,  1750.  18.   Chloe,    b.    Dec.    4,     1763,    m.    David 

16.  Hannah,  b.   Nov.    30,    1753,   m.  John  Holmes  of  Tor.   removed   to   Winchester 
Minor  of  Winchester.                                              and  thence  to  Russell,  Mass.,  had  a  large 

17.  Dorcas,  b.  Feb.  28,  1758,  m.  Hezekiah  family. 

Beecher  of  Bethlehem.  19.   David,  b.  May  31,   1768. 


768 


History  of  Torrington. 


15.  AsAHEL,  son  of  Asahcl  and  Hannah  ([yman)  Strong,  m.  Martha,  dau. 
of  Daniel  Barber  of  East  Windsor,  Feb.  5,  1776.  He  was  a  farmer  and  re- 
moved to  Chailotte,  Vt.,  and  thence  to  Chesterfield,  N.  Y.  His  descendants 
are  scattered  through  central  New  York  in  great  ntiinbers.  He  d.  at  Peru, 
Clinton  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6,   1831,  a.  80.      His  wife  d.  July  21,  1820.    Ch.: 

ao.   Philo,  b.  Nov.  26,  1776.  24.    Selina,     b.    Jan.    7,     1787,    m.     Rev. 

21.  Erastus,  b.  Dec.  24,  ijj2,d.  Feb.  1834.  Zacheus  Palmer. 

22.  Theodosia,  b.  Aug.  5,  1781,  m.  Thomas  25.   Mary     Young,    b.    May  22,    1793,  m. 
Arthur.  Hiram  Foot. 

23.  Sophia,    b.   Feb.    23,    1785,    m.    Rev. 
Daniel  Haskell. 

19.  David,  son  ot  Asahel  and  Hannah  (Lyman)  Strong,  m.  Esther,  dau. 
of  Reuben  Miner  of  Winchester,  Aug.  28,  1794.  He  removed  in  1802  to 
New  Paltz,  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  and  his  wife  died.     Children: 

26.  Edwin  Miner,  b.   in    Winchester,    July  in  New  York,  and  was  an  alderman. 
^5»  '795-                                                                -^-   Emerette,  b.  at  New  Paltz. 

27.  George  D.,  b.   in    New  Paltz,  m.,  lived 

STRONG,  Col.  John,  was  b.  in  Windsor,  June  24,  1733.  His  father 
was  John  Warhani  Strong,  ot  Windsor,  first  cousin  to  Jacob  and  Asahcl  Strong, 
who  were  among  the  first  settlers  on  the  west  side  ot  Torrington.  Col.  Strong 
m.  Sarah  Strong,  .Aug.  I,  1758.  She  was  b.  Maich  8,  1740.  He  was 
captain  of  the  Torringtord  military  company,  and  as  such  was  in  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  prob.iblv,  several  tours,  and  may  have  been  commissioned  as 
colonel  in  a  volunteer  regiment,  but  the  certainty  of  this  is  not  ascertained.  He 
was  a  man  ot  great  ofHciency  in  the  town  during  the  war,  as  well  as  being  in 
the  active  service  in  the  army.  His  wife  Sarah,  d.  Nov.  22,  1765.  and  he  m. 
2d,  Mrs.  Mercy  (Root)  Newell,  of  Farinington.  She  d.  Sept  9,  1784,  and 
hem.  Nov.  28,  1786,  Anne  Beccher,  b.  Oct.  20,  1746,  sister  of  David 
Beecher,  of  New  Haven,  who  was  the  father  of  Rev.  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher. 
She  d.  June  5,  1801,  without  children.  Hed.  at  Farmington,  Nov.  16,  1816. 
Children  : 

1.  Eleanor,  b.  Jan.  22,  1759,  d.  Feb.  28,  Henry,  who  d.  in  New  York  about  1840, 
1762.  without  children. 

2.  John,  b.  May  28,  1760,  m.  Abigail  4.  Return,  b.  May  4,  1764,  m.  Jeanette, 
Prior,  lived  in  Norfolk,  Ct.,  where  he  d.  dau.  of  Capt.  Richard  L.  .Still,  M.D.,  of 
without  children  in  1846,  a.  86.  He  left  Windsor.  He  was  a  merchant  in  New 
his  property  $2,500  to  the  town  treasury,  York,  and  died  without  children.  She  d. 
still  called  the  '-Strong  Fund."  in   1805. 

3.  Sarah,    b.    Nov.    24,    1761,    m.    Henry  5.   Warham,  b.  Oct.  27,  1765. 
Hinsdale,  d.    Nov.  8,    1801,   leaving   son 

By  2d  wife  : 

6.  Eleanor,    b.    April    17,    177 1,   m.    Joel      10.   Oliver,  b.  April  15,  1779.  ^-  ur.m. 
Root,    a    dry    goods     merchant     at    New      11.   Edmund,  b.  April  28,  1781. 

Haven.      Siie  d.  in  1853.  12.   Mercy  P.,  b.  April  i  5,  i  784,  m.  Roswell 

7.  Stepiien,  b.  Nov.  6,  1772,  d.  April  2,  Austin,  of  Austinburg,  O.,  previously  of 
1828.                                                                            New    Hartford,    Ct.      She    d.    Apiil    18, 

8.  Elijah,  b.  Nov.  17,    1774,    d.  April  22,  1823,  a.  39.      He  d.  in  1868. 
1828. 

9.  Pomeroy,  b.  April  9,  1777,  d.  Sept.  13, 
1861. 

T.ALLM.ADGE,  David,  son  of  Ichabod,  was  b.  Dec.  31,  1775,  ni.  in 
1796,  Rebecca  Bailey,  b.  Jan.  3,  1780,  and  removed  to  Winsted,  Ct.,  where 
all  of  his  children  were  b.  He  was  a  firmer,  and  removed  to  Torrington  in 
1825,  and  settled  at  Torrington  Centre  in  the  old  Capt.  Beach  house,  where 


Genealogies. 


769 


he  resided  three  years  and  returned  to  Winsted,  one  year,  then  went  to  Tor- 
ringford  where  he  resided  until  near  1850,  when  he  removed  to  Barkhamsted 
March  1,  1853,  a.  78.      She  d.  Aug.  27,  1862,  a.  82.     Children  : 

9.   Hiram,  b.   Mar.,   1814,  d.   in  1816,   by 
falling  into  scalding  water. 

10.  Luther,  b.  Mar.  i,  18 16. 

11.  Sarah  P.,  b.  Feb.  11,  18 19,  m.  Caleb 
Daniels,  and  is  now  living  with  her  sister 
in  Plainville,  Ct. 

iz.  Achsa,  b.  July  31,  1821,  m.  Burwell 
Carter,  of  Wolcott,  resides  in  Plainville,  Ct. 

13.  James  B.,  b.  May  25,  1823,  m.  Esther 
G.  Burr,  Apr.  22,  1845,  was  a  wagon 
maker  in  Burrville  and  Winsted,  had  : 
Henrietta,  b.  Aug.  15,  1847  ;  Alice  Olive, 
b.  July  8,  1854. 


1.  Priscillj,  b.  Mar.  i,  1797,  m.  Truman 
Scov-ille  of  Winsted,  now  living  in 
Wmdsor. 

2.  Hylah,  b.  Feb.  4,  1799,  d.  with  croup  in 
1806. 

3.  Electa,  b.  Mar.  9,  1801,  m.  Asa  Reynolds 
of  Windsor  where  she  resided. 

4.  Eliza,  b.  Oct.  5,  1803,  m.  Albro  W. 
Cowles  of  Torrington,  March  5,  1828. 

5.  Elliot,  b.  March  27,  1805. 

6.  Hyljh,  b.  July  I,  1807. 

7.  David,  b.  Sept.  24,  1809. 

8.  Austin,  b.  May  20,  1811,  m.  William 
B.  Wilson  of  Torringford  ;  resides  in  Shir- 
ley, Mass. 

5.   Elliot,  in.  Emcline  Tiffany  of  Nortlifi'.ld,  resides  in  Barkhamsted. 

7.  D.AViD,  m.  Emcline  Buell,  of  Litchfi;.'ld,  resides  in  East  Litchfield,  near 
station. 

10.  Luther,  went  to  New  York  state  where  he  m.  and  d.  by  a  log  rolling 
over  him,  Nov.   1852. 

13.   J.'MviEs,  m.  Esther  Burr,  of  Torringford,  resides  in  Winsted,  Ct. 

TAYLOR,  Stephen,  of  Windsor,  m.  ist  Sarah  Hosford,  Nov.  i,  1642  ; 
m.  2d,  Elizabeth  Newel,  Oct.  25,  1649,  who  d.  Dec.  14,  1717;  he  d.  Sept. 
1668.      Children: 


1.  Stephen,  b.  March  11,  1644. 

2.  Samuel,  b.  Oct.  8,  1647. 

3.  John,  b.  March  22,  1652. 

4.  Thomas,  b.  Oct.  5,  1655. 


5.  Abigail,  b.  March  19,  1657. 

6.  Mary,  h,  June  18,  1661. 

7.  Mindwell,  b.  Nov.  5,  1663. 

8.  Nathaniel,  b.  Mdy  24,  1668. 


3.    John,  son   of  Stephen    and  Sarah    (Hosford)   Taylor,  m.    and  lived    in 
Windsor.      Children: 


9.  Samuel,  b.  April  11,  1691. 
10.    Elizabeth,  b.  Nov.   11,  1694. 


11.  Ebenezer,  b.  Sept.  11,  1697. 

12.  Zebulon. 


II.   Ebenezer,  son  of  John   and Taylor,   m.  Eleanor  and   came  from 

Windsor  to  Litchfield,  Ct.      Children  : 


13.  Ebenezer,  b.  July  14,  17-21. 

14.  Eleanor,  b.  May   5,   1723. 

15.  Ruliamy,  b.  June  26,   1725. 

16.  Tahan,  b.  June  14,  1727. 


17.  Elizabeth,  b.  Aug.  24,  1729. 

18.  Joel,  b.  Sept.  3.  1732. 

19.  Alary,  b.  June  27,  1735. 

20.  Mabel,  b.  Aug.  28,  1739. 


13.  Ebenezer,  Jr,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Ek-anor  Taylor,  m.  Zerviah  Culver, 
Jan.  17,   1750  ;   lived  in  the  town  of  Litchfield.      Children: 

21.  Jonathan,  b.  Oct  6,    I  750,  m.  ;  went  to  24.   Benjamin,  b.  March  10,  1756  ;  went  to 
Wyoming.  Wyoming. 

22.  Ebenezer,    b.    Jan.    23,    1752;   went  to  25.    Moses,  b.  Jan.  13,1758. 
Wyoming.  26.   John,  b.  Oct.  4,  1760. 

23.  Joseph,  b.  Nov.  29,  1753,  ^■ 

23.  Joseph,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Zerviah  (Culver)  Taylor,  of  Litchfield, 
came  to  Torrington  a  short  time  before  his  marriage  and  married  Ann,  dau.  of 
Noah  Wilson,  Aug.  31,  1775.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  com- 
munity until  his  death  in  1802,  aged  49  years.  {See  Biog.')  His  widow  d. 
aged  87  years.     {See  Biog.)     Children  : 

97 


770 


History  of  Torrington. 


27.  Sylvia,  b.  Feb.  5,  1779.  and    nearly    opposite     the    present    Allen 

28.  Roxy,    b.     Nov.     11,    1779,    m.    Abel  House,  and  afterwards  removed  to  Penn., 
Beach,                                                                          had  Joseph  Taylor,  b.  April  29,    1806. 

28.   Jerusha,  b.  Aug.  12,  1782,  m.   Chester  29.    Uri,  b.  July  22,  1786,  m. 

Rockwell  of  East  Windsor  Feb.  28,  1805,  30.   Abiel,  b.  July  4,    1788,  m. 

and    resided    a    time    in    WolcottviUe    in  31.   Lura,  b.  1792,  m.  Samuel  Seymour, 
the  first  house   built  north  of   the  bridge 

29.  Capt.  Uri,  son  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (Wilson)  Taylor,  m.  Abigail  Aus- 
tin of  Torringtbid  ;  an  excellent  woman,  and  with  her  husband  took  much 
interest  in  the  building  and  establishing  the  Congregational  church.      Children  : 

32.  Frederick,  d.  early.  34-  Frederick  L.,  b.  Dec.  6,  1815,  m. 

33.  Charlotte,  m.  Charles  S.  Church,  Nov. 
a8,  1833. 

30.  Abiel,  son  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (Wilson)  Taylor,  m.  Eunice,  only  dau. 
of  Eliphalet  and  Sarah  (Whiting)  Eno,  May  4,  1813,  and  lived  on  his  father- 
in-law's  homestead.  He  d.  Feb.  14,  1838,  a.  39  years.  His  widow  Eunice 
d.  Nov.  4,  1863,  aged  68.      Children  : 

35.  Eleanor  Ann,  b.  Sept.  II,  1813,  d.  Apr.  38.   Henrietta,  b.  June  i,   1822,  m.  Merritt 
12     1814.  Treat;    lives  in    WolcottviUe. 

36.  Eleanor    Ann,  b.    Mar.    8,    1815,    m.  39.   Abiel  Eno,  b.  Aug.  14,    1827,  m.  Flora 
Eugene  Pardee  of  Wadsworth,  O.  Hocumb  ;   lives  on  a  part  of  the  old  home- 

37.  Roxy   Eunice,  b.    Nov.    12,    18 19,    m.  stead. 
Henry  I.   Jackson  of  New   Milford  Nov. 

1838,  resides  in  WolcottviUe. 

32.  Frederick  L.,  son  of  Capt.  Uri  and  Abigail  (.Austin)  Taylor,  m.  Erne- 
line,  dau.  of  Levcretie  Scott  of  Torrington,  May,  1856.  She  d,  Feb,  20,  1875, 
and  he  m.,  2d,  Mrs.  Annis  M.,  widow  of  George  P.  Roberts,  Jan.  31,    1877. 

TAYLOR,  Stephen,  brother  to  Capt.  Elijah  Gaylord's  wife,  came  from 
Windsor  and  settled  on  Torringford  west  street  where  he  d.      Children  : 

1.  Prudence,  m.  Ebenezer  Carr,  had  several        8.   Desdemona,  d.   not  m. 

children  removed  to  Black  river  country.  9.   Elijah,   m.  Northway,  removed. 

2.  Ruth.  10-   John,  m.  Fanny  Strong. 

3.  Ruth.  II-   Stephen,  d.  young. 

4.  Ruth,  d.  not  m.  a.  41.  12-  Truman,  d.  a.  20. 

5     Abigail,  not  m.,  d.  in  Windsor.  13.   Lucy,  m.  Manley. 

6.  Hannah. 

7.  Hannah,  m.  Tutile  of  Water- 
town,  had  Lucius  and  Lucy. 

10.   John,  son  of  Stephen,  m.  Fanny  Strong  in    1823;  lived    on    the  Fitch 

Loomis  place,  d.  Feb.  26,  1834,  a.   37  Children: 

14.  John  N.,   b.  Dec.  40,    1825,  lives   near  Woodruff,    who    d.  in   the  late  war,   she 
Hartford.  rn.  2d,  Nelson  Alvord. 

15.  Mary  Louisa,  b.  May  30,  1827,  m.  Ad-  17.   Frances  U.,  b.  July  12,  1833,  m.  Fred- 
matha  Bates  of  Salisbury.  erick  Burns,  of  Winsted. 

16.  Harriet  E.,  b.  Feb.  13,  1829,  m.  Henry  18.  John  U.,  b.  Aug.  5,  1834,  d.  young. 

THR.'\LL,  Timothy,  b.  July  25,  1641.  and  m.  in  Windsor,  Deborah 
Gunn,  Nov.  10,  1659.  She  d.  Jan.  7,  1694  ;  Timothy,  Sen  ,  d.  June,  1697  : 
"Old  Goode  Thrall,"  his  inother,  d.  July  30,  1676.   Children: 

1.  Debora.  b.  Aug.  19,  1660.  6.  John,  b.  June  5,  1671. 

2.  Timothy,  b.  Dec.  7,  1662.  7.  Martha,  b.  May  31,  1673. 

3.  Mehltable,  b.  March,  1664.  8.  Thomas,  b.  Aug.  5,  1675. 

4.  Elizabeth,  b.  Mny  i,  1667.  9.  Samuel,  K     p^^    ^^    ^^g^^ 

5.  Thomas,  b.  July  10,  1669,  d.  Aug.  12,  10.  Abigail,  /    '         '       ' 
1672. 


Mks.  URI  TAYLOR. 


Genealogies.  771 

6.  Sergt.  John,  son  of  Timothy  Tlirall.  Jr.,  and  Deborah  (Gunn)  Thrall, 
m.  Mind  well  Moses,  Jan.  6,  1697.  Lived  in  Windsor,  was  an  original  pro- 
prietor of  Torrington  lands,  having  a  £125,  15  s.,  right  ;  he  being  the  third 
in  amoLint  of  wealth,  of  the  proprietors.      He  d.  April  18,  173  2.     Children: 

11.  John,  b.  Oct.  13,  1699.  16.   Daniel,  b.  Dec.    13,   1712;  removed  to 

12.  Moses,  b.  April  29,  1702.  Tonington. 

13.  Aaron,   b.   Sept.  27,    1704,  d.   July    7,      17.   Joel,    b.   May    27,    1716;   removed    to 
1731.  Torrington. 

14.  Amy,  b.  Jan.  10,  1706.  18.   Charles,  b.  July  30,  1718. 

15.  Joseph,  b.    May    13,   1710;  removed  to      19.  Jerusha,  b.  Sept.  2,  1722. 
Torrington. 

1  5.  Joseph,  son  of  John  and  Mindwell  (Moses)  Thrall,  of  Windsor,  had  one 
son  only,  so  far  as  is  known.  He  does  not  appear  to  have  come  to  Torrington 
with  his  brothers  Daniel  and  Joel,  but  his  son  came.      Child  : 

20.  Joseph,  b.  July  8,  1734. 

16.  Daniel,  son  of  John  and  Mindwell  (Moses)  m.    Elizabeth.     Children: 

21.  Daniel,  b.   probably  in  Windsor.  23.   Caroline,  b.  May  31,  1755. 

22.  Elizabeth,  b.  Dec.  11,  1739-  24.  Martha,  b.  June  19,  1757. 
22.  Rachel,  bap.  Nov.  6,  1743. 

17.  Joel,  son  of  John  and  Mindwell  (Moses)  Thrall,  m.  Margaret , 

probably  of  Windsor.  He  settled  in  Torrington,  about  1739,  on  what  is 
known  still  as  the  Thrall  place  on  Goshen  turnpike,  half  a  mile  east  of  the 
Goshen  line,  the  old  chimney  is  still  standing.  Here  he  probably  kept  a  tavern 
and  his  son  Pardon  after  him.  He  raised  a  large  family  ;  was  an  influential 
man  as  a  farmer  ;  not  a  member  of  the  church  which  was  strange  for  his  day. 
He  d.  Oct.  15,  1777.      Children: 

25.  Joel,  b.  Apr.  15,  1739.  31.    Noah,  b.  Apr.  3,  1754. 

26.  Aaron,  b.  May  29,  1742,  m.  32.   Margaret,   b.  Jan.  9,    1756,  m.  Charles 

27.  Chloe,  b.  Mar.  5,  1745,  m.  Robert  Coe.  Thrall,   probably  her  cousin  of  Windsor, 

28.  Reuben,  b.  Feb.  20,  1747,  m.  and    had:    Jerusha,    b.    June   22,    1774} 

29.  Levi,  b.  June  11,  1749,  m.                       _  Rhoda,  b.  Apr.  22,  1776. 

30.  Friend,  b.  June  9,  1752,  m.  33.   Pardon,  b.  Feb.  10,  1759,  m. 

20  Joseph,  son  of  Joseph  of  Windsor,  settled  in  Torrington  on  a  farm  near 
the  southwest  corner  of  the  town,  known  as  the  Nathan  Tlirall  and  Ira  Thrall 
place  ;  has  been  a  celebrated  dairy  farm.  He  d.  Aug.  5,  1776.  His  widow 
d.  May  3,  1800.     Children: 

34.  Daniel,  bap.  June  5,  1763.  36.   Joseph,  b.  Apr.  20,  1770. 

35.  Nathan,  b.  Apr.  4,  1769,  m.  37.   Amy,  b.  Mar.  7,  1772. 

2  1.  Daniel  Jr.,  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  Thrall,  m.  Keziah  Brooks,  of 
Springfield,  June  2,  1785.      Children  : 

38.  Nancy,  b.  July  25,  1787.  42.  Samuel,  b.    Feb.  6,    1797,   m.   Minerva 

39.  Sarah,  b.  July  28,   1789.  Hamilton  of  Goshen  and  removed  west. 

40.  Keziah,  b.  Feb.  12,  1791.  43.  Joshua,    b.   July  21,    1799,    m.    Allyn, 

41.  Lavina,  b.  Jan.  13,  1793.  lived  in  Wokottville. 

26,  Aaron,  son  of  Joel  and  Margaret  Thrall,  m.  Mary  Doud,  of  Goshen, 
Feb.  12,  1766.     Children  : 

44.  Roger,  b.  March  21,  1767.  45.  Sabra,  b.  April  3,  1769. 

28.  Reuben,  son  of  Joel  and  Margaret  Thrall,  m.  Ruth  Bancroft,  of  Tor- 
rington, Aug.  II,  1765.     Child: 

46.   Alexander,  b.  March  19,  1768. 

29.  Levi  Thrall,   son  of  Joel  and   Margaret  Thrall,  m.    Mary,   dau.  of 


772  History  of  Torrington. 

Dea.  John  Whiting,  and  lived  at  the  corners  of  the  Goshen  road  and  the  one 
thyt  goes  to  the  site  of  the  Torrington  meeting  liouse,  now  owned  by  Willard 
Birge.     Children  : 

47.  Augustus,  b.  Oct.  9,  17735   removed  to     49.   Loriain,  m. 

Missouri.  50.    Amanda,  b.    Match    17,  1785,    m.  Lu- 

48.  Mary,  b.  Feb.  i,    1776,  m.  Ira  Loomis.  man  Loomis. 

30.  Friend,  son  of  Joel  and  Margaret  Thrall,  in.  Lois  Barber,  May  27, 
1773;  she  d.  July  5,  1773.      Child  : 

51.  Lois,   b.   June   26,    1773,   d.    Oct.    17,  1773- 

31.  Noah,  son  of  Joel   and  Margaret  Thrall,  m, Fowler,  and    settled 

on  a  farm  in  the  north  part  of  the  town  and  west  part  of  Newfield,  stiil  known 
by  his  name,  where  he  d.      Children  : 

50.  Harriet,  d.,  never  m.  53.  Sophia,  m.  John  Pitkin,  vi'ho  d.  in  Ver- 

51.  George  Worthy,  d.,  never  m.  mont. 

52.  Homer  Fowler,  d.,  never  m. 

32.  Pardon,  son  of  Joel  and  Margaret  Thrall,  resided  on  his  father's  home- 
stead some  years;  then  sold  his  household  goods  at  auction,  and  when  the  sale 
closed  he  took  a  bottle,  stood  on  a  bench  and  said  "this  is  the  last  drink  I 
shall  take  among  you  ;  remember  this  is  the  old  Pardon  Thrall  place."  He 
went  west. 

35.  Nathan,  son  of  Joseph,    m.    widow   Sylvia   Phelps  Feb.    1800;  lived 
near  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town.      Children: 
52.   Luke,  b.   May  22,    1800,    m.   lived  on      53.    Ira,  b.  Sept.  12,  1802. 

the   homestead  j   a  son    Charles    lives    in      54.  Anna,  b.  Jan.  31,  1805. 

Litchfield. 

49.   Lorrain,  son  of  Levi  and  Marv  (Whiting)  Thrall,   in.    Sarah   Dutton. 
He  built  the  house,  now  the  iiome  o.''Mr.  Willard  Birge.     Children: 
55.   Lewis  A.,  b.  Feb.  28,  1813,  m.  56.   Levi  W.,  b.  Apr.   21,  1815. 

53.  Ira,  son  of  Nathan  and  Sylvia  (Phelps)  Thrall,  m.  Lucy  Sperry  Oct. 
19.  1836.  He  and  his  brother  divided  their  father's  farm,  and  he  built  a  house 
a  little  s  uih  from  the  old  one,  on  the  opposite  side  ot  the  road,  where  he  lived 
until  his  decease  Feb.  9,  1863.      Children  : 

57.  Edward  L.,  b.  Sept.    6,    1837,  m.  Julia  Smith  Feb.  29,  1872,  lives  on  her  father's 
Morris,  of  Wokottville,  and   lived  on  his  homestead. 

father's  homestead,  d.  May  1866.  59.   Frank  I.,   b.  June  7,    1856,    resides  in 

58.  Mary,  b.  Feb.  18,  1841,  m.  Charles  R.  Litchfield. 

55.  Lewis  A.,  son  of  Lorrain  and  Sarah  (Dutton)  Thrall,  m.  Nancy  E., 
dau.  of  Jacob  N.  Blakcslee  of  VVatertown,  Ct.,  Sept.  8,  1833,  who  was  born 
May  20,  1815  ;  resides  in  Guilford,  Ct.      Children: 

60.  Sarah  E.,  b.    Aug.    13,    1835,  m.  Wm.  New  York,   was   three  years    in   the    late 
Davis  of  Goshen.  war;   has   Lewis  H.,   b.   May  22,     1869; 

61.  Mdaline  J.,  h.  Sept.  23,  1837,  m.  Clark  Mary  B.,  b.  Mar.  22,  1872. 

Davis  of  Goshen.  63.    Hiram    L.,   b.  Sept.    10,   1848,    m.    in 

62.  Edwin  A.,  b.  Jan.  22,    1842,  m.    Apr.  1870  Sarah  .Munson,  lives  at  Thomaston, 
23,  1868,  Mary  Hopkins;  is  a  jeweler  in          has  Willie  and  Carrie. 

56.  Levi  W.,  son  of  Lorrain  and  Sarah  (Duiton)  Thi  all,  m.,  ist,  Amelia 
Beccher,  who  d.  Oct.  26,  1868;  2d,  Antoinette  F.  F.  Cowles  June  25,  1869, 
lives  at  Guilford  ;  had  Sarah  B.,  Martha  A.,  Lorrain,  Levi,  Beecher  J.,  Henry 
L,  Charles  W.,  Anna  A.,  Walter  J. 

TURNER,  Henrv,  b.  in  Salisbury  June  27,  1822,  m.  Polly  Ann,  dau.   of 


Genealogies.  773 

John  L.  Harris  of  Ancram,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  1846.  He  is  a  scythe 
maker  by  tracic  and  came  to  Wrighuillc  July  1864,  and  engaged  in  his  trade 
at  the  factory  then  in  opcraiion  in  the- place.      Cliildren  : 

1.  Wm.    Henry,   b.   in    Salisbury,  Feb.    20,      3.   Ella  Jane,  b.  Oct.   26,  1852. 

1845,  m.  and  lived  in   Troy,  N    Y.  4.    Lillie  A.,   b.  Oct.  24,    i860,  d.   Sept.  9, 

2.  Alice    Augusta,   b.    May  29,    1848,    m.  1864. 

Njth.in  Barden  and  has  3  children,  Carrie,      5.    Virginia  Birdella,  b.   Sept  8,  1863. 
Ida,  George. 

TUTTLE,  Major  Isai.ah,  son  of  Jchicl  and  Charity  (Todd)  Tuttle,  was 
b.  May  25,1752.  His  grandfather  was  Josiah.son  of  Samuel, son  of  John,  who  was 
son  of  William  the  first  of  the  name  in  New  Ha\en.  He  came  toTorrington  about 
1772,  and  m.  Ruth,  dau.  of  Capt.  Amos  Wilson,  Mar.  22,  1774  Three 
children  were  b.  while  he  lived  on  the  west  side  of  the  town.  He  erected  the 
first  house  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town,  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
his  grand  dau.,  Mrs.  O.  L.  Hopkins.  In  1803  he  built  a  new  house  near  the 
other  in  which  he  resided  until  his  death.  He  kept  tavern  in  the  old  house 
and  also  in  the  new  ;  was  a  hard  working,  much  respected  man.  He  d.  Dec. 
28,  1831.      His  widow  d.  Apr.   21,  1838.      Children: 

1.  Uriel,  b.  1774,  d.  Feb.  7,  1778.  Saphron  ia,  m.  Henry  Bacon  ;   Uriel. 

2.  Lovisa,   b     Oct.   25,    1775,   m.      8.    Rhoda,   b.   May   21,    1791,    m.   Abner 

Meniman,  had  4  children.  Walter. 

3.  Bede,    b.      May     31,    1777,     m.    Elijah  9.   Carolus,    b.   March    19,    1793,   m.    1st, 
Strong,  had  4  children.  Mary    Andrews,     2    Polly    Simcox,     had 

4.  Uriel,  b.  Oct.  13,  1779,  m.  Juliett,  m.  Saniual   Austin  ;   Cornelia,  m. 

5.  Zerviah,  b.  May  22,    1782,  m.     Albert  Thomas  j   Lucius,   m.;   Mary,  m. 

Forbes.  Philip  King  ;   Adah  M.,  m.  Dr.  Bathirst; 

6.  Daniel,  b.  Oct.  27,  1786.  Catharine  M.,  m.    Martin  Ballou;    Emily, 

7.  Sarah,   b.     March,    13,    1789,    m.  Julius  m.    Mason;     McCline ;     Ann; 

Burr;    had  Luci-n.i,    m.    Arvus   Chapman;  George;    Charles. 

Elizabeth,     m.     Dr.     Converse;     Alpha;      10.   Leverett,  b.  Dec.  6,  1796,  m. 

4.  Gen.  Uriel,  son  of  Isaiah  and  Ruth  (Wilson)  Turtle,  m.  Adah  Hudson 
Feb.  25,  1801,  who  d.  Mar.  25,  1866.  General  Tuttle  was  a  man  of  large 
influence,  much  celebrity  and  of  high  estimation  through  the  anti-slavery  times. 
He  d.  Apr.  4,  1849.      Child: 

11.  Hubbard,  b.  Dec.  5,    1801,  d.  Dec.    31, 
1830,  unm. 

6.  Daniel,  son  of  Isaiah  and  Ruth  (Wilson)  Tuttle,  m.  Clarissa  Hudson. 
Children  : 

12.  Fanny  M.,  b.  June,  25,  1806,  m.  Char-      15.  Lamphier    B.    b.    July    18,    1817,    m. 
les,  Selden,  1836,  d.  Dec.  20,  1844.  Charlotte    Coe,     Sept.     14,     1841  ;      had 

13.  Catharine,   b.  Feb.  3,    1810,  m.   Lucius  Charles  Coe,  b.  July  9,  1842,  d.  April  17, 
J.     Woodford,   in    1833,   had   George   E.,  1846. 

b.  March    1836,   m.    Rosa  A.   Fyler,  had  16.  James  H.,  b.  Jan.  11,  1819,  m.  Corde- 

Frank  and  Kate.  lia  Woodford,   May   25,  1841,   had   Hub- 

14.  George  H  ,  b.  May  30,  18  I  5,  m.   Mary  bard  E.,  b.  Oct.  30,  1842;  James   R.,  d. 
E.  V.    Dawkins,   March    28,    1843,  had  Sept.  23,  1861. 

Edward  E.,  b.  Aug.    18,    1845,   d.  July  9,      17.   Ruth  O.,   b.  July  4,    1823,  d.  Nov.  4, 
1864;   Clara  S.,  b.   May    30,    1854,   m.  1859. 

Wm    A.  Fennelle  ;  Jennie  E.,  b.  Feb.  8, 
1857. 

10.   Leverette,  son  of  Isaiah  and  Ruth  (Wilson)  Tuttle,  m.  Chloe  Coir.    Ch.: 

18.   Ellen  M.,  b.   Dec.  14,    1830,   m.  Orrin  Nellie,    b.    July    28,     1858,    d.   Feb.    11, 

L.  Hopkins,  June    16,    1851;   had   Mary  1862;   Frank,  b.  June  24,  1868. 

L.,  b.  June  8,  1853,  m.  A.  Bunnell,  Feb.  19.    John  L.,  b.  July   24,    1835,  m.   Annie 

13, 1873,  had  Nellie  J.,  b.  May  16,  1877;  G.  Bemis,  Jan.  3,   1859,  she  was  b.  Aug. 


774  History  of  Torrington. 

31,  1836, had  Alice  B.,  b.  Dec.  14,  1859,     20.   Charlotte  C,    b.    Dec.    16,    1837,    m. 
d.  March  31.  1862;   Fannie   D.,  b.   June  James   A.    Manchester,    ^lay    16,    1857, 

18,  1863;  Edward  L.,  b.  Sept.  22,  1866.  had  Cara  A.,  b.  Aug.  18,  1858. 

TUTTLE,  Albert,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Sanford)  Tuttle,  of  Wood- 
bury, m  Harriet  E.  Saxton,  Sept.  15,  18-^5,  and  was  engaged  in  the  Cuniss 
woolen  mill  of  Woodbury,  fourteen  years,  as  finisher  of  broad  chths.  He 
came  to  Wolcottville  in  1858,  and  engaged  as  finisher  of  cloths  in  the  woolen 
mill,  in  which  company  he  is  now  a  partner,  and  overseer  of  the  finishing  de- 
partment. The  ancestors  of  this  familv  are,  his  father  William,  son  of  Andrew, 
son  of  Isaac,  son  of  Nathaniel,  all  of  Woodbury.  Nathaniel,  b.  in  New  Haven, 
was  the  son  of  William  who  came  from  Devonshire,  England,  in  the  ship 
Planter,  in  1635,  and  settled  in  New  Haven.      Child  : 

I.    Nathan    Andrew,    b.  Oct.    23,  1849;   is  has    in     his    possession    one    of    Phineas 

engaged  as  finisher  in  the  woolen  mill  with  North's    eight  day,    high   case  clocks,  in 

his  father.      He  is  a  lover  of  old  relics,  and  a  very  perfect  state  of  preservation. 

TYLER,  Charles  C,  son  of  Alvin  and  Adaline  (Church)  Tyler,  m. 
Webster,  and  settled  in  Fountain  Green,  111,  where  all  his  children  were  born. 
Children  : 

1.  Adaline  Hannah,    b.  Nov.    21,  1861,   d.      3.   Charles  S.,  b.  Aug.   13,  1867. 
Oct.    3,  1862.  4.    Mary  F.,  b.  Nov.  10,  1869. 

2.  Jesse,  b.    Nov.    2,   1863,    d.    March   28,      5.   Albert  W.,  b.  Oct.  20,  1872. 
1864.  6.   Clark  L.,  b.  Aug.  29,  1875. 

VARY,  Nathan  E.,  son  of  Lyman  Vary  of  Bristol,  was  born  July  13, 
1850,  and  came  to  Wolcottville  in  April  1876.  He  is  a  watch  maker;  his 
place  of  business  is  in  Lathrop's  block  on  Main  street.  He  m.  Carrie  E.,  dau. 
of  Leonard  St.  John  of  Hartford,  Mar.  7,  1873  ;  resides  on  east  Main  street. 

WATSON,  Thomas,  son  of  Levi  and  Abigail  (Ensign)  VVatson  of  New 
Hartford,  was  b.  Oct.  15,  1763,  m.  Jan.  1,  1797,  Melicent  Weimore,  dau.  of 
Joel  and  Sarah  (Lyman)  Wetmore.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revokrion,  both 
in  the  militia  and  continental  army,  under  Col.  Zebulon  Butler,  for  which 
service  he  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  pension  at  the  time  ot  his  death.  He 
lived  in  the  town  of  New  Hartford  until  April  1821,  when  he  removed  to 
Torriugford  and  lived  on  the  Nehemiah  Gaylord  place,  which  was  their  home 
twenty-seven  vears,  his  wife  dying  there  Sept  19,  1848,  aged  76  years.  In 
October  1848,  he  returned  to  his  former  residence  to  spend  the  remainder  of 
his  days  with  his  son  Thomas,  in  whose  house  he  d.  Jan.  23,  1850,  aged  86 
years.      He  was  an  industrious,  successful  farmer.      Children  : 

1.  Roman,  b.  Sept.  27,  1797,  not  m.;  a  New  York,  residing  there  two  years,  thence 
merchant  in   New  Orleans  and  a    farmer  to  Detroit,  Mich. 

at  RoseviUe,  111.  4.   Milicent  W  ,  b.  Dec.   29,  j8o8,  m.  Feb. 

2.  Thomas,  b.  Feb.  6,  1800;  m.  farmer  in  29,  1836  Augustus  E.  Bissell  of  Torring- 
New  Hartford,  afterwards  removed  to  ford.  He  engaged  as  a  produce  and  for- 
Winsted.  warding  merchant  in  Detroit,   Mich. 

3.  Hiram,  b.  Jan.  21,  1802,  m.  Elizabeth  5.  George,  b.  Mar,  12,  1812,  m  Sept.  10, 
S.  Ellsworth,  was  a  physician,  practiced  1833  Jane  Belden,  removed  to  RoseviUe, 
medicine  in  E.  Windsor,  Ct.,  removed  to  111.,  a  farmer. 

WARD,  Dea.  Giles,  came  from  Soiners  to  Torrington,  and  was  elected 
deacon  of  the  Torrington  church  in  1838,  and  d,  in  1845,  a.  76.  He  lived 
in  Newfield,  where  he  owned  the  grist  mill  and  did  considerable  business,      Ch. : 

1.  Harvey.  3.   Eunice,    m.  Pinney  ;    lived  in  Lud- 

2.  Giles.  lowville,  Mass. 


Genealogies.  775 

WATTLES,  Henry,  m.  Susan  A.  Osborn,  Feb.  lo,  1818.  Children  re- 
corded in  Torrington  : 

I.   Mary  A.,  Feb.  10,   1818.  3.   Charles,  b.  Jan.  14,  1820. 

a.   Wm.  H.,  b.  Feb.  14,   1819.  4.  Sarah,  b.  May  10,  1825. 

WELCH,  Gideon  H.,  son  of  James  M.  and  Eliza  (Higgins)  Welch,  of 
New  Haven,  was  b.  Sept.  22,  1844  ;  came  to  Wolcottville,  in  1870,  and  m. 
Susie  Church,  daughter  of  Bradley  R.  Agard,  of  Wolcottville,  Oct.  8,  1873. 
He  resides  on  Litchfield  street. 

WELLS,  Harrison  H.,  son  of  Thomas  Wells  of  Chittenden  county,  Vt., 
came  to  Wolcottville,  about  1849,  purchased  the  American  House  about  1865, 
continuing  the  same  as  a  hotel.  He  m.  Rhoda,  daughter  of  Major  Charles 
Partrce  of  Waterbury,  Ct.      Child: 

I.  Carrie  A.,  b.  1858. 

WESTL.AKE,  Samuel,  son  of  Samuel,  who  came  from  Orange  or  Rock- 
land Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Winchester,  was  b.  March  24,  1780,  m.  1st,  Clarissa, 
dau.  of  Christopher  Whiting,  of  Winchester.  She  d.  Jin.  27,  1815  ;  2d, 
Catharine,  Mather,  came  from  Winchester  to  Torrington  hollow,  where  he 
resided.      He  was  a  shoemaker.      Children  by  1st  wife  : 

I.   Clarissa,  b.  Feb.    23,  181 3,   not  m.,  lives 
in  Winchester. 

By  2d  wife : 

2.  Cornelia,  b.    Jan.    12,    1817,    m.    Geo.  7.    Harriet,  b.  Feb.  4,  1829,  d.    19  y.  of  a. 
Stimson,  of  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.  8.    Charles,  b.  July  1831,  d.  4  months  of  a 

3.  Albert,  b.  Dec.  4,  1818  ;  went  to  Ken-  9.    William,  b.   Jan.  22,    1  834,  d.  2  y.  and 
tucky.  8  months. 

4.  Esther,    b.  Sept.     12,    1820,    m.  Joseph  10.   Sarah,    b.    July    31,     1838,    m.    Solon 
AUyn,  April  17,  1845.  Douglas,  went  to  Ohio. 

5.  Mercia,  b.  Oct.  16,1822,  d.  16  y.  of  a.  11.   Carrie,  b.  April  2,  1841,  m.  Geo.  Pierce, 

6.  John,  b.  Oct.  14,   1824,  d.  16  y.  of  a.  of  T. 

WESTON',  Ephraim  P.,  was  b.  May  22,  1836,  in  Jefferson  Co  ,  N.  Y., 
and  m.  Margaret  Fleming,  Feb.  2,  1857,  in  Kinderhook,  N,  Y.  He  was  a 
millwright  and  worked  at  his  trade  until  he  came  to  Torrington,  in  June,  1835, 
and  engaged  with  the  Union  Hardware  Co  ,  at  Torrington  hollow,  and  has 
continued  with  that  company  until  the  present  time.  He  is  now  general 
superintendent  of  the  work  of  the  mills,  and  resides  on  Migeon  avenue. 
Children  : 

1.  Ida,  b.  June,  1859,  d.  a.  one  month.  3.   Frederic  P.,  b.  July  11,  1869. 

2.  Franklin  F.,  b.  Jan.  18,  1868. 

X  WHITMORE,'  Thomas,  was  b.  in  England,  western  part,  in  1615,  and 
came  to  America,  in  1635,  embarking  according  to  tradition  at  Bristol.  The 
first  mention  of  his  name  in  the  Colonial  records  is  in  the  Wethersfield  town  in 
1639-40.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Hartford,  where  he  m.  Sarah,  dau. 
of  John  and  Ann  (Wijlocks)  Hall,  of  Hartford,  Dec  II,  1645.  He  was 
representative  to  the  general  court  in  1654,  and  1655,  and  d.  Dec.  11,  1681, 
a.   66.      Children  : 

I.  John,  bap.  Sept.  6.    1646.  Josiah  Atkins  of  East  Hartford;  removed 

a.   Elizabeth,    b.    1648,    m.    Oct.    8,    1673,  to  Middletown. 


*  If^etmtrt  Genealogjt. 


776 


History  of  Torrington. 


3.  Mary,  b.  1649,  m.  Nov.  13,  1668,  John  10.  Nathaniel,  b.  Apr.  21,  1661,  m.  Dorcas 
Stow  of  Middlctown.  Allen. 

4.  Sarah,  b.  1650,  d.  July  14,  1655.  11.   Joseph,    b.    Mar.     5,    1663,    m.    Lydia 

5.  Thomas,  b.   Oct.  19,    1652,  m.   Feb.  20,  Bacon. 

1685,  Elizabeth  Hubbard.  12.   Sarah,  b.  Nov.  27,  I  664,  m.  John  Bacon. 

6.  Hannah,  b.  Feb.  13,  1653,  m.  Nathaniel  13.  Mehitable,  b.  June  10,  1669,  m.  An- 
Stow,  Sen.  drew  Bacon. 

7.  Samuel,  b.  Sept.  10,  1655,  m.  14.   Benjamin,  b.  Nov.  27,  1674. 

8.  Izrahiah,  b.  Mar.  8,  1657,  m.  Rachel,  15.  Abigail,  b.  Nov.  6,  1678,  m.  Samuel 
dau.  ot  Rev.  Samuel  Stow.  Bishop. 

9.   Beriah,  b.   Nov.   2,  1658,  m.  Margaret,  16.   Hannah,    b.   Jan.    4,   1680,    m.    Nath. 

dau.  of  Rev.  Samuel  Stow.  Bacon,  3d. 

7.  Samuel,  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Hall)  Whitmore,  m.  Dec.  13,  1687, 
Mary,  dau.  of  Nathaniel  Bacon,  Sen.  He  removed  to  Middlcfield  society,  in  Mid- 
dletown,  in  1700.  His  wife,  Mary,  d.  May  24,  1709.  He  d.  April  12, 
1746,  aged  90.      Children: 

17.  Mehitable,  b.  Nov.  14,  1689.  21.  Thomas,  b.  Aug.  26,  1698. 

18.  Samuel,  b.  March  13,  1692.  22.  Uanicl,  b.  May  9,  1703. 

19.  Mary,  b.  June  29,  1694.  23.  Bcthiah,  b.   Jan.  22,  1707. 

20.  Benjamin,  b.  May  17,  1696.  24.  Jabez,  b.  May  14,  1709. 

18.  Samuel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Bacon)  Wetm:re,  m.  June  21, 
1722,  Hannah  Hubbard,  b.  July  21,  1700.  He  left  Midcikficld  on  elcciion 
day  1771,  being  in  his  eightieth  year,  and  removed  to  Winchester  wiiere  he 
settled  on  a  farm  which  has  remained  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants  to 
the  present  time.  tie  d.  Dec.  30,  1773,  ''g^'^  ^'-  ^'^  wife  Hannah  d.  June 
4,  1794,  aged  94.      Children: 

25.  Samuel,  b.  Dec.   24,  1723.  son  of  Nathaniel   Bacon   Nov.    16,    1758, 

26.  Hannah,  b.  Dec.  18,  1725,  m.   and  d.   in  Torrington,  in  1803,  a.  69. 

Graves.  31.   Lois,  b.  Mar.  6,  1736,  m.  Jan.  7,  1772, 

27.  John,  b.   Oct.  27,  1727.  John,  son  of  Caleb  Wetmore. 

28.  Noah,  b.  April    16,  1730.  32.   Joel,  b.  Mar.  9,  1738. 

29.  Mehitable,  b.   Aug.  5,    1732,   m.   Capt.  33.   Millicent,  b.  Sept.  15,  1739. 

Asa  Upson  of  New  Cambridge    (Bristol),      34.   Mary,  b.   July  23,    1741,   m.    1st  Abra- 
Aug.  14,  1776.  ham  Loomis,  2d  Baldwin. 

30.  Sarah,  b.  March   31,    1734,   m.  James, 

25.  Dea.  Samuel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Hubbard)  Wctinore,  m. 
Feb.  6,  1752,  Anna  Roberts,  of  Durham,  b.  March  16,  17?3.  He  removed 
with  his  father  to  Winchester.  His  wife  Anna,  d.  Sept.  22,  1804,  a.  81. 
He  d.  March  2,  1809,  a.   86.      Child: 

35.  Abel,  b.  in  Middletown,  April  6,  1753. 

27.  John,  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Hubbard)  Wetmore,  m.  May  19, 
1757,  Elizib-'th  Learning,  of  MidJIeiown,  and  settled  in  Torrington,  where 
they  united  with  the  church  in  1758,  under  the  half  way  covenant.  He  was 
killed  Aug.  27,  1795,  while  riding  on  horseback,  on  the  highway,  by  the  falling 
of  a  tree  during  a  heavy  thunder  storm.      Children  : 

36.  Elizabeth,  bap.  Oct.  15,1758,  m.  David  38.  Samuel,  bap.  Match  20,  1764;  removed 
Alvord,  of  Winchester;  had  Persis  and  in  1800,  to  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Ursula.  d.  in  1824. 

37.  Seth,  m.  and  lived  in  Winchester. 

28.  Rev.  Noah,  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Hubbard)  Wetmore,  m.  Submit, 
dau.  of  Ithiel  Russell,  of  Branford.  He  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1757  ; 
studied  for  the  ministry  ;  was  ordained  in  Nov  ,  1760  ;  and  appears  to  have 
resided  a  short  time  in  Torrington,  his  dau.  Junia,  being  baptized  here.  On 
the  25th  of  Nov.,  1770,  he  was  settled  as  the  first  pastor  of  the  Congregational 


Genealogies.  777 

church,  at  Bethel,  Fairfield  Co.,  where  he  ministered  until  1784.  In  April, 
1786,  lie  was  called  to  the  first  Presbyterian  ciiurch  at  Brook  Haven,  Long 
Island,  where  lie  labored  as  pastor  until  his  death,  March  9.   1796,      Children  : 

30.    [unia,  bap.  March  30.  1761.  and  had  charge  of  the  New  York  hospital, 

40.  Ireni,  b.  Sept.  11,  1762,  m.   Dr.  David  thirty  or  more  years,  being  greatly  respected 
Woodhull,  of  Setauket,  L.  I.  by  the  medical  professicn. 

41.  Hannah,  b.  Jan.  22,  1765,  d.  Nov.  29,  43.   A;ipolos,  b.  Dec.  14,  1771. 

1795.  44-   Samuel    Ith'el,   b.    Dec.    30,    1774,    m. 

42.  Noah,  b.  May  4,  1767,  m.  ;  had  family ;  Liberty,    dau     of  Dr.     Benjamin    Young 
removed    to  New    York   city  about  1808,  Prime,  whose  family  is  quite  celebrated. 

32.  Joel,  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Hubbard)  VVciniore,  came 
from  Middlctown,  to  Torrington,  when  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and  m. 
Nov  23,  1763,  Sarah,  daughter  of  Ebenczcr  Lyman  Jr.  He  and  his  wife, 
owned  the  Covenant  March  10,  176;,  and  were  taken  under  the  watch  of  the 
church.  He  d.  in  Torrington,  Feb,  1814,  a.  J^.  His  widow,  Sarah,  d.  in 
1832,  a.  92.     Children  : 

45.  Olive,  b.  Mir.  10,  1765,  m.  Ezra  Hay-  Watson.      She  d.   Sept.  19,  1848;   he   d. 
den  of  Windsor,  July  13,   1786.                             Jan.  23,  1830. 

46.  libenezer  Lyman,  b.    in    1766,   bap.    in     48.   Jolin  l'i>meroy,  b.  in  Norfolk,  June  15, 
Torrinyton,  Dec.  28,  1766.  1770. 

47.  Millicent,  b.   in  T.,  Jan.  10,    1772,  m.     49.    Sarah,     b.     in     Torrington,    m.     Giles 
Jan.    I,    1797,  Capt.    I'homjs  Waison   ol  Whiting. 

New  Hartford,   son  of  Levi  and    Abigail 

37.  Major.  Seth,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Learning)  Wetmore,  m.  Lois, 
daughter  of  Col.  Ozias  Bronson,  of  Winchester,  Dec.  9,  1779;  six  of  his 
children  are  recorded  in  Torrington  and  he  probably  resided  here  until  after 
1795,  when  he  removed  to  Winchester,  and  thence,  after  some  years,  to  Cana- 

joharie,  N.  Y.,  wiiere   he  d.  April  16,   1836.      Cliildren  : 

50.  John,  b.  Oct.  7,  1780.  54.    Alphonso,    b.    Feb.    5,    1793,   '^-    '^^  St. 
51     Seth,    b.    Oct.     3,     1784,    d.    at    Lake  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1849. 

Pleasant.  55-    Salmon,  b.  Sept.  2,  1793. 

52.  Abigail,   b.  Mar.    27,  17S7,  d.  at  Eagle  56.   Pythagoras,  b.  Apr.  12,  17985  a  lawyer 
village,  N.  Y.,  Oct  ,  1858.  at  Canajoharie. 

53.  Artemesij,  b.  Nov.  7,  1789,  d.  at  Cana-  57.   Lois  M  ,  b.  June  15,  1800,  d.  in  Ken- 
joharie,  N.  Y.,  July,  1813.  tucky,  July,  1851. 

By  2d  wife  in  Canajoharie: 
58.   Lucy  Elizabeth,  b.  May  9,  1802.  59.   George  Clinton,  b.   June,  1809. 

38.  S.AMUEL,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Learning)  Wetmore,  m.  Hannah 
Griswold,  May  15,  1788  ;   and  settled  in  Winchesier.      Children: 

60.  Selina,  b.  Mar.  13,  1789.  66.  Samuel,  b.  1801. 

61.  Learning  (son),  b.  Feb.  14,  1791.                  67.  Hannah,  b.   1804. 

62.  Ruby,  b.  June  27,  1793.  68.  Harriet  T.,  b.   1806. 

63.  Almeda,  b.  1795.  69.  Hurlbut  G.,  b.  1808. 

64.  Candace,  b.  1797.  70.  Clarissa,  b.   1811. 

65.  Calvary,  b.  1799. 

46.  Ebenezer.  L.,  son  of  Joel  and  Sarah  (Lyman)  Wetmore,  m.  Elizabeth 
Miller,  Sept.  1795  ;  settled  in  a  house  on  east  side  of  the  road  a  little  way 
north  of  Charles  S.  Munger's  present  home,  and  afterwards,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  road  on  the  hill  further  north  than  his  first  dwelling.  He  afterwards 
removed  about  1836,  to  Wolcottville,  taking  his  house  with  him,  and  located 
it  on  Church  street,  it  being  the  one  now  occupied  by  his  son  Laurin  Wetmore. 
He  spent  a  long  and  virtuous  life  in  his  native  town  and  d.  March  3,  1848,  a. 
81  ;  his  widow  d.  Sept.  18,  1850,  a.  about  80.      Children: 

98 


778 


History  of  Torrington. 


71.  Nancy,  b.  July  19,  1796,  m.  Israel  Coe,  lived  in  northern  part  of  Goshen  a  farmer, 
d.  Aug.  30,  1838.  He  d.  Feb.  2Z,  1875,  a.  71,  had:  Elizabeth, 

72.  Lauren,  b.  July  9,  1801.  b.  June  9,  1834;   has  been  a  music  teacher 

73.  Maria,   b.    May   14,    1805,    m.    Asahel  some  fifieen  years ;    Elisha  A.,  b.  Nov.  19, 
Coe.  1837  ;   a  merchant  in  Wokottville. 

74.  Amanda,    b.  Jan.  25,    1808,  m.    Elisha  75.   Louisa,  b.  in  1810,  m.  Phineas  North. 
Baldufin    of  Goshen,    d.    May  23,    1833, 

48.  John  P.,  son  ot  Joel  and  Sarah  (Lyman)  Wetmore,  m.  Nov.  25,  1795 
Miriam  Dibble,  of  Torrington,  b.  Marcli  28,  1796,  d.  July  26,  1806,  a.  32  ; 
m.  2d  Mirah  Atwater,  of  Burlington,  Vt.  He  removed  to  Burlington,  Vt., 
where  he  resided  many  years,  removed  thence  to  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y., 
where  he  d.  Aug.  22,  1853,  in  his  84ih  year.     Children: 

76.  Delia,  b.  in  T.,JuIy  29,  1797,  m.  Wm.      84.    Frederick  P.,  2d,  b.  Oct.  30,  18  13,  m. 
Atwater.  Nov.   28,    1844,  Sarah  M.   Whitman,  at 

77.  Frances,  b.  in   B.,   Nov.    28,    1799,  m.  East  Haddam,  C'c. 

William  Moulton,  Feb.  1827.  85.    Henry   A.,   b.  in  B.,  Feb.  18,  1816,  m. 

78.  Julia,  b.  in  B.,  Mar.  6,  1802,  m. Maria  Bradley,  1845. 

Knapp,  1842.  86.   Harriet  M  ,  b.  Oct.  25,    1818,  m.  Phi- 

79.  Emeline,   b.    in   B.,   Feb.    28,   1804,  d.  lander  Robins  in  1838. 

April  19,  1805.  87.   William  L.,  b.  Jan.  3,  1821,  m.  Louisa 

80.  Adeline,   b.   in    B.,   Dec.    4,    1805,  m.  A.   Lee  Pelly. 

Mile  Laflin   Feb.  16,  1832.  88.   Clarissa  A.,  b.  Mar.  4,  1823, d.  Feb.  4, 

81.  Mariana,   b.    in    B.,   Apr.    22,  1808,  d.  1826. 

Sept.  3,  1809.  89.   Russell  C,  b.  Oct.  4,  1826,  d.  July  10, 

82.  Sally   Ann,  b.  in  B.,  Mar.  15,  1810,  d.  1845. 
Sept.  17,  1810. 

83.  Frederick  P.,   b.   in   B.,   Aug.  3,  1811, 
d.  Feb.  13,    1813. 

72.  Dea.  Lauren,  son  of  Ebenezer  L.  and  Elizabeth  (Miller)  Wetmore, 
m.  Fanny  C.  .'\ustin,  in  1827,  resides  in  Wokottville.      (6"^^  Biog.') 

WHITING,'  Rev.  Samuel,  was  the  second  son  of  John  Whiting,  mayor  of 
Boston,  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  where  he  was  b.  Nov.  20,  1597.  He 
graduated  at  Cambridge  university,  England,  where,  by  the  efforts  of  his  pious 
tutor,  his  mind  was  directed  to  the  subject  of  religion.  On  leaving  college  he 
became  a  domestic  cliaplain  to  Sir  Nathaniel  Bacon  and  Sir  Roger  Tovvnsend, 
in  which  capacity  he  served  three  years,  when  he  remoxed  to  Lynn  in  the 
county  of  Norroli<,  where  he  spent  another  three  years  as  colleague  to  the  Rev, 
Mr.  Price.  At  length  compLints  were  made  to  the  bishop  of  Norwich,  of  his 
non-conformity,  and  he  was  prosecuted  in  the  higli  commission  court,  and 
being  convinced  that  he  should  find  no  rest  in  that  country,  formed  the  purpose 
to  remove  to  New  England. 

His  wife,  a  lady  of  the  finest  intellectual  and  moral  qualities,  decidedly 
favored  the  enterprise,  notwithstanding  the  voice  of  her  friends  was  against  it. 
He  sold  his  whole  estate'saying,  "  I  am  going  to  sacrifice  unto  the  Lord  in  the 
wilderness,  and  will  not  leave  a  hoof  behind." 

He  came  in  the  ship  with  Wiieelright,  who  had  been  his  neighbor,  in  the 
beginning  of  April  1636,  and  arrived  May  26,  1636,  having  been  so  sick  dur- 
ing the  voyage  that  he  preached  but  once.  He  was  settledi  as  pastor,  in  Lynn, 
Mass.,  on  the  8th  of  November  1636;  was  made  freeman  December  7th  fol- 
lowing. Mr.  Whiting  was  twice  married.  By  his  first  marriage  he  had  three 
children,  two  sons,  who  died  in  England,  and  one  daughter  who  was  married 


'  This  family  is  traced  in  history  back  to  1333. 


Genealogies.  779 

in  New  England  to  Mr.  Welde.  His  second  wife  was  the  daughter  of  the 
Rt.  Hon.  Oliver  St.  [ohn  of  Bradfordshirc,  who  was  chief  jusiicc  of  England, 
in  Cromwell's  reign,  and  whose  second  wife  was  Cromwell's  cousin.  She  d. 
Mar.  3,  1678,  after  having  lived  with  him  47  years.  By  this  marriage  he 
had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Three  of  his  sons  lived  to  maturity.  He 
d.  Dec.  I  I,  1679,  in  the  83d  year  of  his  age.  Cotton  Mather  in  his  Mngnnlia 
devotes  ten  pages  to  a  biography  of  this  Rev.  Samuel  VVhiiing.  Children  by 
2d  wife  : 

1.  Samuel,  b.  in  1633;  graduated  at  Har-  3.  John,  graduated  at  Harvard  college  in 
vard  college,  in  1653;  settled  in  Bilerica  1661,  was  intended  for  a  physician  but 
in  1658,  and  d.  tiiere   Feb.,  1713.  went  to  England,  became  a  preacher  in  the 

2.  Elizabeth,    m.     Rev.    Jeremiah    Hobart,  estabiislied  church. 

who  was  minister  at  Haddam,  and  d.  there     4.  Joseph,    b.   in    1641;  graduated   at  Har- 
a.  84.  vard  college. 

4.  Joseph,  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  Whiting,  m.  Sarah,  dau.  of  Deputy  Go- 
vernor Thomas  Danforth,  and  his  wife  Mary  Wiihington.  He  supplied  his 
father's  pulpit  for  a  time  and  was  ordained  in  1680,  and  about  1682  removed 
to  Southampton,  Long  Island,  where  he  was  settled  as  minister,  and  where  he 
preached  until  his  death,  April  7,  1723,  a.  82  years.  When  Cotton  Mather 
wrote  his  Mw^///7//V7,  in  1698,  he  says  of  him  "  he  is  a  worthy  and  painfu 
[searching]  minister  of  the  gospel."     Children  : 

5.  Samuel,  b.  July  3,  1674.  9.   Joseph,  3d,  b.   Jan.    14,    1681,  d.   in  a 

6.  Joseph,  b.  Nov.  22,  1675,  d.  in  3  days.  few  weeks. 

7.  Joseph,  2d,  b.  May  8,  1 677,  d.  10.   John,  b.    Jan.    20,    1682,    graduated    at 

8.  Thomas,  b.  may    20,  1678,  d.   in  a  few  Harvard  college  in  1700;   was  minister  at 
■    days.  Concord,  Mass.,  where  he  d.  May  4,  1752^ 

5.  Samuel,  son  of  Rev.  Joseph  and  Sarah  Danforth  Whiting,  went  to  South- 
ampton, L.  I.,  with  his  parents  ;  m.  and  raised  a  family  of  children  ;  among 
them  were  the  following  children  : 

II.  Joseph.  12.   Stephen. 

11.  Joseph,    son    of  Samuel,    and    his    wife,   m.    Abigail ,    and 

settled  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  where  he  was  in  business  in  1724.  His  wife 
Abigail,  d.  in  Stamford,  in  1733.  He  m.  second,  Jan.  25,  1734,  Hannah 
Beach.      Children  : 

13.  Sarah,  b.  1724,  d.  1724.  lingford.      He   practiced   medicine  in  that 

14.  Samuel.  place    over  fifty    years   and   d.    Nov.    24, 

15.  JonJthan.  1818,  a.  80.      Shed.    Aug.   28,    1836,3. 

16.  Sarah,  2d,  b.  March    9,    1744,   m.  Dec.  93.      They  had  six  children. 
18,  1771,    Dr.  Aaron    Andrews,  of  Wal- 

12.  De.^.  Benj.^min,  son  of  Samuel,  and  his  wife,  m.  Rebecca  Parmalee, 
May  30,  1723.  She  was  b.  in  1700.  His  m.  was  recorded  in  Wallingford. 
He  settled  in  Meriden,  and  was  elected  the  third  deacon  of  the  church  in 
November,  1748.  In  1734,  he  bought  three  full  "rights"  of  land  in  Tor- 
rington,  the  most  of  it  in  the  first  and  second  divisions  he  gave  to  his  sons  John 
and  Benjamin.     Children  : 

17.  John,  b.  May  7,  1724,  d.  an  infant.  I7S7»   Denison   Andrews,   brother  of  Dr. 

18.  John,  b.  Nov.  23,  1726;  settled  in  Aaron  Andrews  who  m.  Abigail's  cousin 
Torrington.  Sarah.    Denison  Andrews  lived  in  Meriden 

19.  Sarah,  b.  April  23,  1729.  where  he  d.  June   30,  1807,   a.  77.     She 

20.  Benjamin,  b.  Oct.  12,  1731  ;  settled  in  d.  Oct.  i,  1796,  a.  60,  They  had  15 
Torrington.  children. 

21.  Rebecca,  b.  April  24,  1734-  23.  Samuel,  b.  Aug.  27,  1740.                        ' 

22.  Abigail,  b.   Sept.  7,    1736,  m.  May  11, 


780  History  of  Torrington. 

18.  Dea.  John,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Rebecca  (Parmelce)  Whiting,  m. 
Sarah  Foster  of  Wallingford  Jan  18,  1750.  and  settled  in  Torrington  where 
he  lived  to  an  advanced  age.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  of  character  and  of 
devotion  to  the  Christian  church.  Sarah,  his  wife,  died  Dec.  14,  1813,  in 
the  84th  year  of  her  age.  He  died  Feb.  21,  1820,  in  the  g4th  year  of  his 
age.  Mary  Foster,  mother  of  Sarah  (Foster)  Whiting,  d.  in  Torrington  at 
the  house  of  her  daughter  Sarah,  Apr.  5,  1776,  in  the  73d  year  of  her  age. 
Dea.  Whiting  came  to  Torrington  soon  after  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
or  in  the  autumn  of  1747  or  spring  of  1748  ;  and  built  his  house  opposite  of 
what  became  the  site  of  the  first  meeting  house  on  the  west  side  of  the  road. 
Children  : 

24.  Sarah,  b.   Dec.    i,    1750,    m.   Eliphalet  28.  John,  b.  July  24,  1758. 
Eno,  d.  Dec.  14,  1813,  a.  63.  29.  Hcrvey,  b.  Oct.   27,   1760. 

25.  Josiali,  b.    Aug.    15,    1752,   removed  to  30.  Jesse,  b.  Feb.  4,  1763. 
New    Mailborouyh,    Mass.,   and   d.   Aug.  31.  Seth,  b.  Sept.  25,    1765. 

13,  1811,  a.  58.  32.   Huldah,  b.   Sept.  25,    1768,   m.   Daniel 

26.  Mary,  b.  July  10,  1754,  m.  Levi  Thrall,  Phelps,  of  Winchester. 
Nov.   15,  1770.  33.    Giles,  b.  Jan.  8,  1771. 

27.  Rebecca,    b.    Dec.    6,    1756,    m.    for  2d  34.    Roger,  b.  March   15,    1773,  d.    April  8, 
wife.  Dr.  Elkanah  Kodges.  1774- 

28.  John,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Sarah  (Foster)  Whiting,  m.  Silvia  Looniis 
Mar.  23,  1779,  and  a  few  years  afterward  removed  to  Colebrook,  Ct.,  where 
his  descendants  are  still  living.      Children: 

35.   Abner,  b.  May  24,  1779.  36.   Ira,  b.  Nov.  28,  1780. 

29.  Hervey,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Sarah  (Foster)  Whiting,  m.  Olive 
Barber  Sept.  5,  1790,  and  after  some  few  years  he  settled  in  Torringtord,  He 
was  in  the  revolutionary  army.      Children  : 

37.  Mircia,  b.  Dec.  15,  1790,  m.  Rev.  38.  Candace,  b.  Dec.  4,  1792. 
David  Miller,  in  1816  {Hee  his  Biog.)  39.  Amelia,  b.  July  28,  1 795. 
She  d.  April  12,  1863,  a.  71. 

30.  Dea.  Jesse,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Sarah  (Foster)  Whiting,  m.  Hannah 
Smith,  Sept.  10,  1784.  Removed  10  Norfolk,  and  thence  to  Guilford,  N.  Y., 
in  1810  ;  where  he  d.  April  22,  1845,  a.  83  years.  His  wife,  Hannah,  was 
b.   1765,  and  d.  Jan.  23,  1852,  a.  86  years.      Children: 

40.  Julius,  b.  Dec    31,  1784,  in  Torrington.      43.    Miles  W. 

41.  Hannah,  m.  Hewitt  Miles  of  Norfolk.         44.    John  F. 

42.  Alson.  45.   Eiastus  B. 

31.  Seth,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Sarah  (Foster)  Whiting,  m.  Triphena 
Loomis,  April  16,  1789,  and  removed  to  Colebrook,  a  few  years  afterward. 
His  sons  were  of  such  size  that  they  were  called  the  "  race  of  giants."       Ch.  : 

46.   Sarah,  b.  July  18,  1790,  in  T. 

33.  Giles,  son  of  Dea.  John  and  Sarah  (Foster)  Whiting,  m.  ist  Sarah 
Mars-hall.  She  d.  Aug.  5,  1803,  a.  34.  He  m.  2d,  Sarah  Wetmore,  Dec. 
26,  1804,  who  d.  Jan.  16,  1853,  a.  71.  He  resided  on  his  father's  farm  a 
number  of  years,  then  removed  to  Minister  Roberts'  farm  where  his  son  Alonzo 
now  resides.  He  was  an  active  man  in  the  ecclesiastical  society  ;  held  several 
ofHces  in  the  town  ;  and  was  a  prominent  farmer  in  the  community  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  strong  man,  well  proportioned,  weighing  over  two  hundred 
pounds.  His  last  illness  was  but  two  or  three  days'  duration,  and  the  peculiari- 
ties of  his  disease  unknown  to  the  physicians.  He  d.  Feb.  8,  1851,  a.  80 
years  and  one  month.     Children  by  1st  wife  : 


Genealogies.  781 

47.  Orphella,  b.  July  8,  1791,  m.  Elisha  51.  James,)  b.  Aug.  10,  1798.  Nancy  m. 
Hinsdale  and  after  some  yeaib  removed  to  52.  Nancy,  j  Norman  Coe,  and  removed 
Akron,  O.  to  Watervalley,   Mississippi,  where  she  d. 

48.  Lucia,  b.  Oct.  21,  1792,  m.  Griswold  Oct.  29,  1870,  a.  72,  leaving  several  ch. 
Woodward,  of  Torringfurd.  53.    Hariiet,   b.    May  29,    1800,  m.   Hiram 

49.  Marcus,  b.  Feb.  9,  1794.  d.  Jan.  6,  Griswold  and  resided  in  Goshen  where  she 
1832,  a.  36.  d.    Feb.  29,    1832,  a.    31,   leaving  a    dau. 

50.  Florilla,    b.    May  31,    1796,    m.    Rozel  Sjrah  and  a  son  Thomas. 

Benson  and    removed    to  Ohio  where   she      54.   Rheuba,  b.   Mar.    28,   1802,  m.  Henry 
d.  June  2,  1839,  a.  42.  Allyn,  Feb.  17,  1824. 

By  2d  wife  : 

55.   Lewis,  b.  Apr.  21,  1807.  56.   Alonzo,  March  28,  1814. 

40.  Julius,  son  of  }esse  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Wh'uing,  m.  Liicinda  Payne 
Nov.  9,  1807.  She  was  b.  Jan.  2,  1786;  d.  Aug.  4,  1848.  He  d.  Dec. 
29,  1842.  He  lived  in  the  lown  of  Guilford,  N.  Y.,  where  he  had  the  first 
raising  of  a  house  without  liquors  to  drink,  providing  instead,  a  supper.      Ch.: 

57.  Franklin  S.,  b.  Oct.  15,  1808,  d.  Feb.  Spencer  in  1840,  had  two  children,  both 
22,   1834  dead. 

58.  Hiram  M.,  b.   May  10,    1810,  d.  Jan.      61.   Jenison  J.,  b.  Jan.  9,  1818,  m. 

19,  181  I.  62.   Mary  L.,  b.  Mar,  13,  l8^9,  d.  Oct.  15, 

59.  Hram  L.,  b.  Oct.   26,    1811,    d.    Sept.  1822. 

19,1849,  63.   Joseph  W.,  b.  June  23,1821,  d.  Mar.  3, 

60.  Lucia,  b.  Sept.  7,  1815,  m.  Rev.  F.  A.  1843. 

44.  John  F.,  son  of  Jesse  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Whiting,  m.  Roxanna  Dick- 
inson.    Children  : 

64.  Caroline.  66.  Mary  Ann. 

65.  Emetine.  67.   Eugene. 

45.  Dea.   Erastus    B.,   son    of  Jesse  and    Hannah   (Smith)    Whiting,    m. 

Mills  Sept.  20,  1821.      He  d.  May  8,  1857.      She  d.  July  26,  i860. 

Children  : 

68.  Edwin  M.,  b.  Apr.  3,  1823.  m.  Sept.  69.  Lucy  J.,  b.  Sept.  28,  1824,  m.  Wm.  M. 
17,  1846,  Emeline  1\  Ives,  had  Erastus  A.,  Hovey,  had  Frank  and  Charles. 

Lucretia   A  ,  Cora  E.,  Mary  A.,  Jesse   E.      70.   Joseph  A.,  b.  Jan.  3,  1832. 

46.  James,  son  of  Giles  and  Sarah  (Marshall)  Whiiing.  m.  .Amelia  P  , 
dau  of  01i\er  Allyn,  Apr.  16,  1828.  They  li\cd  on  his  lather's  homestead 
about  twelve  \ears.  then  bought  and  settled  on  the  old  Ebenezer  Lyman  farm. 
He  d.  Dec.  25,  1874,  aged  76  years.      Children. 

71.  Lucia  W.,  b    Mar.  12,  1829,  m.  Rich-  dore  D.  Beardslee  of  Monroe,  Ct.,  in  1856, 
ard    Gingell   of  Norfolk,    Apr.     3,     1848,  where  they  settled  ;    child,  Fr.ink. 
children,  Robert,  James,  John  and  Edwin.  74.    Edward  W.,  b.  Nov.  25,  1835. 

72.  Harriet  L.,  b.  Oct.  1831,  m.  Wm.  Lee  75.  Oliver  A.,  b.  Dec.  1837,  d.  April  1863, 
Acher  in  1850,  removed  to    Washington  a,  26. 

Co.,  Pa.;  children,  Mary  A.,  Elizabeth  J.,     76.   Nelson  H.,  b.  1839. 
Nancy  L.,  and  Hatiie   Bell.  77.  James  H.,  b.  May  8,  1841. 

73.  Jane  E.,  b.  Apr.    15,    1833',   m.    The 


leo- 


55.  Lewis,  son  of  Giles  and  Sarah  (Wetmore)  Whiting,  m.  Hannah  G., 
dau.  of  John  Wetmore  of  Winchester.  He  traveled  before  his  m.  in  the  south- 
ern states  fourteen  years,  mostly  in  Florida,  being  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits. After  returning  from  the  south  he  settled  on  his  farm  nearly  half  a  mile 
south  of  his  father's  homestead,  where  he  labored  with  success  about  twenty- 
eight  years  At  this  time  his  health  somewhat  failing,  he  sold  his  farm  ;  bought 
a  house  in  Torrington  hollow  where  he  lived  in  a  pleasant  and  comfortable 
home  until  his  death,  Dec.  8,  1875.     He  was  a  man  ofquiet, dignified  bearing. 


782  History  of  Torrington. 

respectful  to  all  ;  hopeful  and  cheerful  under  several  years  of  poor  and  failing 
health,  and  closed  his  life  as  he  had  lived,  in  hope  ;  leaving  only  his  widow, 
Hannah  G. 

56.  Alonzo,  son  of  Giles  and  Sarah  (Wetmore)  Whiting,  m.  Rebecca 
Nash,  dau.  of  John  Wetmore,  of  Winchester,  Nov.  11,  1846,  and  lives  on  his 
father's  homestead,  the  old  Nathaniel  Roberts'  farm,  the  house  having  been 
somewhat  remodeled  and  appearing  as  good  as  new,  but  standing  on  the  same 
site  as  the  old  Roberts'  house.  He  keeps  a  dairy  of  fifty  or  more  cows,  and 
is  one  of  the  prominent,  successful  farmers  of  the  town.     Child: 

78.  Adaline  Sperry,  b.  June    28,   1858  ;   an  adopted  dau. 

59.  HiRAM  L-,  son  of  lulius  and  Lucinda  (Payne)  Whiting,  m.  Sarah  A. 
Holt,  March  8,  1838.      Children: 

79.  Elizabeth,  b.  Feb.  11,  1840.  80.   Adelaide,  b.  Jan.  12,  1843. 

61.  Jeni  on,  J.,  son  of  Julius  and  Lucinda  (Payne)  Whiting,  m.  Sarah  }. 
Spauldiug,  Oct.  10,  1840  ;  is  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  VVinsted,  Ct.  His  wife 
Sarah  J.,  d.  March,  1869.  He  m.  2d,  Mary  Phelps,  Feb.  23,  1870.  She 
was  b.  Dec.  16,  1836,  in  Norfolk.      Children: 

81.  Wilhrd   N.,  b.  Aug.    8,  1844,  d.  Aug.  83.   Frank  H.,  b.  Oct.  11,  1855,  d.  May  3, 
II,  1848.  1869. 

82.  Ella  J.,    b.    May  20,  1849,    d.  Sept.  7,  84.  Charles  J.,  b.  April  22,  1859,  d.  April 
1854.  25,  1864. 

74.  Edward  W.,  son  of  James  and  Amelia  P.  (Allyn)  Whiting,  m.  Hannah 
J.,  dau.  of  John  Lee,  of  Washington  Co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  i,  1864.  She  was  b. 
March  20,  1845.  He  resides  on  his  father's  homestead  ;  or  the  old  Ebenezer 
Lyman  place  in  Torrington.      Children  : 

85.  Francis  Lee,  b.  Feb.  22,  1866.  86.  Jane  Ann,  b.  May  5,  1868. 

77.  James  H.,  son  of  James  and  Amelia  P.  (Allyn)  Whiting,  m.  Alice, 
dau  of  Rev.  Mr,  Northrop,  of  Flint,  Mich.,  where  he  resides  as  a  hardware 
merchant.     Child  : 

87.   Florence. 

20  Ensign  Benjamin,  son  of  Dea.  Benjamin  and  his  wife  Rebecca 
(Parmelee)  Whiting  of  VVallingford,  was  b.  Oct.  12,  1731.  He  m.  Esther, 
dau.  ofEliasaph  Merriinan  of  Wallingford  (now  Meriden).  She  was  b.  Dec. 
2,  1734.  When  his  father  deeded  him  ninety-two  acres  of  land  in  1755,  he 
was  living  on  the  land  which  has  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  family  ever 
since.      Children : 

63.  Christopher,  b.  Aug.  3,  1757.  in  Winchester;  she  d.   March  4,  1835,  a. 

64.  William,  b.  Sept.  4,  1759,  m.  71.      She  had  six  children,  Lucy,  Hannah, 

65.  Esther,    b.    Sept.    13,    1763,   m.   Capt.  Alvah,  Mary  G.,   Nancy,  Samuel,  John. 
John  Nash  of  West  Hartford,  and  settled  66.   Benjamin,  b.  Dec.  11,  1765,  m. 

63.   Christopher,'  son  of  Benjamin  and  Esther   (Merriman)    Whiting,    m. 

Mary,  dau.  of Wilcox,  Jan.  9,    1782,    and    settled   on    the   old    road 

froiTi  Winsted  to  Winchester,  north  of  Sucker  brook  bridge,  and  built  and  oc- 
cupied a  house  there  until  his  death  July  6,  1812,  a.  54.  He  was  an  indus- 
trious, unassuming,  worthy  citizen.      Children  : 


>  ff^inchiittr  Historjf  liy. 


Genealogies.  783 

67.  Lorrain,  b.  Dec.  19,  1782,  m.  71.   Esther  Merriman,  b.  Sept.  13,  1794. 

68.  Riley,  b.  Jan.  16,  1785,  m.  72.   Norman,  b.  Aug.    5,  1796,  d.   Aug.   5, 

69.  Clara,  b.   March  11,   1787,  m.  Samuel  1815,  by  the  kick  of  a  horse. 
Westlake,  and  d.  Jan.  27,  1815. 

70.  Luman,    b.    May    5,    1792,    m.    Anna 
Hayden. 

64.  William,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Esther  (Merriman)  Whiting,  m.  Lucinda 
SopcrofNcw  Hartford,  May  9,  1784,  and  lived  on  his  fa'.hcr's  homesicad. 
His  wife  Lucinda  was  born  May  5,  1763.  He  was  a  great  friend  of  Owen 
Brown,  and  the  last  time  they  met  it  was  as  the  meeting  and  parting  of  David 
and  Jonathan.      He  was  an  industrious,  much  respected,  good  man.       Ch.  : 

73.  Selah,  b.  Feb.  13,  1786.  77.  Louisa,    b.   Dec.    18,    1801,    m.    Gerry 

74.  Uii,  b    Aug.  6,  1788.  Grant,  removed  to  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  thence 

75.  William  Hart,  b.  Jan.   9,  1794.  to  Appleton,  Wis. 

76.  Frederick  Parmalee,  b.    Feb.    18,1800. 

66.  Benjamin,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Esther  (Merrirnan)  Whiting,  m.  Rebecca 
Swift,  May  24,  1791.  He  lived  in  Winchester,  until  1812,  when  he  removed 
to  Austinburg,  Ashtabula  Co.,  O.      Children: 

78,  Myron,  b.  Jan.  3,  1795.  ^°    Benjamin,  b.  Dec,  30,  1801. 

79.  Milo,  b.  Feb.  26,  1798.  81.   Melissa. 

67.  Lorrain,  son  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Wilcox)  Whiting,  m.  May  i, 
1806,  Polly  Malory,  b.  in  Winchester,  May  24,  1784.  He  built  a  brick 
house  on  Wallcn's  hill,  in  Winsted  near  Barkhamsted  line,  in  which  he  resided 
until  his  death,  Sept.  6,  1833,  a.  51.  His  widow  d.  Jan.  10,  1851,  a.  66 
years.      Children  : 

82.  Algernon  Sidney,  b.    Mar.   7,  1807,  m.  Sophronia  C.  Wheelock. 
June  20,  1822,  Lurltta  M.  Sage.  90.   Nelson,  b.  Feb.  25,  1823, 

83.  Laura,  b.    Jan.    22,    1809,  m.    Feb.  7,  91.   De  Witt  Clinton,  b.  Aug.  29,   1824,  d. 
1828,  Martin  Johnson.  Nov.  27,  1846. 

84.  Chloe  Amelia,  b.  Oct.  17,  1810.  92.    Polly  Malory,  b.  Feb.  19,  1826. 

85.  Ursula   Jenette,  b.    Apr.    20,    1812,    m.  93.   Sarah  J.ine,  b.  Apr.  29,  1827. 
Oct.    8,  1833,  John  Camp.  94.   Sylvia  Ann,  b.  Dec.  4,  1828. 

86.  Orson,  b.  July  5,  1813.  95.   Edward  Gaylord,  b.  Feb.  27,  1832. 

87.  Laurin  Christopher,   b.  Feb.  22,  1819. 

88.  Hiram   Chjtterton,  1  b.  Mar.  29,  1821. 

89.  Homer  Wilcox,        J  m.  July  30,  1850, 

68.  Riley,  son  of  Cliristopher  and  Mary  (Wilcox)  Whiting,  m.  L^rania 
Hoadlcy,  Feb.  9,  1806.  He  engaged  in  the  clock  making  business  in  Winsted, 
in  which  lie  continued  until  his  death,  which  took  place  at  Jackson\ille,  111., 
Aug.  5,  18^5,  at  the  a.  of  51.  His  widow,  111.  E.  D.  Calloway,  and  d.  Dec. 
8,  1855.     Children: 

96.   Emily,  b.   May  23,  1807,   m.  Aug.   17,  98.   Lemuel    Hoadley,  b.    Dec.  11,  1815,  d. 

1826,  Dr.  Lyman   Case.  Dec.  25,  1815. 

96.  Mary,  b.   June    11,    1810,  m.   Feb.    3,  99.   Riley,  b.    Sept.  25,  1820,  m.  Aug.    28, 
1835,  James  Litchfield.  1843,  Clarissa  J.  Webster. 

97.  Urania,  b.  Sept.   9,    1812,    m.  May  26, 
1840,  Thomas  Wilder. 

70.  LuMAN,  son  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Wilcox)  Whiting,  m.  Anna, 
dau.  of  Samuel  Hayden,  and  occupied  his  father's  homestead  in  Winchester, 
until  he  removed  10  Ashtabula  Co.,  O.,  about  1815. 

73.  Selah,  son  of  William  and  Lucinda  (Soper)  Whiting,  m.  Sabra 
Abernethy,  of  Harwinton,  April  6.  l8og,  and  resided  in  several  places  and 
removed  with  his  family  to  Atlas,  Pike  Co.,  111.,  where  he  d.  Oct.  13,  1837, 
a.  50  years      She  d.  Feb.  7,  1875,  a.  88  years.      Children: 


784 


History  of  Torrington. 


100.   William    A.,  b.    March    30,    1810,  in  103.  Selah   A.,  b.    Nov.  21,    1816,  d.    Feb 

Tor.,  m.  20,  1867. 

loi.   E.    Darwin,    b.    Dec.     19,    1811,    m.  104.   John  W.,  b.  March  24,  1820,  d.  Aug. 

Emily  Bradley,  Nov.  2,  1837.  21,  1863,  in  111. 

102.  Sabra   L.,  b.   Sept.    13,    1814,    m.  had  105.   Catharine,   b.    May    7,    1823,    d.  Oct. 

James  and  Frederick,  and  d.  July  26,  1830  20,  1837,  in  111. 

in  O.  106.    Charles  B.,  b.  Dec.  7,  1827. 

74.  Uri,  son  of  William  and  Liicinda  (Sopcr)  Whicing,  m.  Sally,  dau.  of 
Moses  Loomis,  and  lived  on  his  father  in-la a- 's  place  on  Brandy  hill  where  he 
d.      She  d.  March  31,  1874,  a.  84.      Children: 

107.  George  L.,  b.  1814,  d.  June  14,  1864,  109.  Mariette  L.,  b.  March  17,  1818,  m. 
a.  C2.  Julius  Wooding,  ot"  Wulcottville. 

108.  Frank  L.,  b.  Feb.  14,  i8i6,m.  Julia  110.  Uri  L.,  b  1822,  m.  Hannah  Oviatt,  d. 
Bray,  lives  in  Winchester,  has  Uri  E.,  and  July  30,  1874,  a.  51. 

Marietta. 

75.  William  H.,  son  of  William  and  Lucinda  (Soper)  Wt  iting,  m.  Almcda 
B;ach,  Fe;-).  4.  1817,  who  was  b.  Occ.  24,  1796,  liv.-d  in  the  jo'in  Bro.vn  liouse. 
He  u.  in  Torrington,  May  22,  1842,  a.  48.  She  d.  May  11,  1863,  a.  67. 
Children  : 

III.   Melinda    B.,    b.    July    28,    1818,    m.      112.  Jennette,  b.  Oct.  6,  1820,  d.  in  Wash- 
Jerome  B.    Woodruff  J    lives  in  Washing-  ington,  D.  C. 
ton,  D.  C.                                                               113.   William  D.,  b.  Feb.  4,  1830. 

76.  Frederick  P.,  son  of  William  and  Lutinda  (Soper)  Whiting,  m.  Mary 
A.,  dau.  of  Miles  Hills,  Feb.  15,  1826,  and  has  lived  on  the  old  homestead 
since.  The  house,  now  over  one  hundred  years  old  is  in  good  condition  ;  the 
farm  having  remamed  in  the  same  family  over  one  hundred  and  torty  years,  or 
from  the  first  settlement  of  the  same,  and  the  town.  Mr.  Whiting  is  siill  young 
for  his  age,  possessed  remarkable  memory  and  therefore  has  been  of  invaluable 
service  to  the  author  of  this  book,  and  to  the  people  who  may  read  it.  His 
wife,  Mary,  d.  Djc.   13,   1876.       Children: 

114.  John  Newton,  b.  July  27,  1827,  m.  d.    Oct.   4,    1874;   had    children:   Louise 

115.  Roxy,  b.  April  3,  1830,  m.  John  M.  H.,  b.  July  16,  1868;  Frederic  W.,  b. 
Gardner,  or  Cornwall,  lives  in  Goslien  had  May  24,  1872,  d  April  8,  1874;  Aschel 
son    b.    April  9,    1865  ;   and    Mary  E.,  b.  L  ,  b.  Aug.  26,  1874. 

May  13,  1866.  117.   Lucian,   b.   Nov.    15,    1840,  m.   Mary 

116.  Loise,  b.  Feb.  23,  1836,  m.  Jan.  7,  E.,  dau.  of  Joseph  North,  ot  Cornwall  and 
1861,  Asahel  L.  Lyon,  ot  Bridgeport,  who  resides  in  Cornwall,  Ct. 

100.  William  A.,  son  of  Selah  and  Sabra  (Abernethy)  Whiting,  m. ;  lived 
in  Atlas,  Pike  Co.,  111.     Children  : 

118.  Kate,  b.  May  10,  1838.  120.   Emily,  b.  Aug.  19,  1843. 

119.  Marion,  b.  Sept.  5,  1840.  121.   Edward,  b.  May  3,  1852. 

104.  John  W.,  son  of  Selah  and  Sabra  (Abernethy)  Whiting,  m.  and  lived 
in  111.     Children  : 

122.  James  A.,  b.  Dec.  31,  1850.  124.   Helen,  b.  Feb.  4,  i860. 

123.  Frederic  D.,  b.  Nov.  3,  1855. 

106.  Charles  B  ,  son  of  Selah  and  Sabra  (.Abernethy)  Whiting,  m.  Flavia 
Blanding,  b.  March  21,  1840;  lived  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  d.  March  20, 
1877.      Children: 

125.  Floyd,  b.  Sept.  17,  i860.  127.   Sanford  B.,  b.  Sept.  15,  1868. 

126.  Edith  A.,  b.  July  16,  1863.  128.    Charles  S.,  b.  Mar.  14,  1871. 


Genealogies.  785 

113.  William  D.,  son  of  William  H.,  and  Almeda  (Beach")  Whiting,  m. 
Sarah  P.  Spcrry,  at  Goshen,  March  27,  1853  ;   resides  in  Milldale,  Ct.      Ch.: 

129.  Lewis  D.,  b.  Mar.  10,  1854  in  Cheshire.      132.   Frances  E.,  b.  May  29,  1862,    in  Tor. 

130.  George  W.,  b.  Aug.  10,  1856,    "  133.   Edward  H.,  b.  Aug.  6,  1865,  in  Goshen. 

131.  Nettie  S.,  b.  June  9,  1858,  " 

114.  John  N  ,  son  of  Frederick  P.  and  Mary  A.  (Hills)  Whiting,  m.  Laura 
A.,  daughter  of  Miles  Hart,  of  Goshen,  Nov.  5,  1851,  lives  on  his  father's 
homestead.      Children  : 

134.  Ella    M.,  b.    Aug.  4,    1852,  killed    by      137.   Helen  L.,  b.  Jan.  28,  1859. 
accident,  Oct.  9,  1862.  138.   Hubert  H.,  b.  Jan.  28,  1861,  d.  Aug. 

135.  Charles  F.,  b.  June  27,  1853,  '^-  ^^'^-  9)  1862. 

8,  1864.  139.  Mary  E.,  b.  May  9,  1870,  d.  Oct.  23, 

136.  George  M.,  b.  Apr.  19,  1856.  1870. 

WILCOX,  AsAHEL,  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Coe,  Sept.  13,  1762. 
Children  : 
I.  Sarah,  b.  Dec.  8,  1762.  8.   Abiathar,  b.  Aug.  24,  1777. 

a.  Luther,  b.  Dec.  15.   1764.  9.    Ebenezer,  b.  Dec.    6,  1779. 

3.  Huldah,  b.  Dec.  23,  1766.  10.   Obadiah,  b.  Dec.  23,  1781. 

4.  Mary,  b.  May  7,  1769.  11.   William,  b.  July  21,   1784,    d.  Apr.  8, 

5.  Abiathar,  b.  Mar.  31,    1771,  d.  Apr.  18,  1797- 

1774.  12.   Miles,  b.  Mar.  8,  1787. 

6.  Asahel,  b.  Mar.,  1773.  13.   Edmond,  b.  Aug.   4,  1789. 

7.  Asenath,  b.  Sept.  3,  1771;. 

WILCOX,  RuLOF  D.,  of  Goshen,  was  b.  Mar.  22,  1804,  m.  Sarah  E.  Cook 
of  Winchester,  Nov.  3,  1834.  She  was  b.  June  24,  1806.  Settled  in  Tor- 
rington  in  .-^pril  1862.      Children: 

1.  William  W.,  b.  Aug.  20,  1833.  5.    Caroline  M.,  b.  Aug.  25,  1844,   m.  Jan. 

2.  Warren  W.,  b.  Jan.  6,  1837.  10,  1866,  Edgar  Phelps,  lives  near  Drake's 

3.  Martha  A.,  b.   Oct.  12,   1839,  m.  1858,  mills;    has    Frederick    R.,    b.    Dec.    18, 
Newton  Phelps,  lives  in  Winchester.  1872;  and  a  dau.  b.  Jan.  5,  1876. 

4.  Lucy  J.,    b.    Jan.    2,    1841,    m.    Henry 
Phelps,  lives  in  Torrington  hollow. 

1.  William  W.,  son  of  Rulof,  m.  Elizabeth  Marvin'Sept.  10,  1857.  She 
was  b.  Jan.  16,  1838.  They  came  to  Torrington  in  1859,  on  the  old  Sage 
place,  near  Drake's  mills.      Children  : 

6.  George  F.,  b.  Feb.  12,  i86r.  7.   William  W.,  b.  June  6,  1864. 

2.  Warren  W.,  son  of  Rulof,  m.  Emily  Knccttle  Oct.  2,  1868.      She  was 

b.  July  I  I,  1844  ;  lives  on  the  Bildad  Loomis  place.     Child: 

8.  Perry  Lee,  b.  Dec.  10,  1870. 

WINCHELL,  Ebenezer,  of  Tor.,  d.  Jan.  2,  1778. 

WINCHELL,  Daniel,  m.  Martha  Bissell,  of  Tor.,  June  15,    1779.    Ch.  : 

1.  Thankful,  b.  Oct.    20,    1781,    removed  5.   David,  b.  July  4,  1791,  is  living  in  Ran- 
and  m.  in  O.  dolph,   O. 

2.  Harriett,  b.  Nov.  30,  1783,  m.   Nathan-  6.   Ebenezer,     m.     Maria  Yale    of  Canaan, 
iel   Smith  of  Torringford,  about  1806.  had    Jane,     m.    John    GiUett   of    Water- 

3.  Oliver,   b.   Jan.    31,    1786,    removed  to  bury;    Henry  m.  and  d.  in  Winsted.      He 
Ohio.  d.  in   Torringford. 

4.  Daniel,  b.   May  20,   1788,  d.    in    Ohio,  7.    Hiram,  m.  Olive  Goodwin,  d.    at  Ran- 
killed  by  a  horse.  dolph,  Ohio. 

WILLIAMS.  David,  of  Colchester,  m.  Rhoda  Beele  of  East  Haddam,  Jan. 
31,  1790  ;  lived  in  Torrington  several  years.      Children: 

1.  Memoris,  b.  July  1,  1791.  3-   David,  b.  May  13,  1796. 

2.  Matilda,  b.  May  24,  1793.  4-   Dorancy,  b.  Sept.  22,  1798, 

99 


786  History  of  Torrington. 

WILLIAMS,  John,  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution,   m.    Abigail   Cowles   June 
20,  1780.      Child. 
I.   Huldah,  b.  Nov.  10,  1780. 

WILSON,  Robert,  was  an  early  settler  at  Windsor  though  not  among  the 
first.  He  m.  Elizabeth,  dau.  of  Dea.  Edward  Stebbins.  He  removed  to 
Farmington  where  he  d.  July  21,  1655.  His  widow  m.  Thomas  Cadwell. 
Children  : 

1.  John,  b.  at  Windsor. 

2.  Samuel,    b.    1653,  at   Farmington;  and 
possibly  others. 

2.  Samuel,  son  of  Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Stebbins)  Wilson,  m.  Mary 
Griffen  May  i,  1672,  who  d.  Aug.  3,  1697.      He  lived  in  Windsor.     Ch.  : 

3.  Isabel,  b.  Feb.  24,  1673.  6.  Mary,  b.  Aug.  7,  1679. 

4.  Samuel,  b.  May  i,  1675,  d.  young.  7.  Abigail,  b.  March  3.  1684. 

5.  Samuel,   b.   Nov.  21,   1678,  d.  July  31,      8.  John,  b.  May  24,  1686. 
1689. 

8.      Dea.  John,  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (GrifFen)  Wilson,  m.  Mary  Mar- 
shall June   16,  1709,  who  d.  Feb.  11,    1772,    a.    82.      He  lived   in    Windsor 
and  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of  Torrington  and  d.  Aug.   10,  1774,  aged  89. 
Children  : 
9.   Mary,  b.  July  16,  1710.  13.   Joel,  b.  April  17,  1718. 

10.  John,  b.   Nov.  7,  171 1,   went  to   Har-      14.   Rachel,    b.    June    6,    1720,    m.    John 
winton.  Cook,  June  22,  1741. 

11.  Hannah,  b.  Oct.  19,  1713.  15.   Amos,  b.  Jan.  13,  1726. 

12.  Noah,  b.  Feb.  12,  171  5.  16.   Phineas,  b.  March  16,    1728. 

12.  Capt.  Noah,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Marshall)  Wihon.m.  Ann  Cook 
and  settled  in  Tor.  in  1742,      {See  Biog.)     Hed.  Mar.  g,  1796.     Children  : 

17.  Ann,  b.  Apr.  6,  1741,  d.  June  14,  1741.  22.  Ann,  b.  Oct.  28,  1751,  m.  Jos.  Taylor. 

18.  Noah,  b.  Sept.  I  3,  1742.  23.  William,  b.  Sept.  14,  1754. 

19.  Edee,  b.  Jan.  4,  1745,  ^-  ^P""-  '  ^>  174^-  ^4-  J^^rusha,  b.  Aug.  16,  1758. 

20.  Abijah,  b.  Dec.  18,  1746.  25.  Edee,  b.  Jan.  i,  1768,  d.  Feb.  13,  1768. 

21.  Abiel,   b.    Dec.    19,    1748,   d.    Oct.   4,  26.  Clymency,  b.  Oct.  17,  1770. 

1749- 

13.  Capt.  Amos,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Marshall)  Wilson,  m.  Zerviah, 
daughter  of  Wm.  Grant,  Oct.  26,  1762.  Zerviah,  his  wife  d.  May  3,  1776. 
He  m.  2d  Damaris  Bailey,  Aug.  19,  1777.  She  d.  Jan.  22,  1792,  a.  48. 
Children  : 

27.  William,  b.  Oct.  1753,  d.  June,  1754.        30.    Roswell,  b.  May  14,  1765,  m.  ;  had  no 

28.  Ruth,    b.     Dec.    17,    1754,    m.    Isaiah  children. 

Tuttle,  1774.  31.  Rhoda,  b.  Nov.   5,  1768,  m.  Theodore 

29.  Roger,  b.  Aug.  2,  1756.  Smith. 
29.   Rosvkfell,  b.  Oct.   i,    1758,  d.    Nov.   2, 

1758. 

By  2d  wife  : 

32.  Amos,  b.  Aug.  14,  1778. 

18.  Noah,  son  of  Noah  and  Ann  (Cook)  Wilson,  m.  Hannah  Youngs, 
Nov.  24,  1764;  ramoved  to  Black  river  country  N.  Y.      Children: 

33.  Charlotte,  b.  Aug.  26,  1764.  34.   Cracenda,  b.  Mar.  28,  1771. 

20.  Abijah,  son  of  Noah  and  Ann  (Cook)  Wilson,  m.  Margaret  Beach, 
Oct.  5,    1767;  removed  to  Winsted.     Children  : 


Genealogies.  787 

35.  Zenus,  b.  Jan.   22,    1768,    d.   Apr.    15,      38.   Rynnoi,  b.  June  18,  1774. 
1769.  39-   O-^re'.  b-  Jan.  5,  1777. 

36.  Zenus,  b.  Apr.  11,  1769.  40.   Abijah,  b.  June  8,  1779. 

37.  Solomon,  b.  Feb.   8,  1772,  d.  Nov.  26, 
1775- 

23.   William,  son  of  Noah  and  Ann  (Cook)   Wilson,   m.   Martha  Beach, 
Aug.  6,  1783,  d.  Sept.   19,  1786.      Children: 
41.   Huldah,  b.  Jan.  31,  1784,  m.  Augustus     42.   William,  b.  July  24,  1785. 

Munson,  Dec.  4,  1803. 

29.  Roger,  son  of  Amos  and  Zerviah  (Grant)  Wilson,  m.  Hannah  Marshall, 
of  Nevvfield,  where  he  resided.  He  was  a  very  active  business  man.  He  had 
twelve  children,  the  record  of  whom  is  mislaid  and  cannot  be  found  so  as  to  be 
inserted  here. 

32.  Amos,  son  of  Amos  and  Zerviah  (Grant)  Wilson,  m.  ist,  Sabra  Gris- 
wold,  2d,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Birge.      Children: 

43.  Harmon.  47-   Martha,  \  b.  Jan.,  ^  m.  John   Scoville. 

44.  Harriet,  m.  Samuel  Thrall.  >■    1814.     |- m.   Frederick    Bar- 

45.  Lois,  m.  Julius  Dailey.  48.   Mary,     j  J       ber. 
4b.   Wait  B.,  b.  March  2,  1811. 

42,  William,  son  of  William  and  Martha  (Beach)  Wilson,  m.  ist,  Eliza 
Brooker,  2d,  Polly  Roberts,  of  Torringford,  and  lived  at  Burrville. 

43.  Harmon,    son  of  Amos  Wilson,  2d,  m.    Laura    Beardsley,  March    22, 

1838-     Children: 

49.   Susan  M.,  b.    April    16,    1840,  m.  Jan.  50.   Mary  A.,  b.  Feb.  22,  1842,   m.  Jan.  I, 

I,  1858,  Wm.    E.  Ford,    had:   i.    Walter  1862,   Geo.   Humphrey,  had  j   Myrtle  E., 

B.,  b.    March  26,    1859;    11.    Lizzie   J.,  b.  b.  March  3,  1867. 

July  II,    1866.   III.    Minnie   E.,    b.    July  51.   Azel  B.,    b.    J  m.  31,    1846,  m.   Hessie 

26,  1868.  Lake,  Nov.  5,  1876. 

46.  Waite  B.,  son  of  Amos  Wilson,  2d,  m.  Oct.  10,  183  i,  Caroline  J., 
dau.  of  L.  Hamlin  Birge,  b.  Dec.    28,  1810.      Children: 

52.  Jane  C,  b.  May   12,  1857,  m.   Willard  Beach,  Jan.    14,  1861,   had,  George  W., 
H.  Barber.  Edward,  Caroline. 

53.  Caroline  J.,  b.  Dec.  12,  1843,  m.  James 

WILSON,  Darius,  was  b.  in  Harwinton  Dec.  5,  1799  ;  lived  there  until 
1821,  when  he  removed  .to  Torringford  and  in  October  ot  the  same  year  m. 
Clarissa  Treadway  of  Tor.,  and  remained  there  until  1837,  when  he  removed 
to  Wolcottville.  Here  he  followed  the  trade  of  blacksmith,  became  a  man  of 
influence  in  the  community  ;  was  elected  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church 
in  1846,  and  in  1859  removed  to  Altona,  Knox  Co.,  111.,  where  he  still  re- 
sides.     Children  : 

1.  Charles,  b.  Dec.  20,  1826,  d.  Mar.  1864.      3.   Corydon  C,    b.  July  5,   1833,  m.    Anna 

2.  Caroline  E.,  b.  Apr.   24,   1830,    m.    W.  Preston    of  Altona,    111.,    had    children; 
A.  Jones  in    1851  ;   had   children    Lizzie,          Frank,  Arthur,  Cora,  Charles. 

Walter,  Winthrop,  Bertie  and   Carrie. 

WOLCOTT.'     This  family  is  one  of  great  antiquity  and   respectability. 

Henry,  who  came  to  America  was  the  son  of  John  Wolcott  of  Golden 
Manor,  and  was  baptized  in  the  adjoining  parish  of  Lydiard  St.  Lawrence, 
Dec.  6,  1578.  He  m.  Jan.  10,  1606,  tlizabeth,  dau.  of  Thomas  Sanders  of 
Lydiard  St.  Lawrence.      She  was  b.  in  1589.      He  held  a  fair  position  among 


1  Hist.  IVindsor.     The  spelling  of  this  name  has  many  form*. 


788 


History  of  Torrington. 


the  gentry  of  England.  He  embarked  with  his  wife,  Elizabeth,  and  their  three 
sons,  Henry,  George,  and  Christopher,  in  company  with  Rev.  Mr.  VVarham, 
of  whose  congregation  they  were  members,  and  on  the  30th  of  May,  1630, 
arrived  at  Dorchester,  Mass.  Henry  VVolcott's  name  appears  on  the  first  list 
of  freemen  made  in  Boston,  Oct.  19,  1630.  In  1635,  he  removed  with  Mr. 
Warham's   church  to    Windsor,  in  Connecticut,  of  which  he  became  a   "chief 


corner  stone." 


His  honorable  and  useful  life  closed  on  the  30th  day  of  May  1655.   Children: 

1.  John,    bap.   Oct.    I,    1607,    in    England  3.   Henry,  b.  Jan.  21,  161 1. 

where  he  was  living  in  1631,  and    appar-  4.  George,  became  a  freeman    in    Ct.,  May 
ently  never  emigrated  to  America.  21,  1657,  m.  Elizabeth  Treat. 

2.  Anna,     carre    over    with    her    sister   and  5.   Christopher,  d.  unm.   Sept.  7,  1662. 
youngest  brother,  after  the  family  had  be-  6.    Mary,  m.   June   25,  1646,   Job  Drake  of 
come  settled,  and  m.   Oct.  16,  1646,  Mr.  Windsor. 

Matthew  Griswold.  7.  Simon,   b.  about  the  year  1625. 

3.  Henry,  2d,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Wolcott,  was  admitted  a  free- 
man at  Boston  April  l,  1634,  and  was  then  a  member  of  the  church  at  Dor- 
chester, removed  to  Windsor  in  1636,  and  m.  Sarah,  dau  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Newberry,  Nov.  8,  1640.      He  was  a  large  importing  merchant.      Children: 

8.  Henry,  b.   Jan.  6,  1643.  12.    Hannah,  b.  Mar.   8,  1654,   d.    Sept.  4, 

9.  John,  b.  Feb.  28,  I  644.  1683. 

10.  Samuel,  b.  Oct.  8,  1647.  13.   Josiah,  b.  July  22,  1658. 

11.  Mary,  b.  Dec.  7,  i65i,m.  James  Russell,      14.   Sarah,    b.    July    5,    1659,    m.    Walter 
Esq.,  d.  at  Charlestown,  .Mass.  Price  and  d.  at  Salem. 

7.  Simon,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Wolcott,  was  made  a  freeman  in 
1654.  Hem.  Joanna,  daughter  of  .^aron  Cook,  March  19,  16^7,  who  d. 
April  27,  1657,  a.  18.  He  m.  2d  Martha  Pitkin,  of  East  Hartford,  who  is 
spoken  of  by  her  son  the  governor,  "  as  a  gentlewoman  of  bright  natural  talents, 
which  were  well  improved  by  her  education  in  the  city  of  London."  He  d. 
Sept.  II,  1687,  a.  62.  His  widow  m.  in  1689,  Mr.  Daniel  Clarke,  and  d. 
Oct.   13,  1719,  a.  80  years.      Children: 

15.  Elizabeth,  b.  Aug.  19,  1662,  m.  Daniel  19.    Daniel  (no  date). 
Cooley,  d.  Jan.  30,  1707.  20.   Henry,  b.  May  20,  1670. 

16.  Martha,  b.    May  17,  1664,  m.  Thomas  21.   Christopher,  b.  July  4,  1672,  d.  Apr.  3, 
Allyn,  d.  Sept.  7,  1687.  1693. 

17.  Simon,  June  24,  1666.  22.    Mary,  b.  1674,  d.   1676. 

18.  Joanna,    b.    June    30,    1668,    m.    John  23.    William,  b.  Nov.  6,  1676. 
Cotton.  24-   Roger,  b.  Jan,  4,  1679. 

24.  Governor  Roger,  son  of  Simon  and  Martha  (Pitkin)  Wolcott,  m. 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Lieut.  Job  Drake,  Dec.  3,  1702.  His  home  was  in  East 
Windsor,  and  he  was  governor  of  Connecticut.  He  d.  May  7,  1767,  in  the 
89th  year  of  his  age.      His  wife  Sarah,  d.  in  1750.      Children  : 

25.  Roger,  b.  Sept.  14,  1704.  33.   Josiah,  b.  Feb.   6,     1719,   d.    Jan.    19, 

26.  Elizabeth,  b.    Apr.  10,  1706,  m.   Roger  1802,  a.   84. 

Newberry  of  Windsor.  34.    Erastus,     ]  ]  d.     May     12, 

27.  Alexander,  b.  Jan.  20,  1708,  d.  Oct.  8,  I  b.    Feb.    8,  [  1722. 
1711.                                                                       35.   Epaphras,  f    1721,  |  d.      Apr.      3, 

a8.   Samuel,  b.  Jan.    9,   1710,   d.  Dec.  27,  J  J   i733- 

1717.  36.   Erastus,  b.  Sept.  21,    1722. 

29.  Alexander,  b.   Jan.   7,    Jyia-K^jng  37-   Ursula,  b.  Oct.    30,   1 714,  m.  Matthew 

30.   still  b.  Dec.  10,  1712.  /  ■  Griswold,  East  Lyme. 

31.  Sarah,  b.  Jan.    31,    1715,    d.    Jan.    5,      38.   Oliver,  b.  Nov.  20,  1726. 

igir.  39.    Mary  Ann,  b.  Jan.  I.  1730,  m.  Thomas 

32.  Hepzibah,  b.   June  23,    1717,  m.  John  Williams,  Esq.,  Brookline,  Ct. 
Strong  of  East  Windsor. 


Genealogies. 


789 


29.  Dr.  Alexander,  son  of  Gov.  Roger  and  Sarah  (Drake)  Wolcott,  m, 
1st,  Lydia  Atuater,  and  2d,  Mary  Richards  of  New  London,  April  3,  1745, 
and  resided  in  East,  now  South  Windsor.      Children  : 

40.  Jeremiah,  b.    Nov.   14,  1733.  46.    George,  b.  Oct.  17,  1753,  '"• 

41.  Alexander,  b.   1735,  d.  1736.  47.   Christopher,  Dr.,  b.  Oct.    i,  1754,  m. 

42.  Esther,  b.  Stpt.    16,   1746,  d.    Oct.    9,     48.   Mary,  b.  Aug.  7,  1756,   m.  Elihu  Gris- 
1746.  wold  ot  W. 

43.  Simon,  Dr.,  b.  Aug.  9,  1746.  49.   Alexander,  b.  Sept.  15,  1758. 

44.  Esther,    b.    July   17,   1749,  m.  Samuel      50.   Guy,   b.    Aug.  7,    1760,   m.,  settled  in 
Treat.  Tor. 

45.  George,  b.   May  23,   1751,  d.  Oct.    17,      51.   Elizabeth,  b.   Jan.  13,    1765,  m.  Elizur 
1751.  Wolcoct  of  E.  W. 

50.  Dea.  Guy,  son  of  Dr.  Alexander  and  Mary  (Richards)  Wolcott,  m. 
Abigail  Allyn  oF  Windsor,  Oct.  5,  1 78 1.  She  was  b.  Oct.  5,  1765,  and  d. 
in  Torrington.  He  settled  here  as  early  as  1789.  on  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half 
west  of  Wolcottville  ;  the  place  still  being  known  by  iiis  name.  He  and  his 
family  were  of  considerable  prominence  in  the  town  through  various  business 
enterprises  ;  he  himself  was  a  farmer.  He  was  elected  deacon  of  the  Tor- 
rington church  in  1821,  and  in  1822  removed  to  Tallmadge,  Ohio,  where  he 
bought  a  farm,  settled  on  it  and  lived  only  a  year  after  so   settling.      Children  : 

59.  Almira,  b.  May  21,  1799. 

60.  Amanda,  b.  Nov.    15,  1802,   d.  in  Tor. 
a.   I  5  years. 

61.  George,  b.  July  26,  1805,  m. 

62.  Allyn,  b.  March  12,  1809. 


52.  Infant,  d.  at  Windsor. 

53.  Abigail,    b.    July   2,    1785,    m.   Nathan 
Gillett,  May  26,  1803.      {See  Gillett.) 

54.  Guy,  b.  Oct.  13,  1787,  m. 

55.  James,  b.   Nov.  3,  1789,  m. 

56.  Elizur,  b.  July  17,  1792,  m. 

57.  Frederick,  b.  Jan.  13,  1795,  m. 

58.  Anna,  b.  May  16,  1797. 

54.  Gur,  son  of  Guy  and  Abigail  (Allyn)  Wolcott,  was  engaged  in  business 
in  Torrington  ;  bought  one-eighth  of  the  Wilson's  saw  mill  in  1811  ;  in  1817 
went  to  Tallmadge,  Ohio,  and  bought  a  farm.  He  m.  Annis,  dau.  of  Dea. 
Lemuel  Porter  Apr.  24,  1821,  and  d.  Dec.  2,  1865,  aged  78  years.   Children  : 


63.   Eleanor,   b.   (no  dates)    m.    Lucius  W. 
Hitchcock,  settled  in  Akron,  Ohio. 


64.  James  O.,  b.  April  8,  1823  ;  a  farmer; 
a  thorough  student,  and  a  close  observer  ; 
he  believed  the  farmer  could  rank  with 
the  best  of  professional  men  in  mental 
attainments.  He  m.  ist,  Jane  Lewis, 
Nov.  4,  1846;  2d,  her  sister  Ellen  ;  he  d. 
Dec.  29,  1876,  a.  54,  leaving  a  wife  and 
five  children. 

65.  Elizabeth,  b.  May  25,  1824,  d.  at  Mt. 
Holyoke  seminary  May  14,  1845,  a.  21  j 
she  was  in  her  last  year  in  the  seminary. 

66.  Charlotte,  b.  Sept.  3,  1827,  m.  Oct. 
12,  1851,  D.  E.  Fenn,  ofTallmadge,  O., 
where  they  reside,  and  have  three  children, 
one  son  and  two  daughters. 

67.  Lemuel,  b.  Aug.    18,  1831,    m.  Harriet 


with  the  church  when  13  :  entered  Wes- 
tern Reserve  college  in  1850,  remained 
2  years;  entered  junior  class  at  Yale; 
was  graduated  in  1854;  studied  another 
year  in  New  Haven;  was  tutor  at  Wes- 
tern Reserve,  two  years;  in  autumn  of 
1857,  entered  Andover  Theological  semi- 
nary ;  soon  after  his  health  failed  and  re- 
turned home  m.  Fannie  Pierce,  Nov. 
27,  i860,  d.  Dec.  20,  1873,  leaving  a  wife 
and  4  daus. 
70.  Franklin,  b.  Feb.  20,  1837,  m.  Hen- 
rietta Brooks,  in  May  1864,  settled  in 
Nebraska,  removed  thence  to  Weeping 
Water,  Nebraska,  where  he  resides,  with 
wife  and  two  daughters. 


Treat,  Nov.  5,  1855,  d.  Nov.  10,  1876,3.  71.   Ellen,    b.    Oct.    16,    1854,  d.  April    5, 

45.    He  was  a  farmer,  and  left  3  childden.  187  I,  a.    26,  she   was  a  graduate   of  Lake 

68.  Eleanor,    (  b.  July  14,   1833.  d.  a.  i  y.  Erie  seminary;   m.  S.    W.    Peet    of  Ver- 

69.  Elizur,       J  b.    July    14,    1833,    united  mont  and  settled  at  Weeping  Water. 

55.  James,  son  of  Dea.  Guy  and  Abigail  (Allyn)  Wolcott,  was  a  stirring, 
energetic  young  man  ;  learned  ihe  trade  of  making  woolen  cloths,  and  persuaded 
Mr.  Frederick  Wolcott  to  build  the  woolen  factory  in  Wolcottville,  and   was 


79^  History  of  Torrington. 

engaged  in  this  mill  many  years.  His  dau.,  Mrs.  Smith  Gilbert,  resides  in 
Maumee  City,  Ohio. 

56.  Elizur,  son  of  Dea.  Guy  and  Abigail  (Allyn)  Wolcott,  m.  Esther  Lewis 
of  Wolcottviile,  Conn.  ;  was  afterwards  a  partner  in  a  carpet  factory  at  Thomp- 
sonville,  Conn.,  where,  after  many  years,  he  died. 

61.  George,  son  of  Dea.  Guy  and  Abigail  (Allyn)  Wolcott,  m.  Margaret 
Hine  of  Tallmadge,  Ohio,  Aug.  6,  1828  ;  and  after  some  years  settled  in  La 
Grange  Co.,  Ind.,  at  a  place  now  called  Wolcottviile.  He  died  in  1857,  a. 
51  years.      {See  Biog.)      Children: 

72.  Ann  L.,  b  June  9,  1829,  m.  Timothy  Cooper,  b.  Aug.  10,  1864;  Anna  B. 
Hudson  Jan.  i,  1850.  He  was  b.  Apr.  Cooper,  b.  Apr.  25,  18655  Fannie  J. 
15,  1823.  Their  children  :  Rowena  E.  Cooper,  b.  July  I,  1866;  Jennie  Cooper, 
Hudson,  b.   Nov.    8,    1852;   Carlton   W.  b.  Apr.  18,    1871. 

Hudson,  b.  Sept.   4,     1856;     Lillian    A.  76.   Elton  R.,  b.  Sept.    13,    1836,  m.  Emily 

Hudson,   b.    May   22,    1859;   Genevieve  J.  Jones,  Nov.    21,    1864. 

Hudson,  b.  Apr.  5,  1871.  77.    Marshall  F.,  b.  Oct.  21,  1838,  m.  Fan- 

73.  Abby,  b.  Jan.  6,  1831.  nie  L.  Perry,    May    9,  1866.    Their  chil- 

74.  Almyra,  b.  Dec.  16,  1832,  d.  young.  dren  :   Alfred  P.,  b.  July  6,  1867  ;  George 

75.  Rowena,  b.  Aug.  16,  1834,  m.  John  F.  E.,  b.  May'21,  1869,  d.  Junei,  1869; 
Cooper,  Oct.   17,  1861.      He  was  b.  Aug.  Frank  B.,  b.  Aug.  9,  1871. 

1,  1834.       Their  children  :    Willie    W. 

WOODING,  Edmund  A.,  was  b.  in  Woodbridge,  Ct.,  and  belonged  to 
an  old  family  of  that  town;  came  to  Torrington  hollow,  in  1824;  engaged 
first  in  the  cotton  factory  ;  then  a  few  years  in  manufacturing  clocks,  and  after- 
wards with  his  son    James  in    the  lock    factory.      He  m.    ist,  Betsey  Green,  of 

East  Haddam,  who  d.  and  he   m.  2d,  Pond.      He  d.  Feb.  27,    1864,  a. 

63.      Children  by  ist  wife: 

I.   Edmund,  m.  Ann    Brooker,  and    had  son      2.  Julius,  m. 

Frank,    a    merchant    at  A.    T.    Stewarts,      3.  James,  removed  to  Vineland,  N.  J. 

New   York.  4.   Anson,  is  a  farmer  in  Michigan. 

By  2d  wife  : 

5.  Adaline,  m.  Augustus  Merrills,  of  New  7.  Mary,  m.  Walter  S.  Lewis,  of  Wolcott- 
Hartford.  ville. 

6.  Julia  A.,  m.  3d,  Wm.  Fowler;  lives  in 
New  York. 

2.  Julius,  son  of  Edmund  and  Betsey  (Green)*  Wooding,  m.  Mariette  L., 
dau.  of  Uri  Whiting,  of  Torrington,  and  has  been  a  merchant  some  twenty- 
five  years  in  the  city  of  New  York  ;   lives  on   Migeon  avenue.      Child  : 

I.  Lousia  G.,  b.  Dec.  19,  1838,  m.  Charles 
E.  Knapp,  merchant  of  New  York,  and 
has  son,  Edgar  Frost,  b.  May  8,  1866. 

WOODWARD,  Henry,  from  England,  settled  in  Dorchester,  Massachusetts, 
about  1636,  and  united  with  the  church  there  previous  to  1639.  In  1659, 
he  removed  to  Northampton,  where  he  "was  killed  in  his  grist  mill''  by  light- 
ning, April  7,  1685.  His  wife,  Elizabeth,  d.  in  Northampton,  August  13, 
1690.      Children: 

1.  Experience,  m.  Medad  Pomeroy,  Nov.  3.  Thankful,  m.  John  Taylor,  Dec.  18, 
21,  1661.  1662. 

2.  Freedom,  bap.    at    Dorchester,  in      1642,  4.  John,  an  only  son. 
m.  Jedediah  Strong,  Nov.  18,  1662. 

4.  John,  son  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth  Woodward,  lived  in  Northampton 
until  after  the  death  of  his  father,  when  he  removed  to  Westfield,  and  after  that 


Genealogies.  791 

to  Lebanon,   Ct.      He   m.    Anna  Dcw}',   of  Wcstfield,    daughter  of  Thomas 
Dewy  of  England,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Windsor.      Children: 

5.  Elizabeth,  b.  Mar.  17,  1672,  m.  Stephen        8.   Henry,  b.  Mar.  18,  1680. 
Lee  of  Westin,  1691.  9.   Thomas,  b.  Apr.  22,  1682. 

6.  John,  bap.  Apr.  2,  1674.  10.   Israel,  b.  Feb.  6,  1685. 

7.  Samuel,  b.   Mar.    20,    1676,  d.  Oct.    20, 
1676. 

10.  Capt.  Isr.ael  son  of  John  and  Anna  (Dewy)  Woodward,  m.  Abigail 
Beard  of  Huntington,  and  removed  to  that  part  of  Waterbury,  since  called 
Watertown,  about  1750.  They  lived  in  the  married  state  6g  years  and  d.  at 
the  advanced  ages  of  93  and  96  years.      Children  : 

11.  Nathan.  1 5.  Elijah. 

12.  Abel,  b.  Apr.  i,  1737.  17.  Anna,  m.  Asa  Curtiss. 

13.  Israel.  18.  Eunice,  m.  Wait  Scott. 

14.  John.  19.  Abigail,  d.  an  infant. 

15.  Asa,  m.  Esther  Roberts.  20.  Samuel,  b.  Nov.  20,  1750. 

20.  Dr.  Samuel,  son  of  Israel  and  Abigail  (Beard)  Woodward,  settled  as  a 
physician  in  Torringford,  and  m.  Mary,  daughter  of  Capt.  Shgbael  Griswold, 
Feb.  10,  1782.  Dr.  Woodward  purchased  land  and  built  his  dwelling  op- 
posite Elijah  Gaylord's,  and  a  little  north  of  the  Torringford  second  meeting 
house. 

In  his  social  intercourse  with  his  neighbors,  and  as  a  physician  the  doctor 
was  ever  kind,  thoughtful,  very  gentlemanly  ;  candid  in  all  that  he  said  and  did, 
so  that  everybody  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  him,  respect  for  him  and  hun- 
dreds loved  him  as  a  father,  because  he  had  cared  for  them  so  tenderly  and 
successfully  when  they  were  sick.  {See  Biography.')  His  wife  Mary,  d.  Mar. 
28,   1834,  a.  76  years.      He  d.  Jan.  26,   1835,  a.  85  years.      Children: 

21.  Mary,    b.    Sept.    20,    1783,     m.    John      25.   Griswold,  b.  Feb.  3,  1791. 
Gillett.  26.   Rufus,  b.  July  16,  1793. 

22.  Laura,  b.  June  29,  1785,  d.  young.  27.    Henry,  b.  May  26,  1795. 

23.  Samuel  B.,  b.  June  11,  1787.  28.   Charles,  b.  Aug.    16,  1798. 

24.  Elijah,  b.  April  25,  1789.  29.  Laura,  b.  Dec.  5,  1801. 

25.  Griswold,  son  of  Dr.  Samuel  and  Mary  (Griswold)  Woodward,  m. 
Lucia,  dau.  of  Giles  Whiting,  and  lived  on  his  father's  homestead  and  was  an 
active,  upright,  and  influential  man  in  the  communitv.  He  was  a  leader  in 
the  temperance  movement,  his  name  occurring  frequently  in  the  records  of 
temperance  meetings,  on  committees  and  as  addressing  the  meetings.  He  is 
said  to  have  been  the  first  man  in  the  communitv  to  refuse  to  provide  liquors 
for  hired  men  in  the  harvest  field,  and  this  he  did  not  do  to  save  a  little  money, 
because  he  paid  the  men  extra  wages  ;  more  than  the  liquors  would  have  cost 
if  provided  ;  and  bv  such  examples  the  communitv  was  almost  swept  clean 
from  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks  for  a  time.      Children  : 

30.  Laura,  b.  Sept.  3,  1817,  m.  ist,  Truman      32.   Elijah,  b.  Aug.  9,  1822,  m. 

A.  Curtiss,  and  2d,  John  B.  Lyman.  33.  James  G.,  b.  Mar.  4,  1826,  m. 

31.  George  W.,   b.  Sept.   3d,  1820,  not  m.      34.   Mary  E.,  b.  Aug.    5,  1833,   m.  Willard 
lives  with  his  brother  Elijah.  O.  Barber. 

32.  Elijah,  son  of  Griswold  and  Lucia  ("Whiting)  Woodward,  m.  Orpha 
A.,  daughter  of  Dea.  Horace  Kellogg,  of  New  Hartford,  Nov.  6,  1850.  She 
was  b.  Sept.  29,  1830.      They  live  on  the  old  Woodward  homestead.      Ch.  : 

35.  Virgil  H.,  b.   Sept.  22,  1851,   m.  Alice      37.   Ellen  Anna,  b.  June  21,  1854. 
Pendleton,  March  10,  1877.  38.   George  E.,  b.  July  18,  1856. 

36.  Anna,   b.  Nov.  15,    1852,    d.   Jan.    30,      39.   Martha  Y.,  b.  Sept.  4,  1858. 
1853. 


79^  History  of  Torrington. 

33.  James  G.,  son  of  Griswold  and  Lucia  (Whiting)  Woodward,  m.  Sept. 
22,  1847,  Catharine  Steele,  who  was  b.  July  3,  1824,  in  New  Hartford. 
Children  : 

40.  Charles  G.,  b.  Jan.  27,  1849.  42.  James  W.,  b.  Dec.  25,  1858. 

41.  Newell  S.,  b.  Aug.  29,  1852.  43.   Frank  B.,  b.  Nov.  25,  i865. 

41.  Newell  S.,  son  of  James  G.  and  Catharine  (Steele)  Woodward,  m. 
Kate  M.  Skinner,  of  Winsted.     Children: 

44.  James  Phelps,  b.  Nov.  25,  1874.  46.   Frederick  Wellington,  b.  Nov.  25,  1877. 

45.  Mary  Emma,  b.  Jan.  20,  1876. 

WORKMAN,  Samuel,  arrived  in  New  York,  in  1836,  and  was  engaged 
soon  after  to  come  to  Wolcottville,  and  engaged  in  the  wool  sorting  department 
of  the  woolen  mill,  which  work  was  then  and  for  sometime,  done  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  store  building  now  occupied  by  Agard  and  Church  as  a  hardware 
store.  When  the  Union  Manufacturing  company  was  formed  Mr.  Workman 
went  with  it,  and  in  1859,  became  a  stock  owner  retaining  charge  of  the  de- 
partment in  which  he  first  began  his  labors.      Children : 

1.  Anna  F.  4.  James  S. 

2.  George  D.  5.  Carrie. 

3.  John. 

3.  John,  son  of  Samuel  Workman,  m.  Sylvia  E.,  daughter  of  John  Ham, 
of  Salisbury,  Oct.  23,  1861;  is  a  dry  goods  and  grocer  merchant  in  the  firm 
of  Workman  and  Weeks,  in  the  old  woolen  mill  store.     Children  : 

6.  Josephine,  b.  Mar.  14,  1866.  7.  Jennie  G.,  b.  Sept.   5,  1867. 

4.  James  S.,  son  of  Samuel  Workman,  m.  Maria  L.,dau.  of  Allen  A.  Clark, 
Jan.  I,  1866,  and  is  a  merchant  tailor  in  the  Coe  furniture  block.      Ch.  : 

8.  Samuel  Clark,  b.  June  11,  1871. 


ERRATA. 

Capt.  Epaphras  Sheldon,  p.  225,  should  be  Capt.   Epaphras  Loomis. 

Dennis  Coe,  p.  266,  should  be  Demas  Coe. 

In  biography  of  Daniel  Wyatt  Hudson,  it  should  read,  born  in  the  parsonage  at  Torringford, 

then  owned  by  Dr.  E.  D.  Hudson. 
Page  669,  No.  19,  John,  should  be  Jonathan. 
Page  671,  No.  91,  m.  Kohh. 


INDEX. 


Aables,  Ellen,  295. 
Abbey,  Henry  S.,  285. 
Abbott,  Augusta  L.,  294. 
Ad  die,  394. 

A.  V.  R  ,  116. 

B.  T.,  116. 
Abiel,  8. 

Franklin,  279,  289. 
Pardon,  236 
Sarah  Jane,  294. 

S.  W.,  293. 
Abeling,  Auguste,  128. 

Julius  W.,  128. 
Abernethy,  Dr.  Andrew,  137. 

C.  L.,  287. 
Elisha  S.,  151,  275. 
Lucy  S.,  284. 
Mary.  46,   128. 
Mary  L.,  289. 
Orrel,  45,  128. 
Russell  C,  45,    67,  96, 

122,  128,    162,    163, 
246,   247,   266,   267, 
269,  306,  307,  479. 
Sarah,  156. 

Dr.Wm.,  155,  156,307. 
Academies,  146,  147. 
Academy,  the  brick,    148. 
Academy,     Torrington,     67, 

147- 
Adams,  Augustus.   288. 

Asa  G.,  122,  128,  276. 

Diana,  128. 

Mary,  57. 

John,    309. 

John  H.,  289. 

Matthew,  72. 

Olive,  128. 

Susannah,  293. 
Adamson,  Rev.  W.   L.,  124. 
Addis,  George,  277,  286. 

Orphenia  S  ,  57. 

Samuel,  273. 
Aden,  Giles  D.,  278. 
Adkins,  Chester  R.,   278. 
Adt,  Catharine,    128. 

Ferdinand,     127,     128, 
165. 

John,    165. 

Louis,  165. 

Louis  J.,  127. 


Advent  church  at  Newfield, 

74- 
Advie,  Rev.  S.  G.,    314. 
Agard,  Abigail,  279. 

Arthur  B.,  126. 

Benjamin,  272,  287. 

Bradley  R.,  105,  112, 
126,  163,  236,  267, 
270,  287. 

Elizabeth,  42,  279. 

Hezekiah,  279,   298. 

James,  298. 

John,   298. 

Mary,  279. 

Rhoda,  70. 

Salmon.  222,   271. 

Sarah,  279. 

Susan  C,  297. 
Alcott,     A.     Bronson,    357, 

363- 
Aldrich,  Calvin,  290. 

Wm.,  278. 
Alender,  Andrew,   294. 
Alldis,  Charles,  165,  296. 

Thomas  J.,  165,  296. 

James,    107,    163,    165, 
168,   267. 
Allen,  Albert,  296. 

Dwight  M.,  296. 

Giles  D.,  290. 

Homer  C,    292. 

Henry  J. ,126,  162,  297. 

Laura,  128. 

Phebe  S.,  46. 

Wm.  H.,  128. 
Allyn,  Abigail,  42. 

Alexander,   8. 

Amelia,  284. 

Annis  M.,    287. 

Chjuncy,  45,  275. 

Elizabeth,  42,  44. 

George,  222,  234. 

Gilbert,  273. 

Hannah,  43. 

Henry,  274*  2.83,  298. 

Jonah,  277. 

Joseph,  14,  27,  43,  44, 
90,  105,  134,  244, 
281,  287,  298. 

Joseph,  Jr.,  90,272,276. 

Julia,  283. 


Allyn,  Martha,  297. 

Matthew,  8. 

Nelson,  1 12,   276,  285. 

Noah,  106. 

Oliver,  272,  281. 
Akins,  Henry.  41,  42. 
Alford,  Benedict,  8. 
Alvord,  Aaron,  41. 

Adelaide,  128. 

Almira,  128. 

David,  222,  279. 

Edwin,  166,  167. 

Charles,  107,  126,  128, 
133. 

Harriet,    128. 

Hubbell  B.,  126,  128, 
275. 

John,  245,  246. 

Nelson,  105,  126,  127, 
128,  134,  268,  275, 
278. 

Lavinia,  128. 

Nelson,  Jr.,  126,  164. 
Ambler,  John  T.,  293. 
Anaclete,  Rev.   Father,  138. 
Anderson,  Jerry's  letter,  389. 

Jeremiah  G.,  391. 

John,  391. 

Osborn    P.,  391. 
Andrews,  Emery  A.,  57. 

Harriet,  285. 

John  A.,  362. 

Lyman,  271. 

Samuel,  297. 

Sarah  J  ,  297. 

W.  W.,  426. 
Andrus,  Edward  S.,  296. 

Erskin,  126. 

Charles,  63,  162,  273. 

U.  C,  64. 

Laura  M.,  128. 
Anti-Slavery,  213;   meeting, 
215,    216  ;    at   Tor- 
ringford,  217. 
Appley,  Elisha,  272. 

Elizabeth,  285. 

Ezekiel,  250,272,  281. 

Josiah,  74. 

Lorrain,  165. 

Miles,  274. 

Norman,  275. 


100 


794 


Index. 


Arms,  Rev.  Hiram  P.,  122, 
123.  124,  127,  208  ; 
biography,  309. 

Lucy  Ann,  128. 
Arrow  pond,  68. 
Ashborn,    James,     86,    133, 
162,  267, 288,  291. 

John,  165,  167,  292. 
Ashley,  Henry,  165. 
Atchison,  David  R.,  350,  355. 
Atwater,    Asaph,     27,    223, 
226. 

Charles,  288. 

Edward  A.,  128,  292. 

.Henry,  187. 

Julia,  128. 
Atkins,  Edward,  134,  135. 

Geo.  H.,  296. 

Joel,  273. 
Austin,  Aaron,  26,  183,  229, 
23c,  264,  265. 

Amariah  S.,  289. 

Andrew  D.,  223,  271. 

Anna,  57. 

Buel.  277. 

Charlotte,  282. 

Cyrenus,  223. 

Daniel,  26,  223. 

David,  26,  41,  298. 

Enos,  223. 

Eliphalet,  271. 

Esther,  283. 

Fanny  C,  149,  284. 

Irena,  286. 

Isaac,  223. 

Joseph,  223. 

Joshua,  26,  48. 

Lewis,  97,  273. 

Levi,  223. 

Margaret,   57. 

Nathaniel,  57,  223,  265, 
268. 

Rebecca,  57. 

Robert,  54. 

Samuel,  2d,  223. 

Samuel,    50,    54,     228, 
268. 

Thaddeus,      Dr.,      152, 
294. 
Avered,  Israel,  298. 
Averitt,  Israel,  Jr.,  222. 

Samuel,  223. 

Babcock,  Fitch,   276. 
Bacon,    Rev.    E.    W.,    124, 
I2>',  129. 

James,  42,  271. 

Mary,   128. 
Bailey,  C.  R.,  165. 

Lafayette,  241. 

Tamison,  57. 
Bains,  Enos,  226. 


Baker,  Abby  Jane,  309. 

Henry  B.,  278. 
Balcomb,  Julia,  128.' 
Balcom,  Anson  F..  239. 

Edward  M.,  239. 

J.  H.,  165. 
Baldwin,  Abner,  226. 

Amanda,  128. 

Clarissa,  423. 

David,  122,  123,  127, 
128. 

E.  A.,  112,  127. 

Elizabeth,  128. 

George,  32,  227,  228, 
230,  271. 

Lyman,  27. 

Nathaniel,  21. 

Patience,  44. 

Sarah,   123. 

Sarah  A..  123,  127,  128. 

Truman,  274. 

William,  275. 

Wm.  F.,  134. 
Balker,  John  F.,  277. 
Ball,  Almira,  284. 

Joel,  275. 

Lazarus,  272. 
Bancroft,  Charles  T.,  277. 

Charlotte,  283. 

Chester,  44,  273. 

Ephraim,42,  64,  65,66, 
152,  222,  224,  264, 
267,  271. 

Dr.  Erastus,  152,  248, 
274,471  ;  biog.,  310. 

Jerusha,  44. 

J.  K.,  57. 

Moses,  273. 

Noadiah,  161,222,227, 
271,  310,  447. 

Oliver,  222,  235,  236. 

Dr.  Oliver,   152. 

Rachel,  44. 

Dr.  Reuben,  152. 

Warren,  274,  284. 
Bands  of  music,  133. 
Band,  went  to  the   war,  167. 
Bangs,  Rev.  Heman,  74. 
Baptisms,  19. 
Baptists,  37. 
Barber,  Abij.ih,  171. 

Adaline,  289. 

Athalia,  J 28. 

Alvin  E.,  128. 

Anna,  128. 

Alzadj,  44. 

Dr.  A.  E.,  127,  128. 

Benham,  126,  134. 

Chester,  57. 

Chester  H.,  57. 

Chloe,  42. 

Diana,  128. 


Barber,  Eli,  32,  34,  271. 

Elihu,   63,  72,76,271. 
Elihu,  Jr.,  274. 
Elijah,  31,  34,  42,  222, 

271. 
Eliza,  46. 
Elizur,    122,    123,    126, 

127,  128. 
Elkanah,  74,   86,    135, 

275. 
Hannah,  128. 
Hector,  128. 
Henry,  241. 
Hiram,  275. 
Jenette  S.,  57. 
John,  57,  272. 
John  C,  57,  77,  275. 
John  W.,  95. 
Mrs.  Julia  A.,  128. 
Maria  E.,    57. 
Manilla,  57. 
Marvin,  40,  274. 
Mary,  128. 
Mary  E.,  128. 
Milo,  46. 
Milo   F.,  239. 
M.  F.,  164. 
Myron  Elbert,  128. 
Nathaniel,    16,    18,    19, 

31,  40,  51,223,  226, 

230. 
Nathaniel  Jr.,  236. 
Orson,  74,   275,  567. 
Polly,  123,  127,  128. 
Roger  C,  267,  270. 
Sarah,  57. 
Sarah   B  ,   57. 
Sheldon,  275. 
Timothy,    32,   34,    35, 

o  2,2. 

Walter  L.,   128. 
Willard    H.,    81,    164, 

175- 
Willard  O.,  57. 

Ursula,    57. 
Barbour,  Henry  S.,  128,  159, 
266,   267. 

H.  L.,  126,  127. 

H.  S.,  150. 

Herman  N.,  160. 

John    H.,    128. 

Rev.  John,   127. 

Rev.  John  H.,  151. 

Parmelia,   128. 
Barclay,  Louisa,    128. 

Robert,  167. 
Bariclau,  Wm.,  166. 
Barlow,    A.  E.,  149. 
Barnes,  Harvey,  165. 

Henry,   165. 
Barrett,  Andrew,  241. 

Elizabeth  M.,  297. 


Index. 


795 


Barrett,  Joseph,  122,  128. 

Joseph  H.,   283. 
Bartlett,  Samuel,  16,  27. 

William,  26,  57. 
Bartholomew,  Jeremiah   H  , 
128. 

J.  H,  10.1. 

Pully,   128. 
Bassett,  Rev.  Archibald,  312. 

Mrs.  E.  C,  312. 

R.  M.,  190. 
Batchelder,  Dr.  John  P.,  502. 
Bates,  Mary  L.,  57. 

Nathaniel,  128. 

Rowani,   128. 
Battell,  Charles  I.,  151. 

Charles  T.,  159. 

Joseph,    76  ;   biography, 
420. 

Sarah,  57,  520. 

Wm.,  57,76,  159,  265, 
266,  268,  272. 

Wm.  Jr.,  265,  266. 
Beach,   Capt.   Abel,    14,    16, 

^8,   33.   34,  36,    40, 
51,  66,  67,  68,   141, 

202,  230,  270,    422. 
Abel  Jr.,  34,  222,  271, 

272. 
Adna,  32,  34. 
Adna,  Jr.,  163. 
Almeda,  45. 
Anan,  273. 
Baker,  84. 
Betsey,   44. 
Benj.,     42,    231,     227, 

230,  244,  271- 
Content,  128. 
David,  278. 
Ebenezer  W.,  276. 
Edmund,  251. 
Esther,   70. 
Experience,  42. 
Fisk,  77,  163. 
George,  274. 
George   W.,    biography, 

194. 
Hannah,  45 
Harriet,  128. 
Mrs.  Huldah,  158. 
James,  151,  222. 
Rev.     James,    40,     43, 

471  ;  biography,  422. 
John,  32,  34,   42,   222. 
John  Jr.,  272. 
Joseph,  16,40,  51,  271. 
Joseph,  Jr.,  222. 
Julius,  273. 
Levi,  44,  63,  272. 
Loomis  B.,  47. 
Lucy,  47,  57. 
Lurandus,  128,  277. 


Beach,  Lydia,  251. 

Martha,  35. 

M.iry,   128. 

Mercy,  43. 

Miles,  162,  243,  272. 

Miles,  Jr.,  274. 

Rev.  Mr.,  115. 

Nancy,  154. 

Nathan,  40. 

Noah,  222,  233,  271. 

Samuel,  31,  34,  42,  90, 
122,  222,  227,  247, 
270,  272. 

Sabra,  275. 

Sheldon,  278. 

S.  Y.,  187. 

Thearon,  78. 

Wait,    32,    34,    35,    40, 
43,     158,     221,    228, 
230,  265,  268. 
Beardsley,  Jabez,  271. 

M.,  187. 
Beckwith,  Dr.,  153. 

Garwood  H.,  275. 

J.  G.,  134. 
Beecher,  James  E.,  128. 

Dr.  L.,  207,  462. 
Beers,  Alfred,  biog.,  195. 

Alfred  B.,   196. 

Amos  S.,  biog.,  196. 

Carrie,  128. 

Charles  W.,   196. 

Herbert  S.,  197. 

Horace  A.,  128,  165. 

Jonathan,  196. 

Leander  J.,   196. 

Will.e  H.,  197. 
Belding,  Hart  H.,  276. 
Bell,  James,  163,  165. 
Bellamy,  An^eline,  128. 

Cornelius,  164. 

Harvey  F.,  252. 

Joseph,  17. 
Bellows,  Isaac,  72,  272. 
Benedict,  Aaron,  425. 

Benj.,  229. 

Bushniel,  32,  34,  42, 
224,  228,  236,  270. 

Charles,  165. 

Charles  M.,  187. 

Daniel,  222,  236. 

Lucina  L.,  57. 
Benham.  Jane  Ann,  128. 
Benjamin,  Nathan,  279. 
Bennett,  Benoni,  286. 

Dr.  A.  W.,  470. 

John,  279. 

Laura  E.,  297. 

Mary  E.,   290. 

Nonidan,  289. 

William  M.,  278,   290. 
Benton,  Belah,  226. 


Berg,  Anne,  129. 

Emma,  129. 

Martha,  129. 

Mary,   128. 

Theodore,  128. 
Berry,  Edwin  A.,  164. 

Fanny  M.,  128. 

Lu:y,  128. 

Rev.  S.  v.,  135. 
Berthold,  Folk,  167. 
Bigelow,  Frederick,  226. 
Biographies,  307. 
Bird,  Capt.  Joseph,  21. 
Birge,  AUstyne,  57. 

Aranda,  272. 

Celia  M.,   57. 

Chester,  273. 

David,  41,  48. 

Edward  B.,  267,  270. 

Eliza  M.,  57. 

Experience,  57. 

Geo.  H.,  277. 

Jeremiah,  8. 

John,  25,  41,  48,  50, 
51,  181,  225,  226, 
230,  270. 

John  Jr.,  223. 

Julia,    57. 

Leverette,  273. 

Luther,  57,  274. 

Marther,  57. 

Mary,  225,  234. 

Nathaniel,  57,   275. 

Ransley,  274. 

Roswell,  57,  164,  274. 

Sally,  57. 

Simeon,   236. 

Simon,  57,  223,  271. 

Speedy,  285. 

Willard,  66,  144,  275. 

Willard  H.,  416. 

W.  W.,  127,  368. 
Bishop,     Alfred,    185,    187; 
biography,  191. 

E.  F.,   190,  192, 

John  D.,  163,  165,  168. 

Leander,  195. 

W.  D.,  190,  191,    195. 

Wm.,  168. 
Bissell,  Benj.,  25,  28,  50,  51, 

75,    145,   ^3°,    ^33, 

270,  299. 
Benj.  Jr.,  223. 
Benoni,  8. 
Calvin,  226. 
Catlin,  63,   273. 
Dr.  Charles  R.,   152. 
Charlotte,  57. 
Cyrus,  273. 
Daniel,  10,  14. 
Daniel,  Jr.,  8. 
David,  8. 


796 


Index. 


Bissell,  Eben'r,  223,226,  228. 
Edwin,  273. 
Elijah,  228.  236,  271. 
Eliphaz,   223. 
Dr.  Eliphaz,  152,   1 53. 
Elisha,  223,  271,  272. 
Esther  Ann,  57. 
Ezekiel,  57. 
Ezekiel,  Jr.,  223,  230. 
Fanny,   57. 
Fitch,  273. 
Gaylord  G.,  278. 
Dr.  Gaylord  G.,    152. 
George,  163,  273. 
George    P.,     105,    122, 
167,  269,    270,   27s, 
295. 
Harriett,  57. 
Harry,  275. 
Henry,    192. 
Hezekiah,  223. 
Dr.  Hezekiah,   153. 
Isaac,  Jr.,  64. 
John,   226. 
John  L.,  276,  292. 

Dr.  John,  153. 
Jonathan,  8. 

Leonard,  274. 
Lucius,  57,  276. 

Lucius  E.,  241. 
Lucy,  123,  129. 

Mrs.  Lucy,  127. 
Lucretia,  57. 

Luther,  104,  122,    134. 

Mary  S.,  57. 

Milicent,    57. 

Oliver,  223,  271. 

Peletiah,  273. 

Peter  M.,  57,  273. 

Porter,  148,  274. 

Return,  223,  226,  271. 

Rhoda,  57. 

Roderick,  57,  152,  163, 
267,  274. 

Rosetta,  287. 

Roxa,  44. 

Ruth,  57. 

Sarah  Comstock,  57. 

Sarah    Patton,  57. 

Virgil  R.,    165,   279. 

William,   164,    275. 

Zacheus  W.,  266. 
Black  Jack,    345,  346,  349- 
Blair,  Charles,  testimony  con- 
cerning John  Brown, 
365. 
Blake,  Barzillai,  272. 

Jesse,   272. 

Joseph,  31,42,89,  221. 
Blakeslee,  John  R.,  239. 

Julius  A.,    164. 

Leonard,    122,   127. 


Blakeslee,  Marther  E.,  57. 

Rumina,  129. 
Bloodgood,    Rev.   John,   113. 
Bogert,  Minard  Van  De,  274. 
Bogue,  Deborah  C,  129. 
Boies,   David,    154. 

Nancy  C  ,  i  54. 
Bolster,  Cornelia    E.,    129. 
Bool,   Isaac,    142. 
Booth,  Elisha  S.,  46. 

Elvira,  46. 

George,   275. 
Bordwell,  Joel,  529. 

Rev.  Joel,  528. 
Bostwick,  Philomela,  44. 

William,  272. 

Dr.  William,   153,  516. 
Botanic  productions,  173. 
Boughton,  William  L.,  278. 
Bowne,  George  H.,  277. 

J-,  4^- 
Noah,  41. 

Boyd,  James  M.,  164. 

John,  187. 

Sidney  S.,  294. 
Brace,   Ariel,  42,   222,   227. 

Elizabeth,  229. 

Ellen  Ann,  57. 

Mary  Ann,  57. 

Harlan,   272. 

Harlan  H.,  278. 

Pearley,  129. 

Rodney,   81,  133,    134. 

Truman,  273. 
Brad,  John,  275. 
Bradford,    A.  G.,    129,    278. 

Wm.,  315. 

Rev.  Wm.,  474. 
Bradley,    Albert,    134,    266, 
274. 

Amos,  161. 

Clarissa,   283. 

Elnora,  129. 

Emily,  157. 

Mary,  129. 

Samuel,  133,    134,   162, 
I  63,  306. 

Samuel   [r.,  277. 

Seymour,  272. 
Bradshaw,  Margaret,  293. 

Wm.,  241. 
Brady,  A.  G.,  162. 

Allen  G.,  95,  96,    134, 
240,241  ;  biog.,  423. 

Rev.  Father,  138. 

Rev.  John,  136. 

Wm.  G.,  240. 
Brandy  hill,  66. 
Brandy,  its  effects,  204;  still, 
Abner  Loomis's,  202. 
Brass  Foundcry  at  Cotton  hol- 
low, 80. 


Bray,  Hannora,  296. 
Brick  making,  83. 
Briggs,  Ellen,  129. 

Lewis,  166. 
Brinsmade,  520. 

Daniel,  23,  36. 

Daniel  B.,  520. 
Bristoll,  Chester,  129,    276. 
Brittain,  Alfred  B.,  185. 
Bronson,    Ashbel,   70,    222, 
271. 

Bethesda,  70. 

Casimer  H.,  305. 

Charles  A.,  57. 

Henry,  190. 

Hiram,  276. 

Isaac,  74. 

Luther,  1 16,  267. 

Lyman,  74. 

Mark,  166,  167. 

Mary  J.,  57. 

Michael,  116. 

Noah,  184. 
Brooker,  A.  S.,  126. 

Albert  F.,  165,  238. 

Alexander  M.,  201. 

Andrew  J.,  239. 

Annie,  129. 

Arthur  S.,  129. 

Charles    F.,    104,    126, 
129,  165,  267. 

Chester,  89,    126,    129, 

134- 
Ella  T.,  129. 
Francis  L.,   129. 
Frank  R.,  238. 
John,  63,  89,   90,    148, 

203,  272. 
Julia,  129. 
Huldah,  129. 
Maria,  129. 
Maria  L.,  129. 
Marion  N.,  129. 
Martin,  134. 
Mary,   129. 
Mary  L.,  129. 
Mehitable,   129. 


Russell,  275. 


126, 


Samuel,   89,    122 
270. 

Samuel  Jr.,  134. 
Brooks,   171,  172. 

Brothers  Bankers,  112. 

H.  P.,  488. 

Heman  P.,  165. 

Isaac  W.,  112. 

J.  W.,  87. 

John  W.,  112. 

Ruth,  123,  128,  129. 
Brothwell,  Addie,  129. 

J.  G.,   127,    165,    167, 
168. 


Index. 


797 


Brothwell,  Joseph,  168. 

J.  W  ,  163. 

Joseph  W.,  165. 

R.  N.,  165. 

Wm.,  168. 

William  H.,  165. 
Brown,  Capt.,  318. 

Daniel,  81,  278. 

David,  41. 

Frederick,  3  I  3. 

Frederick  W.,  277. 

Jason,  326. 

Jeremiah,  274,  356. 

Capt.  John,  159. 

John,  217,  313,  314, 
316,  317,  516;  me- 
moir of  3155  birth 
place,  318  ;  letter  to 
a  young  friend,  3185 
Emerson's  lines  ap- 
plied to,  324;  his 
children,  326  ;  testi- 
mony to  his  early 
character,  32S  ;  spirit 
of  pilgrims,  330  ;  key 
to  unlock  the  fetters 
of  slavery,  331  ;  and 
the  wool  growers,  333; 
settlers  at  North  El- 
ba, 334  5  his  Devons, 
337  J  studies  battle- 
fields, 338  ;  words  of 
advice,  League  of 
Gileadites,  339;  in 
Kansas,  342  ;  Owen, 
Jason  and  Frederick, 
removed  to  Kansas, 
343  ;  his  company  of 
warriors,  347  ;  the 
fight  at  Osawatomie, 
351  ;  fight  at  Law- 
rence, 353  ;  his  "  soul 
is  marching  on,"  359; 
favorite  hymn,  363  ; 
money  raised  in  Mass., 
364;  contract  for 
pikes,  365  ;  meets 
Senator  Sumner,  366 ; 
startling  proposition, 
370;  his  letter  to 
Theodore  Parker, 

372  ;  Kansas  rifles 
375  ;  his  kindness  to 
Mrs.  Timmons,  375  ; 
meets  Boston  friends, 
375  J  his  letter  to  F. 
B.  Sanborn,  377,  380; 
his  whistles,  377  ; 
parallels  in  A'.  T. 
Tribune,  38 1  ;  meets 
Senator  Wilson,  383; 
Virginia       campaign, 


386  ;  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  390,  391  ;  at- 
tacks Harper's    Ferry, 

397,  398.  399;  1*^"" 
to  Rev.  Luther  Hum- 
phrey, 403  ;  A.  B. 
Akott's  description  of, 
408  ;  last  letter  to  his 
family,  409  ;  last 
speech,  41 1  ;  the 
burial  of,  a  poem,  41  3. 

John  Jr.,  326,  361, 
390  ;   insane,    346. 

Oliver,  336,  337,  391. 

Oliver   O.,  317. 

Owen,    43,    313,    327, 

344,  39°-  39'- 
Osowatomie,    217,  351. 

Peter,  315,  316. 

Priscilla,  315. 

Ruth,  43. 

Solomon,  317. 

Stephen,  6i. 

Thomas  W.,  242. 

Watson,      391  ;       letter 
from,  396. 
Brownwell,  T.  C,  135. 
Bryant,  William,    126. 
Buchanan,  President,  370. 
Buckingham,  Governor,  424. 

Scorield,    187. 
Buckland,  Nicholas,  8. 
Buckley,  Wm.  E.,  296. 
Buel,  Hyman,  277. 

Norman    B.,  46. 
Buell,  George  W.,  1  64 

Jesse,  251. 

Jonathan,   251. 

Joseph  C,  129. 

Maria,  513. 

Mary,    129. 

Norton  J.,  187. 
Buf^um,   Arnold,   215. 
Bulkley,  Daniel  B.,    134. 
Bull,  Russell,   90. 
Bullin,  Geo.  W.,  290. 
Bunnel,  Wm  ,    162. 
Burdett,  Riley,  43  I. 
Burgess,  Rev.  Ebenezer,  561. 
Burke,   Edmund,  legal  argu- 
ment, 431. 
Burleigh,  Charles  C.   ,508. 
Burlock,  Thomas,  185,  187. 
Burnham,  Otis,   275. 

Gordon  W.,  426. 
Burns,  Daniel.    135. 
Burness,  Daniel,  278. 
Burr,  Aaron,  469. 

Allyn,  274,  275. 

Almira,  58. 

Alonzo,  58. 

Ann  S.,  58. 


Burr,   F.  Ella,  58. 

Fanny  Taylor,  58. 
Francis,  278. 
Franklin,   58. 
George  A.,  58. 
Hiram,  58,  77,  275. 
Hudson,  151,  159. 
J.  M.,  83,  84. 
John,  26,  28,  48,   226, 

230.  494.  498.  500- 

John,  Jr  ,  223,  271. 

JohnM.,  165,267,270, 
360. 

Joshua,  164. 

Lavina,  58. 

Lucius,  58,  278. 

Lyman  L.,    129. 

Marther,  58. 

Mary,  58,  129. 

Mary  A.,    58. 

Mehitable,  58. 

Milo,    58,   77,   83,    84, 
269,  274. 

Reuben,  223,  230. 

Rial,  274. 

Rufus,  58,  159,  275. 

Russell,  63,  272. 

Salmon,  272. 

Samuel,  126,  129,    162, 
164,  226,  278. 

Sarah,  58. 

Sarah  J.,  58. 

S.  P.,    134. 

Tabitha,  57. 

Uri  C,  58,  277. 

Uriel,  74. 
Burr's  Reservoir,  83. 
Burrall,  Wm.  P.,  185. 
Burrville,    83. 
Burwell,  Ellis,  58,  77. 
Burying  ground,  Torringford, 

53- 
Business  centers,   64. 
Butler,  Frank  W.,    168. 

William,  165. 
Button  shop,  96. 
Byard,  Hannah,  442. 

Cabot,  Dr.,  359,  360. 
Cadwell,  Peletiah,  62. 

Peletiah  Jr.,  273. 

Chester,  277. 
Cady,  James  F.,  165. 

Norman,  105. 
Calhoun,  Clarissa,  129. 

J.     F.,    96,     112,     126, 

129,     146,     267,    278, 
306,  307. 

Sarah,  129. 

Sarah  C,  i  50. 
Calkins,    Dr.    A.  M.,    153; 
biography,  425. 


798 


Index. 


Calkins,   Alfred,  239. 

Edward,  275. 

Jane  A.,  58. 

Newton  A.,  240. 
Callan,  Rev.  M.  J.,  39. 
Gallic,  Rev.  Father,  137. 
Camp,  Albert  W.,  296. 

Bela,  271. 

Hannah,  494. 

J.  C,   187. 

J.  M.,  126. 

Jabez,  129. 

Lottie  E.,  129. 

Mary,  129. 

Mary  T.,  129. 

Martha,  129. 

Wallace  H.,  149. 
Camp  meeting  in  Goshen,  1 14. 
Canfield,  Rev.  Mr.,  114. 

George,  276. 
Carding  mill,     105;     Hunt- 

ingtons,      86;      Joseph 

Blake's.  89. 
Carhart,  Jeremiah,  430. 
Carr,  Aralzaman,  277. 

Clement,  58,  273. 

Jedediah,  58. 

Luman,  274. 
Carriage  shop,  104;  Wright- 

ville,  82. 
Carring,  David  W.,    277. 
Carrington,  David,  129. 

Lewis,  276. 

Mercia,  129. 
Carroll,    Edward,    241,   293. 

Richard,  I  39. 
Carson,  J.  L,,  127,  165. 
Cartridge,  Anson,  277. 
Case,  Fred,  72. 

Dr.  Jairus,    153. 

Jairus,  275. 

Luke,  72. 

Waltun,   163. 
Castle,  Edward  C,  238. 

Mary  E.,  129. 

Nancy,  129. 

Ransom  W.,  277. 
Catlin,  Abel,   226. 

Asahel,  226. 

Charles,  278. 

Imogene,  129. 

Theodore,  226. 
Caul,  Nelson,  276. 
Chamberlain,  Levi,    515. 
Chapin,  Sarah  L.,  129. 
Chapman,  Chief  Justice,  334. 

Edward,    8. 

George  P.,  I  65. 

Luman,  277. 
Chase,  George,  272. 
Chestnut  Ridge,  169,  170. 
Cheever,  Frederick,   241. 


Childs,  Harriet,  44,  440. 

Heman,  274. 

Dr.  Samuel,    153. 

Timothy,    153. 
Chipman,  Mary  P.,  129. 

Rev.  R.  M.,    124,  129, 
216. 

Dr.  S.  W.,  153. 
Chittendon,  H    A.,  466. 
Choate,  Rufus,  333. 
Church,  Charles  F.,  89,  127, 
267. 

Charles  L.,  129. 

Charles  S.,  122,  276. 

Charlotte,  129. 

Geo.,   163. 

Geo.  W.,  128,  278. 

W.  A.,  165. 

Henry  A.,  165. 
Church,  the  first  in  Tor.,  17 
members     fiist,      18 
first    organized,     19 
hemlock,       22,     23 
Torrington,    29,     30 
Torringford,  48;  Tor- 
ringtord  organized,  53, 
54;   Wrightville,  82 
Congreg'itional,     34 
in  Wolcottville,  i  21 
organized,  123  :    Bap- 
tist  at    Newfield,  70  ; 
Methodist,    at     New- 
field,    72  ;    Episcopal, 
its  constitution,    133; 
its  origin,  133;  Catho- 
lic, I  36  i   St.  Francis, 
139. 
Churchill,  Hobart,  127. 

James,  240. 

Lucy  J.,  129. 
Clap,  Roger,  2. 
Clapp,  Joshua,  95. 
Clark,  Abel,  153,  223. 

AUyn  A.,  277. 

Almira,  58. 

Charles,  275. 

Charles  L.,  277. 

Chester,  273. 

Converse,  58,  275,  283. 

D.  W.,  167. 

Dexter,  166. 

Dexter  W.,  164. 

Rev.  E.  S.,  124. 

Dr.  Elisha,   153. 

Erwin  B.,  129. 

John,  276. 

Rev.  Laban,    114,  116; 
biography,   117. 

Lucius,  149. 

Lyman,  85,  86,  134. 

Lyman  L.,  277. 

Mary,  8. 


Clark,  D.  W.,  126, 

Rhoda  R  ,    129. 

S.  L.,  97,  165. 

Samuel,  228. 

Sarah,  487. 

Sidney  L.,  126. 

Truman  P.,  165. 

Victorianus,   127,  129. 
Clay,  Heniy,  523. 
Clay  beds,  176. 
Cleaveland,  Charles   F.,  241. 

Dyer,  226. 

James  C,  163. 
Clemence,  Welcome,  274. 
Clemens,  Fidelia,  129. 

Hiram,  129. 
Cleveland,  J.  R.  McD.,  58. 

James  C,  58,  163. 

L.  C,  58. 

Mary,  58. 

S.  J.  Taylor,  58. 
Clockmaking,  80,  81. 
Cobb,  Hiram,  278. 
Codling,  Robert,  1 1 6. 
Coe,  Abigail,  41. 

Abijah,  274. 

Abijah  and  Sibyl,  425. 

Abner,  271. 

Andrew,  167. 

Asahel,  274. 

Caroline,  58. 

Daniel,  73,  115,  216, 
494. 

Rev.  Daniel,    113,  114. 

Demas,  96,  134,  266, 
269,  273. 

E.  T.,  165. 

Ebenezer,    14,    16,    18, 

32.  34.  35.  40,  51, 
229,  230,  244,  270, 
275. 

Edward  T.,  104. 

Miss  Eunice,  144. 

Harvey,  63. 

Henry,  134. 

Henry  P.,  104,  286. 

Israel,  loi,  102,  122, 
129,  153,  162,  163, 
273;  biog.,  425. 

J.,  18. 

James  R.,  134. 

Jane,  40. 

Job,  272. 

John,  494, 

Jonathan,    13,    14,    15, 

32.  34,  40,  51.  72, 
2i5,  264,  270. 

Jonathan,  Jr.,  42,  144. 

Joseph,  494. 

Julia  E.,   58, 

Lemuel  E.,  278. 

LlUie,  129. 


Index. 


799 


Coe.  L.  W.,  89, 97,  102, 103, 
104,  112,   134,  266, 
512;    biography,  426. 
Mary,  41,  434. 
Nancy,  46,  129. 
Nancy  E.,  45. 
Nelson  W.,  165. 
Norman,  164,  274. 
Norris,  163,  273. 
N.  W.,  104. 
Oliver,  42,  72,  164,272. 
Robert,  42,  494. 
Roger,  72,    164. 
Roswell,  222. 
Russell,  129. 
Seth,     223,    226,    235. 

271. 
Sibyl,  44,  46,  129. 
Sylvester,  274. 
Thomas,  89. 
Wm.,  41. 
Wm.  H.,  305. 
Brass    Co.,     loi,     103. 
Furniture    Co.,     104 
Cold   swaging   process,  108. 
Cole,   Ebenezer,  30,  31. 
Culeman,  James,    116. 
College  graduates,  151. 
CoUicott,  Richard,  2. 
Collier,  Henry,  58. 
Collins,  James  P.,    164. 

John,  240. 
Colonization     society    organ- 
ized, 561. 
Colver,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  216, 

506. 
Colt,  Anson,  58,  164,  269. 
Anson,  Jr  ,  77,  266. 
Chloe,  58,  284. 
George  R.,  58. 
Henry,  77,275. 
Henry  G.,  240,  267. 
Luman,  58. 
Lyman  A.,  165. 
Margaret  E.,  58. 
Combs,  David,  277. 
Henry  F.,   277. 
Cone,  Anderson,  272. 
Caleb,  276. 
Giles  A.,  239. 
R-jfus,  276. 
Council,  Eccl.,  called,  33. 
Conway,  Martin  F.,  363. 
Cook,  Aaron,  42. 
Angeline,  129. 
Ann,  58. 
Anna,  129. 
Ansel,  275. 
Cornelius  D.,   278. 
Elihu,    31,     266,     268, 

269,  271. 
Frank  A.,  165. 


Cook,  George   P.,    165. 

George  W.,  127,  129. 
Gertrude,    129. 
Hannah,  44, 
Harmon,  122,  126,269, 

27c,  275. 
Herman,  129. 
Horace,  278. 
Huldah,  44,  46,  129. 
Jane  M.  Hand,  58. 
Jesse,  223,  267. 
John,    18,    19,    20,    26, 

40,    51,     122,     129, 

148,    163,  222,  223, 

224,  225. 
John,  Jr.,  8,  42,  86,  222, 

270,  272. 
John  Esq.,  170. 
Dea.  John,  25,  64,  221, 

259,   264,   267,  434, 

435.  465   497- 

John  E  ,  349,  391. 

John  M.,  277. 

J.  W.,  128,  134,  266. 

John,  2d,  10,  16. 

John,  3d,  163,  274. 

John,  4th,  274. 

Lewis,  1  26.  277. 

Linus  S.,  44. 

Louisa,  129. 

Louisa  Fuller,  58. 

Lucy  J.,    129. 

Luther,  246,  273. 

Lydia,  129. 

Margaret,  129. 

Mary  E.,  297. 

Morris,  168. 

Nathaniel,  8. 

Morris  H.,   168. 

Orrin  H.,  239. 

Reuben  B  ,  277. 

Riley,  273. 

Shubael,  42,  222,  270. 

Sylvanus,  274. 

Thomas,  275. 

Urijah,    32,    222,    228, 
271. 

Walter  H.,  I29. 

Wm.,  816. 

Wolcott,  277. 

Mrs.  W.  H.,  129. 
Cook's  saw  mill,  86;  street, 64. 
Cooke,  G.  W.,  165. 
Cooly,  Rev.  Mr.,  157. 
Cooley,  Rev.   Timothy,  474. 
Cooper,  Charles,  134,  277. 

Elizabeth,  129. 

Sumner,  74. 
William,  278. 
Copeland,  John  A.,  391. 
Cornwall      Mission      school, 
218,  219. 


Cotton,  Oliver,  42,  222. 
Timothy,  164,  274. 
Cotton    Hollow,  79. 
Covell,  Rev.  J.  F.,  162. 

Rev.  J.  S.,  13s,  136. 
Covey,  Randal,  174. 
Cowles,  Mlbro,  81,  171,  274. 
Albro  W.,    305. 
Angeline  E.,  46. 

Benjamin,  273. 

Burton  T.,  46,  67. 

Chloe,  44. 

G.  P.,   134,  277- 

James,  63. 

Elijah,  44,  67. 

Eliza,  45. 

Elizabeth,    47. 

Mary,  41. 

Samuel,   41. 
Croft,  Rev.   Charles  P.,   39. 
Cross,  John  C,  8. 
Crum,  \'^  illiam,  162. 
Culver,  James,  69. 

Josiah,  187. 
Cummings,    Eljah   T.,    164. 

Herman  L.,  I  64. 

Owen  Jr.,  168. 

Samuel,  227. 
Cummins,    Elijah  J.,  275. 

Jcdidiah,  271. 

Samuel,  271. 
Curtiss,  Alpha,  129. 

Amanda,  58. 

Amelia,  58. 

Benjamin,  274. 

C.  Cecelia,  58. 

Edward,  278. 

Elizur,  57. 

Elizur,  Dea.,  58. 

Elizur      and      Amanda, 
426. 

Ella  A.,  58. 

Emily,  58. 

Dr.  Erskine,  I  54. 

Erwin  W.,   241. 

Eugenia  S.,  58». 

Eunice  Cowles,  58. 

Hannah,  58. 

Hermon,  58. 

Hezekiah  P.,    58. 

Job,  42,    57,  223. 

John,  42,  222,   271. 

Job  Deacon,  58. 

Julius,  58. 

Lorrain,  278. 

Louisa,    58. 

Lucius,  151. 

Rev.    Lucius,    56,    58  ; 
biography,  426. 

Mary,  41,  58. 

Naomi,  58. 

Naomi  R.,  58. 


8oo 


Index. 


Curtiss,  Rufus,  58,  445. 

Sophia,   58. 

Thomas,  41,  51. 

Truman,  154. 

Ursula,  58,  129. 

Uri,  58,  445. 

Warham,    278. 

Warren  277,  425. 

Wealthy,    58. 

Willis,    127, 

Worthy,  129. 

Zebulon,  41,    51,    148. 
Gushing,  Caleb,   333. 

Daily,  Clarissa,  129. 

Ellen  C,  58. 

Harmon,  58. 

Julius,  276. 

Lewis  E.,  241. 

Lois  G.,  129. 

Mercy  L.,  58. 
Damon,  Elisha,  226. 

John,  18,  40. 

Samuel,  18,  40. 

Samuel,  Jr.,  40. 
Dana,  Goodwin,  166. 
Daniels,  Caleb,  277. 

Charles,  277. 

Louisa,  58. 

Sarah  R.,  58. 
Darcy,  Patrick,  297. 
Darling,  Benjamin,  164. 

Dr.  Homer,  470. 
Davenport,    Rev.     Ebenezer, 

54,  56. 
Davey,  John,  165. 
Wm.  T.,  168. 
Davids,  David,  276. 
Davidson,  Ira  A.,   129. 
Davis,  Dudley,  305. 
Henry,  278. 
Isaac,  8. 
Jefferson,  370. 
Davol,  John,  103. 
Day,  Hannah,  129. 

Dr.  Isaac,  154,  235. 
Rev.  Jeremiah,  528. 
Rev.  Samuel,  124,  127, 
278. 
Dayton,  Archibald,  73,  74. 
Arvid,    84,     122,    166, 
276  ;  biography,  428  ; 
melodeon  factory,  84, 
85. 
Charles,  278. 
Harmon,  166,  276. 
Harvey,  278. 
Henry,  68,  273. 
Jonah,   27,  74,   84,  85, 

86. 
John  and  Polly,  428. 
Justin,  167. 


Dayton,  Justus,  166,  277. 

Lewis,  240. 

Kussell,  273. 

Urania,  129. 

Wm.,  166,  167,  168. 
Daytonville.   84. 
Dealing,  Benjamin,  275. 
Deane,  Nicholas.  241. 
Dear,  John,  228,  236,  252. 
Deary,  Henry,  275. 
Deeds,  oldest,  12. 
De  Forest,  Geo.  F  ,  1 87. 
De  Forest,  Samuel,  85. 
De  Forest,  Wm.,  96. 
Dellahant,  277. 
Delliber,  Samuel,  274. 
Delowry,   )ohn,  240,  241. 
Dcming,  Abigail,  58. 

Daniel,  271. 

Ralph,  266. 

Samuel,  42. 
Dennis,  A.  L.,  190. 
Denisoti,  Henry  D.,  276. 
Denny,  Edward,  275. 
Devoe,  Frederick,  165. 

William,  165. 
Dexter,  Wm.,  79. 
Dibble,  Abraham,  8,    16,  25, 
48,  51. 

Daniel,  223,    228,   230. 

^  233,  268,  271,  447. 

Ephraim,  48. 

Isaac  H.,  266,  269,  272. 

Thomas,  48,  5  i. 
Dickinson,  De  Witt  C,  275. 
Dish  mill,  69. 
Dissenters,     in     Torringford, 

62. 
Divisions  of  land,  7,  10  j  pine 

timber,    1 1, 
Dix,  Charles,  68,  271. 
Dole,  George  W.,  360. 
Douglas,  Frederick,  367. 
Dowd,  John,  227. 
Dowell,  Rev.  Mr  ,  462. 
Downs,  Clark  B.,  106,   164, 
270. 

Edwin,  58. 
Drake,  Carlton  T.,  160. 

Chester,  160,  165,  278. 

Edwin  C,  277. 

Hezekiah,  272. 

Jacob,  Jr.,  8. 

Joseph,  8,  41,   70,  222, 
270. 

Moses,  72,  74,  272. 

Noah,  72,  236,  266. 

Noah,  Jr.,  72,  266,  267, 
269. 

Rufus,  273. 
Dudley,  Dennis,  276. 

George,  181. 


Dunbar,   Adaline  L.,  129. 

Bassett,    74,     163,    272. 

Edward   M.,   239,   241. 

George,  277. 

Lyman,  165,    394. 

Linus,  122. 

Lucius,  276. 

Martin,    277. 

Ralph,   274. 

Mrs.  Ralph,   127. 

Ransom  A.,  276. 

Rhuda,   129. 

Riley,  241,  276. 

Solon  G.,  I  65. 
Dunham,  Nathaniel,    2. 
Dunwell,     James,    277. 
Durand,  Hezekiah,    272. 

Julia  G.,  58. 

Laura  P.,  58. 

William,  58,    166,  276. 
Durocher,   Joseph,    239. 
Durwin,     Samuel,     26,     41, 

48. 
Dutton,   Asa,  47. 

Beuly,  47. 

Corridon  L.,  278. 

Sarah,  44. 
Dwight,  Timothy,  185. 
Dye,  Charles  B.,    38,  39. 
Dyer,    George,    I. 

Rev.  Spencer,   O.,     56; 
biography,  423. 

Eastwood.  Rev.   Benj.,    136, 

165. 
Eaves,  Joseph,  177. 
Edmons,  Ebenezer,  277. 
Education,  chapter  on,   141.   . 
Edwards,  Ebenezer,  166. 

Jon'th,  D.  D  ,  36. 
Edgarton,  Isaac,  148,  272. 
Eggleston,  Alexandra  L.,  129. 

Alma,  284. 

Amarilla,  44. 

Benj  ,42,222,253,274. 

Benj.,  Jr.,  8. 

Billy,  72. 

Curtiss,  272. 

Cynthia  A.,  58, 

DaviJ,  72,  272. 

Edward,  41. 

Ethan,  254,  272. 

James,  8,  272. 

Jane,  129. 

Jedediah,  72,  272. 

John,   8. 

Joseph,     72,    74,    222, 
274. 

Linda,  72. 

Lucy,  45. 

Marcus,  275. 

Mary  E.,  58. 


Index. 


8oi 


Eggleston,  Molly,  72. 

Philo,  272. 

Rufus,  275. 

Sophia  D.,  58. 

Timothy,  63. 

Thomas,  Jr.,  8. 
Eldridge,  Rev.  Azariah,  421. 

Emogene,  i  30. 

Hoiace  L.,  i  30,  165. 

Rev.  Joseph,    321,  422. 
Elgar,  Joseph,  8. 
Elliot,  John,  8. 
EUmore,  Abiathar,  58,  63. 

Kezia,  58. 
Ellsworth,  Anna,  58. 

Eaton,  274. 

John,  58,  63,  228,  236, 
274. 

Joseph,  8,  12. 

Philander,  58. 

Ransom  P.,  275. 

Thomas,  27  i. 

Wm.  W.,  483. 
Elmer,  Ann  M.,  130. 

Joseph,  8. 

Peleg,  58,  77,  277. 
Elton,  MariUa,  130. 

John  P.,   187. 

J.  S.,  97. 
Elwell,  Mr.,  89. 
Ely,  Andrew.  228,  236. 

Benjamin,  163. 
Emerson,  Catharine,  58. 

Rev.  Brown,  56;    biog., 

433- 

R-  W.,  357,  362. 
Emmons,  Asa,  226. 

Samuel,  226. 
Engert,  Louisa,  58,  165. 
English,  James  E.,  13^. 
Eno,  Abigail,  8. 

Eliphalet,  148,  265,447. 

Elizabeth,  123,  128,130. 

Hezekiah,    148,  272. 
Ensign,  Frank  R.,  277. 

Robert  E-.,  165. 

R.  F.,  134. 
Estey,  Jacob,  431. 
Ensworth,  Rev.  H.  B.,    136. 
Epstein,  Gustav,  168. 
Estimate  of  money,  253. 
Evans,  David,  276 

Geo.  M.,  240. 

John,  63. 

Orlando  D.,  239. 
Evarts,  Hon.  Wm.   M.,  legal 

argument  431. 
Everest,  Eunice,  130. 
Everitt,  Israel,  25,  41,  51. 

Samuel,    27,    41,     254, 

255. 
Excelsior  Needle  Co.,  86. 


Fairchild,  Jeremiah,  130. 
Farnam,  James  M.,  165. 
Farmer's  Company,  Torring- 

fbrd,    77. 
Farrand,   Rev.   Daniel,    474, 

529. 
Farrell,  Franklin,  ill. 

Maggie,  138. 

Patrick,  239. 
Faxon,  Mrs.,  146. 
Fellows,    Charles     L.,     130, 
149,  150,  166. 

Ephraim,  126,  i  30,  270. 

Francis,  161. 

Harvey,  242. 

Julia,  130. 

Russell  P.,  242. 

Mrs.  S.  C  ,  150. 
Fenn,  Gertrude,  150. 

Sarah,  58. 

Rev.  Stephen,  56  J  biog- 
raphy, 433. 
Fenton,  Harriet,  130. 
Ferguson,  Rev.  Geo.  R.,  56, 

433- 

James,   228. 

Rev.  John,  433. 

Rev.S.  D.,  114. 
Ferris,  Ethan,  191. 
Fielding,  S.  R.,   164. 
FiUey,  Abraham,  41,  42,  57, 
58,   223. 

Amos.  16. 

Isaac,  32,  226. 

Oliver,    32. 

Wm.,  20,  41. 
Finch,  Jesse,  68. 
Finn,  Andrew  T.,    165. 

Theresa   Hofiman,  130. 
Fish,  Geo.  B.,  162. 

George  H.,  127,  165. 
Fitch,  Ebenezer,  8. 

Rev.  E.  T.,  309. 

Samuel,  8. 
Fitten,  Father  James,  136. 
Fitzgerald,  Johanna,  297. 
Fitzpatrick,  John,  241. 
Fleming,  Jennie,  130. 
Fobes,  Mary,   494. 
Fogg,  Sophia  C,  58. 

Mrs.  Sophia  C,    biogra- 
phy, 434. 

Rev.  Geo.  W.,  434. 

William   L.,  278. 
FoUett,  Ann,    180. 

Lewis,  I  30. 

Lucius  B.,  278. 
Foot,  Abraham,  45. 

Anna,  44. 

Asa,  271. 

Edward  A.,  241. 

Rev.  Geo.  L.,  135. 


Foot,  Lucius  H.,  134,  277. 

Roger,  272. 

Samuel,  272. 

Samuel   H.,  274. 

William  F.,  277. 
Foote,  Jane  E.,  58. 
Forbes,    J.    M.,     338,    357, 
358. 

Samuel,  183. 
Ford,  Harvey,  275. 

Thomas,  1. 
Fort,  the,  24. 

Foster,  Abby  R.,   508,    511. 
Foust,  Samuel,  164. 
Fowler,  Desire,  45. 

George,  43  ;    biography, 

439- 
Homer,  275. 

Joseph,  41,  51,  64. 

Noah,  32,   34,  42,  222, 

227,270;    biography, 

434- 

Norman,  44,  162,  272, 
438. 

Dr.  Parleman  B.,  I  54  j 
biography,  441. 

Raphael,   biog.,   441. 

Dr.  Remus  M.,  154, 
502  ;    biography, 439. 

Rhoda,  45,  438,  498. 

Romulus  J.,  biography, 
442. 

Sibyl  C,  44,  438  ;  bio- 
graphy, 442. 

Statira,  44. 

Ursula,   44  ;    biography, 

445- 
Warren   R.,  154,  441  ; 

biography,  436. 

Fox,  Elkanah,  276. 

Francis,  Elisha,  271. 

Frazier,  George,  271. 

Freeman,  Edward,  242. 

Edward  H.,  58. 

Jude,  86,  211. 

Henry  S.,  242. 

Mary,  58. 

Nancy,  283. 

Olive,  I  30. 

Orrin  B.,  306. 

Orinda,  i  30. 
French,     Alfred,     94,     163, 
274. 

Dwight,  187. 

George   W.,    164,   277. 
Friend,  John,  239. 
Frisbie,  Benj.,  226. 

Capt  ,  1 14. 

John,  58,  276. 

Joseph,  27  I. 

Nathaniel,  223. 
Fritcher,  David,  275. 


101 


8C2 


Index. 


Frost,  Selah,  164. 

Ursula,  123,    128,    130. 
Fuessenich,     Fred     F.,    165, 

267. 
Fuller,  Austin  B.,  153. 
Fyler,   Addie,  130. 

Ambrose,  62,  2z6,  230, 

236,  273. 
Esther,   71. 
Florimond  D.,  160. 
Harlow,     69,    73,     74, 
144,    160,  162,    167, 
273  ;    biography,  448. 
John,  8,  71,  271. 
Juba,  273. 
Mary  VaiU,  I  30. 
Nelson,  246. 
Orsamus  R.,   164,   239, 

267,  306. 
M.  W.,  133. 
Mrs.  Polly,  450. 
Rollin,  277. 
Ruben,  273. 
Dr.    Samuel,     62,     154, 

273- 
Shaylor,  276. 

Silas,  70,  271. 

Capt. Stephen,  8,  63,  73, 
74,  162,  181,  182, 
268  ;   biography,  446. 

Stephen  Jr.,    163,   273, 

449- 
Thomas,  8. 

Ulysses,  154,  222,  228, 

308. 

Wells,  275. 

Gaines,  Lester  K.,  277. 
Gale,  Dr.,  311,  312. 

Rev.  Nahum,  521. 
Gamwell,  John  W.,267,  270. 
Gardner,  James,  277. 
Garner,  William  H.,    165. 
Garrison,  Wm.  L.,  215,  357, 

359.  463. 
Gates,  Harriet,  45. 
Gaunt,  James,  133,  134. 
Gaylord,     Benj.,    223,     224, 
228,  236. 
Charles  A.,  130. 
Eleazer,    9,  11,    25,  50, 

5»»  59.  230- 
Elijah,    63,    267,     272, 

273,  529. 
Elizabeth,  130. 
Fanny,  283 
Giles,   273. 

Giles  A.,  126,  130,267. 
Giles  L,  27,  56,57,59. 
Henry,  273. 
Hubert  L.,  59. 
Joseph,  59,86,223,268. 


Gaylord,  Josiah,  8. 
Lucy,  59. 
Margaret,  59. 
Mary  L.,  59. 
Nancy,  59. 
Nathaniel,  8,    27,    147, 

273. 
Nehemiah,  25,  48,   50, 

51. 57.  59.  '45.  223. 
228,  230,  263,  272, 
529. 

Parrelia,  59. 

Rev.  Joseph  F.,  56. 

Rev.  J.  T.,  biog.,    551. 

Ruth,  59. 

Sarah,  59. 

Wm.,  I. 
Gear,  Amos,  126,  130. 
Geary,  governor  ot   Pa.,  353. 
Geer,  Amos  M.,  130. 

Eliza,  130. 

Eunice,  130. 

Mary,    I  30. 

William,  I  30. 
Gems,  precious,  177. 
Geologic      formations,      173, 

174. 
Geology,  chapter  on,    169. 
Gibbs,  Abigail  W.,  59. 

Benjamin,  9. 

Eber,  275. 

Henry,  8. 

J.  F.,  165. 

J.  W.,  309. 

Jabez,  274. 

Samuel,  8. 

Simeon,  226. 

Timothy,  226. 
Gilbert,  Amos,  134. 

Aaron,   164. 

Elias,  63,  83. 

Isaac,  83. 

Sylvester,  183. 

Rufus  W.,   164. 

Wm.  L.,  187. 
Gillett,  Adah,  43,  141,  452. 

Alexander,  46,  68, 
276. 

Amelia,  292. 

Anna,  59. 

Asaph,  266,    268,   272. 

Benoni,  44. 

Betsey,  59. 

Elias,  273. 

Hon.  Francis,  504. 

Horace,  59,  266,  272. 

Horace  C,  275. 

Dr.  Horace  C,  154. 

Isaac,  8. 

Jabez,  41,  50,  228,234, 
2.35.  -44.  265,  267, 
268,  270,  529. 


Gillett,  John,  223,  265,  267, 
268,  307  J  biography, 

459- 
John,  Jr.,  266,  272. 

Jonathan,  8,  48,  316. 

Loraine  Filley,   59. 

Nathan,  9,  43,  91,  244. 

Mrs.   Nathan,  43. 

Nathan,  Jr.,  272. 

Phebe,  44. 

Rachel,  59. 

Rev.  Alex.,  36,  37,  38, 
39.  66,90,  121,  134, 
141,  202,  256,  257, 
471,  572  ;  biography, 

451- 
Rev.  T.  P.,  40,  43,151, 

223,    422,    4715   bi- 

ography,  458. 

Rutus  W.,  278,  305. 

Ruth,  43. 

Salome,  43. 

Zacheus,  43,  272. 
Gilman,  Elias  E.,  277. 
Gitteau,  Mary,  515,  516. 
Gladding,  Stephen,  278. 
Gleason,  Noah,  270. 
Gneiss  and  granite  rock,  175. 
Goff,  D.  N.,  116,  165. 

David,  271. 
Goodman,  Henry,   130. 

Nancy,  128. 

Nancy  S.,  123,  130. 

Rebecca.  123,  128,  130. 

Rev.  E.,  50,  56,  121, 
146,  147,  207,  208, 
218,  460,  500,  502, 
544  J  family  school, 
505. 

Thomas,  62,  223. 
GoodscU,  Dr.,  154,  271,477. 
Goodwin,  A.J.  W.,  95,  276. 

Charles,   225. 

Elijah,  272. 

Elvira,  41. 

George  M.,  275. 

Hannah,  45. 

Harvey,  59,   275. 

Isaac,  62,  63,  223,  244. 

Isaac,   Jr.,  63. 

Leonard  H.,  275. 

Sarah  M.,  59,  295. 

Theodore,  69,  72. 

Virgil  C,  105. 

Warren,  47,  305. 
Goodyear,    187. 
Gore,  Lorenzo,  278. 
Gould,  Eunice,  45. 

Rhodj,  59. 

Rev.   W.    R.,    39,    53, 

494- 
Wm.  R.,  38,  122,276. 


Index. 


803 


Government  in    the  family, 
259,  260,  261,  262, 
263. 
Graham,  John,  8,  17. 
Granger,  Melvin  H.,  394. 
Grannis,  Robert,  34. 
Grant,  Albert,  275. 

Augustus,    73,    74,   81, 

271. 
Charles,  34,  278. 
Daniel,   67,    151,    222, 
228,   230,   231,   233, 
265,267,  520;  biog., 
463. 
Daniel  A.,  81,  287. 
Elder     Miles,   40,     74, 

277  }   biog.,  466. 
Flora  M.,  287. 
Horatio,   274. 
Increase,    31,    34.     35, 

254. 
Ira,  72,  272. 
James,  164,  274,  277. 
John,  164,  275. 
Josiah,  12,  89. 
Mindwell,  35. 
Matthew,   8,    27,    150, 
171,   211,  232,   244, 
247,   248,  266,   270, 
274. 
Matthew  Jr.,  biography, 

465. 
Matthew   H.,  277. 
Sarah,  40. 
Thomas,  89,  159. 
Wm.,  15,  42,  51,    139, 

211,  271,  277. 
Wm.  A.,  81. 
Wm.  Jr.,  222. 
Wm.  St.,   87. 
Zerviah,  87. 
Gray,  Elder,  71. 
Green,  James,   79,    80,    162. 
Greenwoods,  77. 
Greer,  William,  275. 
Griffin,  Clement,  238. 
Edward  D.,  503. 
Rev.  Or  ,  452. 
Grilley,  Marshall,  278. 
Gristmill,   171  ;  at  Newfield, 
69  ;     in      Torrington 
hollow,  81. 
Griswold,     Anna     M.,      59, 
295. 
Daniel,  8. 
Francis,  8. 
Frederick,  287. 
Frederick  A.,  81. 
Harvey  H.,  59. 
Hattie,    150. 
Hezekiah,  16. 
Hon.   Stanley,   56,  469. 


Griswold,  Isabella,   59. 

Isabella  W.,  59. 

Jane,  59. 

John,   9. 

Joseph,   8. 

Julia   A.,    59. 

Laura,  59. 

Leonard,  274. 

Margaret,  59. 

Midian  N.,   278. 

Nathan,    12. 

Nellie  P.,  59. 

Norman,  266,  268,  271. 

Richard  W.,  277. 

Riley,  273. 

Roger,  5,   41. 

Sarah,  59. 

Capt.  Shubael,  25,  28, 
48,  75,  223,  224, 
226,  229,  235,  264, 
265,  267,  270. 

Shubael,  Jr.,  236. 

Stanley,  77,  151,  228, 
277,   305. 

Stephen,  273. 

Thaddeus,  28,  59,  266, 
268,  272. 
Gross,  George  W.,  276. 

Harvey  H.,  276. 

Israel,  274. 

Oliver  E.,  276. 

Sally,  59. 
GrosslofF,  Ferdinand,   241. 
Groves,  Mr.,  523. 

Samuel,  95,  523. 

Samuel  A.,  276. 
Guerin,  Wm.,  296. 
Gulliver,  Fanny  W.,    59. 

Mrs.  Fanny  W.,  469. 

Rev.   Dr.,  469. 

Hale,  Francis  M.,  164,  27S. 
Hall,  Gideon,  59,  160. 

Gordon,  458. 

Joel,  122,  276. 

Joseph  C  ,    276. 

Lyman,  164. 
Halley,  F.  N.,  236. 
Hallock,  Gerard,  325. 

Rev.      Jeremiah,      121, 

325- 

Rev.  Moses,  325. 
Halfway  Covenant,  29,  30. 
Hamlin,  Asa  R.,  276. 

Oliver,  276. 
Hammer  shop,  83. 
Hammond,  C.  A.,  239. 

George,  I  30. 

Harriett,  130. 

Nathan  W.,  164. 

Thomas,  64. 
Hampton,  Wade,  384. 


Hanchett,    Dr.   T.  S.,    130, 

155,    165;    biog.,    470. 
Harding,  James  F.,  276. 

Mr.,  166. 
Hardware    Mfg.  Co.,  iii. 
Harper,  Robert,  386. 
Harrington,   Elizur   D.,    105. 
Harris,  Andrew,  240. 

Daniel,  64. 

James,  275. 

Smith  A..  277. 
Harrison,  General,  483. 

Nelson,  242. 

Noah,  226. 

President,   a    poem    on, 
482. 

Richard,  59,  242. 
Hart,   Betsey,  47. 

David,  69,  171. 

Dennis,  45,  274. 

Henry,   43. 

Jane,  59. 

Laura,  47. 

Miles,  47. 

Nelson,  177. 

Rev.    Luther,     40,  43, 
422,  544  J  biog.,  471. 

Sophia  C.,  130. 

Stephen,  272. 

Victory  C,  47. 

Wealthy  E.,  47. 

Wm.  H.,  239,  240. 
Hartman,  T.,  127. 

Theodore,  165. 
Hart's  hollow,  79. 
Hartshorn,  Joshua,  226. 
Harty,  Andrew,  139. 
Hatch,  Dr.  E.  W.,  154. 
Hathaway,  Anna  F.,    59. 

Mary  E.,  59. 
Hawkins,  Ab-aham,  187. 
Hawley,  Eleazer,  163. 

Frederick  E.,  241. 

Norman,  163. 
Hayden,  Augustine,    59,   63, 
223. 

Dr.  Augustus,  155. 

Austin,  268. 

Charles  H.,  59. 

Cicero,  59,  266,  273. 

Daniel,  9. 

David,  224. 

Ebenezer,   9. 

Helen,  130. 

Luke,  272. 

Henry,   277. 

Hezekiah,  273. 

Hiram,    102. 

James  C,  278. 

Dr.  Moses,  155. 

Nathaniel,  272. 

Dr.  Samuel,  155. 


8o4 


Index. 


Hayden,  Sophia,   59. 

Tullius  C,  59,  276. 

Wm.,  9. 

William  H.,  59. 
Hayes,  Hurlbut  C.,  241. 

James  M.,   240. 

Royal  E.,  305. 
Haynes,    Rev.    Lemuel,    31, 

32.  34,  35>   36,  435; 
biography,  474. 

Hay  ward,  O  ,  126. 
Haywood,   Emily,    130. 
Hazlett,  Albeit,  391. 
Heaton,  Rev.   Mr.,    20,   56. 
Hector,  Fanny,  46. 
Heeley,  Mrs.  John,  138. 
Heganny,  Dennis,   241. 
Hendey,  Arthur,  no. 

H.J.,  165. 
Henderson,  C.  M.,  59. 

Marvin,  274. 

Ruth,   59. 
Hendey,  Henry  J.,  no. 

Thomas,  i  68. 

Machine  Co.,   1 10. 
Hendrican,  Rev.  Bishop,  i  38. 

Rev.  Father,  i  37. 
Hennisee,      Richard,       135, 

136,  137,  277. 
Hern,  John,  240. 
Hewlett,  George  E.,  241. 
Hewitt,  Joshua,  163. 
Hickok,  Rev.  L.  P.,  471. 
Higany,  Michael,  241. 
Higginson,  Col.   336. 

T.  W.,  368,    369,  370, 
372. 
Highways,    180,    181,    i8z; 
through  mast  swamp, 
88. 
Higley,  Isaac,  16,    19,  51. 

Homer,  164. 
Hill,  Edward,  278. 

Eleazer,  9. 

Mary,  i  30. 
Hillard,  Orrin,  276. 

W.  (  .,  165. 
Hills,   Benoni,    30,   31,    32, 

34,  35.  7i.  158- 
Benoni,  Jr.,  271. 
Beriah,  40,  51. 
Eben  M.,  274. 
Ebenezer,  45. 
Fred  O.,  166. 
Frederic  O.,  239. 
Dea.  F.  P.,  14,  25,  40. 

46,    269,    270,    465, 

479- 
Hannah,   i  30,  158. 
Hewitt,  230. 
Lottie,  I  30. 
Lucy  E.,  46. 


Hills,  Mary,  35. 

Medad,  227,  234. 
Oliver,  166. 

O.  s.,  134,277- 

Hine,  Anson,  276. 
Ransom,  246. 
Hinman,  Bela,  272. 

Luman,  163.   274. 
Mary,   130. 
Hinsdale,  Dea.  Abel,  40,  43, 

78,  266,  314. 
Abel  K.,  40,  45,    151, 

276. 
Albert,  487. 
Asenath,  43. 
Aurora  J.,  46. 
Capt.    Elisha,   78,    162, 

265,  266,  487. 
Oilman,  275. 
Gilmore,  45. 
Lorrain,  40,    115,   266, 

274. 
Rev.  A.  K.,  biog.,  486. 
Rev.    Burke    A.,    biog., 

487. 
Hodges,  Alpha,  44. 

Alpheus,  67,   273,  465. 

Delia  C,  47. 

Dr.,  75,  141,  153,  155, 

160,    202,   420,  459, 

520  J  biography,  477. 
Edwin,  276. 
Elkanah,    66,   67,    230, 

235,    266,  268,    271, 

276. 
Erastus,    80,    266,   269, 

272,    307,    480;    bi- 
ography,  479. 
Franklin,  164. 
Henry  E.,  45. 
Laura  M.,  47. 
Levi,  67,  68,  267,  270, 

279. 
Mrs.  Mary,  127. 
Nelson,  240. 
Rebecca,  43. 
Roxa,  43,  46. 
Sally,  biog.,  458.  459. 
Wm.  F.,  151,  160. 
Willard,    46,    67,     151, 

272. 
Hodgton,  Samuel,  165. 
Hoft'man,  Augusta,  130. 
Charles,  130. 
Clemence,  1  65. 
G.  H.  F.,  165. 
H.  F.,  165. 
Holbrook,   Abijah,  77,  183, 
184,  212,  570. 
Mary,  43. 
Sylvanus,  78. 
Mrs.  Sylvanus,  44. 


Holbrook's  Mills,  77. 
HoUis,  Charles,  i  34. 
Holcomb,       Collins,        134, 
276. 
Rev.  Dr.  F.,  133. 
James  H  ,  59. 
Joseph,  273. 
Martha,  9. 
Mary,  130. 
Starr,  276. 
Holley,  E.  H  ,  127,  130. 

Francis     N.,    99,     112, 
126,    134,    187,  267, 
512. 
Lucinda,    130. 
Mary,  130. 
Ransom,  99,  126. 
Hollis,  Charles,  278. 
Holmes,  Ardelia,  130. 

Israel,    loi,    102,    130, 
187,  193,    266  J    bio- 
graphy, 481. 
Joseph,  222,  271. 
Levi,  164,  253,  274. 
Seth,  34,  271. 
Hone,  Mr.,  522. 
Hook  and  Eye  Co.,  96. 
Hooker,  5. 

Rev.  Asahel  P.,  422. 
Noadiah,  227. 
Hooppo,  Thomas,  218. 
Hopkins,  Anna,  59. 
E.  J.,  127. 
Edward  J.,  130. 
Eleanor,  I  30. 
Gertrude  W.,  59. 
Harris,  226. 
Harry  P.,  i  30. 
Harvey  P.,  59,  305. 
Henry,   105,    126,    130, 

267. 
Josiah,  226. 
i-ydia,  59,  130. 
Mary,  130. 
Sarah,  I  30. 
Hopson,  Orrin  L.,  107,  488  ; 

biog.,  487. 
Horgan,  Cornelius,  240. 
Hostord,  Isaac,  18. 
Nathaniel,  64. 
Timothy,  64. 
Wm.,  19,  64. 
Joseph,  72. 
Joseph,  Sr.,  236. 
Thomas,  9. 
Zebulon,  9. 
Hoskins,  Anthony,  9. 
Joseph,  41. 
Mary,  9. 
Hotchkiss,  Amelia,  130. 

Charles,    46,    81,    126, 
127,  130,   267,   270. 


Index. 


805 


Hotchkiss,  Dea.  Charles,  106. 

C.  &  Sons,  105,  106. 

Edward    C,    106,    iz6, 
164. 

Electa,  46,    130. 

Ella,  130. 

Eugene,   168. 

H.   E.,   166,    167,    168. 

Henry  L.,  130. 

Mrs.  H.  L.j  130. 

Laura  N.,  59 

Miss,  149. 
Honest  oxen,  247. 
Hough,  Collis  F.,  238. 

Eiiphalet,  228,  236. 
Houldsworth,  C,  165. 
House,  first  in  town,   12,  25. 
Howd,  Asahel,  274. 
Howe,  Dr.,  377,  384,  385. 
Howe,  Elias,  108. 
Howe,   Dr.  S.  G.,  357,  359, 

371,  372,  373>  374- 
Howe,  J.  J.,  187. 
Hoyt,  Wm.  B.,    116. 

Ira,  274,  278. 
Hubbard,  Betsey,   130. 
Cyrus,  278. 
Dr.,  155. 
Edward,  278. 
James  H.,  275. 
Thomas  J.,  240. 
Hubbell,  George  A.,  278. 
Martha,  130. 
Mary  E.,  493. 
Mrs.  Stephen,  biog.,  491. 
Rev.  Stephen,  124,  127, 
393;    biography,  490. 
Rev.  Wm.  S.,  151,  495. 
Hudson,  Abigail  W.,  59. 

BarziUai,    59,    77,     269, 
270  j   biography,  499. 
Charlotte,  59,  130. 
Content,  59,  145,  223, 

230,  267,  270. 
Daniel,   59  ;  biography, 

293. 
Daniel  Coe,   130,  272; 

biography,  59,  497. 
Daniel     Coe,     Jr.,    bio- 
graphy, 499. 
Daniel      Wyatt,      biog., 

500. 
Dr.  E.     D.,     59,     146, 

^53'  155.  177.  209. 
216,  218,  463,  497, 

499  i  biography,  500  ; 
as  agent  of  anti-slavery 
society,  506 ;  adopts 
as  a  profession,  repar- 
ative surgery,  509  ; 
receives  a  prize  medal, 
510. 


Hudson,  Mrs.  E.    D.,  biogra- 
phy ;    510. 

Martha,  59. 

Manha  T.,  218. 

Rhoda,  59,  130. 

Squire,  329. 
Huke,  Ernest  T.,  165. 

Herman,  168. 

Herman  W.,  163,    165. 

John,    165. 
Hubbard,  Willis,  135. 
Hull,  Asa,  274. 

Andrew  E.,    278. 

Isaac,   222. 
Humphrey  A.,  272. 

Carlton,    163. 

Charles,  G.,  59. 

Chauncey,  69,    161,72. 

Chloe,  59. 

Daniel,  573. 

Daniel  G.,  59,  77,  269, 

155- 
Daniel  P.,  59. 
Dorothy,  59. 
Evan,  130. 

Rev.  Heman,  159,  325. 
Henry  V.  S.,  59. 
James,  164. 
James  D.,  59. 
John,  74 
[oseph  D.,    162. 
L,  59. 
Mary,   130. 
Dr.  P.  P.,    59,  155. 
Philander  P.,  278. 
Silas,  127. 
Solomon,  159 
Hungerford,  Austin,  278. 

Charlotte,  13,    59,  123, 

128. 
D.  L.,  126. 
Elizabeth,  130. 
Frank     L.,    112,     130, 

161,  165. 
H.,  276. 
Helen  L.,  130. 
John,  63,  95,  99,    loi, 

102,   122,    123,   128, 

130,    164,   187,   188, 

426;   biog.,   512. 
Lucinda,  130. 
Mrs.  C.  A.,  126. 
Rev.  Edward,  129,  151; 

biog.,  513. 
Sarah,  123,  128,  I  30. 
Walter  M.,  277. 
W.  S.,  122. 
William,  277. 
Hunting  matches,  243. 
Huntington,  Elizabeth,   130. 
Joseph,  277. 
Rev.  E.,  135. 


Huntington,  Rev.  Jonathan, 

474- 

Rev.  Joseph,  474. 
Hurd,  Henry  B.,  360. 

Philo,    185,    187,    195, 
481  ;    biog.,  192 
Hurlbut,  43. 

Annie,  45. 

Betsey,  45. 

Clarissa,  45. 

Elijah,  271. 

Erastus,  44,  45. 

Eunice,  44. 

Henry,  278. 

Henry  A.,  241. 

Lemuel,  I  62. 

Leonard,   59,  161. 

Levi,  74,  276. 

Robert,  72,  272. 

Samuel,  161. 

Sylvester,  276. 

Thomas,  272,  273. 

William  H.,  274. 
Hurson,  Solomon,  226. 
Huxford,  Charles,  238. 

Miletus,  167,   274. 
Huxley,  Harriet  H.,  46. 

iMilton,  38,  39,  277. 
Humaston,  Esther,  59. 
Humiston,  Timothy,  63,  273. 
Hyde,  George  K.,  238. 

Wm.  H.,  239. 

Ingalls,  Hon.  J.  J.,  353. 
Ingraham,  Louisa,  59. 
Innkeepers,  199. 
Intemperance,    chapter     on, 
199J        early         laws 
against,    200,  201. 
Iredale,  James,  99,  100,  loi. 
Isaiah,    Rev.    Father,     138  ; 

biography,  139. 
Isbell,  Evelina,  130. 

Geo.  M.,    107. 
Ives,  Abner,  223. 

Amasa,  272. 

Benj.,  41,  201. 

Erastus,  272. 

Jonathan,  63,  148,  270. 

Shelburn,  148,  272. 

Trumbull,     134,      148, 
269,  273. 

Widow,  148. 

Jackson,  Henry,  277. 
Jankson,  Roxy,  130. 
Jarvis,  Charles,  514. 

George    O.,    155,    163, 
310,  274;  biography, 

514- 
John,  514. 
Jeffrey,  J.  H.,  165. 


8o6 


Index. 


Jeffries,  John  A.,  i68. 

Joseph,  168. 
Jenkins,  Abner  W.,  275. 

Benjamin,  163. 
Jerome,  Mr.,  247,  248. 
Jokes,  250. 
Jones,  Rev.  Ezra,  135. 

Henry  W.,  130. 

Julia  H  ,  I  30. 

L.  M.,  165. 

Nancy,  59. 

William  B.,  277. 
Johnson,  Addison,  277. 

Asahel  C,  238. 

Caleb,  272. 

Charles,  275. 

Chester,  274. 

Christopher  C,  241. 

C.  H.,  168. 

Daniel,  59. 

Dotha,  44. 

Elisha,  161. 

Elizabeth,  59. 

Elizur,  275. 

Emily  A.,  59. 

Esther,  43. 

Harlow  S.,  239. 

Homer,  278. 

Ira,  Jr.,  275. 

Jacob,   222. 

Mrs.  Jacob,  157. 

Jarvis  B.,   59. 

Jerome  A.,  276. 

Julia  A.,  59. 

Levi  B.,  59. 

Levi  F  ,  59. 

Levi^is,  84. 

Linus,  134,  276. 

Maria,  59. 

Nehemiah,  164. 

Rial,  283. 

Sarah  E.,  59. 

Solomon,  226. 

Uriel,  274. 
Judd,  Charles  H.,  277. 

E.  M.,  127. 

Edward  M.,  I  30. 

Henry,  46,  276. 

Rev.  H.  Q.,  117;  biog., 
119. 

Jane,  130. 

Martin  L.,  239. 

Ralph  P.,  275. 

Timothy,  41. 

Timothy,  Jr.,  42. 

William  H.,  287. 
Judson,  Joseph  R.,  162. 
Juktrs,  James,  239. 
Joyce,  Carolina,  130. 

Daniel  B.,  127. 
Joyner,  Sarah,  515. 


Kansas  committee,  375. 
Kagi,  John  Henry,  391. 
Kearney,  Hugh,  161. 
Keeler,  S.  C,  116. 
Kelley,  Abby,  218. 

Edward,  i  39,  198. 
Kellogg,  Norman,    164. 

Mindwell,  45,   I  30. 
Kelsey,  Daniel,  223. 

Elisha,   223,   226,   228, 
236. 

Jonathan,   26,   48,    50, 

5''.  ^23.  ^71- 
Nathan,  26,  48. 

Nathan,  Jr.,  271. 

Nathaniel,   228,  236. 

Nelson,  271. 

Samuel,  54,  228,  236. 

Samuel,  Jr.,    223,    230, 
236. 

Timothy,  223,  226. 
Kendrick,  Green,  185,    187. 
Kenedy,  Patrick,  240. 
Kennedy,  Dr.  Booth,  391. 
Kerby,  Daniel,  278. 
Kilborn,  Abram,  64. 

D.  C,  127. 

Sarah,  130. 

Samuel,  64. 
Kimberly,  Alanson,  163,273. 

Arthur  M.,  47. 

Lydia,  123,  128,    130. 

Nancy,  44. 
King,  John  C,  240. 
Kingsbury,  F.  J.,  190. 
Kingsley,  Andrew,  274. 
Klasche,  Oswald,  165. 
Knapp,  Mr.,  36. 
Knight,  Rev.  Herrick,  56. 
Kunkle,   Edward  A.,  161. 

Lacy,  Ed.  A  ,  168. 

William  H.,    Jr.,    127, 
165. 
Lackey,  Thomas,  240. 
Laconic  correspondence,  24c. 
Ladd,  Charles  M.,  165. 

Crawford,  277. 

Jane,  131. 
Lafayette,     General,      letter, 

522. 
Lake,   Arthur  L.,  131. 

Jennie,   131. 
Lanagan,  David,  165. 
Land  first  cleared,  12. 
Lane,  James  G.,  3^0. 
Langdon,  Helen  A.,  131. 

John  W.,  126,  131. 

Mary,   131. 
Lamed,  Rev.  Wm.  A.,  421. 
Lathrop,  Caroline,    131. 

Louisa  B.,  131. 


Lathrop,   N.  B.,  105,   126. 

Sarah,  i  31. 

Simon,  240. 
Lawrence,  Amos 'A.,  359. 

Wm.,  421. 
Lawyers  in  Torrington,  158, 
Leach,  Abel  S.,  275. 

Adaline,    131. 

Albert,  106. 

Benoni,  89,   271. 

Caleb,  32,   222,  271. 

Chauncy,  167. 

David,  43. 

Ebenezer,      222,      2-28, 
230,  236. 

Edward,  167. 

George,  276. 

James,  222,  274. 

Joshua,    32,   222,   249, 
274. 

Laura,  44. 

Lucius,  81,  275,  305. 

Luther  L.,  278. 

Myron,  274. 

Nathaniel,    32,  34. 

Norman,  275. 

Ophelia,  46. 

Ormel,  80,  274. 

Pomeroy,  72,  272. 

Richard,    Jr.,    32,     34, 
114,  236,  271. 

Sarah,  44. 

Sarah  J.,  i  31. 

Theodore,  275. 

Wiliam,  274,  122,  247. 

William  H.,  277. 
Leary,  Lewis,  391. 
Leavenworth,  David,  271. 

Mark,  17. 
Leddy,  Philips,  164. 
Lee,  Rev.  Jesse,  113. 

Rev.  Jonathan,   529. 

Theodore,  63,  529. 
Leet,  Asahel,   226. 
Leman,  Wm.  H.,  391. 
Lenoir,  Eugene,    523. 

John,    523. 
Leo,  Rev.  Father,    137,  138. 
Leopold,  Edward,  165. 
Lep'an  Jane,  59. 
Lesler,  Edward,    163. 
Lewis,  George,  168. 

J    E..  126,  165. 

Joseph,  164,  274. 

Nehemiah,  251. 

W.  B  ,   187. 

Walter  S.,  126,  162. 
Lines,  Charles,  275. 
Lindsley,  Benjamin,  272. 
Linsley,  Solomon,   226. 

Timothy,  226. 
Little,  Anson,  63. 


Index. 


807 


Littlewood,  Rev.  T.  D.,  114, 

117. 
Lockhart,  Jennett,  I  31. 
Logan,  Lewis  G.,  165. 
Long,  Thomas,  278. 

Zechariah,  9. 
Loomis,  Aaron,  11,    16,    30, 
25,  40,  51. 

Aaron  Jr  ,  40,  51,  158. 

Abiel,  144. 

Abner,      34,     41,     43, 

164,    20Z,     228,  230, 

217,  270,  274. 

5\bner  Jr.,  41,   222. 
Abraham,  20,  34,   228, 

271,   274. 
Albert,  276. 
Alexander,  272. 
AUyn,  60,  273. 
Alvin,  164,  273,  275. 
Amanda,  45. 
Ann,  60. 

Anson,  62,  1 63,  273. 
Aaron,  272. 
Asa,     223,     250,     271, 

273. 
Ashur,  62. 
Aurelia,  60. 
Arthur,  273. 
Benoni,  34,  222. 
Bildad,  72,   272. 
Brigadier,  63. 
Capt.  Epaphras,  41,  221, 

222,    225,    227,    23s, 

271. 
Chester,  83,  272. 
Chloe,  44,  60. 
Clarissa,  43. 
Cornelius  D.,  60. 
Cyrus,  272. 
Dea.  Lorrain,  497. 
Daniel,  222,  228. 
Deborah,  40. 
Electa,  45. 
Eli,  42,  221,  271. 
Elias,  272. 

Elijah,  222,  226,  236, 
Elijah  B.,   79. 
Elisha,  79,  272,  274. 
Elizabeth,  41,  316. 
Emory,  277. 
Epaphras,  Jr.,  225,  236. 
Ephraim,    31,    34,     41, 

222,  227,  271,  276. 
Ephraim   Jr.,  222,   227, 

272. 
Esther,  40. 
Fanny,  45. 
Fitch,  59,  271. 
Flora  A.,  131. 
Geo.  VV.,  81,278,  297. 
Gideon,  51. 


Loomis,  Grandison,   274, 

Hannah,  31,  34,  35,40, 

44,  60. 
Harvey,  151. 
Harvey,  Rev.,  60. 
Hepziba,  43,  59. 
Hermon,  278. 
Hiram,  272. 
Horace,  270,  273,  274. 
Huldah,  44,   59. 
Ichabod,  9,  20,  34,  41, 

72,  162,   163. 
Ira,  245,  272. 
Isabel,  41. 
Isaac,  9. 
Issachar,  27  I. 
Jane,  48. 
Jane  2d,  71. 
Jemima,  43,  565. 
Jerusha,  41,  46. 
Job,  9. 
Joel,  20,  41,  290,   271, 

277. 
Jonathan,  9. 
Joseph,  223,  271. 
Joshua,  9,  10,  16. 
Justice,  60. 
Justus,  278. 

Laura,  44,  60,  67,  479. 
Lemuel,    32,    71,    271, 

274. 
Levi,  272,  275. 

Louisa,  131. 

Lucy,  43. 

Luman,  272. 

Mary,  35,   59,  60,   497. 

Mary  A.,  60. 

Michael,    59,    62,    223, 
230,  268,  27  I. 

IMichael,  Jr.,  62,  273. 

Mindwell,  40. 

Moses,  32,  41,  51,  227, 
271. 

Moses,  Jr.,  9,    32,  227. 

Mrs.  Ann  S.,  422. 

Nancy,  46. 

Olen,  273. 

Oliver,  63. 

Ophelia,    131. 

Philo  A.,  60,  276. 

Rebecca,  9. 

Remembrance,  222. 

Reuben,   273. 

Rev.  Harvey,  56;   biog., 

514- 
Richard,    32,    67,    222, 

271. 
Roger,  184,  222,  272. 
Roswell,  63,  272,   277. 
Sabra,  43. 
Sally,  59. 
Sarah  F.,  131. 


Loomis,  Simeon,  275. 

Solomon,  72,  272,  565. 

Stephen,  9. 

Timothy,    9,    60,    223, 
226,  228,  271. 

Timothy,  Jr.,  272. 

Timothy  W.,   276. 

Wait,  236,  272. 

Warren,   273. 

William  R.,  278. 
Lots,  how  laid  out,  10. 
Lover's  lane,  171. 
Lowry,  John  De,  259. 

Martha,     131. 

Martha  A.,  60. 
Luddington,  Lewis  A.,  240. 
Luther,  O.  R.,  163,  165. 
Lyman,  Caleb,   32,     34,   42, 
222,    230,  268,  271, 
518. 

David,  40,77,  235,236, 

David  Brainard,    515. 
David  M.,  277. 
David  N.,  60. 
Ebenezer,    13,    15,    27, 

40.43.  51,  171.  ^^2> 

268,  270. 
Ebenezer,  Esq.,    13,   21, 

25,   64. 
Dr.  Elijah,  40,  60,  152, 

1.53.  155.  S'4.    572; 

biography,  516. 
Eleanor,  43. 
Eliza,  45. 
Elijah,  310. 
Erastus,  216,  277. 
Francis,  62. 
Frederick  S  ,  515. 
George,   42,    162,    163, 

273;    biography,  518. 
Hannah,  40,  44. 
Hiram,  278. 

John,  60.  * 

J.  B.,  60,  151. 
John  N.,  60. 
Lorinda,  44. 
Mary,  60. 
Dr.  Norman,    60,     155, 

156,    516. 
Ophelia,  45. 
Rev.  David  B.,  515. 
Rev.    Orange,    56,    60, 

15I'    517. 
Rhoda,  43. 

Rutus,  60,    131. 

Rufus  Anderson,  515. 

Riley,  273. 

Salome,  60. 

Sirah  E.  Stone,  60. 

Sibyl,  43. 

Lyman  street,  64. 


8o8 


Index. 


Lusk,  Diantha,  326. 
Lyon,  Buir,  iio,  165. 

Jennie,  131. 
Lynch,  Garrett,   291. 

Rev.  Father,    136,  137. 

Macomb,  Elizabeth,  71. 
Mallery,  C.  T.,  116. 
Mangin,  Rev.  Michael,  137. 
Mansfield.  Charles,  134,  277. 

Harriet,  131. 

John,   9. 
Marber,  Mary  E.,  57. 
Marks,  C.  P.,  103. 

Mary,  131. 

Merritt,  126. 
Marriage  100  years  ago,  254. 
Marsh,  Daniel,  Rev.,  33. 

Ebenezer,  21. 

Eun'ce,  44. 

Rev.      Frederick,     455, 

John,  223. 

Jonathan,  20. 

Lydia  S.,  60. 

Solomon,  134. 

William    44,    156;    his 
letter,  44,  252. 
Marshall,    Aaron,    70,    222, 
271. 

Abner,  229,  264,  265, 
270. 

Amasa,  41. 

Ambrose,  222,  271. 

Chloe,  70. 

David,  9. 

Eliakim,  9. 

Elizabeth,  41. 

Levi,  71. 

Maria,  44. 

Noah,  264. 

Phila.  43,  44,  514. 

Raphael,  65,  162,  249, 
271,  514. 

Roger,  72,  228,  236, 
272. 

Thomas,  9,  11,  42,  51, 
72,  222,  227,  247, 
258,  268,  271. 

Thomas  L.,  164. 
Mason,  Albeit  A.,  96,    103, 

13'.  '34- 
Charles  G.,  239. 

Charles  S.,  277. 
George  H.,  126,  277. 
Gilbert,  277. 
Ira,  274. 
John  Capt.,  2. 
Jonathan,  226. 
Kate  E.,  131. 
Lucy,  131. 
Mary,  131. 
Masonic  Lodge,  161. 


Mast  swamp,  87,  88. 
Mather,  Charles,  41,  42,  62, 
223. 

Cotton,  223,  226. 

Horace,  273. 

Samuel,  8. 

Oliver  Soper,  60. 

Sarah,  131. 

Zachariah,     223,    228, 
268. 
Matthews,  Benj.,  48. 

Fred.,  168. 

Fred.  L.,   168. 

Thomas,  223,  226,  271. 
Matatuck  Mt'g.  Co.,  95. 
Matice,  Wm.,  240. 
Masters,    William   H.,   274. 
Maverick,  John  ,  Rev.,  i,  2. 
Marvin,  SylvanusC,  38,  39. 
Maxwell,  John,  165. 
McAlpin,  John,  162. 
McCarthy,  Jeremiah,  240. 
McCarty,  Jennie,  131. 

Wm.  H.,   131. 
McClen,  149. 
McCoe,  Chloe,  60. 

P.:elps,  273. 
McDonald,   J.  A.,  165. 
McEwen,    Rev.    Abel,   456, 

534,  539,  540. 
Sarah    Battell,    60  ;  bio- 
graphy, 520. 
McFarland,     Rev.      Bishop, 

138. 
McGrath,  James,  240. 
McKenzie,    Alexander,    276. 

James,  I  65. 
McKinstry,  Mary    E.,  46. 
Rev.  J.  A.,  25,  37,  38, 
39.   438;    biography, 
520. 
McManus,  Thomas,    161. 
McNeil,   Charles,    164,  276. 
Margaret,  I  31. 
Robert,  131. 
Means,  D.   M  ,  149. 

McGregor,  D.,  127. 
Mebbins,  John,   226. 
Meeting  house,  first,  21,  22; 
second,     335     rebuilt, 
67  ;     removed,      39  ; 
Baptist    in    Newfield, 
71  ;   the  First  Metho- 
dist, in   Wolcottville, 
115,       116;     Second 
Cong.,     Wolcottville, 
list    of     contributors, 
126. 
Merrill,  C.  B.,  167. 
H.  M.,  149. 
Noel,  274. 
Prosper,  276. 


Merrill,  Truman,  274. 
Merriman,   Charles  B.,   187. 
Messenger,  Lathrop,  278. 

Samuel,  II. 
Metcalf,  Eieazer,  570. 
Methodists,     37;      ministers 

1 1 5. 
Merwin,     Rev.     Noah,     29, 
30,   31,   32.    39,   35, 
43;  biog.,  519. 
Mill  brook,    171. 
Migeon,     Achille     F.,    107, 
III,   112,    165,   267. 
Henty,  138,  171  j  ^liog. 

522. 
Jacques,    522. 
Militia  companies,  221,  222, 

22  7. 
Millard,  Agnes  C,  131. 
Alfred  M.,  131. 
Helen,  131. 

McKenzie,     164,     239, 
27S. 
Mill,     Everitts,     26 ;     place, 
lease    of,     1 1  j    Wil- 
son's, 26,  27. 
Miller,  Abigail,  60. 

Dr.  Allen  G.,  156. 
Allyn,  273. 
Amos,  145,  223. 
Asahel,  268,  271. 
Catharine  A.,  60. 
David,    56,    62,  72,    73, 

115,  272. 
Rev.    David,    56,    122  j 

biography,  527. 
Dorathy  Gaylord,    60. 
Ebenezer,    41,    57,     60, 
230,  234,265;    biog- 
raphy,  527. 
Ebenezer  Jr.^   57,  271. 
Fanny  E.,  60. 
Frank,  240, 

Dr.  Gaylord  B.,  60,  156. 
George,  60,222,  272. 
Harrictte  L.,  260. 
Harry,  60. 

Henry,  60,  272,   275. 
Hobart  B.,  60. 
Jane  F.  G.,  60. 
Jeremiah,  272, 
Joel,  222. 

John  T.,  60,  151,    159. 
Rev.  Jonathan,  56,  151, 
226  J   biography,  527. 
Joseph,    151,  158,   273. 
Lewis,  275. 
Loraine,  60. 
Luther,  60,  276. 
Luther  B.,  60. 
Mrs.  Marcia,  528. 
Maria,  60. 


Index. 


809 


Miller,  Mary,  150. 

Mary  C.,  60. 

Sarah,  60. 

Thankful,  60. 

Thomas  A.,  57,  60,  77, 
156,  159,  236,  267, 
275. 

Timothy  E.,  277. 

Dr.  Willard,  156. 
Mills,  Daniel,  78. 

Drake,  161. 

Rev.  Edmund,  452,  528. 

Eleanor,  60. 

Electa  J.,  60. 

Florilla,  60. 

Gideon,  313. 

Henrietta,  131. 

Jared,  183. 

Jeremiah,  60 . 

Jeremiah,  Mrs.,  502. 

John,   528. 

Laura,  60. 

Nathaniel  B.,  113. 

Peter,   317. 

Roger  H.,  160. 

Roger  S.,  216. 

Ruth,  317. 

Rev  Samuel  J.,  36,  52, 
54.  55.  56,  60,  218, 
255.  ^56,  45^.  462, 
496,  502,  515,  517, 
530,  531;  biography, 
528. 

Rev.  Samuel  f.,  Jr.,55, 

56,    151.    434,    45^- 
561  ;    biography,  548. 

Miner,  Charles,  60. 

Darius  D.,  60. 

John,  222. 

John  S.,  60. 

Josephine,  60. 

Martha  E.,  60. 

Mary  E.,  60. 
Ministry  lot,    10. 
Minor,  E.  S.,  84,  165. 

George,  2. 
Minturn,  Hiram,    60. 

Huldah,  60. 
Mitchel,  Alanson,    275. 
Mitchell,  Maria,  60. 

Wm.,  9. 
Mix,  Abigail  Jackins,  131. 

Chauncey,  127,  131. 

Edward  H.,  238. 

Willard,    131. 

W.  W.,    127. 
Moore,  Birber,  228,  236. 

Darius,  275. 

Edward,  9. 

Elihu,  63,  272. 

Erasmus,  60. 

Rev.  Erasmus  D.,  56. 

10 


Moore,  Josiah,  9,  62,  145. 

Lucretius,  274. 

Mary  E.,  60. 

Rev.  Wm.  H.,  56,  162, 
biog.,  564. 

Nathaniel,  9. 

Simeon,  271. 
Moran,  J.,  164. 

James,«239. 
More,  Thomas,  275. 
Morey,  Aurora,  275. 
Morehouse,  John,  34. 

Samuel,  34. 
Morgan,  Alfred  G.,  276. 

Geo.  D.,  135. 

Governor,  193. 
Morrill,  Henry  M.,  150. 

Henry  R.,  165. 
Morris,  Eleazer,  63. 

Emory,  277. 

Joseph  L.,   277. 

William  J.,  165. 
Morse,   Benj.    H.,   95,    134, 
277._ 

Catharine,  60. 

Charles  E.,  239. 

H.  B  ,  188. 

Harriet,    131. 

Martha,  131. 

Newton,  278. 

Solomon,  63,  89. 
Morton,  John,  9. 

Mary    E.,  521. 

Rev.  James,  135. 
Mosely,  Edwin  W.,  105. 
Moses,  Austin,  274. 

Ellen  E.,  131. 

Lorenzo,  166. 

Orrin,   163. 

Rufus,  274. 

Thomas,  164,  166. 
Moss,  Lorrain,  275. 
Mott,  Adam,  41. 

Chloe,  44,    131 . 

Dr.,  509. 

Edward,  277. 

Hannah,  41. 

Ira,  277. 

James  H.,  238. 
Mowry,  L.  B.,  126. 
Mullin,  Daniel,  I  37. 
Munn,  Abijah,  134,  273. 
Munn,  Jedediah,  275. 
Munsell,  Hiram,  276. 

Luman,    74,    266,  275 

Levi,  72,    73,    74,  266, 
268,  272. 

Levi  T.,  276. 

Marcus,  74,  269,  274. 
Munson,  Caleb,  32.  34. 

Charles  M.,  276. 

D.  C,  164. 


Munson,  David  C,  131,  239. 

Huldah,  131. 

L.  B.,  165. 

Lucretia,  131. 

Sarah,  i  3r. 

Seth,  32. 
Murphy,  Dennis,  239. 

Edward,  241. 
Murry,  Daniel,  222. 

Lewis,  273. 

Warren,  60. 

Warren  B.,  167. 

Naugatuck  R.  R.,    185 
Needle  Co.,  107. 
Nettleton,  Asahel,  D.D.,  37. 
Newberry,  Albert  P.,  239. 
Benj.,  9. 
Hannah,  9. 
Joseph  A.,  9,  126,  270, 

276. 
Roger,  10,  rz. 
Ruth,  9. 
Newby,  Dangerfield,  391. 
Newcomb,  Elizabeth,  I  31. 

Rev.  Geo.  B.,  124,  127. 
Newell,  Almira  F.,    60. 
Newfield,a  business  place,  68. 
Newman,  Elizabeth  G.,  60. 
Rev.  Charles,  56;  biog, 
564. 
Newton,  Henry  H.,  276. 
Nickel  ore,  175. 
Nichols,  Rev.  Abel,  135. 
Elizabeth,  60. 
George,  60. 

Horace,    185,    190;   bi- 
ography, 193. 
Nigger  pews,  218. 
Niles,  John  M.,  483. 
Noble,  E.,  60. 

Rev.  Franklin,  56,  265. 
James  E.,  127,  131. 
Noppet,  68. 
North,  Alfred,  151. 
Ariel,  273,  278. 
Asahel,    41,    43,     222, 

271. 
Ashbel,  222,  227,  230, 

270. 
Axa,  45. 

Carrel  F.,  239,   292. 
Charles  N.,  278. 
Cyrus,  274. 
Dr.    Alfred,    biography, 

565,   566. 
Ebenezer,  40,    51,   228, 

270,  565. 
Ebenezer,  Jr.,  42,    222, 

270. 
Elizabeth,  71. 
Esther,  60. 


2 


8iO 


Index. 


North,  Esther  Maria,  60. 
Ethel,  164. 
Frederick,  68,  275. 
Helen  P.,  46. 
John  H.,  60. 
Joseph,  I  66. 
Junia,  68,   72. 
Lemuel,  90,  273. 
Lorrain,  274. 
Louisa,  46,  127,   131. 
Maria  S.,  123,128,131. 
Martin,  41. 
Mr.,  94. 

Noah,  28,  41.  66,  68, 
71.  72,  75.  202.  228, 
229,  265,   267,   273, 

449-  . 
Noah,  biog.,  565. 

Noah,  Jr.,  222. 

Norris,  80. 

Pamelia,  44. 

Phineas,  81,  96,  248, 
265,  268,  271,  275. 

Roxalena,  44. 

Remembrance,  32,  70, 
272,  449. 

Sabra,  70. 

Sarah  G.,   60. 

Simeon,  226. 

William,  163,  164,  166. 

Willard,    273. 
North  Elba,  336. 
Northrop,  Amos,  274. 
^Jorton,  David,  223,   271. 

Dr.  Alfred,  156. 

Harriet,  60. 

James,  60. 

Mrs.  Lois,  131. 

Samuel,  34,    35. 

Sarah  B.,   I  50. 
Not,  Vest,  42. 

O'Brian,  James,  276. 
O'Connor,  Patrick,  240. 
O'Gorman,     Rev.     Richard, 

137. 
O'Rourke,  William,  278. 
Oberhausen,  Frank,  168. 
Obookiah,     Henry,    60,    218. 
Observation    mountain,    169, 

170. 
Officers  of  the  church,   Tor- 

ringford,  56. 
Ogleby,  James,  134. 
Olcott,  Esther,  131. 

Wm.,    122. 
Oliver,  Labar?  M.,  164. 
Olmstead,  Elihu,    62. 

Hannah,  63. 

Hawley,  490. 

Roswell,  63,  223. 
O'Neil,  Rev.  Father,  137. 


Orcutt,  Mary,  494. 

Samuel,  39. 
Orleans  Village,  90,  203. 
Osband,  Timothy,  42. 
Osborn,  Abijah,  273. 

Benj.,  9. 

Esther,   60. 

Henry  F.,  274. 

Jacob,  9. 

Rev.  Elbert,  114. 

Samuel,  9. 
Ostrum,    Henry  P.,  96,    104, 
278. 

Henry  W.,  240. 

John,  275. 
Ostrum  &  Welton,  96. 
Oviatt,  Aloisa,  131. 
Owen,  Elijah,  317. 

Hannah,  317. 

John,  317. 

Paddock,  E.  A.,  149. 
Page,  Harlow  P.,  163. 

Jeremiah,  164,274. 
Palmer,  Addison,   127,     131, 
275. 

Almira,  46. 

Aurelia,    44. 

Benj  ,  226. 

Bennett,  275. 

Emma  R.,  46. 

F.  Augusta,  293. 

Febe,  131. 

Harvey,    80,     81,    161, 
171,    184,    272,   305. 

Hayden    D.,    131,    165, 
238. 

Isaac,  162. 

James,    1 34,    162,  164. 

Jared,  229,  236. 

Julia    !\I.,  131. 

Lucretia,  45. 

Mary,   131. 

Mehitable,  43,  46,  131. 

Ralph,  134,  277. 

Robert,  164. 

Sarah,  i  31. 

Stanford,  164,   274. 

Wm,  J.,  164. 
Pardee,    Isaac   S.,  60. 

Mary  L.,  60. 
Parker,  Dr.,    509. 

Ira,  273. 

Peter,   271. 

Rev.      Theodore,     367, 
368,    369,   371,  374, 
384. 
Parmelee,   foel,  64. 

Mr.,    36. 

Rosanna,  46. 
Parsons,  Amos,   278. 

Caroline  M.,  297. 


Parsons,  Corinthia,  131. 

Helen,    131. 

P.  T.,  126. 

Phineas,   I  31. 
Pasco,  James,  9. 

Jonathan,  9. 
Patchen,  Rufus.  274. 
Pate,  Henry  Clay,    346. 
Patentees  of  Torrington,  8. 
Patterson,  Burton  C.,87,1 10, 

131- 
Henry     S.,     no,     127, 

131,  165. 

Harriet,  131. 

James  H.,  127. 

Polly  Gilbert,  I  31. 
Payne,  Wm.,  134. 
Payson,  Hiram,  131. 
Peacock,  Patrick,  239. 
Pease,  Tudor,  275. 
Peck,  J.,  189. 

Paul,    89,     114;   biog., 
S67. 
Peet,  Henry  A.,  276. 

Minta,    60. 
Pelton,  Mary  G.,  293. 
Pellon,  Robert,  276. 
Penniston,    Aaron,  277. 
Percival,  Dr.,  505 
Perkins,  Adaline,  131. 

Asa  E.,  275. 

Asahel  N.,  239. 

Christopher,  274. 

Debora,  60. 

Dennis.  126. 

Frederick,  278. 

George  H  ,  164. 

Rev.  Nathan,  460. 

Russell,  278. 

Sanford   H.,    126,    131, 

164,  238. 
Watrous,  60. 

Perrin,  Ann  Eliza,  131. 

Bernadotte,  131. 

Catharine,  131. 

Rev.     Lavallecte,      127, 
568  ;    biog.,  568. 
Perry,  James,  275. 

James  H.,  277. 
Pettibone    Hiram  A.,  275. 
Phelps,  Augusta  E.,  131. 

Anson    G.,     101,    102, 
187,  426. 

Benj.,  43,  90,  181,227, 
269,  270,  272. 

C.  Augusta,  61. 

Daniel,  Jr.,  162,   163. 

David,  9. 

Dr.  J.    W.,    126,    156, 

165,  238,  279,  471  ; 
biog.,  569. 

Elijah,  122. 


Index. 


811 


Phelps,  Esther,  61. 

Frederick,  52,  276. 

Hiram,  274. 

Jannah   B.,    266,    269, 
273. 

John,   9. 

Jonathan,  271. 

Joseph,  9,  16,  268,  271. 

Joshua,  41. 

Julius  J.,  277. 

Lucinda,  44. 

Lvdia,  43. 

Mind  well  L.,   131. 

Nathan  B.,  276. 

Samuel,  16,  64. 

Thomas,  9. 
M  illiam,  9,  271. 
Philemor,  Henry,  226. 
Philip,  King.    210. 
Philips,  Caroline  A.,  5i. 

Gideon,  226. 

Wendell,  357. 

Wm  ,   I. 
Phillow,  Addison,  45. 

Artemas,  272. 

Charlotte,  131. 

Dennis,  276. 

Edmund,  275. 
Phippany,  Emily,  131. 

Louisa,  131. 

Orpha  R.,  131. 

William,  134,  164,  275. 

Wm.,  Jr.,  131. 
Physicians,  152  ;   women   as, 

157- 
Pickett,  Content,  499. 
Pierce,  Christopher,  79,  162, 
274. 

F.  J.,  127. 

Geo    W  ,  240 

Henry  D.,  61. 

Jane,  46. 

Lucy,  520. 

Mary,  61. 

Rodney,  40,  46,  81. 
Pierpont,  Charles,  274. 

Edward,  134,  l6z,  164. 

William,  27  I. 
Pilgram,  C^iarles,  278. 

Rodman  O.,  278. 
Pine  timber,  88. 
Pinney,  Isaac,  9. 

Nathaniel,  9,  10. 

Samuel,  9. 
Pitman,  Charles  A.,  131. 
Pitman,  Sarah,  131. 
Plymouth  Company  sailed,  2. 
Pond,  Adeline  M.,  291. 

Barton,  61,  77. 

Charles  D.,  278. 

Charles  G.,  105. 

Charlotte,  6i. 


Pond,  Daniel,  570. 
David  W.,  276. 
Dr.  James  O.,   78,  i  56, 

570. 
Elijah,  78,   272,  570. 
Elijah,  Jr.,  274. 
Ezra,  570. 
George  D.,  297. 
George  N.,  105. 
George  W.,  277. 
Julius  R.,  61,  278. 
Lucy,  47. 
Lucy  E.,  296. 
L.  R.,  40,  270. 
Martha  A.,    61. 
Nancy,  61. 
Philip,  61. 
Prescott,  164,  I  56,  273, 

571- 

Preston,  571. 

Russell  L.,  46. 

William  H..  277. 

Wm.  S.,  135,  277. 
Pope,  Christopher,   loi. 
Porch,  William,  131. 
Porter,  Chauncey,  Jr.,  278. 

Dr.  Ebenezer,  207,  462, 
520. 

Hannah,  9. 

Hez.,  9,  13. 

Joseph,  9. 

Rev.  Dr  ,  517. 

Rev.     Ebenezer,      471, 

515- 
Rev.  Jonath.  M.,  54. 

John,  9 

Rev.  Noah,  471,  539. 
Post  office,  66. 
Potash,  Dr.  Hodges,  66. 
Potter,     Ambrose,     89,     90, 
272. 

Anna,  45. 

Daniel,  90,  272. 

Dr..  572. 

General,  471. 

Orrin,  278. 

Rev.  J.  D.,  38. 
Poverty  hollow,  79. 
Powell,  C.    W.,    116. 

Rev.  Charles   W.,    164. 
Powers,  Herman,  96. 

Rev.  Grant,  251. 
Pratt,  Ann  A.,  61. 

Catharine,  61. 

Isaac,  25  I. 

Martin  B.,   305. 

Silas,  570. 
Prentice,  L.  Rudolph,  165. 
Preston,  Betsey,  61. 

Ebenezer,  42. 

Eliza   Van  Valkenburg, 
131. 


Preston,  Samuel,  42. 
Pritchard,  David,  96. 
Proprietors     of  Tor.,     8,     9, 

10  ;   number  of,    10  ; 

lots     in      tiers,       10; 

meeting,     11   ;       last 

meeting,  181. 
Prosecution      for      profanity, 

244. 
Pulver,  Hiram,  82. 
Prince,  Mary,  46. 
Pyncheon,  Mr.,  5. 

guartz  rock,  176. 
^uinby,  Gordon    W.,    135. 
Quinn,  Rev.    Father,    137. 

Race    over    the    Connecticut 

course,  48  3. 
Rake  factory,  85. 
Ramsey,  Horace,  164. 
Rand,  George  D.,  61. 

Martha  J.,  61. 
Randall,  Hannibal,  61,    242. 
Ranney,  Peter,  277. 
Raymond,   James,   276. 
Rebellion,  the  war  of,  236. 
Red  mountain,  169. 
Reed,  Elizabeth,  61. 

Hattie  A  ,  61. 

Joseph  P.,  240. 

Justus,   61. 

Laura  E  ,   61. 

Phineas,  68,  162. 

Sarah  S.,  61. 

Theodore    H.,    61. 
Reid,  John  W.,  353. 

Rev.   J.  M.,   biography, 
118. 

Simon,    127. 
Register  office,  149. 
Remarkable  occurrence,  218. 
Republic  ol  Liberia,  563. 
Revival,  37. 

Revolution,  American,   221  5 
officers  in,   225,  2265 
officers     and    soldiers, 
235,  236  ;  taxes   dur- 
ing, 232  ;   women  of, 
272. 
Reynolds.  Wm.   72,   272. 
Rew,  Henry,   43. 
Rhodes,  Charles,    165. 
Rice,  Anson  B.,  278. 
Richards,  Capt.,  142. 

Charles,  72,  272. 

Daniel,    45,   164,    272, 
274. 

Eli,  43,  68,  71,   230. 

Capt.  Eli,  449. 

Elizabeth,  44. 

Enos  S.,  61. 


8l2 


Index. 


Richards,  Experience,  45. 
Henry  B.,  133,    134. 
James,  458. 
John,  22i,  271. 
Lydia,  44. 
Moses,  72,   272. 
Sally,  284. 
Simeon,  72,  270. 
Richardson,  Wm.  H.,  96. 
Rider,  Irene  A.,  61. 
Riggs,  Henry  H  ,  240. 
.    Chauncey,  73. 
Lewis,  167. 
Riley,  John  C  ,  72. 
Rinck,  Eber,  276. 
Roads,  chapter  on,  180. 
Robbins,  Esther,  530. 
Frederick,  90. 
Rev.  A.  R  ,  421. 
Rev.  Philemon,  528. 
Theodore,  278. 
Roberts,       Abel,     44,     236, 
272. 
Allen,  77. 
Allyn,  274. 
Andrevi',  164,  267. 
Angeline,  288. 
Annis,  181. 
Betsey,  61. 
Charles,  226. 
Clerk,  236. 
George,  273. 
George    P.,    122,     127, 

131. 
Henry,  63,  273. 
James,  278. 
Joel,    222. 
Lauren,  274. 
Margaret,    40,  42. 
Rev.    N.,    16,    18,    19, 
20,  22,  39,   48,  435, 
519  ;    biog.,  594. 
Nelson,     77,    84,     164, 
266,  267,    276,  306  J 
biography,  599. 
Pelatiah,  61. 
Rev.     Warren    H.,    56  ; 

biograpliy,  598. 
Sally,  44. 
Samuel,  236. 
Warren,  278. 
Warren,  H.,  151. 
Robertson,  Daniel,  131,  134, 
277. 
J.  B.,  190. 
James,  131. 
Laura  A.,  131. 
Mrs.  James,  131. 
Thomas,  167. 
Robins,  A.  R.,  36. 
Robinson,  Mary,  61. 
Rockwell,  Caroline  A.,  421. 


Rockwell,  Dency  C  ,  61. 

John,  225. 

Reuben,  184. 

Wm.,  I. 
Rogers,  Dea.  Josiah,  452. 

D.  S.,  122. 

Hilan  M.,  198. 

John,  452. 

Levi,  164. 

Pelatiah,  274. 

Thomas,  452. 
Rood,  Abigail,   61. 

Alpha,  276. 

Ann,  6i. 

Aaron,  272. 

Aurelia  A.,  61,  288. 

Calvin,  61,  276. 

Ebenezer,  57,  61,  223. 

Ebenezer,  Jr.,  272. 

Elias  H.,  278. 

Eunice,  61. 

Harvey  L.,  51,61,  236, 
267,  270,  277. 

John,  272. 

John  W.,  278. 

Lorrain  B.,  276. 

Moses,  61. 

Moses,  Jr.,  272. 

Pamelee,  61. 

Rhoda,  61. 

Rufus,  61,  278. 

Susan,  61. 
Root,  Edward,  278. 

James,  227. 
Robbins,    Rev.     Ammi    R., 

255,  256. 
Rose,  Harriet,  131. 

Jesse  B.,  99,  loi  ;  biog., 

.599- 
Ross,  Simeon,  226. 
Rossiter,     Newton,    83,    84, 

273- 
Rev.  Luther,  56. 

Stephen,  226. 

Rossiterville,  83. 
Rowe,  Frederick,  274. 
Rowley,  Artemas,  274. 

Henry  H.,    165 

Horace,  276. 

James,  272. 

Samuel,  72. 

Samuel,  Jr.,  272. 

Stephen,  236. 

Susan,  45. 
Royce,  Charlotte,  126. 
Ruel,  Louis,  295. 
Rumble,  Thomas,   241. 
Rustin,  Hiram,  61,   275. 
Russell,  Geo.  R.,  374. 

Judge,  359. 

William,  164. 

Wm.  E.,  95,  274. 


Ryan,  Lant,  239. 
Rynders,  Garrett,  131. 

Sacrament,  the  first,  18. 
Sadley,  Emily,   292. 
Sage,  Caroline,  46. 

Harriet,  46,    132. 

Linus,  273. 

Martin,  275. 
Sammis,  Mary,  132. 
Sanborn,   F.    B.,    315,    361, 
368,  369. 

John,   132. 

Mrs.  Huldah,  132. 
Sanders,  Nathan,  228. 
Sanford,  Alson,    165. 

Charity,  182. 

David,  64. 

Elizabeth,  132. 

Rev.     David    P.,     135, 
I  36. 

Ephraim,  90. 

Joel,  132. 

John  T.,  132. 

Morris  H.,  132,  238. 

Sally,  132,  148. 

Thomas  E.,  295. 
Saxty,  John  F.,  165. 
Sayles,  Julia,  294. 

Ellen,  295. 
Scheurer,  Hattie,  132. 
School  Funds,   150,  151. 
School    house.    Centre,    66  ; 

Newfield,   69;  the  first. 

School  houses,  141,   142. 
Schools  in  Torringtord,  145. 
Schools,  West  side,  141,  142, 
143  ;     districts,    144  ; 
Wilson's  district,  141, 
142  J     sixth     district, 
144;      Brandy      Hill 
district,     142  ;   New- 
field      district,      142, 
143;   Lyman  district, 
142  ;    middle  district, 
144;       Wolcottville, 
public,  148,  150. 
Schuyler,  Geo.  L.,  185. 
Scofield,  Charles  F.,  277. 
James,  277. 
James  H.,  164. 
W.  C,  187. 
Scott,  Joseph,  277. 

Leverette,      122,      123, 

128,  132274. 
Mrs.     Leverette,      128. 
Samuel,  275. 
Scoville,  Albert  M.,  240. 

Amasa,  122,    127,  132, 

274. 
Arnold,  116. 


Index. 


813 


Scoville,  Charles,  134. 

Chloe,  1  32. 

Daniel,  134. 

Ebenezer,  330. 

Elisaph,  126,  165,  167. 

George,  276. 

Joel,  127,  277. 

John,  127,  132. 

John  W.,  122,  126, 
276. 

Julius,  274. 

Linus,  276. 

Lucy  C,  132. 

Maria,  132. 

Mary,   132. 

Sarah  M.,  292 

W.  H.,  481. 
Scythe  factory,  81,  82. 
Seaman,  Hicks,   239. 
Sedgwick,  Albert,  278. 

John  R.,  278. 
Seelye,  L.  Clark,   132. 

Maria,  i  32. 

Sam'l  T.,  96,  124,  127, 
278. 
Separates,  the,  35. 
Settle,  Sabrah,  132. 
Setting  the  psalm,  32. 
Sexton,  Ebenezer,  74,  276. 
Seymour,  C.  B.,  135. 

Charles  E.,  295. 

Charles  H.,  167. 

Charlotte,  132. 

Eliza,   426. 

Frederick  J.,  97,  165, 
267,  278  ;  biography, 
601. 

George  F..  134,  164, 
274,  277. 

James  H.,  i  32. 

Judge,  448. 

Lura,  132. 

O.  S.,  134. 

Polly  A.,  61. 

Samuel,  273. 

Truman,  274. 
Seymour  Mtg.  Co.,  97. 
Shady  Side,  311. 
Shattuck,  Asa,  273. 

Chauncey,  274. 

Randall,  72,  275. 

William,  271. 
Shawngum  mountain,  169. 
Sheldon,    Dr.    Daniel,     436, 

437- 

Epaphras,  26,  28,  42, 
64,  65,66,  221,  222, 
223,  224,  225,  228, 
232,  235.  244,  258, 
259,  264,  265,  267, 
270. 

Epaphras  Jr.,   270. 


Sheldon,  Eunice,  42. 

Mrs.  Gen.,   308. 

Jerusha,  42. 

Remembrance,  9. 

Roger,  223. 
Shepard,  Corydon,   278. 

Levi,  273. 

Norman,  71. 

Prof.,  505. 

Stephen,  70,  71. 
Shelton,  Edward  N.,  187. 
Sheridan,  Philip,  i  37. 
Sherman,  Rev.  Charles,  74. 

Rev.  H.  M.,  136,   601. 

Wm.  A.,  295. 
Shoars,  David,  293. 
Silver  ore,  175. 
Sinclair,  George,  240. 
Sinj;ing,  32,   33. 
Skiff,  Cornelius,   278. 
Skinner,  H.,  132. 

Isaac,  9. 

Thomas,  226. 
Slade,    Wm.    R.,    99,     187, 

236. 
Slave,    Jacob    Prince,     212; 

Ginne,  21 1. 
Slavery,  chapter  on,   210;   in 
England,      210;      in 
Connecticut,   21 1;   in 
Torrington,  21 1. 
Slaves,  emancipation  of,  212. 
Sleds,  children's,  81. 
Sleigh  ride  in  summer,  249. 
Smith,  A.  P.,  165. 

Aaron,  163. 

Albert  H.,    132. 

Alonzo,  239. 

Aaron,  161. 

Asahel,  73,  i  62. 

Benj.,  104,  164. 

Benj.  F.,  134. 

Caroline,  46. 

Charles,  275. 

Charles  B.,  52,  76,  105, 
133.  134.   166,  604. 

Charles  W.,  165,  238. 

Chester,  278. 

Chester  L.,  81. 

D.  Alonzo,  165. 
Daniel,  1 1  3. 
Daniel  W.,  238. 

E.  H.,  165. 

Ebenezer,  42,  222,  304. 
Eliphalet,  275. 
Elisha,  32,  34,  66,  132, 

222,  228,  230,  249, 
265,  266,  267,  268, 
270,  281  ;  biog.,  603. 

Fitch,  187. 

Rev.  Gad  N.,  114. 

George,  2d,  241. 


Smith,  George  O.,  278. 

Gerrit,    335,    364,    365, 
369. 

Gideon,  70. 

Giles,  278. 

Giles  M.,  277. 

Henrietta,  61. 

Henry  L.,  278. 

James,  288. 

John,  165. 

John  N.,  242. 

John,  quarter  master,  2. 

Josiah,  163. 

Judson,  166. 

L.  B.,  165,  168. 

Lorinda  R.,  295. 

Lorrain,  276. 

Lucy,  43. 

Melvin,    61. 

Nathaniel,  76,   77,  164, 
273. 

Orrel,    307. 

Patrick  A.,  294. 

Phebe,  132. 

Ralph  R.,  81. 

Rev.   Ralph,    124,   127. 

Rebecca,  44. 

Reuben,  274. 

Rodney  L.,  165. 

Ruhama,       123,       128, 
I  32. 

Rev.    S.    K.,  118  ;   bio- 
graphy, 1 20. 

Sarah  L.,  295. 

Seth,  45,  274. 

Stephen,  226,  275,  284. 

Wm.,  167. 

John,   286. 
Society,  strict  congregational, 
34;   Torringtord  peti- 
tion for,  48,  49. 
Soldiers  at  Crown  point,  224. 
Soper,  David,  27,  28,  52,  62, 
75.   83,   84,  86,  223, 
230,  265,  267,   268, 
271,  281. 

Dr.  Joel,  156. 

Orange,  68,  272. 

Rachael,  61. 

Timothy,  223. 
Southcote,   Capt.  Richard,  2. 
Spain,  Michael,  168. 
Sparks,  Thomas,  94,  164. 
Spaulding,  Julia  A.,  61. 

Myron,  46. 

Silas,  276. 

Silas  D.,,  61. 
Spencer,  Elisheba,  61. 

Eliza,  61. 

Frederick,  275. 

Henry  C,  132. 


8l4 


Index. 


Spencer,      Jeremiah,      234; 
biography,    605. 

Jesse,  223. 

John,   223. 

Lucy,  283. 

Miles,   273. 

Mrs.  H.  C  ,  132. 

William,  276. 

William  T.,    164,    238. 
Sparry,  A.  W.,  165. 

Eno,  164. 

Enoch,  226,  275. 

Lewis,  276. 

Luiinda,   295. 

Richard,  276. 

Samuel,  278. 
Spicer,  Julia,  46. 
Spittle,  William,  127. 
Spooner,  Clapp,  195. 
Squabble  hill,  171,  245. 
Squire,  Caroline  A.,  132. 

John,  223. 
Squires,  Bishop,  277. 

Lyman  B.,   275. 

Samuel  W.,  132,  277. 
St.    John,    Dr.    Bela,    156; 
biography.  606. 

Marilla,  61.    ' 
Stanclitf,  Comfort,  Jr.,  223. 

John,   223,    228,    236, 
271. 
Stanford,  M.  H.,    164. 

Rev.  D.  P.,  165. 
Stannard,  Abel,  222. 
Stark,   Deborah,  281. 

Ichabod,  Jr.,  223. 
Starkweather,     Elijah,     163, 

276. 
Starks,  Thomas  A.,  267. 

Thomas  M.,  276. 
Steadman,  iVIary,  9. 
Stearns,  B.  B.,  i  32. 

Mrs.  B.  B.,  132. 

Geo.  L.,  318,  359,  361. 

3<'4.  365.  367>  368, 
369,   372. 
Steatite,  176. 
Steele,  Caroline,  132. 

Dr.  H.  B.,  154. 

Elisha     J.,     127,    132, 
138. 

Eliza,  61. 

George  B.,   132. 

Lambert  W.,  238. 

Wm.  S.,  96,  132. 
Stevens,  Aaron  C,  391. 

Eglegene,  291 . 

Frederick,  ill 
Stiles,  Ebenezer,  9. 

Emma  J.,   296. 

Henry,  9. 

John,  9. 


Simpson,   Cornelia   W.,    132. 
Stocking,  Anson,  122,  132. 

Charlotte,  132. 

Eber  N.,  238. 

Emma  O.,  132. 

Flora,  I  32. 

Frank  L.,  i  32. 

Henry  M.,  238. 

Marcia,  132. 

Mary,  132. 

Philo  H.,  132. 

Samuel     J.,    126,    127, 
132,  267. 
Scoddart,  Abigail,  43. 

Anna,  284. 

Ebenezer,  272. 

Eli,  61. 

Olive,  61. 
Stone,  Anson,  272. 

Benj.,  226. 

E.  Hodges,  67. 

Emily,  61. 

Mary,  I  32. 

Dr.  Noah,  491. 

Timothy,  520. 
Store,  William  Battell's,  75. 
Stoughton,  Daniel,  14,  15,16. 

Israel,  2. 

Nathaniel,  9. 

Thomas,  8,  27,  5  i. 

Thomas  Jr.,  9,    16,  40. 

Stowe,  Daniel,  223. 

Stringfellow,  B.  F.,  353. 

Strong,    Asahel,    18,    25,    27, 

40,     51,     222,     228, 

230,   236,    271,   304. 

Elijah,  272. 

Emerette  L.,  61. 

Jacob,  9,  II,  15,  16, 
18,  25,  27,  40,  51. 

Rev.  Jacob  H.,  38,  39, 
606. 

John,  145,  224,  225, 
228,  235,  267,  271, 
529. 

John   Jr  ,  271. 

Mindwell,  254,  255, 
259. 

Samuel,  9. 

William  F.,  277. 
Stuart,  Rev.  Mose',  572. 
Sturdevant,  Anna,  132. 

S.  G.,  164. 

Samuel,  i  32. 
Sturman,  G  ,    168. 
Sulfang,  fohn,  241. 
Sulivan,  Dudley,  274. 
Sumner,  Col.,  349. 
Support   the   church   or   go  to 

jail,  248. 
Surveys,  expenses  of,  11. 
Swamp,  spruce,  1 1  j  mast,  1 1. 


Swan,  Helen  B.,  289. 
Sweet,  Mr.,  1 14. 
Swift,  Hon.  H.,  183. 

Solomon  E.,  132. 
Sykes,  Joseph,  165. 

Talcott,  Emma,  132. 

W.  H.,  127,  132. 
Tallmadge,  David,  61. 
David  Jr.,  276. 
Elliot  C.,  277. 
Hilah,  61. 
James  B.,  61,  278. 
James  M.,  84. 
John  A.,  61. 
Sarah,  61. 
Tannery,  Burrville,   83;  first 
one,  64;  Torringford, 
77  ;   at  Newfield,  68  ; 
on  mill  brook,   65. 
Tanter,  Joseph,  244. 
Tatro,  Samuel  165. 
Tavern,  Benj.   BisaelTs,    75  ; 

Hayden's,  77. 
Taverns,  the  first,  27. 
Tax,  settlement  of  a  minister, 

16,  17. 
Taylor,  Abiel,  163,  273. 

Abigail,  123,  128,  132. 
Augustus  J.,  276. 
Ann,     Mrs.,     61,     90  ; 

biog.,  610. 
Ann  M.,  61. 
Capt.    Uri,     121,    122; 

biog.,  611. 
Edward,  162. 
Emeline,  132. 
Emery,  61,  275,  289. 
Eunice,  I  34. 
Frederick   L.,   89,    134, 

277. 
Joel,  226. 
John,  274. 

Joseph,  27,    32,  34,   89, 
90,    105,     222,     227, 
271,  606  ;   great  din- 
ner, 203. 
Maria,  61. 
Nathaniel,  469. 
Polly,  61. 
Prof.  N.  W.,  309. 
Rev.  Geo.,  1 15. 
Stephen,  223,  271. 
Uri,   63,  90,    134,    148, 
162,   164,   266,   269, 
273. 
Temperance     pledge,      208  ; 

reform,  207. 
Terrell,  .'\lmon,  287. 
Ferrill,  Spencer  A.,  276. 
Thatcher,  Dr.  James,  470. 


Index. 


815 


Things  not  left  out,  chapter, 

243. 
Thompson,  David,  391. 

Epaphras,   71. 

Geo.  C,  239. 

Harriet,  493. 

Henry,  350,  364. 

Horace  A.,  240. 

Joseph,  222. 

J.  M.,  134. 

L  ,  267. 

Wm.,  391. 
Thomas,  Thomas,  64. 
Thoreau,     Henry    D.,    357, 

362. 
Thorp,  Ambrose,  274. 

David  J.,  239. 

Sarah  W.,  i  32. 
Thrall,  Aaron,  42. 

Abel,   222. 

Amelia,  47. 

Charles,  222. 

Daniel,  16,  271. 

Elizabeth,  9,  40. 

Friend,  42,  222. 

George  W.,  273. 

Hannah,  43. 

Homer  F.,  266,  273. 

Ira,  275. 

Joel,    14,    15,    18,    51, 
210. 

Joseph,  42,  222. 

Joshua,  274. 

Laurin,  45,  266,  269. 

Levi,  42,  144,  153,  222, 
270,  516. 

Luke,   275. 

Margaret,  32,  40,  43. 

Noah,  222. 

Nathan,  274. 

Pardon,  222,    227,  271. 

Phebe,  41. 

Reuben,  42. 

Samuel,  45,  274. 
Tibbals,  Lorrain,    277. 

Nathan  R.,  165. 
Tiffany,  Russell,  276. 
Tillinghast,  Henrietta,  132. 
Timmons,   Mrs.,  373. 
Titus,  John  G.,  278. 

Oliver,   278. 
Todd,  Wm.  P.,    1 32. 
ToUes,  Joseph,  61,  273. 

Sibyl  R.,  450. 
Tompkins,  Thomas,  61. 
Tomlmson,  Curtiss,  274. 

Horace,  276. 

John  M.,  276. 
Tompson,  Henry,  275. 
Topography     of"  Torrington, 

171- 
Torringford,  a  business  place, 


75  ;   first  settlers,  25  ; 
incorporated,  49  ; 

meeting  hojse,  50. 
Torrington,  named,  8  ;   com- 
pany, 8  ;    Green,    66, 
67;  hollow,  795  Mfg. 
Co  ,  79,   95. 
Travis,  Eliza,  132. 

J.  M.,  126,  165. 
Treadway,  Aureit,  61. 
Charles,  276. 
Seth,  272. 
Seth  S.,  276. 
Treat,  S.  B.,  506. 
Trees,  kinds  of,  172. 
Trowbridge,    Henry,  274. 
Trumbull,  Ammi,  9. 
Benj  ,  D.D.,  36 
John,  9. 
Tubbs,  Nathan,  132,  277. 
Tucker,  Benj.,   77. 

Leonard,  77. 
Turner,  Elisha,  97,  104,  107, 
126,   267. 
Isaac,  503,    510. 
L.  D.,  165. 
Martha,  503,    510. 
Turner  &  Seymour    Mfg.  Co. 
96,  97;  kind  of  goods, 
98. 
Turnpike,  Goshen  and  Sha 
ron,  184;  Waterbury. 
184. 
Turnpikes,   183. 
Turrell,   Ebenezer,  273. 
Geo.  B.,    111,112. 
Tuttle,  A.  L  ,  165. 
Abraham,  63. 
Adah,  61. 

Albert,  99,  loo,  loi. 
Albert    L.,  163. 
Anson,    63. 
Capt.  Levi,  434. 
Catherine,  132. 
Chlue,  61. 
Clarissa  H.,  496. 
Clement,  61,  228. 
Cordelia,  61 . 
Curtiss,  62,  274. 
Daniel,  i  63,  273. 
Edward    H.,    278. 
Huber  E  ,   239. 
Ira,  61. 
Isaiah,     63,     222,     227, 

447- 
James  H.,  277. 
John  H.,  274. 
Leverette,  63,  266,  273. 
Lucy,  61. 

Mrs.  Stephen,  251. 
Nathan  A.,  165. 
Rhoda,  434,  435. 


Tuttle,  Ruth,  61. 

Uriel,    52,  61,   77,  216, 
266,  268,  272. 
Tyler,  Rev.  Bennett,  521. 

Union  Mfg.  Co.,  99,  100. 

Vaill,  Rev.  H.  L.,  56,  148. 
Valleys,  170. 

Van  Allyn,  Caroline  E.,   61. 
Van  Buren,  Dr.,  509. 

Martin,  483. 
Village   society   in    Wolcolt- 

ville,  122. 
Vinton,  Joseph,    116. 
Virgil,  George,  165. 
Volkman,  C,  165. 

Wade,  Amasa,  74. 

Amos,  74. 

Harmon  E.,  74. 

Homer  H.,  74. 
Wadhams,  David,  79. 

Dothia,  132. 

Eliza,  132. 

F.  L.,  127,  165. 

Frederick,  86. 

Frederkk  B.,    275. 

Geo.  D.,  81,  95,  96, 
105,  122,  123,  128, 
132,  164,  187,  188, 
193,   274. 

Heman,   275. 

Lucy,  123,  128,  132. 

Lucy  A.,  309. 

Sarah,  132. 
Wadliams  Mfg.  Co.,  96. 
Wadsworfh,  Jernas,  226. 
Waight,  Benjamin  F.,   276. 

William  W.,  277. 
Wainwright,  Harriet  C,    61. 

Jonth.  A.,   238. 
Wiit,  Robert,  167. 
Wakefield,  Ann,    61. 
Walbridge,   King,  238. 
Walcott,  Rev.  Dana  M.,  56, 
61. 

Elizabeth,  61. 
Waldo,  Hubbard,  165. 
Waler,  Daniel,  228. 
Walker,  John  W.,  79. 

George,  356. 

Josiah,  64. 
Walling,  Catharine,  132. 

James,  276. 

Lewis,  241. 
Walnut  hill,   169,  170. 
Walters,  Henry,  163. 
War,     the    Rebellion,    236; 
regiment,    heavy     ar- 
tillery, 238  ;    2d  reg., 
heavy  artillery,  238. 


i 


8i6 


Index. 


Ward,  Amos,  275. 

Eunice,  44. 

Giles,  40,  44,  68. 

Henry,  74. 
Warren,  Edward  R.,  164. 
Warham,  Rev.  John,  i,  2. 
Warriner,  Abner  M.,  79. 
Warhurst,  Enoch  G.,  239. 
Washburn.  Rev.  E.,  115. 
Washington,  Col.,  398,  401. 

General,  224. 
Wasps,  247. 

Waterbury,  Charles,  195. 
Waterhouse,  Wright,  239. 
Waterman,  Bell  A.,  150. 
Watkins,  Julius,  73. 
Watson,  Abigail,  61. 

Ann,  62. 

Charlotte  E.,  62. 

Dr.  Hiram,  156. 

Ebenezer,  9. 

Emeline,  62. 

George,  62,  276. 
Harvey,  62. 

Huldah,  61. 

Jane  B.,  62. 

Jed,  9. 

Julia,  61. 

Levi,  61,  235. 

Lucy,  61. 

Millissa,  62. 

Milo,  62. 

Reuel  A.,  62. 

Roman,  164. 

Sally,  62. 

Sarah,  62. 

Sarah  Jane,  62. 

Thomas,    57,    62,     156, 
225. 

Wm.,  57,  62. 

William  H.,  61. 
Wattles,  Asa,  278. 

Henry,  45,    274. 
Waugh,  George,  277. 

Moses,  wagon  shop,  69. 
Way,  John,  226. 
Webb,  Col.,  235. 
Webster,  Edwin  B.,  134. 

Elizabeth,  512. 

J.  D,  360. 

Jerome,   278. 

Marilla,   132. 

Martin,     65,    96,     266, 
269,  273. 

William,  277. 

W.  H.,  134. 
Weddings,  249. 
Wedge,  Parintha,  62. 

William,  276. 
Weed,  Emma,  132. 

Harriet,  132. 

Mary,    132. 


Weed,  Willard,  126,   132. 
Weeks,  Esther,  45. 

G.  S.,  165. 

Samuel,  278. 
Welch,  Dr.  James,  156. 

Gideon  H.,  127,  161, 
267. 

Michael,  241. 

Susie,  I  32. 
Wells,  Margaret  J.,  132. 

Marther,  62. 

Nancy,  62. 
Welsh,  Dr.  Wm.,  471. 
Welton,  Charles  R.,  165. 
West  India,  70. 
Westlake,  Albert  M.,  277. 
Western  lands,    7. 
Weston,  E.  F.,  165. 

Margaret  F.,  132. 
Wethersfield,  settled,  5. 
Wetmore,  45,  123,  128. 

Bessey,  i  32. 

Betsey,  44,  123,  128. 

Fanny,  62. 

Fanny  C,  45. 

Francis,  123,  128,  132. 

Freeman  S.,  514. 

J.  G.,  190. 

J.  N.,  127. 

Joel,  42. 

John,  41,  230,  271. 

John  2d,  162. 

Lauren,  45,  122,  123, 
126,  127,  128,  132, 
149,  267,  275. 

Lois,  43. 

Louisa,  46,  123,  128. 

Lyman,  44,  96,  122, 
123.  128,  132,  134, 
266,  268,  272,  425. 

Miriam,  43. 

Nancy,  45,  425. 

Pomeroy,  272. 

Sally,  43. 

Samuel,  271. 

Sarah,  44. 

Sarepta.  62. 

Seth,  163,  265,  268, 
27  I. 

Truman  S  ,   I  63. 
Whealon,  Mr.,  138. 
Wheeler,  Anson,  164. 

Asa,  132. 

Frank  M.,  132. 

Geo.  H.,  240. 

Harriet,  132. 

Kezia,  I  32. 

Martha,  132. 

Nellie  M.,  132. 

Sally.  46. 
Whipping  post,  246. 
White,  Anne  E.,  45. 


White,  Jedediah,  44. 

Rev.  John,  i,  2,  3,  274. 

Merritt,  276. 

Silas,  223,  274. 

Thomas,  226,  272. 
Whiting,   Alonzo,   47,    267, 
270,  276. 

Anna  C  ,   132. 

Benjamin,  41,  43,  229, 
230,  236,  244,  270. 

Christopher,  222. 

Clarissa,  46. 

Dr.  Erastus  D.,  156. 

Dea.  John,  30. 

Emma  J.,  46. 

Francis  K.,  132. 

Frank  L.  G.,  44. 

Frederick  P.,  266,  269, 
274. 

George  L.,  267,  276. 

Giles,  44,  266,  272. 

Harriet,  44,  46. 

Harrison,  239. 

Hervey,  271,  528. 

Henry,  236. 

Hiram  J.,  275. 

James,  274. 

Jesse,  228,   236. 

John,  22,  32,  34,  35, 
36,  40,  41,  51,  65, 
66,  75,  211,  222, 
258,  259,  271. 

Josiah,  Jr.,  222. 

Lewis,  266,   276. 

Lucien  N.,  239. 

Mary  A.,  45. 

Melinda,  46. 

Rachel,  46. 

Rebecca,  45,  46. 

Sarah,  41,  43. 

Sarah,  Jr.,  42. 

Selah,  273. 

Uri,  46,  269,  273. 

Uri  L.,  81. 

Wm.,  244,    268,    271, 

314- 
Wm.  H.,  45,  273. 

Whitman,  E.  B.,  377. 

Henry,  164. 
Wilbur,  Prof.  C.  D.,  160. 
Wilcox,  Asahel,  32,  41,   89, 
222,  227,  271. 

Charles,  62. 

Charlotte,  62. 

Elias,  62. 

Florilla  A.,  62. 

Harriett,  133. 

John,    239. 

Maria  E.,  62. 

Philemon,  226. 

Sarah,  123,  128,  133. 
Wild-cat  hollow,  243. 


Index. 


817 


Wildcats,  243. 
Wi^ley,  Mary,  45. 
Williams,  Anson,  275. 

David,  272. 

Henry,  241. 

Jessie,,  i  64. 

John,  9,  236. 

Mary  E.,  296. 

Samuel,  i  35. 

Wm.,  236. 
Wilson,  Abijah,  32,  34,  42, 
113,  114,   222,   228, 
268,271,  303. 

Abner,  225. 

Capt.  Amos,  27,  32,  34, 
35.  41,  44.  65.  66, 
75.  87,  89,  105,  122, 
133,  142,  144,  154, 
221,  224,  228,  235, 
264,  265,  267,  268, 
270. 

Amos,  Jr.,  272. 

Ann,  40,   42. 

Ansel,  163. 

Agusta,  62. 

Caroline,  133. 

Caroline  J.,  291. 

Clarissa,  62,  133. 

Darius,     62,     77,     105, 

127,  133- 
Ebenezer,  96. 

Eliza,  45.  133. 

F.  J.,   267. 

Hannah,  43. 

Harmon,   272,  275. 

Horatio,  277. 

John,   9. 

Larenson,  278. 

Lois,  45. 

Mary,  62,  133. 

Noah,  18,    27,    32,    34, 

51,87,  105,106,113, 

221,  228,   229,   230. 

235.  -44.  264,   267, 

270,  271. 
Noah,  Jr.,  32,    34.    42, 

230,  271. 
Norman,  90,  162,  273. 
Roger,  32,  88,  90,222, 

227,  271. 
RoUand,  272. 
Roswell,    43,    88,     90, 

105,  271. 
Ruth,  43. 
Sabra,  44. 
Samuel,  9. 

Senator  ot  Mass.,  375. 
Wait     B.,      127,     270, 

276. 
William,  31,    62,    222, 

227,  228,   271,   273 


Wilson's  mill,    87,     88,    89, 

105,  106. 
Winchell,  Gerry,  277. 
Daniel,  62,  271. 
Milo,  276. 
Daniel,     62,    76,     223, 

226. 
David,  273. 
Ebenezer,    48,    50,  145, 

273. 
Hiram,  62,  273. 
John,  9. 
Samuel,  277. 
Stephen,  9. 
Windsor    Company,     i  ;    an 

act  to  divide,  7. 
Windsor  Patent,  7. 
Winship,  C.  A.,  267,  278. 
Winthrop,  Governor,  3,  5. 
Westland,  Robert,  9. 
Witherell,  Elijah,  278. 
Wolcott,  Abigail,  43. 
Almira,  44. 
Anna,  44. 
Christopher,      63,      94, 

123. 
Eleanor,  45. 
Elizur,  273. 
Ephraim  W.,  164. 
Fiederick,  90. 
Gov.  Oliver,  94,  523. 
Guy,     32,    40,    43,   90, 
91,     94,     263,     268, 
271,  479. 
Henry,  i. 

James,  94,  95,  273. 
John,  9. 

Oliver,  91,  92,  235. 
Roger,  8. 
Simon,  Jr.,  9. 
Wokottville,  first  house  built 
in,  89  ;   first  store  in, 
90;   how  it  became  a 
village,  87;  in   1819, 
in       1836,      91  ;     its 
growth,    91  ;   named, 

91  ;  number  of  in- 
habitants, 93;  view  of, 

92  ;  Brass  Co.,  102; 
Hardware  Mfg.  Co., 
104;  knitting  Co., 
95  5  Mfg.  Co.,  95  ; 
Savings  Bank,    1 12. 

Women   physicians,    157. 

Wood,  John,   9. 

Woodford,   George    E.,    133. 

Isabella,  i  33. 

Linda,  150. 
Wooding,  Edmund,  81,  iii, 
134,  269,  276. 

Edmund  A.,  266. 

James  107,    116. 


Wooding,  Julius,  270. 
Woodruff,    Henry    M.,    164, 
239. 

John,  226. 

Julia  A.,  62. 

Lott,  222. 

Philo,  226. 

Rev.   Geo.  W.,    120. 

Solomon,  226. 

Sterling,    275. 
Woodward,  Catherine  M.,  62. 

Charles,  274. 

Dr.  Charles,    1 54,    156, 

157.  536. 
Elijah,    157,   267,   270, 

273,  278. 
Dr.  Henry,    157. 
Dr.    S.,   62,     152,    153, 

154,    157.   265,   266, 

420.  447.  459.  504. 

516. 
Dr.  Samuel  B.,  157. 
George,  277. 
Griswold,      208,       266, 

269. 
Henry  C,  240. 
James  G.,  62,  270. 
Orpha  A.,  62. 
Rufus,  151. 
Dr    Samuel,  letter  to  J. 

Alvord,    245  ;     biog., 

623. 
Samuel  B.,  208. 
Woolen  mill  built,  94. 
Wooster,  Gen.  Clark,  187. 

L.  T.,  116. 
Workman,  A.  E.,    168,  239. 
Andrevy,    165. 
Geo.   D.,  99,  100,    loi, 

166,  167. 
John,  165,  166. 
Samuel,    99,    100,    loi, 

133- 
Wooster,  L.  T.,   165. 

Wright,  Elizur,  329. 

Geo.,  242. 

Joel,   274. 

Robert,  81,  278. 
Wrightville,   81. 

James,  272. 

Rev.  Cyrus,  471. 

Yale,  Aaron,  26,  48. 
Young,  Clarinda,  62. 

John,  42,  305. 

Milo,  239. 

John,  222,  278. 
York,  Jesse,  276. 

Stephen,   276. 

Zell,  Rev.  Henry,  133,  135. 


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